DayCare Versus Babysitter for 2 1/2 Yr Old

I have two daughters one is 2 yrs old and the other is 7 mts. I was raised to be taken care of within the family so i was terrified when i had to go back to work and leave them with a stranger, i decided on a small family in home daycare versus a babysitter because not only would they get enough attention,theyd get educated and would learn essential socializing techniques that will definately come in handy.they are as happy and healthy as can be with the decision i made and im glad.
I LIVE ON SOUTH ARBOR PKWY WHIS IS OFF JOHNDTON ST A FEW SECONDS OFF OF MARY HENLEY PARK AND MY DAYCARE LIVES A FE STREETS FROM THE SAME PARK

I know you've probably gotten a zillion answers but my son goes to Spring Valley Montessori and we love it!! It ended up being less than the Kinder Care where he was going and the teachers are so awesome. My son has 8 kids in his class and 2 teachers. We couldn't be more pleased. My son can't wait till Monday to see his friends and do his 'work'. We've really seen a huge change in his socialization skills and his vocabulary. The school is on Edna between Rainbow and Buffalo. Edna is between Sahara and DI. Susan is the director and owner of the school ###-###-####

Do what is best for you financially because either way, in the long run, he will be fine. I had a nanny whien I was working but when she suddenly quite my kids (3 and 5) went into day care. It was the best thing. They got to play all day, take their naps and get inter action with other children, that is the best thing. My cousin, who has three very successful kids out of college, one time told me that her middle son went through so many changes as a kid, several nannys, day care and such, and in the end, he was the most well adjusted kid (who went to an ivy league college), so in the end, any choice will be fine. That is why I say make the choice based on finances now.

Well as a provider in my home, I would suggest an In home liscensed center. In which There are no more than 5 other children. I agree with Julie a little, but I am not a fan of centers. Although both homes, and centers have their down falls, this is what I have found:) Hope this helps. I recently posted this on craigslist due to another mother complaining about cost of an "In Home" when she felt she was getting "Less" ....

At a "REG" daycare...you have the following:
1)So much turnover you get just as confused as your child.
2)Not enough 1 on 1 attention.
3)1 teacher to over 15 children(sometimes more sometimes less)
4)Teachers off to the side chatting with each other instead of on the floor playing with YOUR child(ren).

From the institutional look of a center to the bathrooms not having bath tubs to wash your child after he/she has the runs all over themselves to the vomit/whatever that they just got all over themselves from not feeling well, how can one sit here and say, "when we get less"?
Yes, there are alot of pros and cons to both, but I would much rather have a family setting where toys get rotated, not children/teachers.

Child care is a business and providers are professionals; please don't refer them as babysitters. As such, it is reasonable to expect that care providers will have established rules, hours and pay rates that keep the door open and quality care provided to all. Parents should be appreciative that a provider takes time to create a handbook, contract, and other details that help to foster communications and understanding.

Top reasons to "Consider" Family Child Care...
1) Kids receive Care in a home situation(family care is an attractive option for many families, in part because the care setting is essentially the best option, and can offer families the comfort of care in a home setting similar to what kids are used to at their own home, complete with a backyard, and complete bathrooms. In-home providers typically treat YOUR children as extended family members of their own family. Family outings, story hours at local book stores, weekend BBQ's, etc....
2)Meals are served family style in a dining room which allows for conversation, manners, and etique.
3)Ratios are small.
4)Family providers are often close and convenient.
5) NO turnover.
6)Parents and provider work as a team....you get to know your provider personally. You develop a strong relationship. You become a team in raising YOUR child. If your child is having a bad day, your provider will know, and help you cope.
7) If you are having financial issues, your provider will work with you(most of them).
8) Cost Is Well-Deserved: You Get What You Pay For!
The same parents who seem incensed at a weekly child care rate of $75 or $125 think nothing of spending excessive money on personal items, clothes, cars, etc.--yet say their child is their most important asset. Parents should certainly consider cost when making a child care choice. At the same time, they should consider the quality of care and what they are getting for their money, and not grumble about having to pay for the service they receive.
And the list goes on.
Please look up daycare versus home based.

If someone regularly comes to your home and watches your child they are considered a nanny and you'll need to talk to an accountant about holding out social security and what their minimum wage is for your State. I worked as a nanny for several years. This is what our accountant told us when we went to file taxes. I could have got that family in tons of trouble for not paying correctly but I still claimed the income and didn't turn them in.

If someone watches your child in their home they, and you, run the risk of being turned in for having a home day care that is not licensed. This is according to the child care act of 1969.

So, that being said. Never take your child to some one who isn't licensed. It just isn't worth it not having that security knowing they are inspected and have been investigated and approved.

I prefer a child care center over a child care home. In a Child Care Center they can't have a good level of STARS unless the Director has a certain level of education and each and every teacher has their CDA, or Child Development Associate certification/credential, which is 120 hours in child development, developing a daily schedule for your age group, crisis management, nutrition, teaching non-verbal language skills, sanitation methods, etc...they have many hours in the classroom learning to be a better teacher. The Center is evaluated each year and given a STAR level and the rate of pay they receive for children the state pays for is based on their level so they want to have more STARS.

For example, a 2 STAR center may be able to get $20.00 a day for an infant and a 3 STAR center may get $34.00 per day. These are random figures but they make the point.

Your local office of health and human services can give you a list of licensed homes and centers. Please ask for fliers about what to look for in child care. This gives you good information about what qualifications each has.

Find a local child care providor.
http://www.dcfs.state.nv.us/ChildCareDocs/ChildCareFacili...
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Also, having to pay for the whole week isn't all that bad because you have that option on the days you are off work and need to catch up on chores you used do during the day and you can make Dr.s appointments and other things that you really don't want to take the kids to and just take them to a place they are comfortable with already. You don't have to leave them all day on those days but it sure is nice to be able to make an OB/GYN appointment and know the kiddos are already being cared for.

Hi Rachel, As a daycare provider myself, my advice to you would be daycare over a baby sitter, A baby sitter will now allow your child to explore friendships, and interaction with other children, and it's better in away if your child doesn't get as much attention as he is used to, with other kids running around because when he goes to school he's not going to have the one on one that he is used to right now. And in daycare with so many other kids to play with he won't need the same amount of attention that he is used to. The other thing a daycare is licensed. if your husband is not working, why can't your child be home with him? J.

Hi R.,

My son is 2 1/2 also and has been going to a home-based family daycare since he was about 14 weeks. I think it's a great happy medium between an individual babysitter and a daycare center. It's usually more flexible than a center and it gives him an opportunity to play with other kids. It's also typically less expensive than a center or a nanny. It'll be so hard to leave him, but he'll adjust and you can consider it practice for when he goes to school in a couple of years. Just trust your gut instincts when you meet potential care providers.

I started out taking our son to a Montessori when he was about 13-14 months. The price for a montessori compared to that of day care is about $5.00 a day! The outcome of independence and individuality is priceless. :-) Look into a Montessori for your child.

You could also look into the child care centers that have video - that way you can log on whenever you want and see what your child is doing. :-)

Best of luck!

It's a very tough decision. I'm a SAHM to a 2 1/2 year old girl, and am very lucky I"m not facing this right now. I can tell you when she was 1 1/2 mos. old I decided to go back to work, and put her in a regular daycare center down the road from work. I personally do not like daycare centers due to the fact that the kids don't get the attention like at home. It reminded me of a production line at feeding time, and with people that really are just there for a paycheck. Nanny's are expensive, but if you go that route, at least it doesn't disrupt your schedule that much. You may get very lucky in finding a college girl that has a good schedule that can work with your needs. I found a sitter, college girl who's schedule alllows her to come to my home & watch my daughter 2 days a week, just a few hours so I can run errands. She's fantastic!! If that's not a possibility, I would opt for a good home daycare. That's as close to what your son is used too & still he gets interaction with other kids. Good luck on your decision :)

My son went to a in-home licensed day care provider until he was 2 1/2. We changed him to a day care center purposely for many reasons. The stimulation of other children, more activities, exposure to new learning opportunities and the list goes on. We really felt that at this age, he would transition well and he did. He is there 3 days a week and it provides a lot of socialization and structure. The first few times he was upset at the new situation but he quickly adjusted and his vocabulary exploded. I toured and sat in on 5 centers, interviewed the prospective teachers and administrators and carefully chose one. I think you should look at where your child will blossom, learn and enjoy himself and go with that. Children are pretty adaptable. Good luck.

R. there are pro's and cons to both. With a daycare center you have educated teachers who have had early childhood training. You will have a very structured program (same thing at same time each day like art, music, play etc) The state will have specific guidelines to follow. The cost might be higher but they will go with full or part time rates. Part time rate at a daycare center will probably be the same as a full time rate at a daycare home. There will be depending on the states guidelines up to 12 or 16 children per age group. The hours are usually longer than a daycare home also.
Daycare homes have smaller ratio's of children. Hours are not usually open as long. Licensed homes follow state guidelines. In the state of illinois you can sit for up to 3 children outside your own without being licensed. not sure if that is the case in your state. There is a bigger chance of the home being closed due to provider's illness. But having said that your child will be exposed to a lot less sickness. Rates are lower. and a home daycare provider is more likely to work with you ratewise for parttime situations than a daycare center. Good luck finding what you need

Why would you pay for daycare when your husband is not working? Sounds like a raw deal to me.

Perhaps you can have a friend who needs a few extra bucks (like maybe a SAHM) "on call" for sitting duties in case your husband has an appointment or interview - but really, he should be the one caring for HIS child.

Consider the time it will take you to load the car, drive, and drop off--it will add that much more time x2 to your day for drop off and pick up if you are doing it all yourself. (That's what I do, but I have friends who's hubby drop off and she picks up, so it saves some on her)

Also, I work MWF half-days and have childcare ALL day on M & F so I can have ME time to run errands, go to the gym, or just do whatever I want--nice!

i say daycare all the way. not in home daycare, but a daycare center. each option has its downfalls, but here is what i base my suggestion on:
babysitter: would not be able to provide the most important aspect in your child's life which is socialization and learning by example.
in home daycare: i never cared for these because of all the horrid stories i have heard about them.
daycare center: there are a lot of people present so my child's safety would be ensured at least by that fact. my kids went to a daycare/preschool kind of place called goddard, for a while. it was the best thing ever. most daycare centers have part-time options. they cost more but they're worth it.

Believe me. When my oldest daughter was 4 or 5 months old, her babysitter found out she was pregnant and decided she couldn't babysit anymore. I cried when she had to go to a daycare. We found a daycare with an opening and signed her up. I believe it has been a very good experience for her and is preparing her for school. She has a regular schedule at the daycare, interacts with other children even gets an immunity boost. Sure it is not fun right now when she or her sister who now goes to daycare too, gets sick but at least her immune system is getting stronger before she has to go to school. I have a niece who doesn't even go to daycare that stays sicker than my children do. Sure there are some down sides to daycares but all in all I think they are perfectly acceptable if you choose the right one. Hope this has been helpful.

Well how ab out your hubbie can't he take care of his child? those 3 days? also if youn qualify for free daycare? look into that. specially if unemployment might pay so your hubbie can find a job. SW what part of cali is that in. I live in monrovia and my friend has a daycare and she can try to get you in a program if you qualify. she is state approved. 3 days is not bad. her name is claudia lopez ###-###-#### my nama is D. give her a call good luck.

I think day care would be better, because at age 2 1/2 they don't need as much attention as a baby. Day care gets them ready for preschool, and I think they need the social skills of day care. If I had a baby I would never want to put them in day care with other babies and toddlers because I think babies need a lot of attention, but a 2 1/2 year old plays a lot and I think it helps them be independent, and especially since it's only three days a week.

I have also been a working parent and my 2 children have been in an in home day care since age of 5 months and 6 months. We struggled with the decision of outside daycare vs a nanny in our home. Then also between daycare in someone's home vs in a school. One of the reasons we opted for day care vs nanny was for the socialization. Both of our children (now 5-1/2 and 3) are very outgoing and extremely social. Many of our friends that either kept their kids home or did the nanny route have children that are on the shy side in comparison to our kids. So if your concern is that he won't get enough attention, true he won't have the constant attention that you as the mother gives him but as long as you are clear on your expectionations with the day care provider, do the interview process thoroughly and do your home work on them, a daycare provider can give you the care you want your child to receive outside of the home.
3 years old is common for children to begin preschool so you are really only a short point away from that. Going to a daycare center a few days a week can be a great opportunity for him to develop social skills away from mommy, and can also help in the later transition to preschool or Kindergarten.
I'm in Cal so can't help with location recommendations but hope this helps you with other questions.
Good luck with your decision and try not to be too hard on yourself. It sounds like this is not something you are wanting to do, but something you have to do. You can still try and make the best experience of it for you and your family.
L.

I am a babysitter in the South Bay (Torrance) area. I have 3 children (2 are grown) of my own. I think my preference has always been babysitter over day care. My good friend is a kindergarten teacher and she said she can tell which kids are in day care within the first three days of school, based on their behavior. They have lots of years ahead of them for formal education and such a short time for the care free days of playing and having fun without the stress of conforming to the group. It might be hard to find a babysitter part-time because it takes the same space of full time, however, with the economy in a slump you have a better chance to find that sitter now. Good Luck. ps if Daddy isn't working, why is he not watching his son? Just a thought!

I do not know Vegas so can't tell you where to go just about my own experience. I started to work when my daughter was just 7 months, and had for her a nanny that had a child my daughter's age. I was very lucky because she'd come to my house on the days/hours i needed which was not every day. She was very affordable. My daughter had a child to play with, and grew up learning to share and be social much like as if she had a sibling. And because the sitter was a mom she knew what to do, she'd drive them places and when sick she knew how to care for her. When she turned 2 1/2 i was also very lucky to find a Montessori type of school 2x week and slowly increased her time while she still had the sitter on odd hours. The school was a great experience for her and she will be there until kinder. In the process, my husband and I adapted to the schedule and use a sitter only for special occasions. I feel for you, because i know how hard it is to "leave" your child with others. I had a lot of separation anxiety ;) Rest assured that there are a lot of good people out there, trust your instincts when making choices and in the long run, your child (and you) will grow stronger. Growing pains, really!!!! Tears may be involved... Good luck on finding the best care, because I know you will.

Rachel, I am the type of person you should maybe should give a try. I am a older gal that has a very stable home and has raised her child to adulthood. I want to be a grandmom but it just not in the cards yet. Money is not a issue, I retired from preschool teaching after a very long career and I would love if I could welcome a 2 1/2 yr old into my life to love, teach and care for while you worked, I think it would be very rewarding to be part of a team with such a "in tune" mother as you sound towards her childs needs. It is just a suggestion, but do not dicount us older gals ,with proper training and backgrounds to care for your young one. Smiles, L. Reno/Cold Springs Nevada

I am a St. Lic. Family Child Care Provider and an Area Rep. for Orange County CHild Care Association. ALthough I am located in Irvine, I do parent education as to how to find and identify "quality, intentional" child care.
I would be happy to discuss all options of child care with you to give you some insight as to how each of them operate. I can also refer you to "your" area representative for some referrals if you are interested.

Please give me a call at (949) 857=6003 and I will be happy to answer any and all questions.
V.

Since your husband isn't working, can't he stay with your son? I'm sure there are other circumstances that you didn't mention, but it just kinda seemed like a good and simple answer! My hubby is with our daughter 1 or 2 days each week - has to do a lot of homework on the weekends, so he loves getting that extra time with her. Just a thought! :)

why not try 2 days at daycare and 1 day with babysitter? sometimes i wish i had started my son earlier at a school..he started preschool at 3..he goes 2 afternoons a week and what a huge difference its made..he's so much easier to go to dinner with and is learning so much ..i wish i could afford more days but he and i are both happy with the 2 afternoons...try out the daycare they make little friends and really learn ..its fun for them if you pick a great daycare ..my son goes to Kid's Klub in Pasadena and they have an after hours baby sitting for $8 an hour ...

D.

2 1/2 is a good age for your son to start learning some of the social "rules." Having someone in your home is less reliable and definitely more pricey.

If you go to college they will pay you to go My FAFSA grant was 3800 dollars and most colleges have a day care system, The stafford Loan is 10,000 dollars and you dont pay it back till yo complete school. there are other options too there is an E>O>P>S> office on campus that helps with books and money for moms, the other option is to tery to get childcare assistance from the state. there are moneys from Gov to help you start a business of your own .check it out online

We went through the same things you are dealing with when our kids were!! We cleared and checked little Windmill fresh water kiosks all over Vegas! We used to clean houses for people at church and our oldest would fall asleep in his Baby Bjorn while I vacuumed. So, if these ideas don't speak to you....let me know....because I gotta a TON of them!!

SMALL BUSINESS ALLOWANCES:
PINNACLE-
Right after my 2nd child was born, I ended up having to go back to work. I was very sick physically at the time and had no idea how I was going to get to a cubicle all day. So, I located a job opening that listed different points that helped me realize that I could bring my daughter with me, as I was working in one of the homes that the company ran for mentally disabled adults. I would go work at the home with my daughter and then took my work back to MY house for the rest of my afternoon shift.

APS-
A couple of years later, I was coming home finally from working in the field, but I still needed to bring home money for our budget. I located a compounding pharmacy CLEAR ACROSS TOWN that I knew I would be perfect for. So, at the end of the interview, I told the owner very honestly that the distance from my house and the amount I am going to have to do to clean up his financials, I would need to do this from home. I offered that in 6 months if it did not work, that I would PERSONALLY find my own replacement and train them with no charge. He said fine to that and I worked for that pharmacy for over 5 years and even after we re-located from Vegas to Fullerton. I even opened up a second pharmacy in Pasadena 99% from home! Bottom line, you can't be afraid to ask for things, you just need to frame your "issues" into something that is an improvement and something that works best for both parties.

DADDY DAY CARE:
Is your husband at home for now without a job? He really may be your best bet for helping the kids transition from you not working to you working again.

LICENSED IN HOME CHILDCARE:
Each state and county and town has a list of licensed home child care houses. These child care workers go through every FBI check and testing of the home with surprise inspections at least every month if not more. As long as you make sure they are licensed and you can also check with the state regarding any grievances, you should be fine. I would definitely interview the person and grill her like a fish, while at the same time looking around the house...are things latched and safe etc etc...a good home child care provider will have these things already in motion. It is the law, and these providers are checked randomly to make sure they are abiding by every single rule out there for at home child care. Make sure to clarify if you will be paying for their vacation time or sick time. These issues can cause a LOT of problems if not addressed upfront.

FRIENDS & FAMILY CO-OP:
Do you have other moms from your "Mom & Me" groups who are not working, but might need a date night out with their kids on a Friday evening. Get a system and schedule that involves all parents working together to take care of the childcare issue amongst friends and family.

Hope this helps! Let me know if you need any more ideas....I got plenty of them....especially from when our kids were small and even now we have things going on to help the budget!

Keep looking. You can find a great day care. My 2 year old is in one in Atwater - there are between 4 and 6 kids in her room, depending on the day. There is a "teacher", 2 aides, and a "grandma" and "grandma" from a nearby senior home who come in for a couple of hours to prepare art projects and help organize. At playtime, all the kids in the day care (about 30) play togehter on the playground, with all the "teachers", and aids. There is at least one adult per 2 kids. My daughter loves it - it took 4 months to find a place I liked, but it is so worth it! She is becoming very social with other kids and learning lots of great stuff that she never would have learned with me or a babysitter or a nanny.
If you decide to get a babysitter, I've found fabulous, professional sitters on sittercity.com.
Good luck and I hope your husband finds something soon.

I'm not sure exactly where you are writing from but my kids are at Montessori on the Lake in Lake Forest and I love it.

I decided to put them in daycare rather than at home care because of a few reasons...I need care to be consistent and dependable. I don't want to worry that someone is sick or needs a vacation...with a daycare center, I don't have to worry about that. I also like the structure of the center. There's no TV for anyone to plop them in front of, there's a structured curriculum. And...for my paranoid self, there are constantly people around...I feel less likely that someone will be able to harm my child with so many different staff members all there. I feel like in a home, there is more risk for that.

Anyway, that's my side of it. I have a four year old and an 18 month old and it's worked really well for us. We also just went through what you are going through with my husband out of work and having the kids in three days a week was perfect. Gave them some daddy time Monday and Friday and still gave Daddy some time to focus on the job search and interviews the other three days. Plus, most centers give you a smaller fee for three days a week which ours did.

Good luck.
-M

Hi R., I think at home care is the best too. We're touring pre-schools right now and seeing the younger 2 year old classes where there are 12 kids to one teacher is sad. I don't feel they'll get the one on one attention that you are used to giving her. We got our nanny off sittercity.com. There is also enannysource.com that you plug in the days and times you want and they'll match you with people that are looking for the same. And they do background checks too. Try to bring the person in on a weekend or a couple times to get them used to each other but I'm sure it will go smooth. As long as you stay positive so will he! Good luck!

I am also a big fan of home-based daycare. We have been taking our kids to Claudia for over 3 years and love the homey environment and the small number of kids. Our older son was briefly in a larger home daycare with 14 kids and was miserable. The daycare centers seem too much like school to me. I wanted my kids to have time to study a pebble on the ground for 10 minutes if they wanted rather than a more structured environment. I purposefully did not emphasize academics. Now my older son is in kindergarten and is thriving! Tomorrow he will be tested on the last of the kindergarten words and will move on to the first grade words. He is reading 16 page books to me with no problem. Every day is an adventure and he is not bored. And at home he has a very strong imagination, etc. Doubt Burbank is near by, but if it is then send me a note and I will give you her contact info. She just had 3 kids "graduate" so only had 3 kids right now and your boy would have a lot of attention.

$210 per week sounds about right. That is what I pay in Los Angeles for 3 full days of daycare per week for my toddler.

I dont think it is entirely fair that some of the women on this site have suggested that your husband should take care of your child. As we all know, this is a very tough job, and if your husband has been working full time up to this point, he would probably be a complete dear-in-the-headlights to suddenly be taking care of a toddler full time. On top of that, if he doesnt want to do this in the first place, you are better off not expecting him to. It will just make it more difficult on your marriage. He is going to need some help. Id suggest maybe 2 days of daycare (so that he only has to watch your toddler one day a week alone - probably something he could manage). And Id say daycare rather than a nanny because if you chose to have a nanny at home, your toddler will likely still want your husband most of the time - and he will end up doing a lot of the babysitting - plus hearing crying, whining, things crashing, etc. So here you are paying someone, and your husband will still be stressed out when you get home.

I am a SAHM and I have a "mother's helper" come for a couple of hours throughout the week to be my extra set of hands with my newborn. I find that I'm still the primary caretaker when my helper is here. It is just what happens.

