Decision as providor; own child other Childcare?

I'm really torn. My son will be 3 this summer and so, will be starting school in the fall/Sept. 2013. I am debating whether to enroll him in a local daycare. The one I have in mind is a small center, with a 1:8 ratio for preschoolers and in such a setting would really set him up for school in terms of routine & socialization. He is already there in terms of school readiness in terms of knowledge but the fact that he's only been home with me (& the other daycare kids) or in church Sunday school has limited him socially. I keep thinking; being home with him & not having to pay out over 1/2 my salary on childcare was the primary reason I chose to stay home & open a home daycare; why on earth am I sending him out? Anyone else had to make this decision? If I send him only 2 to 3 days a week, am I totally messing him up (toddlers really do not like change)?

Personally, I think its a great idea to send him. I did it with my own son who is now 6. I wanted him to interact with other adults who are the 'boss' and make sure he understood that he had to follow someone else's rules. He absolutely LOVED IT! He got to go to someone else's house and play with their toys. He loved the provider and she was fantastic to him. I think it was a great decision for my son. Yes, it was a pain to fork out the money when I was home, but for his socialization and just general skills it was well worth it. He totally loves school and is fantastic there with both the kids and adults. At home, not so much lol

Yeah ...I also did this....but too it was because my son had trouble sharing his house..and he also didn't like the idea of structure as he was the king pin.(or so he thought) Hard choice but he loves it and the two days a week that he is home he is a great great help!!!

He also loves to show the others what he has learned at preschool...its great!!

I wrote a big post and it dissapeared so here's the short version .... Yes I did it for my first two and will do it again for my third starting in sept ... One morning a week for the fall and winter sessions and two mornings a week for the spring session and then he starts full day jk sept 2013. Never had a problem with disrupting schedules. Good luck

I also should add that my own child tends to be my most challenging on average...so, it would be a nice break....wow, did I just say that out loud;)

I currently send my 3 year old daughter twice a week to a daycare center down the street so she can play with kids her own age and to get away from me for a bit. Plus, I figure it will help her when she starts school next September.

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Originally Posted by Dreamalittledream

I also should add that my own child tends to be my most challenging on average...so, it would be a nice break....wow, did I just say that out loud;)

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haha mine too! If he had been a dck I would have terminated him LOL :) Our own kids always give us a run for our money.

You could also consider sending him to a nursery school That's what I'm going to be doing with mine this fall. 2 mornings a week. They get them ready for school and it will be good for her to not be with me all the time. :)

I first thought what is the point in having a day home if you send your child to someone elses house? But I can see your points even though I'm not a mother yet.
May be you can find another dck to replace your child. By doing this you are not really forking any money.:) Hope it helps

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Originally Posted by Cocoon

I first thought what is the point in having a day home if you send your child to someone elses house? But I can see your points even though I'm not a mother yet.
May be you can find another dck to replace your child. By doing this you are not really forking any money.:) Hope it helps

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Yes, I'm struggling with that exactly; why spend the money when I'm home? I wish I could replace him with another dck; but I'll already be at my max allowed of 5 (mine doesn't count in the numbers). The center does allow 2 days a week; so I'm going to check it out more. Next year he will be the oldest here; it'll do him good. Think I've convinced myself...thanks ladies!!!!!

I also have been sending my 3 year old son (well now he's 4) to preschool over this past year. He goes 5 mornings a week and he loves it! However, I am really really lucky as he got into a program in the school to prepare the kids for JK next year and it is free! So I got the best of both worlds. But, before I found out about this program, I had enrolled him in 2 mornings a week nursery school just for him to be with kids his age and get ready for school etc. And yes, he is the most challenging for me too, so I am not ashamed to admit that it is a really nice break. You will really notice the difference when he is not there! Mine starts school this September, so I am looking forward to full day school and no middle of the day pick-ups!

