Need advice on my daycare situation...

I'm pregnant with #2. DS just turned 1 and I am due in November (yes, they will be very close in age). Right now, between my MIL and mom, they watch DS 3x per week and we have a sitter for the other 2 days who we drop DS off to at her house. She is great, very good with him, very close to our house. My only issue is that she has to take DS in the car during the school year because her daughter does not get the bus. They don't get out of the car, and the school is very close. I've gotten used to the idea.

Anyway, the conversation about what will be when the new baby comes was discussed. Turns out my MIL and mom will only be taking 2 days because they are both not young and 2 kids will be a lot more work. So we need someone for 3 days. When the sitter came back to me and said she'd be interested, she proposed a price. She did not realize we needed her 3x per week. It was extremely high, double the hourly rate that we pay her now. I understand it's 2 children, but what she is asking us for is the rate we'd pay full time at a licensed daycare. Plus, we drop DS to her, she is not coming to us and watching them in the convenience of our own home. After a few days, I flat out told her that we cannot afford the rate she is asking and we might need to seek other options. She totally understood, but said that maybe we could agree on a better number - she was obviously interested still. I told her I would get back to her and she just asked that I do so before Sept. DH and I looked a childcare place (Babylon Childcare) and thought it looked pretty decent and they were reasonable. I just cannot get used to using a regular daycare, I don't know why. There are pros and cons to each and that is where I'm stuck. I have nightmares of DS hating it there and then I'm back to square one.

What would you do? DH thinks we should try to get her to come down on the price because she has indicated numerous times that she is doing babysitting so she does not have to return to work, so DH feels that even if we asked her to go down on the price, the monthly rate we give her is more than double what she gets now - granted, it's 3 days vs 2 days, but we don't think she would ever get what she is asking.

Are daycares better?? Sorry so long...

Re: Need advice on my daycare situation...

I would look at the numbers for 2 children in day care. Generally you get a discount for the second child but from what I have heard it is not that much. I would tell her what you need and the amount you are willing to pay and see if she can meet it. If not, then the choice will have been made for you.

Re: Need advice on my daycare situation...

Re: Need advice on my daycare situation...

I watched 2 kids (5 and 1) full time in their home for 340 dollars a week. When they had their 3rd child, we sat down and discussed a pay raise. Nothing was set in stone. When the new baby arrived I got paid 400 dollars a week. Which boiled down to 80 dollars a day. I worked from 6:45am-4pm. Now I was watching a 6 y/o, 18 month old, and a 7 week old. I was able to get by, but it was hard. I think asking 10 dollars an hour for one kid is good and adding 2 extra dollars an hour for the additional kid is good. I had worked with the family for 3 years. In home daycare is cheaper then a regular day care center. My friend has been using home based daycare for 3 years now. You need to find some one who is familiar with a place and try it out.

Re: Need advice on my daycare situation...

Sorry to crash still over in ttc, but I am licensed daycare provider. If I were you I would look at other licensed homes. I've been a teacher in centers and now I run my own program. I believe that children receive (especially infants) a lot more personal attention in a home like environment verse a center. Most licensed providers give a discount for a second child. A lot of providers wave the down payment fee as well. It might to be hard to find someone now because its so close and most good providers are booked about 1 year in advanced but I would definitely try someone else.
Here are to websites that list licensed providers in nasasu and suffolk

www.childcaresuffolk.org

www.childcarenassau.org

Re: Need advice on my daycare situation...

Re: Need advice on my daycare situation...

Re: Need advice on my daycare situation...

I am still fighting this battle in my own head.

The pro's for me on a centralized day care is that they are more professional, hours are better and prices are better. Pretty much...there is always someone there and I don't have to deal with finding a sitter last minute because mine is sick or because she is out of town. It is also a way shorter drive for me as she would be on base where DH and I both work.

The pro's for me on an in home day care is that will be part of a smaller group and I feel better about the personal attention she'll receive (I hope).

I have spent a ton of hours looking into both and honestly....I still don't really know 100% what we will do. I think we are going with the in home day care for at least the first 6 months and work from there.

Re: Need advice on my daycare situation...

Is it possible to split the kids up between your mom and MIL? So Mom gets DS and MIL gets the baby or they can switch off during the week? Then they're still both only watching one child 3x week and they get a break from the baby. You'll still need to bring your babysitter down in price but at least you won't have to pay for a a whole extra day. Just an idea.

Re: Need advice on my daycare situation...

MrsList, I had thought of splitting, but we're so up in the air and part of me wants to keep it easy for us, kwim?

Re: Need advice on my daycare situation...

I would put both children into a formal daycare setting. is it more $. Yep! But COMPLETELY worth not having to deal with stuff like this.

Re: Need advice on my daycare situation...

Posted by FLaCaTaCa

I am still fighting this battle in my own head.

The pro's for me on a centralized day care is that they are more professional, hours are better and prices are better. Pretty much...there is always someone there and I don't have to deal with finding a sitter last minute because mine is sick or because she is out of town. It is also a way shorter drive for me as she would be on base where DH and I both work.

The pro's for me on an in home day care is that will be part of a smaller group and I feel better about the personal attention she'll receive (I hope).

I have spent a ton of hours looking into both and honestly....I still don't really know 100% what we will do. I think we are going with the in home day care for at least the first 6 months and work from there.

Re: Need advice on my daycare situation...

Posted by FLaCaTaCa

I am still fighting this battle in my own head.

The pro's for me on a centralized day care is that they are more professional, hours are better and prices are better. Pretty much...there is always someone there and I don't have to deal with finding a sitter last minute because mine is sick or because she is out of town. It is also a way shorter drive for me as she would be on base where DH and I both work.

The pro's for me on an in home day care is that will be part of a smaller group and I feel better about the personal attention she'll receive (I hope).

I have spent a ton of hours looking into both and honestly....I still don't really know 100% what we will do. I think we are going with the in home day care for at least the first 6 months and work from there.

Re: Need advice on my daycare situation...

my in home sitter is going from 125 - 225 a week when baby #2 is born ( I liive in NC)

Re: Need advice on my daycare situation...

Re: Need advice on my daycare situation...

I think there are definately more pros to a babysitter than a daycare. The kids will be kept together, not split apart like in daycare. They are also cheaper and give way more one on one attention than any daycare ever would, and I used to work at a few daycares so I know behind the scenes details. If you already found someone you like and trust, and your DS likes her I would try to negotiate. Thats just what I would do. GL!

Re: Need advice on my daycare situation...

I'm all for a daycare setting versus in-home care. I feel like the focus is more on your child & his/her development - even with the other children - versus someone who is watching your child while she's doing her laundry, cooking, talking on the phone, etc.

Re: Need advice on my daycare situation...