what form of childcare do you think is best for the kids?

It's a hard desicion to make for a lot of people, it was easy for us. I always wanted children, and I wanted to stay home with them. I didn't have a great paying job (I made about 25,000 dollars a year) but they did want to promote me, but I turned them down, knowing I would soon be having children, and sure enough the next couple of months i got preggers. I never saw the point of having children, if they spend more time in day care than at home. I do understand that some people don't have that option, but I do think alot more people do, they just would rather work, or not give up their cable t.v. so they can stay home. To me, it was a no-brainer. I love my boys, and would give anything to stay home with them. I am very grateful to my husband that I have this opportunity. Once they are in school, I will work during thier school hours, and most of my income will go to thier college fund. If we had both boys in daycare, I would only be bringng home a few hundred dollars a month, and that's not worth it to me, to work. Other's make a lot more than I did, and it would be a much bigger sacrifice for them and thier family if they decided to stay home. But if I had to/or for some reason wanted to work, I would problably get a nanny for my sons, so they could be home.

I am a stay at home mom and I love being home with my kids. But to answer your question I think both is fine. Actually even though I am home my boys' peditrician recommended preschool only for the social aspect of it and he said that exposing them to the germs and colds now will help them when they get into kindergarten. His reasoning, which I have seen with my oldest, is when you put a child in preschool they will get sick quite a bit because they have not been exposed to the different things that go around in school. When they go to kindergarten they are more able to fight some of the colds off, not all of them of course but some because they have been exsposed already. Hope that makes some sense. It sounded better when he was explaining it. That all being said my son loves going to preschool. He goes two hours, three times a week and just loves the time with his new friend as he calls them.

I'd rather take care of my own child than put him on daycare, i just don't think its a healthy place to put your child coz they can easily get sick from other children out there, thank god my husband makes enough money so i can just stay home and take care of the children.

Well everyones family situation is different and in our case when my son was born, I was working full-time and had family members take care of him. Only when we moved to the USA late last year we decided that it was best I stayed home full time. I actually wished I had done it right from the beginning (being a stay at home mom) because I am really enjoying it and so is my son. Putting him through daycare wasn't an option for us either because we couldn't afford it (its expensive). However I wished that he did have more contact with other children before he starts school in September this year, so I try to take him to places like playgrounds, kids areas in malls and stuff so that he can meet a few kids and run around and play with them.

I think it is best for little ones to be at home and cared for by family. KIds get so sick in day care. My boys went to pre school and they got sick alot there are just so many germs out there. But I do know this is not an option for alot of people out there. I was very blessed to get to stay home with my boys. We gave up alot being a one income household. But in the long run it was well worth it I feel!

I think for a lot of us it is our situation that dictates. Until my son was 3, I found babysitters, friends and family to take him while I worked. it was hard because he was getting treated differently every where he went, but I knew they were all people I could trust completely. when he turned 3, I put him into a daycare and found a job with more steady hours. I figured by that age he was able to vocalize any problems he may be having, and he was with other kids learning to socialize and was finally getting consistancy in his life. Ideally, if I didnt have to work, I would keep him home with me, and enroll him in playgroups to get social interaction. i don't think there is really any wrong response. There are pros and cons to all. If your sister doesnt work and is only with her son all day, maybe she just needs some alone time for herself once in a while. Too much time with your kid can begin to drive you nuts...lol

Well I think they are better off at home the first three or four years. They need to be socialized with other children too though. Taught to share etc. I think each parent just has to make a decision based on each family's special circumstances.

I PREFER MOTHER-CARE. only mother can give the aall values.so if have time you think about mother care.otherwise you can go to day care.

Right now its my wife who take good care of my children all their needs are being attended carefully and with love.

I think it all depends on the situation. I went to a daycare center until I was about 10. My dad worked and mom was working/in school. I didn't have any problems, and enjoyed all the activity and friends. My son went to a friend of ours for the first year. He was the only baby, and she has 3 older boys in school. Loved the care, but the older boys were always sick, so I had to take off too much time from work. My problem with sending DS to a center is that with all the stuff you hear about, I don't trust someone else to raise him. I want to limit his exposure to certain things and behaviors. I've been a SAHM for 5 months now and love it. I do need to earn money, so I'm starting a home daycare myself. That way I can see that he grows up like we want, and he can still have other kids to play with. But I can make the rules. :) I'd never drop my son with someone else just for fun time for myself. Kids learn so much about life from being around all the time...

