Going to give day-care a try

[chrysalis]

Hi there
I am with the other ladies - give it a try! You can always pull the pin if it is not working for you.
Our nearly 18 month old son is getting a lot from being in CC a couple of days a week whilst I work.
My suggestions in facing the decision making are as follows:
1. Accept that pretty constant illness will be a part of your life for 12 months or so. It's tough but you get through it. Do you have support to manage through this winter with a crook toddler and a new bub? Unfortunately you do need to consider that side of it.
2. In deciding where to send her, go with your gut - you really do need to do a look see a t a number of centres. Try to drop in unannounced to see what really goes on, most centres have no problems with this if you just explain you were in the area and interested in care etc. Late morning or mid afternoon are probably good times to go as many places have toddlers have a nap after having an earliesh lunch so if you are there at lunchtime you may not see too much happening. Spend some time chatting to the carers in the room your little one will go into.
If you decide to go ahead rest assured that she will eventually settle in and LOVE it.
Good luck
Belinda!

[krisp]

My 2 munchkins go to daycare 3 days a week. From my experience of seeing some of the other children who really struggle with the daycare environment it is sadly often the ones who only go 1 day per week. I have no idea why this is the case - perhaps because they don't get settled in by only going 1 day.
On the positive side both my children love their centre (an ABC centre that is staffed by wonderful caring women), and have really opened up since starting. My DS is way more advanced than the other boys in the toddler room.
My DD however has only just started walking in the last 2 weeks - she didn't see the point her adoring big brother would seem to know what she wanted and deliver toys to her!

[Ginger]

i say give it a try and see how it goes. if you find she's not enjoying it, and therefore you're not enjoying it, then you can always pull her out.

[Glamourcide]

Thanks for the advice and support, ladies.
DD had her first day at daycare yesterday, and by all accounts from the carers, she had a lovely time. DH and I dropped her off in the morning, she didn't even want to kiss us goodbye because she was too busy making friends and discovering all the fun toys in the playground. DH and I were a bundle of nerves all morning, worrying about her, but I resisted the urge to call every five minutes to check on her (except for one phone call to let the carers know that her dummy was in the front pocket of her backpack and she would need it for naptime), and when I picked her up at 4:30 one of the ladies assured me that she'd enjoyed herself immensely apart from a few minor tears over the course of the day (when she got tired).
She'd crawled into a corner and gone down for a second nap (and this NEVER happens, so she must have worn herself out immensely!!) just before I arrived and when I went into the next room to collect her, she was cuddled up with another carer, crying her heart out - a little boy had been so excited to see his dad arrive to pick him up that he'd tripped over DD while she was asleep and woken her up!
She waved goodbye to everybody and was very, very happy to see Daddy when we picked him up from work straight after.
DH and I both fell asleep on the couch while watching the news (it was raining all day, DH hasn't been feeling well and I'd been on my feet all day running errands) and when I woke up an hour later, DD was sitting quietly on the couch reading a book and patting the dog - and she NEVER, EVER sits still, usually the minute your back is turned she's into some godawful mischief, but nothing had been touched so she must have just been sitting quietly the whole time. I'm pretty sure that means she got all the stimulation she needed for the day at daycare and was content to just be around mummy and daddy when she got home - I got up and bathed her, gave her a bottle and she went straight down, so I think daycare was good for her.

I'm really excited about it now, can't wait for next Wednesday - she seemed to have a good time and I know now I'm doing the right thing for her.