ok so what is the youngest age you'd put your child in daycare if you could help it? why or why not

I would do everything possible to not put my child in daycare ever! However, I'm glad some people do so that I can have a good income and stay home with my children :D

I did do it with my dd once when she was 2 1/2 (did not work out) and when she was 3 1/2 with ds when he was 5 months. It is just not for us. They never were treated badly it just does not work for us.

Well hopefully never! Some ppl put their kids in daycare at 4wks, that would be sooo hard!

Oh i would never put my child in daycare at 4 weeks. but 6 weeks i had no choice since i had to go back to work. i would have rather have stayed home but we needed the money. some people have no choice but to put their kids in daycare. we had to many bills to pay and me staying home would have put a big financial strain on us and we werent about to take that on. but every daycare he has been at we have been very particular where he went. the best two places he has been so far have been where he is now and where he was before we left VA.

3...depending on the facility and the child, earlier. Elijah didn't do too well in the daycare.

I would do everything possible to not put my child in daycare ever! However, I'm glad some people do so that I can have a good income and stay home with my children :D

Same here!

I'd hold off as long as possible. My kids were in daycare. They were probably 1 and 3 yrs old. With this baby, I plan on staying home and having my own daycare.

I plan on putting Kaitlyn in daycare once she is 2 or 3 years old. Not because I have to but because I believe that the interaction she can get with other kids during that time is a great thing for her to have.

We would have put her in at 3 months, but we were able to wait until 5 months old. She's been in 3 weeks and she is doing great. She's more animated and excited than I've ever seen her. it seems to be an easier transition for the younger ones. so if you wait until they are 2, they will be so attached it will be difficult for everyone. she's pretty maleable that this age. she's also not in a center but in a home daycare, which i think makes a difference.

Never as long as it's possible.

My kids were in a preschool type of daycare and in a home daycare. I didn't like having them there, but I did like the interaction they got with other kids. I was in school and/or working when they were in care. I didn't care for the home daycare much because they didn't like them to touch the wall. That just seems crazy to me. They liked it there though.

I want to have my children in pre-school, or an early education school early because I have seen kids that went to pre-school vs. kids that haven't. It seems like kids that do go to pre-school learn more,socialize better, and are some what of a "go getter", and I LOVE that! I do not want my kids to be shy, and I want my children to be ready for school when that age comes along! I think I would start out with a couple hours a day at first, and then gradually let them go all day.

If I could help it I'd never put them into daycare. I'd rather have a family member watch them. But if I absolutely HAD to put them in daycare I think I'd wait until they were a few months old at least.

oh well i know what i did with Robbie was the right thing to do. with my oldest son he was being watched by my then sister in law and then when my other son came along i had to find someone else to watch both of them and we did find someone but i wasnt to crazy about her and when my youngest was 2 i decided that i wanted to stay home with them so i quit my job and we took a big cut but we somehow managed to get by and so i just started watching kids in my house, but i soon realized that i was not cut out for that or at least to be watching my two kids and others but i did it until my youngest started kindergarten and then i went to work part time and had the perfect job for having kids in school. i worked for the school system in the cafeteria and was off before they got out of school and was home in the summer with them too so that job worked out great. but i now wished that i had put my oldest in a daycare just so he could get some social skills since before he started kindergarten he had some trouble at the interview, now my youngest didnt have any problems before kindergarten. but everyone has to weigh the pros and cons and do whats best for their kids and family at the time. if you can stay home and not put your kids in daycare for a few years thats great. but some of us have to opt for some kind of daycare.

Never! My daughter is 6 yrs old and has never been put in a daycare. The same will go for our future child/ren.

My daughter went when she was 2 yrs old and did great! She really liked it. Noah started going at around 2 as well. I didn't have to put them in when they were bitty babies, since Bill was able to watch Emily in the evenings when I worked, and with Noah, I worked from home in SD doing computer data. Personally, I find nothing wrong with daycare, expecially if the parents have to work. What I do have a problem with are the parents who leave their kids in daycare 12 hours a day, when there is atleast one parent home. That pisses me off! I'm like, "Spend some time with your children whenever possible!"

I didn't care for the home daycare much because they didn't like them to touch the wall. That just seems crazy to me. They liked it there though.


They couldn't touch the wall??? Was the provider scared of them coloring on it or something? I know with my CDH, I have all my nice things out still, but the kids know not to touch it. They have their own play area. It also teaches the child to respect other people's belongings.

Trish, that was just odd of the provider to forbid them to touch the wall. Especially when there are little kids who need to balance when they walk, and they touch the walls in doing so.

z went to work with me until she was 6 weeks old then she went to daycare.

i had no choice. and she certainly didnt suffer.

I don't know really I've never put Aaron in daycare before and not sure if i'm planning on it or not. I've been very lucky that I can stay home with him. I will put him in pre-school so that he can start being around more kids, when he gets older.

well harrison and i will put our children in pre-k or one of those headstart programs. i just don't want to put my children in daycare. i think pre-k and headstart programs are completely different.