I'm fortunate that I get to stay at home with my son. He's now getting older so we are in a class and do a lot of outside activities together with children his age. My niece and nephew are in a daycare with a lot of kids. There are some advantages, like they are very socialized, the teachers are teaching them a lot of cool things. But they also get sick a lot and they pick up bad habits and bad words from the other children. I know my son will do all that, but that won't happen until he's in kindergarten lol.

I think its best that the kid stays home but if they cant then i would say maybe a daycare out of someones home. They dont seem to get as sick .Unlike big daycares seem to be germ infested places. Kids are always sick. Either way its a choice you yourself should make.

i like to be with my son full time i dont like to give my son anywhere like day or relatives home..so that i'm trying for net jobs and some freelance works..may be this month i'll get one...not sure.nobody will look after him like amother...if he cries if he's with me i'll surely pick him up and love..or kissess...if he's in day care or somthing like that nobody will be there to care with love when he cries..he will be free from all only till he's 3 after that he have to go for schools,study,home work.....go on and on and on.so i'll try givng o much happy in this period...lol...!!!

Day care is good for our children coz they will learn how to make friends with other children, they can learn many things like how to play, how to cooperate and they can learn to adjust on different attitudes of their playmates and also it is the 1st step to go pre school, but most imporant is, we must see to it that everyday we also have time to our children, we must have a bonding time even if it is 1-2hrs only.

I've been on all sides of this issue. My oldest went to daycare because I was a single mom for awhile, there were good and bad sides to it. She was at a crowded daycare so she didn't always get a lot of one on one attention, but she also learned how to deal with her peers. Then I stayed home for a little while, I love my kids, but I just can't do it! Now my kids are watched by my MIL, and it's a good situation. She's very active with the kids, and has several other kids in her neighborhood that mine play wiht. It doesn't hurt that my SIL is only 11, so there's always kids around. We are very fortunate in our situation. However, I think what's best varies with every situation. I know in different times in my life daycare was great, but now that I have 3 kids it would defeat the point of working.

It depends of children's age, but generally I think is better to attend kindergarten and school, under the specialised attending.In this time (when your child is in safe) you can take care of your job.So, you'll be able to take care yourself of your child, in the rest of the day. You need, anyway, a person to help you, for to "cover" some hours, daily (the difference between the child's timetable and yours !)...a mother, grandmother, grandfather, aunt or others. So I proceeded with my daughters. Now, they are 23 and 21 ! (see my posted pict.) God help you to find the best ways to be the best mother !

It is so hard to trust people when it comes to your kids. I have always been where I could keep my kids. If I had to put them in the care of some one else it would have to be a family member or my best friend so I know they would be treated right.

Hi easymoney. If I had it all to do overagain, my wish would be that I could stay home with my children and have them there with me. I would have done my best to try to homeschool them, making sure they had ample interaction with other children. They grow up way to fast and end up with a mind all their own. They leave home and start their own lives. It's only then when we can look back and think about the things we wish we would have done.

I am against daycares because I had a bad experience with one. When I was a foster parent I use to take one of my foster sons to daycare while I was at work. I went an picked him up early from daycare so that he and I could go shopping for him to pick out what he wanted for his birthday. At the time I had a truck that sat a little high off of the ground. He went to jump down out of the truck , as he did this his the leg of his shorts came up. All you could see on his litleg was a large red hand print. Someone either grabbed him roughly by the leg or had slapped him I never did find out which it was. After this I have never taken my children be it my own or a foster child to a daycare. I know that not all daycares are bad but since I could find other ways of having my children watched so I could work that is how I have done it. My mom lives with me so that she can watch my children in my home. Atleast I know that the children are safe this way.

i think it would be best if the child will grow up knowing that his/her family is around him/her and they will know that s/he can depend on them. for me, if the child will grw up with a place although full with kids, they dont have the security to have a healthy child hood. what if somebbody would bully them and techers are not there to watch. children would seek their parents' presence to ask for help. and if they see that their parents are not their, childrn would think that they ae not love by their parents. i think all parents should think that children think differently from us adults. what we perceive are very different from they perceive.