Is earlier better for childcare?
I am currently having trouble deciding when to tell work I am coming back because I can't decide when to put my DD into care!
I realise I am lucky to have choices about when I go back to work (I've been off for four months now) but it is a financial necessity to go back after 12 months and for other reasons (relevant to my career path) the sooner the better.
I have already decided and had agreement from DH that DD comes before my career. Ideally I would stay home with DD (and add to the family:D) until school age!
However, recent experiences of other mothers close to me have caused me to wonder whether our little ones adjust better at different ages (or different stages of development as the case may be) and that maybe an introduction into CC or FDC starting with a couple of half days a week and gradually working up to three or four full time days would be better. I was thinking maybe from 6 months onwards?
Are there parents who have placed their children later into cc and wish they had done so earlier? Alternatively, any parents placed their children at an early age (whether 6 months or earlier) but still had adjustment issues etc which might indicate that timing really isn't that significant????
I would love some experiences/feedback to guide me here! From the (very) limited examples I have from friends/family our dear children can be quite clingy from 9 months to 12 months and the transition into care a tough one.
It's a hard decision for me because the thought of putting DD into care is still making me sick to the stomach. But it will need to be done at some stage, is it more kind to her to ease her into it?
Finally, I have to be totally honest and say that if she did go into care earlier than the 12 mths I would take up my job on a part time basis . I am not letting that influence my decision but... it still makes me feel like a bad mum. I don't want to deprive her of any time she can have with me, especially when it is already limited! :redface:
Thx