I agree that pre-k, preschool & head start are completely different than daycare.

My kids are 7 & almost 5. They have never been in daycare & never will! I do not like daycares!

They couldn't touch the wall??? Was the provider scared of them coloring on it or something? I know with my CDH, I have all my nice things out still, but the kids know not to touch it. They have their own play area. It also teaches the child to respect other people's belongings.

Trish, that was just odd of the provider to forbid them to touch the wall. Especially when there are little kids who need to balance when they walk, and they touch the walls in doing so.

They were scared of them putting prints on it. :rolleyes

They were scared of them putting prints on it. :rolleyes


That's rediculous! That what the Mr. Clean erasers are for ;)

I like keeping my house really nice, but that's going a bit overboard. She shouldn't be doing daycare IMO.

They were scared of them putting prints on it. :rolleyes

I can understand that in a "normal" home but not in a home daycare. I always tell the kids not to touch my walls because I don't want them looking like crap but I also don't have a home daycare & my kids are older (7 & almost 5).

That what the Mr. Clean erasers are for ;)


Yea but those things suck on a lot of paint! I seriously have a line down my bedroom wall (flat paint) where one of those things were used! And I have to be careful on the sem-gloss cause it has taken the paint off before! :vent

Yep they were anal and they even had a maid come in all the time, so it's not like they were cleaning it.

Yep they were anal and they even had a maid come in all the time, so it's not like they were cleaning it.

Will they send the maid to my house next? :D

Seriously though, who has a home daycare but also has a maid. That seems...um, different to me!

Will they send the maid to my house next? :D

Seriously though, who has a home daycare but also has a maid. That seems...um, different to me!

I know. They were an older couple. The kids called them Grandma and Grandpa. I think it just gave them less work to do since they had kids all day. Poor Grandpa died though while we were there. My kids left shortly after that.

Will they send the maid to my house next? :D

Seriously though, who has a home daycare but also has a maid. That seems...um, different to me!

If I have enough kids while being state certified, I plan on having someone come in sometimes to get down and dirty for us while we enjoy the weekend instead of cleaning the whole time.

Our baby is going to go to work with me until it becomes necessary to go to daycare, and I would actually like to place the baby with a woman who is caring for just one or two other children (i.e. staying home with her own and would like one more to care for to make some extra $$) just because a) I know the baby won't be able to come to work with me forever, and b) I need to keep my job. That was how my mom did it, and I didn't suffer any ill effects (other than being teased for bathing when we were both babies with a boy that I dated later on).

If I have enough kids while being state certified, I plan on having someone come in sometimes to get down and dirty for us while we enjoy the weekend instead of cleaning the whole time.

That makes total sense!

I had this picture in my head of a super wealthy person (like say the Laguna Beach cast or another celebrity) doing home daycare in their super shiny marble floored, professionally decorated, million-dollar home while they were vintage Lilly Pultizer & drive a $100,000 Range Rover. :teehee

oh:teehee No, he just got retirement pay from the military. He kept trying to get kevin to join. Funny how after he died Kevin finally got serious. I think Grandpa pushed him even more. ok I'm done tj'ing. sorry starter

I used to think like you Kristina- put her in around 2 or 3 for the interaction, but now that I have her, I don't feel that way anymore. She will be at home with me until she is at least 5. Then I will put her in a half day "preschool" until she goes to Kindergarten. I hope to do the same with future children.

I agree, some women unfortunately do not get the opportunity to stay home & have to do what is necessary. I don't think the child suffers either, although its "ideal" to be home.

If for some reason we can't afford it, I would go to work & she'd have to go to daycare (or home day care). Right now we definetely are pretty much paycheck to paycheck, but we survive and this is just what we want to do when it comes to her.

Nothing is wrong with a daycare as an industry. You just have to choose which is best for you.

Wow, the dont touch the wall thing is nutty. DH told me last night after he finished painting the living room that he was probably going to have to repaint every 3 months with the daycare kids HAHAHA

Yep they were anal and they even had a maid come in all the time, so it's not like they were cleaning it.


I have a housekeeper who comes to my home to do the deep down cleaning :). It is worth the money, and I love having my home even cleaner! Plus, I don't want to spend my nights and weekends scrubbing out the toilets.

I didn't have a choice, I was finishing up school (student teaching), so I had to put him in daycare, actually a home provider at about 2-3 months. I didn't like it, but he did okay there.

I know that when we have children that I would like to stay home with my children for as long as possible.. but even if I did stay home with them I would want them to go to daycare/gymboree/tiny tots(which is a program here at NAS Lemoore) or something with some interaction with other children. I do not want my kids to scream and throw a tantrum when I leave the room or have to sneak out of the room. Working with children for a long time I can deifently tell which children have stayed home with mommy and had no interaction with kids there own age. It not only makes it hard on the parent and child but it's really hard for the person that you are leaving your child with.. JMO.. :)

I told dh we were going to have someone come in and do the baseboards, the ceiling fans, and a few other things once a month. How often do you have it done? How much do you pay?