Infant Attendance

[kendallina]

Hi all,

As many of you know, I'm a member here. I run a preschool from my home. I have never had infants in care before and am turning to you ladies for your expertise.

I am currently pregnant and due in March. I will reopen my preschool in Aug/Sept next year and because I have children only ages 3-5, my baby will go to childcare. He'll be 6 months old.

It looks like my current substitute (who will be covering my maternity leave) may be able to work a few days for me next fall, so I may just have to work part-time.

What part-time hours are best for an infant? I'm wondering in terms of him adjusting to childcare and his provider. The possible schedules are:

Baby in childcare MWF all day (home with me T/TH all day)

Baby in childcare Monday-Wednesday all day (home with me Th and Fri all day)

Baby in childcare Monday-Friday 9am-2pm (end time is flexible based on his sleeping, etc)


I love the idea of baby being home with me 4 whole days (so I would work Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday), but will it be a nightmare for his provider who has to get him back on track when he comes back Monday?

I'm more than willing to adjust his schedule at home to whatever the provider is doing at her house. Thoughts?

Btw, I believe his provider will be a stay-at-home mom type provider not someone who has a business and rules, etc. But she does have other children and things to do, so I imagine she'll have a loose schedule for her day.

[Blackcat31]

Originally Posted by kendallina

Hi all,

As many of you know, I'm a member here. I run a preschool from my home. I have never had infants in care before and am turning to you ladies for your expertise.

I am currently pregnant and due in March. I will reopen my preschool in Aug/Sept next year and because I have children only ages 3-5, my baby will go to childcare. He'll be 6 months old.

It looks like my current substitute (who will be covering my maternity leave) may be able to work a few days for me next fall, so I may just have to work part-time.

What part-time hours are best for an infant? I'm wondering in terms of him adjusting to childcare and his provider. The possible schedules are:

Baby in childcare MWF all day (home with me T/TH all day)

Baby in childcare Monday-Wednesday all day (home with me Th and Fri all day)

Baby in childcare Monday-Friday 9am-2pm (end time is flexible based on his sleeping, etc)


I love the idea of baby being home with me 4 whole days (so I would work Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday), but will it be a nightmare for his provider who has to get him back on track when he comes back Monday?

I'm more than willing to adjust his schedule at home to whatever the provider is doing at her house. Thoughts?

Btw, I believe his provider will be a stay-at-home mom type provider not someone who has a business and rules, etc. But she does have other children and things to do, so I imagine she'll have a loose schedule for her day.

I'd ask your soon to be provider what she thinks....

For me personally, I'd answer differently depending on the age of the child (as well as the child's temperament).

Some babies are so easy going and a few condensed days at daycare are no big deal to their regular routines where as other babies need strict schedules or they fall apart....

So it might just be one of those things where what works the first 4 months might be totally different the next few months kwim?

If I were you, I'd just try to work WITH your soon to be provider as much as possible and see what she thinks or how she feels. She knows what days and which part of those days she has the most on her plate or the most going on.

[kendallina]

Thanks for your feedback Blackcat! I'm such a planner, it's hard to just go with it anymore.

I'm touring a center tomorrow (the only center in our town) and I have a couple of stay-at-home mom aquaintances that *may* be interested but aren't ready to commit to something that far in advance.

Having everything up in the air is sooo hard for me....lol. Probably why I waited 7 years to have my second child!

[MyAngels]

I've had lots of part time infants over the years and it seems to work out best with either 3 days together or half days 5 days per week. I do have one little girl here who has a very hit and miss schedule. Sometimes she's here five days a week, but often she's only here 1 or 2. It's worked out fine, I think because her first few weeks in care were full-time, so she had an opportunity to adjust to me and our schedule.

As long as you're willing to work with your provider it really should work out no matter what you end up doing.

[childcaremom]

Originally Posted by MyAngels

As long as you're willing to work with your provider it really should work out no matter what you end up doing.

I think that if you find out what your preferred provider would like, and what their schedule looks like, and then adjust to that, you will both do fine!

I don't start children until closer to 12 months and find that those that adjust the best are the ones whose parents have taken the time to adapt their home schedule to mimic the daycare one. One less 'new' thing for the little one when they start care. I personally prefer M-W-F, and PT really only works if mom/dad are committed to a schedule close to ours.

[kendallina]

Thanks everyone! It's nice hearing that it won't necessarily be a disaster if my infant goes part-time. I always see a lot of negative posts about young ones with part-time schedules, which I definitely understand, so I appreciate everyone's feedback.

[Blackcat31]

Originally Posted by kendallina

Thanks everyone! It's nice hearing that it won't necessarily be a disaster if my infant goes part-time. I always see a lot of negative posts about young ones with part-time schedules, which I definitely understand, so I appreciate everyone's feedback.

IME, the only time that is an issue is when the parent refuses to consider the provider's perspective and when the provider refuses to see the parent perspective.

I think as long as you and your caregiver work together, part time shouldn't be an issue at all.

Totally understand needing to have a plan...I feel naked without one but I have learned over the years that when I plan for one thing, the opposite happens so some things are best to just "lightly" plan and to plan to include a few "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it" moments.

[Controlled Chaos]

Originally Posted by kendallina

Thanks everyone! It's nice hearing that it won't necessarily be a disaster if my infant goes part-time. I always see a lot of negative posts about young ones with part-time schedules, which I definitely understand, so I appreciate everyone's feedback.

There's no reason to post about a part time infant who adjusts well and is a great sleeper

[kendallina]

Originally Posted by Blackcat31

IME, the only time that is an issue is when the parent refuses to consider the provider's perspective and when the provider refuses to see the parent perspective.

I think as long as you and your caregiver work together, part time shouldn't be an issue at all.

Totally understand needing to have a plan...I feel naked without one but I have learned over the years that when I plan for one thing, the opposite happens so some things are best to just "lightly" plan and to plan to include a few "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it" moments.

[kendallina]

Originally Posted by Controlled Chaos

There's no reason to post about a part time infant who adjusts well and is a great sleeper

I know and agree, that's why I asked. I was a little concerned that part-time infant care is always difficult, so it's nice to hear that it can work. I can be flexible, even if it hurts my brain to not have a plan! Thanks ladies!