Maternity Leave and Daycare

For BTDT moms of 2 or more who's child or children are in daycare.

When you were on maternity leave did you keep your other LO home with you or still send them to daycare?

I am due this summer. DS will just be 2 years old. They don't really have too much of a summer program for his age group, BUT they do go outside a lot more, do sprinkler time, outside activities... all along with their regular art, stories, nap, etc.

Since I'll be off for most of hte summer I'm still considering keeping DS in daycare part time. I think it's good for him b/c he loves it there and he'll have fun.
I was thinking 2 days a week. Problem is the daycare doesn't do 2 days. Only 3, which is understandable b/c they don't want to lose money.
It's only $35 less a week to go from 4 days to 3. Is it worth it?
The director did say she'd see if she can help a little so waiting for her to get back to me
thoughts?

Re: Maternity Leave and Daycare

I am due in July and I am putting DS in the school's day camp for 3 days from 9am -1pm. I want him to have a routine when DC is born and it will also give me some alone time with DC while DS is in school. I had spoken to moms at the school and they told me that it was a better transition for DC#1 when they had a routine that didn't change because DC#2 came into the picture.

The owner also told me it will be great if I picked DS up at camp and made it all about him when I picked him, asking how his day went, etc.

HTH

Re: Maternity Leave and Daycare

I decided to continue to send my DS 2 days a week to daycare (who was 21 months when 2nd DS was born). It was perfect because he still was in the routine of going so when I went back to work it wasn't so hard for him and it was also great because on those 2 days I was able to really bond and focus on the baby.

My older DS LOVES his daycare and has made great friends there so he looked forward to going!

I contemplated it a lot bc I felt guilty about sending him when I was home, but in the end it was the best thing for all of us and made the transition back to work so much easier.

Re: Maternity Leave and Daycare

I'm due around the same time. My plan is to send DS to daycare 3 days a week, instead of his usual 5.

I want to keep him in a routine and still have some time with him.

Re: Maternity Leave and Daycare

My daycare didn't offer PT and at the time, Ryan was going on average 2 days a week b/c of my husband's rotating schedule. So I was paying for FT for his 2 days. We did pull him when Colin was born b/c there was no routine to maintain and b/c it was winter, we knew he would only bring back germs to the baby.
They both returned when Colin was 7 months old.

Re: Maternity Leave and Daycare

Since my DD was already in daycare 2x week, we continued to send her as not to disrupt her routine.

Re: Maternity Leave and Daycare

I think it's worth it - it's only $35 less per week but, that's about $140 less per month!

Re: Maternity Leave and Daycare

I would have kept DD out of day care last summer but my day care was gong to charge me anyway just to hold my spot so I put her in half days, because they wouldn't do 3 days a week... although I kept her home at least once a week.

In retrospect, I should have just kept her home. She wanted to be with me and she was jealous of the time I spent with DS but I thoughtkeeping her routine would be beneficial.

Re: Maternity Leave and Daycare

I kept my kids in school.. It was important for me to have them on a routine.

Re: Maternity Leave and Daycare

We kept DD in part time-3 days per week.

It gave us 1:1 time with DS, it kept her on her schedule-I don't know if it would have been hard for her to adjust to going back to day care if she had been home for 3 months but at least this way I knew it wouldn't be.

We didn't rush to get her there and we always picked her up early. On days when we were all home if was 4 but tiring so it was a nice break for everyone.

Re: Maternity Leave and Daycare

I kept my older one in daycare until school broke up for the summer. It gave me the time I needed with my newborn. And while I was on maternity leave my company paid for daycare, so it worked out pretty well.

Re: Maternity Leave and Daycare

i am having twins this summer and i plan on reducing DS to 2 or 3 days a week - i know i will need a little down time form ds plus it will give him more exercise plus he lvoes daycaere and his friends

Re: Maternity Leave and Daycare

I will be on leave for 6 months - Sean goes 3x a week now, but I'll be dropping him down to 2x a week -

A. I don't want to completely lose his spot
B. I don't think it's good for him to be @ home w/ me all day for 6 months, and then have to go back to Daycare 3x a week (and w/ my parents 2x a week) - I think it would be too difficult of a transition for him. And he likes 'school' and his friends and has a great time there.

Re: Maternity Leave and Daycare

Re: Maternity Leave and Daycare

I started maternity leave in January. I dropped my son to two days per week in daycare. He loves it. He has so much fun there and gives me a much needed break with the two kids. Totally worth it if you can swing it!!!!

Re: Maternity Leave and Daycare

I had DS at the end of May. I kept DD in school until the end of June. Then I put her in part-time for the summer. It was nice because it gave me time to bond with AJ and Chelsea wasn't bored out of her mind all summer because we really couldn't go anywhere with a newborn.

Re: Maternity Leave and Daycare

Re: Maternity Leave and Daycare

We pulled older DS -- I was planning on being out for 20 weeks and even though I wanted to hold his spot at the center, I couldn't justify the $$$ -- we saved more than $4k by pulling him.

After DS#2's arrival, we gave the center 6 weeks' notice so that gave me and younger DS bonding time and it gave older DS time to still do something that was only for him -- it really helped with the transition, I think.

Re: Maternity Leave and Daycare

We kept Lucas in because I knew I was returning to work and wanted to keep his routine. He had enough changes going on in his life. We didn't do late pick up during that time but that was the only change.

I was very happy with the arrangement.

Re: Maternity Leave and Daycare

im keeping older DD in daycare 2X a week just to keep her going with her routine and because she loves it. I just got home from the hospital today and she starts PT next week, i'll let you know how it goes!