I have a 3 year old son who I'm looking into placing at another dayhome or preschool as well for 2-3 days a week in september and I totally understand what you're feeling. I keep on jumping from thoughts of "its so good for him and his development to experience someone, some place, and something different" which I truly do believe it is, but then i think oh my gosh, soon he's going to be in kindergarten and be gone half the day, and then its grade one and he's going to be gone altogether! So shouldn't I use this time to cherish each moment? And my thought then is, that yes, we should do both. And by going somewhere else to explore and learn, it is greatly benefiting him and at the same time makes me miss him so it makes our time more cherished and not taken for granted as much and it is still nice to get a break. He started out by doing a once a week 2hr class called "time for two's" which was unparented and he did two sessions of them starting this January(10 weeks each) and totally loved it! He asks to go to school sometimes over the weekend and every time he comes back from it he is so happy and excited and exhausted so I know its doing him good. When I see and hear this, I have no doubt that he is ready and should be in preschool or some sort of more guided class because it makes him happy and it definitely adds to his confidence and independence in being able to handle things on his own....such a valuable life skill that will keep on giving as he grows. So I say yes, put him in somehwere and definitely don't feel guilty about it. try to view it as more positive thing because it truly only does more good than bad.

I have been considering this for quite some time as well. My son just turned three and tends to be the most challenging one as well. Although he is a very good kid it is always different with the parents, and it's hard for him to have to share his house, his mom, his toys and his baby sister with everyone else. I have decided to enroll him in gymnastics to see how he will do with a different group of kids with a different person to listen too in a different environment.... without me. I think this will strongly influence my decision! Like everyone else I don't want the transition to school to be harder than it already is (for him and me ;) ) and want him to know more than just being home with mommy... but I am having a very hard time thinking about getting him to go somewhere else :(.
Just wondering if anyone would care to share how the daycare parents react to having your own children cared for elsewhere.

Many daycare parents also put their child into a group program a couple days a week the year before school too to get them used to the larger group atmosphere so I don't think most would question it.

I am also contemplating sending my own son this september for a part time enrollment. The only issue is arranging getting him there and still being home in time to take in the daycare kids. I currently open at 7am, but the preschool doesnt open until 7:30am. My husband is military so I cant always rely on him being home to pick him up and drop him off.
my son is26 months old, went thru a really tough stage of being the 'worst' one, but is sometimes easing into it now I think.
I just want him to have a different authority figure besides me and maybe it coudl prepare him for a classroom setting, being a 'preschool' and not another home daycare where the ages and stages of the children all vary.

I know this isn't the most popular theory, since preschool is sort of the "in" thing to do now, but there are soooooo many years of school ahead, that I don't see why the rush these days? Especially for you folks in Ontario, when school starts at what, 4??? That's 14 YEARS of school (15 if you guys still do the whole "Grade 13" thing), let alone college or university. I have a 4 year old daughter, turning 5 this summer and she will be starting kindergarten in the fall, without having gone to preschool.
Having said that, my two older boys DID go. One for ages 3 and 4, the other just when he was 4. They had fun, made some friends, and it's possible that they "learned" more than if they had been home with me.
I admit too, that part of the reason that I didn't send my daughter this year is cost. The preschools around here have taken advantage of the fact that demand is high, and it's now hundreds of dollars a month for less than 8 hours a week of "class". Sickening.
Basically, I am saying that while I don't think it's NECESSARY; if you think your child would enjoy it and have fun, and it works for you- Go for it. But if it's going to put you in a bad financial position, or make for a lot of juggling of schedules and kids.... meh. It does sound like you get a fair amount of the socializing, with daycare kids and church and so on. I have seen kids go to kindergarten with NObody other than mom or dad having been around them. Those are the kids that have issues!

Not knocking anyone but..............the re is no way, knowing now what I do about daycare that I could ever put my kid in someone else's paid care. No way, no how.:eek:

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Originally Posted by Dreamalittledream

I also should add that my own child tends to be my most challenging on average...so, it would be a nice break....wow, did I just say that out loud;)

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wow... It's nice to hear someone else say this. I honestly thought it was just my kiddo. He's awesome for other caregivers but at home somedays he pushes all my buttons.

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Originally Posted by Toregone

wow... It's nice to hear someone else say this. I honestly thought it was just my kiddo. He's awesome for other caregivers but at home somedays he pushes all my buttons.

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Ladies I know dozens and dozens of providers who would share the same thing - thier own children were the most challenging ... children behave differently for thier own parents for various reasons from comfort to "try" strategies they would not try with someone else - most of which are they know you love then unconditionally and so they can ;)