Author Topic: childcare arrangements for touchy LO's???  (Read 1525 times)

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Offline clairebear79

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childcare arrangements for touchy LO's???
« on: March 24, 2011, 09:38:29 am »
I'm trying to decide what childcare arrangements to put in place for DS when I go back to work.  No rush as its 6 months away yet, but it keeps popping up in my mind.

He's touchy & doesnt cope well with strangers at all.  In fact he currently freaks out if anyone other than me or DH hold him (including all grandparents) so its very difficult for anyone to look after him at present.  We do go to a local playgroup & he usually cries a little when we arrive, then he's ok once sitting down & playing with the toys.

I plan to go back to work 2.5 days/week & my IL's have offered to look after him 1 day/week.  For the other 1.5days, I can't decide whether he'd be better going to a nursery/daycare where he'd be with lots of other children & adults or whether with his temperament he'll cope better with a childminder, where it will be a much smaller group of children & only one adult carer.  I see the benefit of this as he'll be able to build up a relationship of trust with the childminder (& therefore feel more secure), but then with daycare its good for him to be mixing with a variety of children/adults & he'll probably have more toys/activities to do there.

Is there anyone else out there with touchies & what did you do?  Any experience you can share would be much appreciated.

Thanks.x

Offline MasynSpencerElliotte

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Re: childcare arrangements for touchy LO's???
« Reply #1 on: March 24, 2011, 13:04:28 pm »
I didn't really have much of a choice of what to do, there is only one daycare in our town and I don't know anyone well enough to send them to a home based daycare.  But, since I knew ahead of time she would be going by the time she was 11 months old for 3 days a week, I actually asked to get her in at 8 months one morning a week.  It was pretty bad at first, they literally did not know what to do with her and ended up putting up a playpen in the main room and letting her play by herself or take her out and swing in the yard to calm down.  They were very good at going at her pace with things.

It took probably 6-8 months before she would happily run in when I dropped them off, now she loves going because she knows their routine and it's a fun place to be, in fact sometimes when DH comes to get them and she is snuggling with a worker she will pitch a fit that she has to go home!
Heidi




Offline Om in Mom

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Re: childcare arrangements for touchy LO's???
« Reply #2 on: April 13, 2011, 14:24:52 pm »
I wouldn't worry about socializing him at such a young age. If you can afford it, he'd be better off with a nanny or in a day day home for the 1.5 days help you need.

My DS1 is touchy/spirited and sent him to nursery at 14 months. Everyone kept telling me he'd settle in eventually, and he did more or less. But with hindsight I think he would have benefitted from being with me at home (or with a nanny) instead. With my ds2 I've kept him with me longer and he's desperate to get to school! Wrong way around methinks. Oh well, we live and learn...

You could reassess when he's nearer 3yo, when socialization becomes more important. Whatever you decide to do in the end, it will help to do things like MasyandSpencer, getting him used to his new surrounding in a very gradual and gentle way. Good luck!
Just a calm mum wannabe, muddling on through... My blog is at http://theominmom.blogspot.com/