Childcare dilemma

I've finally managed to find Alex a childcare place. I put him down on the waiting list at two places well before he was even born and neither of those two would have been able to get him in until after Christmas this year, so I asked around and a couple of the girls from my coffee group told me about a brand new place where they've got their babies, so I rang them and they have room for him.

I only want him to do a max of two days per week, and the only days this place could take him are Monday and Friday. Friday is perfect as my work needs doing towards the end of the week so it'd give me a chance to do all of that (I work from home). But Monday is when we have coffee group which I adore and I would hate to miss out on that.

I asked the lady at the childcare centre if we could just do Fridays and she said that they strongly recommend that under twos do more than one day per week as otherwise it's so long between sessions that they have to settle in all over again each time. Makes sense I guess.

So what do I do? Do I book him in on Monday AND Friday, or just start with Friday and hope another day becomes available soon?

And the cost, OMG! $75 per day!!!

Nope, no Wednesday, Monday and Friday were it.

I'm sort of leaning towards taking just the Friday and being waitlisted for the first Wednesday or Thursday that comes available, but not if having the Monday as well would make it easier on him. We could afford it - just.

I really don't know what is best

Hi Mikaela, I had Jaymie in daycare on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9am-4pm, and she really wasn't settling as the gap between Wednesday and the following Monday was too long. So, as per the suggestion by the caregivers at daycare, I reduced her hours on the Mon & Weds and added Friday mornings from 9am-12pm. She adjusted better almost immediately. So from my experience, I would say that it would definately be a big gap from Friday to Friday, and the adjustment would probably be difficult. I think once a week has past, the bubbas have forgotton all about daycare and it's a shock all over again. When it is more regular, they get use to it and start to enjoy it. Well that's been my experience anyway.

Could you put him in for a half day on the Monday so that you still get to go to coffee group.
I do agree with them about not going a whole week between sessions. Spencer is in on Monday and Friday afternoons and if he misses one then the next session he will cry etc when I go to leave. Sometimes I even think he should do a wednesday afternoon as well to help.

Wow, $75 *cringe*

I've just started Chloe at daycare, she is only in on Friday's atm but hoping to get more hours soon. The childcare centre never mentioned anything about not being able to settle in, but maybe it's a bit different for younger babies?

Ours is $36 per day (6 hours+), that doesn't include milk or nappies, but it includes all other food/drink/etc.

Bobbie wrote: That's pretty expensive 'inspiration'

Tell me about it!

Thanks for the replies everyone. I've just come back from visiting this centre and I have to say I was just so impressed. The staff were lovely, obviously had a real rapport with the kids, and the facilities were amazing! I walked in with Alex and he just looked around the room obviously thinking 'Woooowwwww' and then flung himself out of my arms and took off across the floor. He didn't bat an eyelash when I left the room for 20 mins with the manager to talk over the paperwork, and when I came back he was sitting with one of the staff singing nursery rhymes and happy as larry. So that was good!

The manager is going to try to reshuffle the under twos to get me the days I wanted too, so we'll see if she's able to.

But $75 I guess I'm willing to pay it since this place seems so great but there's no getting around that it's a shedload of money out of each pay.

I also went and visited a couple of family daycare places and wasn't so impressed with them. At one the woman's own child had this hacking cough and coughed all over Alex - not a normal kiddy cough, this was a nasty one - and at the other there wasn't even an outdoor area where the kids could play. But obviously they were both much cheaper options.

Hmmmmmm.

$75 is pretty pricey but I know a daycare in Auckland that is $95 a day regardless of number of hours your child is in for each day.

Hopefully the manager can shuffle it for you.