Child Care 1 day a week for 18 month old?

[SassyMummy]

I'm a SAHM of an 18 month old girl, and I know absolutely nothing about Child Care Centres or anything.

I am considering, however, putting her into child care 1 day a week so that she can interact with other people, and that I can get a break and time for me to do 'me stuff'.

Has anyone tried this, and is it beneficial?

Also, when it comes to childcare centres (I know each one will be different, but I'm looking for 'in generals' here...):

*Are there set drop-off and pick-up times?
*How much might 1 day a week cost?
*How do kids, who have never really been taken care of people they don't know closely, react to chilcare? If they react badly, can this change over time?
*What kinds of stuff do kids DO at childcare?

Any other information would be brilliant... I really know NOTHING about it, and it's just a thought at the moment...

[ozzysmum]

ozzy started 3 weeks ago so today is my 3rd "day off" :D he has had me around 24/7 since birth (well, since before then too!) and seems to be taking it ok.

first, shop around - find a place that makes you happy. i went to 3 different places and really liked the 3rd one.

in general there is no set drop off / pick up time but you should make it the same every week. it could 8.30/4.30 or 11/3 or 6/6 whatever fits your schedule that they have space for.
one day a week will probably cost $25 after your govt. rebate (the childcare place will tell you how to sort that out) depending on where you live and how pricey the centre is.
ozzy has reacted really well - although he still screams like he's being tortured when i drop him off :( i generally wait around outside until i can hear him calm down (less than a minute) just to make myself feel better before i go:yes:
and lastly... they do LOADS of stuff! all those things you don't have the energy for or want to clean up afterwards: sponge and fingure painting, glitter glue hand shapes, climbing on everything... plus all the things you already do like reading, dancing and singing, eating, having a nap and playing quietly with toys.

has she been to playgroup or have any kiddie freinds she's sees reasonably often? ozzy i think has settled fairly well because he's quite sociable. he still gives me the biggest cuddles in the world when i go to get him (and it is kind of niced to be missed ... selfish mummy!)

DO NOT let anyone make you feel guilty about wanting a little break once a week or let anyone say you're taking up a place for a family that needs it because the primary carer has to work. for a start, you have been at work 24 hours a day for 18 months and secondly there wouldn't be that place available if someone else needed it - they'd already be using it!

is it beneficial? only if you and your bub are reasonably happy with it - if you try it a few times and feel unhappy about it, or if your bub spends all 8 hours at childcare screaming hysterically then probably not. however, for you to be a good mummy you need un-mummy time so give it a go and see what happens. and good luck :D

[sharvs]

My DS started 1 day a week when he was 10 months old. My partner is overseas for 6 months and we have no family here. I did it partly for him to interact and partly for me to have a break. He is a very shy boy who is only used to having me around him.

Its the best thing I have ever done. He has come out of his shell, not completely but hes much better than he used to be. Im more relaxed because i get a little break.

We pay approx $10 a day but that is because my partner is on a very low income at the moment (around 25k per year).

As for drop off and pick up times, i pay the same whether he is there for 1 hour or 9 hours. They are very flexible, i just tell them in the morning approx what time i will be back to get him. I usually drop him around 9 and pick him up about 4.30.

DS cries when we get there and he cries as soon as he sees me in the afternoon but they assure me he stops crying as soon as i am out of sight.

[MrsDribbleDrawers]

Hi.

First off, shop around for a centre that makes you feel comfortable. If they don't have an open door policy (ie, you can drop in any time during the day to see how things are going)then look elsewhere!

Your child will love the interaction, and you will enjoy the break... and if they cry, they soon get over it when they see how much fun other kids are having.

I lived across the road from the centre where my DD started at 18mths, and I used to be able to see her playing in the yard from my back yard. Eventually I got used to being away from her (she would stop crying the second I was out of sight!), and concentrated on getting the housework done without her help!

Cost will depend on what rate of child care benefit you are entitled to, something centrelink would be able to tell you if you called and asked... you could then say to your chosen centre, this is my rate of ccb, and they can tell you daily cost on the spot.

Finally, they do lots of things. Play games, listen to stories, sing songs, painting, drawing, playing outside, little things like toiletting by themselves, deciding what food to eat at each snack time (opening packets, etc.), and there is always someone nearby to help who isn't a frazzled mum who may get frustrated at times (sorry, the voice of my experiences coming through!)

Listen to your heart. Teachers can see when kids start school who has interaction with other children and who hasn't, but your child won't be disadvantaged at that age if your heart says "not happy, jan!"

Good luck with your decision.

[jamb]

Today was my DS's first day at preschool. He is 22 months.

We live isolated, he plays with holidaying kids occasionally on the beach and we have been to playgroup for about 5 months. Thats it, otherwise its just been me and him.

I agree with the make sure you feel comfy with the carers, we didnt have a huge choice, again being remote there are only two to choose from and we just chose the closer one.

But that said, from the moment i walked in today it felt okay, they were so lovely. She hugged me when i started crying :gloomy: . It was hard leaving him for me, but he went over and started collecting trucks:rolleyes:

Fast forward to this arvo when i picked him up (early, couldnt wait the full day).

I walked in and when he finally noticed me all i got was a wave! I yelled out "you coming home?"

He says "nup"

Dont you want to see Bella (my mum) and Bos (the dog?"

He says "nup"

Needless to say I think he like it.

From my point of view all the ladies/carers acknowledged me and chatted when i walked in. The place was clean, huge variety of toys, separate areas indoor and outdoor for under 2's. About 25 kids, so not too many imo.

Go with the mummy gut feeling, we've got good instincts when it comes to our kids!

Good luck!

