Need some thoughts re: daycare

[stretchad]

I think I've shared here before that DH works from home and has a very flexible schedule. He wanted to try watching the baby full time at home when I went back to work. I went back to work 3 days a week at the beginning of January and DH started watching him during the day at that point. It's not going well and now we're exploring our daycare options. I'm not sure what to do, I could use some additional thoughts.

We have been on a waitlist for a center (call it Center A) since August, because they offered part time and back in August (right after we had DS) DH said that at the very least he could watch him part time. Now that he's experienced part time and it hasn't gone so well, DH would like DS to go to daycare full time.

We toured two other centers this week (B & C). All three centers are part of the same company and all have waitlists.
Center A is a 10-15 minute drive from our house, will likely have availability in March
Center B is a 5 minute drive from our house and newer, availability in May/June, although if we enroll at a different center we essentially become first on the priority list and might be able to get in sooner.
Center C is on site at my office, 35 minutes from our house and a pretty long waitlist, but the same priority exists for enrolling at a related center, and Center C is $500 a month cheaper. If we're on the priority waitlist, I don't know where that puts us, but there seems to be a lot of transition in September, when the oldest group goes to Kindergarten. However I've heard rumors the wait can be a year or two!

I think our preference is Center C, then Center B, then Center A. 

Would you enroll in center A, transfer to Center B, then transfer to Center C?
Or would you enroll in Center A, and stay there until transferring to Center C?
Or would you wait until you could enroll in Center B, then transfer to Center C?
Or would you enroll in center A, then transfer to Center B then stay and not go to C at all?
WWYD?

[cdmay]

I would have the same preference as you. Whether is enroll sooner would depend how rough things are right now and finances. My thought, though, would be to do a until c is open.

[jennlin]

Jan 31, 2014 18:23:21 GMT -5 cdmay said:

I would have the same preference as you. Whether is enroll sooner would depend how rough things are right now and finances. My thought, though, would be to do a until c is open.

This.

[georgeharrison]

I agree that center C sounds like the best option (or at least what I would choose).  And I agree with spunbutterfly, that I'd say no to switching twice. 

[karebear219]

I agree with spun. That sounds like the best option.

[shevacc]

I agree with everyone else A then C. I don't love having the center near work since a 35 minute car ride with a possibly screaming child is total misery. And you can't easily trade off pickups and drop offs with your H. But I'd put up with a certain amount of misery for $500/month.

[stretchad]

Jan 31, 2014 23:09:06 GMT -5 @legalbritt said:

Jan 31, 2014 18:20:57 GMT -5 spunbutterfly said:

Tough choice. I'd do center A and transfer to Center C.

No to 2 switches, by the time these kids are about 9 months old they know and are used to things and constantly changing it is rough, though they get over it within a week or so.

I'd do this too. Get him in to the one that starts in March and then get the first spot that opens at C. The only downside is that you are the only one responsible for the pick up and drop off since its at your office so if you wanted to get a drink or something after work, that's not happening. I mention this b/c I'm the only one here to do pick up and drop off and it's annoying sometimes that I never have the option of doing anything social after work. BUT the $500 a month savings is pretty big.

That's a really good call. I don't go out after work very often but I definitely run errands like getting my hair cut, or a massage, although i don't feel like I can do that now that I've got the baby at home.

[stretchad]

Feb 1, 2014 1:43:28 GMT -5 @jennuinne said:

Also, I'd get on the wait list for each location now if you can. Even though they are saying A will be March, B will be May, and C will be September or later, that might change. Someone could randomly drop out of C next week and maybe the other people on the waiting list aren't ready to start right away. That happened to me, but I chose not to take the spot.

Yep we are on the wait list at all three places. Fortunately the ones we just added will honor our original wait list date for center A, which was back in August.

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