How old was your baby when he/she started daycare?

Question

my son didn't start until he was a year and a half, but this time around i will have to go to work sooner. i am afraid to put my new born in daycare so young. i use to be a daycare teacher and i know how some teachers ignore babies. i will just worry all day!

Answer 1

My son started daycare at 6 wks. I had to go back to school or I would have lost all my creidts so i didnt really have a choice.  

Answer 2

My daughter just started daycare and she's 10 months old.  I went  back to work when she was 16 weeks and my husband was a full time student until recently and now is back to work.  I would suggest putting her in a home daycare where your baby can get the best of both worlds; the small child:teacher ratios and the interaction with other babies.  

Answer 3

I didn't actually need a sitter or daycare until my daughter was 8 months old.   Before that, her father watched her during the day (he worked 2nd shift), and he would drop her off at work with me for the rest of the day.  We got a regular babysitter (a SAHM nearby) when my daughter was 8 months, and I was fortunate enough not to need daycare until she was 18 months old.  By that time, they can kinda fend for themselves in certain ways, so it's a little less of a worry.  I would definitely get some recommendations, our local daycare closed but even when they were open, people I ran into at the store or whatever who worked at the daycare and then quit would say some not so nice things about how things were run.  Ask around, and make sure it's a daycare you can trust with your child's care.  I understand completely how you feel, I'd be nervous about it too.  Or forget about daycare and find an individual who would be trustworthy and willing to babysit for you in there home or yours.

Answer 4

So you should worry. I don't mean to be mean but seriously don't have kids if you're going to stick them into childcare when they're BABIES! It just defeats the purpose of having a kid. Spending time with your baby is so important and so rewarding. I don't understand how people put there babies into childcare and go to work. You're missing the best part!

I know life is tough these days but if you're not a single mum and your husband or partner is earning more than $800 a week you should not be going back to work but instead looking after your beautiful children.

Answer 5

Well, I went back to work when he was 8 weeks (I'm a single mom, my income is our only income).  However, he went to my family members and friends until he was 5.5 months old.  Then he started to go to a local daycare right near my office, located in a church.  He loves his daycare!  He's made little friends, he's brought me home pictures and other art projects, his teachers are great, I'm just totally happy with his daycare.  :)

But - even though I'm completely happy with them, I still worry!  That's what momma's do! :)  You'll be fine, just find a daycare you trust.

Answer 6

My son went to daycare at 10 weeks.  For the first couple of months, I visited him twice a day (gave up my lunch hour to do so) so I could nurse him.  Then I started to rely 100% on pumping and only visited once a day, and then I just called to check in.  But at least once a week, I would arrive unexpectedly to check in on him.

Babies do seem to be "ignored" sometimes at daycare, but its because they sleep much more and are much more entertained by a mobile rather than needing dedicated entertainment.  I'm not saying that is right, but it is just a fact.  I think unannounced pop in visits are the best way to keep the staff on their toes.

If I could, I would probably have waited until my son was about 5-6 months old before putting him in daycare... that seemed to be about the age when he really knew where he was and who was around him.  At that point, he seemed to enjoy the interaction with other babies.

Good luck!

Answer 7

My son started when he was two and a half because I was offered an internship position.  I am still in school full time and not working, so financially it makes it hard, but he probably would have went sooner if we could have afforded it.  He was getting quite bored with mom everyday and needed other children to play with.  I am pregnant right now and this time around, like you I will have to go to work much sooner than with my son, but I dont plan to go until he/she is at least a year old...I am hoping (:  Maybe you could ask around to some of your friends or family that know of someone that does it in their home.  There would be less children and if it is someone that is known, and has great references, maybe that will make you feel better knowing they wont have as much on their plate as a daycare teacher.  Good Luck.

Answer 8

I have worked at a daycare for 6 years and my son started at 6 weeks and so will my daughter (2 weeks to go). I've never had an issue with their quality of care. I love the women who work in in the infant class at my work. They take such great care of all the babies. If you have doubts about any day care, you should ask around. Ask opinions from other parents and having worked in one, make sure you ask a thousand questions. Just make sure you find a place with an open door visiting policy so you can peek in whenever you want to make sure the baby is getting the proper care. I know it's hard no matter what, but the younger you put them in day care (when you have to put them in), the easier the transition of drop off is for them. They won't have the stranger anxiety until they are a few months old and by then they will be used to their day care teachers and won't cry a whole lot at drop off. And like i said, just remember to stop by as often as you can.

Hope this helps and good luck! :-)

Answer 9

It's such a difficult thing to seperate from your newborn baby.  Is it absolulty financially necessary to go back to work so soon.  Could you rearrange your schedule so maybe baby could be with a family member some of the time so that you know he/she is being looked after properly.  The only other suggestion is to really research the day care.  Talk to other parents of young babies....feel it out, spend a day there.  The more involved you are with the staff the more involved they will be with you and your baby.  My boys started at 3 and 7 months going 4 hrs/day.

Answer 10

I know the feeling.  With my first I put him in daycare when he was 5 mos.  Now with my second my hubby and I have decided that I should stay home and get a PT evening/weekend job instead.  Both of the daycare centers I worked in would let the babies scream for lengths of time that I thought were not okay.  I would say to try to find a daycare where you know the teachers personally and can get to be friends with them cause then you won't have to worry as much. you'll know that your little one is being taken care of by someone you trust.  If you can't do that I would say for at least the first little bit drop by unannounced at different times of the day and check in on the baby.