[jessgray]

Are there set drop-off and pick-up times? you generally set the time your DD will be dropped off and picked up and you sign her in each day and sign her out when you pick her up
*How much might 1 day a week cost? ds1 went to 2 centres and with 100% CCB one cost 28 a day and the other was 24 a day
*How do kids, who have never really been taken care of people they don't know closely, react to chilcare? If they react badly, can this change over time? my ds1 hadnt been cared for by anyone else he settled into childcare very well i think it was coz he is very social, if you are worried ask for orientation sessions
*What kinds of stuff do kids DO at childcare? play,craft,story time,music, sometimes they have animal farms come and they can pet the animals:D

[spring]

My DD started her first day at day care today, I left her for an hour + 20 minutes. She seemed to like it- she didn't even cry when I left:no: though they told me after about 15 minutes of my being gone she had a little cry but she was fine other then that. She has never really been babysat or anything so I think that she coped really well.
In that time I managed to do SOO much I cleaned the kitchen, mopped & vacumed all the floors, tidied the bedrooms, then had a cup of tea & read the junk mail. It was great! Can't wait till next Tuesday:o

I pay $7.50 for the day regardless of how long I leave her but I still prefer to pick her up & bring her home for her sleep. Thats after the rebate if I didn't get a rebate at all it would be about $50 p/d.

We did about 4 days of orientation before I actually left her there which were all free it was so cute watching them all play they seemed to have a theme each day.

Remember if you enroll your DD & she dosn't loke it you can always unenroll her.

[neostudded]

my mother puts my 19 month brother in a "learning centre" two days a weeks for the same reason's.the one he gose to is called abc..best childcare ive seen!!!

gets him in a schedule..when mines born mine will do the same iam to fussy to put mine in a day care...when my sister was in one she climbed over the gate and we had to search for her..
anyhow i think its a great idea gets them ready for school and they do art and stuff like that..i cant think of much else to say because i havent slept for 3 days but definitly a :thumbsup:

[Mariposa]

definitely ring around different places, and ask them all about it, what they offer etc etc,. also if you know someone who goes to that particular childcare, get their opinion as a parents point of view.

ive found that the privately owned ones, operate better than the big publicised ones. the one my dd2 goes to is also an accredited centre.

its great for kiddies to interact, and to develop their social skills, but its also great to have some "you time"

dd2 started when she was 15mths old, i was the one who had a problem with this (i put her in as i was working) as i thought she was too young. but she loved every minute of it. she still goes for 2 days per week.

*Are there set drop-off and pick-up times? not necessarily, they normally start by 9 (play outside before this) then normally story time, morning tea etc etc. i normally pick up dd2 at 330 as she has afternoon tea at 3, so i get her after getting dd1 from school.

*How much might 1 day a week cost? pending on how much you earn per financial year. centrelink will give you a % figure, the centre will work out how much out of pocket you will pay.

*How do kids, who have never really been taken care of people they don't know closely, react to chilcare? If they react badly, can this change over time? with dd2 as she went in younger than dd1 she adapted very well,. was excited that there were so many children her age that she could play with.

*What kinds of stuff do kids DO at childcare? lots and lots, painting, play times (indoor and outdoor) messy things plus the bonus is that they have the social interaction with children their ages.

hope this helps.

[natasha]

I put DD in daycare 2 days a week when she was 17 months old for the same reasons you are thinking of sassymummy. I had to do 2 days as most wouldnt let me put her in for just one day a week. Most only do a min of 2.

It took her about 6 visits to settle in properly. I took her out after 3 months as i decided I didnt like the place.
I have just started her in another place now! Wonderful place! You trust your instincts, any doubts dont put her in.
I ususally dropped her off around 9am ish and picked her up round 4pm, only because I missed her too much to leave her any longer.

She didnt seem to settle in with the other children at her older centre so Im not sure whether that was her age, or just the place.
She loves her new day care centre, cant wait to go on tues and weds now. Races up to her child care workers and starts playing and waves bye to me.:)

They do all sorts there. Paint, play dress ups, colour in, read books together, do lots of arts and crafts, play in teh sand pit/water play things, they have slides and baby slides and climbing frames in the garden out back. They do morning tea, lunch, and afternoon tea.
DD sleeps in their so well it still amazes me. Shes like a different child there i swear! She eats her lunhc and sits down on her stool and just interacts with the other kids so well!!

I think its great to get them into childcare if you can afford it

We pay $120 a day and dont get anything back as we dont claim for anything, but its well worth it in my eyes.:thumbsup:

[shed]

The one up the road from me is $57 a day but its called a Learning Centre, dunno what the difference is but they only take kids from two years old.

I am not planning to go back to work, I don't think, maybe I will, I don't know, but I already have the paperwork for when he turns two.

I want him to be able to play with the other kids and learn to interact without me around so I thought one or two days a week would be the go for us as well.

(and I want to go and do....stuff.)

That's the plan anyway. Let us know how you go. All the kids I know who go to these types of centres absolutely LOVE it.

[Polimi]

I'm in exactly the same position! Have an almost 18 month old daughter, who I really think would benefit from the interaction/stimulation of a childcare place. We have only been in Australia 5 months, and don't know many people, so she doesn't get looked after by anyone other than me and hubby when he's at home. She's very clingy and I'm really worried that she won't take well to being left with 'strangers'... but feel I must give it a go, for both our sakes long term. I've started looking at places and they all seem fairly similar in terms of structure and facilities etc - I think it's just a matter of going with gut instinct as to where is best! I've been told that older babies will adapt better to childcare if they go for more than just a day a week... but I only want to do one day initially. I've also been told by some places that we can do 'orientation' sessions, when she just goes for an hour or so each time. Am going to try and do this in next week or so, once I've decided where to go. Good luck!

[mumofcaleb]

This is a great thread!!:thumbsup: