Going back to work...please help me decide on childcare

[robynholly]

I am a teacher going back in September. I have begun the daunting task of trying to find someone to care for my DS. I should mention that I work 5 minutes away from work driving on back roads without any traffic. I have found a really great place, but....I would have to drive 20 mintues without traffic (there is always traffic) to get him there and then 20 minutes back. I would probably spend 10 minutes or so droping him off. So that it at least 50 minutes in the morning and then 50 minutes in the afternoon. That is 100 a day, 8 hours a week spent driving. My day as a teacher is from 8:30 -3:30 and now would turn into 7:30-4:30. I am just not a big fan of wasting all this time in the car. I can't imagine what it would be like doing this in the winter months...we live in the northeast. My mother and husband could sometimes help by dropping off or picking up, but my DS still has to endure the ride. I guess I am really spoiled by living so close to work but my DH and I planned it that way. We purchased a house in the town that I work in and basically do everything in. So my question is...Am I being selfish? Should I suck up the drive to put my child in this home daycare? I am looking at a few other options. I need to give them $750 to hold the spot (non-refundable). I feel like I am thinking about my child too. It is time we could be at home together instead of in the car. What do you all think?

[moondiapers]

A good childcare is worth it's weight in gold. I'd keep looking to see if you get that same feeling from someone closer...but if you don't.....go with the one that is 20min away.

[TiredX2]

Moved to Working & Student Parents

[Magistra]

I was teaching too when my son started daycare. I was able to find a highly recommended home provider. She was 15 minutes the wrong way from school and her hours were such that I had to ask for not having a 1st period class since traffic and such made my arrival tight for the beginning of the school day (compounded by the fact that they took away our on-campus parking that year due to construction). The extra time wasn't great, but most of it was imposed on me--15-20 minutes in the car twice a day for him was just fine. In the end, we felt very confident in the care he was receiving and couldn't find anything better available closer to us or on the way to school.

[GoestoShow]

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Edited by GoestoShow - 1/4/11 at 9:15am

[cchrissyy]

If that's the best place you've found, I'd absolutely do it. Instead of thinking so much about the time driving to or from the place, what really matters is the quality of the day all the hours that he's there. He deserves the healthiest, happiest place you can find and you deserve the peace of mind knowing he's being well cared for while you work. IMO that's what the decision is all about : )

[robynholly]

The time I spend dropping him off in the morning is the least of my worries. It is the driving back and forth twice a day that concerns me. I agree that a good place is a wonderful thing to have....I'm just not sure that spending 8 hours in the car a week is something my family wants to do. I'd still love to hear what else everyone thinks.

[~pi]

That's a tough one. Our daily commute is about 20 minutes each way, but it's walking, not driving, so I feel fine about it.

I understand your concern -- I wouldn't want to be driving that much every day, either.

I guess the question is really whether or not you have other options. If you do, explore them. If not, a good childcare is worth the commute, IMHO.

Good luck!

[Evan&Anna's_Mom]

Must be so nice not to have a commute to work -- not being snarky, just envious.

I agree that extra time in the car with an infant or toddler can be frustrating for lots of reasons. So I would definitely explore closer options and/or price out the difference between childcare (with commute and additional time) and nanny if you didn't eliminate nanny for other reasons. But if all of your closer options are sub-par for some reason, than I would say that good childcare is worth the driving sacrifice. You could spend a lot more than 8 hours a week worrying about how your child is fairing in poorer childcare.

We drive further than that for my kid's school, though they are elementary aged, not babies. Its actually rather nice "chilling out" time for the most part. But then, we are in So. CA where driving is a way of life and long commutes are the norm.

[LynnS6]

Commuting with an infant isn't much fun. But, once your child is verbal, I actually enjoy the time I spend in the car with my kids. We get a good chance to chat while we go home. When ds stopped going to daycare with me (because he entered 1st grade at our local school), we both mourned the loss of 'momma time'.

Good day care where you trust the provider is worth a lot, I think. It's be worth 50 minutes a day to me.

[mommy2naomi]

For me personally, I wouldn't do it. 20 minutes in the car with a baby is stressful to me. I would find another solution.