Poll; Providers: Would you use Full-Time Daycare for your Infants/Toddlers?

[Cat Herder]

Just a quick unscientific poll of childcare providers.

If there were no other issues involved (aside from moral/ethical)... like finances, after school care, transportation, etc...

Would you send your Infant/Toddler to Daycare Full-Time?

You are encouraged to give reasons below since it would be interesting, IMHO.

[emosks]

My first born was in daycare four days a week from 7a-5p. I worked from 7:30-4:30 straight (no lunch) so I could have Fridays off with him. If I didn't have the option of working that schedule he would have been in care full time.

[blueclouds29]

Although i worked at the daycare my daughter was at, she was 5 wks old when she started. She did fine. I have her home now with me cause i started a daycare.

[Meeko]

I started day care so I could be home with my oldest sons as well as make a little bit of money. I know that some mothers have no choice but to work...but I truly believe that if it is possible, a mother should should stay home with her children.

And I make sure that my day care is run like a home away from home instead of school because I want the kids to feel "at home" as much as possible if they can't be in their own home. Plenty of time for "school" later.

[Blackcat31]

If finances and such were not an issue and I had an infant, I would do everything in my realm of possibilities to ensure that I was home with my infant and not putting them in childcare full time. IMHO I don't think infants belong in child care. (This is in a perfect world of course where parents do not have to work. ) I think that infants under 12 months really require their mothers and although I know that is not a possibility for everyone, it is the way I feel even though that is not the way it is.

Toddlers I think may be a different story....they are just beginning to be social beings (outside of parents) and I think being in child care at the age of 18 months or so is probably a good thing for most kids so my thoughts on kids those ages vary greatly compared to my thoughts on children under 18 months.

I did not begin doing child care myself until my kids were 5 and 3. My oldest child spent her first 2 years home with me and never went to any sitter or child care until age 2. My second child went to my MIL's 2 half days a week so I could attend college from birth until age 18 months when he started childcare on a 3/4 time basis. In my case, I was lucky enough to have a really close MIL and my own DH to care for my babies. My DH and I were also raising my sister who was 14, so we also had a built in babysitter too.

Cat, I know you provide services for infants and toddlers only and I am sure you are the next best thing to mother, but my feelings are only my opinions and are in no way a reflection on anyone who puts their infant in full time child care or any one who provides full time child care to infants.

In that regard; yes, I do accept infants and toddlers on a full time basis and seem to have waiting lists for both ages all the time because having an infant/toddler in childcare full time is a reality not necessarily a chosen act.

[mickey2]

I would never have placed my children in full time daycare only because I am the one who wanted to teach them their morals and values and right from wrong. No one can do that better than a child's own parents. I stayed home with my 5 children until they started school full-time because I strongly believed that this was best for my children and for my family. I wanted to spend all of my time with my kids and be there for all of their firsts. First steps, first words etc.

We did not have much while my children were growing up but we were fortunate that I was able to do this. We had to do without a lot of things so that I could do this. We had to walk everywhere as we could not afford a car. We bought a cheap fixer upper home that I hated because in order for me to stay home it was all we could afford. We never ate out, we had to stretch our meals and our dollars on everything because we did not have any money.

Those days were so tough! We were not in a very good position financially at all but we made the choice that I was going to be at home with our kids. Its about sacrificing a lot of the things you would like to have for what you believe is best for your child. We never had any of the things we wanted EVER, but we all had what we needed.

For us, this was the best decision we ever made as parents.

[SilverSabre25]

I'm guessing you're asking that if we didn't have to work, or anything else, would we send them?

No, not at all. Heck, the entire reason I'm even doing the job I am right now is because I want to be with my own kids. But if finances weren't a concern (and they are now more than ever...*sigh*) I wouldn't even do daycare so taht I could do what I wanted, when I wanted, with my own children.

[MarinaVanessa]

The main (but not only) reason that I chose to do DC was to be home with my daughter more. We also wanted to have another baby and I wanted to be home with the baby. I enjoy kids very much and even when working a job before DC I was always the family/neighborhood baby/pet/house sitter so for me DC was an obvious career choice for me.

My DD sometimes gives me a hard time (she's 6) because she gets jealous of the DCK's and I have thought of sending her to a friend of mine that has a DC during after-school hours but my DD wasn't too fond of the idea. If she ever decides that DC is too stressful for her and she wants to go to my friends DC then I'd let her go PT.

[cheerfuldom]

The only reason I do daycare is so I can be with my own kids. I would never send them to daycare of any kind unless I absolutely had to. I would also never do this particular job unless I had to. I do enjoy kids in general and I am good at this job but that doesn't mean that it is even close to my dream job or that I am fulfilled by it. I actually prefer the kids way more than the parents which is probably the case for a lot of providers. Anyway, all that to say, I will not be doing this as soon as my kids are school age (at least preschool age).

[DaycareMama]

Please correct me if I am wrong but im reading it as you asking that us being childcare providers currently, would we send our own children to another childcare?

I would not as an infant IMHO. Maybe around the age of 3 for socialization away from mommy. But that to would depend on my childs needs. If he/she is adjusted fine and not to clingy to me all the time I would keep my child with me. Again just my opinion

[PitterPatter]

I personally would not place my toddler in daycare because I didn't trust anyone, especially strangers.

A family member of mine was placed in a state licensed daycare as a young child and was mentally abused and neglected proper food/drink for years. It didn't come out until years later because the child grew up thinking that's how it was supposed to be in daycare.

As soon as my child was born I quit my job to raise him. I had a husband that was working at the time thank God. I decided once he could walk and talk and tell me so and so did this, or so and so touched me etc, then I may enroll him. I never did tho. I was still afraid so I openened my own daycare in my home because I love children anyway so it was perfect! I got to be a stay at home Mom for my child and provide quality care for other children.

[daycare]

what is considered full time? 5 days a week or over 35 hours??

[MarinaVanessa]

what is considered full time? 5 days a week or over 35 hours??

Where I am they go by hours and anything 30 hours and over is FT. 29 hours or less is PT. That is how the state pays for subsidy (CDR which is what is used most in our area) so providers go by that around here.

[daycare]

ok so I am also in CA just in the north.... thanks for the reply

[jojosmommy]

[QUOTE=cheerfuldom;107759] I would never send them to daycare of any kind unless I absolutely had to. [QUOTE]

completely agreed! We can't even find reliable enough sitters around here to make me feel at ease. Also my son has seizures and has had a terrible time separating to be with anyone else. He is fine with my husband and after a year of hard work is doing better at the gym daycare and can go with my sister if its not for more than a couple hours. I doubt he would adjust well to daycare.

Plus, I personally could not manage working outside of the home and completing all the household duties plus spending time with my child. This is the only profession I can do both and not feel like I am spending all my time making money to pay someone else to watch my child.