I also think daycare is a nice option because of all of the activities they do. In many cases, once a child is 2 years old, the daycares offer more of a preschool-type program. So, that means: art, storytime, outdoor play, singing, dancing, learning words, colors, letters and numbers. In the case of my daughter's daycare, I get a lesson plan every week. So she gets a completely planned day of activities on the 3 days she attends. That is much more stimulating and interesting than playing with the same toys, watching the same tv, and doing the same thing every day at home with the nanny. I mean, really, how boring! I think the variety of having a few days at home, and a few days somewhere else with kids and activities just seems like more fun to me.

Another option: look for an actual preschool (instead of a daycare). Some preschools offer a program for 2 or 2 1/2 year olds. Preschools tend to be a bit more affordable than daycares. In most cases, it is a traditional morning program, but Ive found that many preschools now offer extended hours for working parents. Perhaps your husband can pick up your toddler from preschool and take care of him/her until you get home. It wouldnt be as much work for him, if it is only for 2 or 3 hours a day?

Hope this is a helpful!
Andrea

Can't dad watch him? Great father/son bonding opportunity. We are currently in the same boat. Husband was laid off last year and I work so he stays home with our girls - 2 1/2 year and 3 month old. Our toddler goes to day care 3 days a week so he can get errands done and she gets socialized while learning. Which is why I say a daycare center vs . a sitter. But dad is still my first choice over that if you can. My husband loves that he gets this time with them. W

if you keep looking around i'm sure you will find a great day care, i to was a sahm and have found myself needing to be gone for a few hours a day a few times a week. my daughter has a lot of medical problems and i really don't trust most babysitters unless related to her. if you feel uncomfortable with a day care have your husband watch your son for the hours you are gone, or if you want find a sunny days daycare near you. this day care does have children around as well but also takes time for children who need personal time (like my child) also a daycare would be good for a child at this age (daughter is almost three) it helps build there interaction with other children, starts them on new things like writing, speaking, coloring, and so on. the sunnydays daycare out here provides breakfast,lunch,dinner, and snacks/juice/milk. the are really good at introducing children into the daycare with the other children. also think of it this way if you pay for the whole day then take the whole day, do some erronds, get some private time in for just you, and so on. they have programs where you pay less if they are only ther certan days. hope this helps

Check with the churches in your area. Sometimes they have the mommy day out and you can get a good price for just a few hours a week and someone you can trust as well. Hope this helps out.

2 1/2 is typically the starting age for many preschools. We send our son to preschool in the mornings and then have a nanny for afternoons. However, our system becomes very expensive, so wouldn't necessarily recommend that. Since you only need for 3 days, I would highly recommend looking into part-time preschool that has continued daycare for the late afternoon. As much as we love our nanny, a nanny/babysitter is typically not as effective overall in teaching, socializing, entertaining your child than would be a larger, educational setting.

Call a Nanny service. I got my nanny when my son was 10 months old, I was pregnant and a SAHM. I just needed the extra help part-time. They will work with you for the hours you need, the nannies are FBI checked for background and fingerprints, and come with references. You will have to pay a fee for the nanny, but I felt like I was paying for the peace of mind. The first one we hired had a family emergency in Argentina after the first week and they sent me a replacement for no extra charge. She stayed with us part-time for 5 years, until my youngest started kindergarten. Having that extra help regularly took SO much stress out of my life and even improved my marriage. I highly recommend it!

I have not read all your responses but wanted to add my 2 cents worth. I struggled with this same issue 8 years ago but decided it would be a good thing to put our son in daycare, the interaction with other children helps with their social skills. Every mom wants their child to have full and undivided attention, but sometimes they need that interaction with kids their own age. Also, apologies if I am out of line, but since your husband is not working, why is it he cannot watch your (his?) son? My husband was laid off and looked forward to spending quality time (without me) with his kids. It saved us the fees and gave him a better appreciation of what moms do. Fortunately he is back to work but he said if it were feasible he would stay home in a heartbeat.

Good luck to you.