Child Care

We all know that the best choice for childcare would be for one of the child’s parents but that is not always an option. These days it is almost impossible for there to be one working parent and one stay at home parent with the economy doing so poorly. If you can manage to have one parent stay home you really should do so because the best childcare comes from the parents. If that really is not an option see if you have a family member that can watch them. Maybe your mother-in-law does not work or maybe a younger sibling who is in college that can work their class schedule around your work hours. If family is not an option maybe you have a close friend with kids who is a stay at home parent and you could see if they wouldn’t mind keeping an eye on your little one for a small fee each week.

(Source: http://www.ababycare.com/grandparents/)

            Obviously free is better and knowing the person caring for you little one really well but if none of those options are available to you then you will have to look into a daycare facility. I do not have much experience with looking into daycares since I am a stay at home mom but I have worked in one before so I know how tough it is for parents to even think about putting their child is the hand of strangers. If you can find time before the little one is born you should go on a few yours of different daycare facilities in your area. This way you can see what each one of them had to offer and you can meet some of the staff members.

(Source: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/daycare-names.html)

            Cost is a big factor as well when looking for a day care. On average daycare can cost anywhere from, $900 a month to $300 a month. You can tell that the more expensive ones are usually the better choice with the facilities as well as the quality of workers but most people cannot afford that it would be like only working to pay for daycare. You can however find a great daycare that is not too expensive. There are also state programs that will help low income families afford daycare by paying a portion of it for you.

            You could also go for a baby sitter. If you do know of anyone there are websites out there where you can find trustworthy baby sitters with background checks so that you know are not letting some crazy person take care of your baby. But like I said before the best thing would be for one of the parents to be home with your baby. Sometimes it is actually cheaper for someone to stay home rather than work and pay most of your check to a daycare or baby sitter.