DC transition before going back to work
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Forum Name: Working Parents
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URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=42146
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Topic: DC transition before going back to work
Posted By: skylar
Subject: DC transition before going back to work
Date Posted: 04 June 2012 at 8:02pm
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hi ladies
I am a happy mum to a lovely 5month old girl and am going to be 'test' running a return to full time work in July (namely because my very very very supportive employers are heading on a four week trip overseas and really need me back to cover while they are away, as I am most senior manager). At present I am working 2 full days a week (mon/tues) and my daughter is spending that time with her grandma which is great and has been working well since April. So I have decided to use this time to trial run day care and also to see whether or not full time work is right or not. My original plan was to gradually build my time up over the course of the year to where I would probably only work 4days a week. However that has changed since I found out most day cares have a minimum number of hours a week that your child must attend (in my case 24hrs) so with grandma looking after baby 2 days which is something I don't want to change it kinda leaves me in an awkward position. My plan is to start baby at daycare in second week of July but kind of wondering how long you need for transition in the build up to eventually leaving her there! I am happy with my choice of daycare but it's just how much time will we need in the lead up? So much to decide? And part of a bigger problem given I have to travel an hour to work each day hence she will be at daycare in the town where i work so it's close to me. Really struggling to figure out how to make it all work! All your advice would be greatly appreciated. ------------- http://www.TickerFactory.com/"> 
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Replies:
Posted By: Nutella
Date Posted: 05 June 2012 at 11:46am
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Ask the childcare, they normally have some kind of process in place. I think with my little guy we did a week of visits varying from me going in with him to me leaving him there. he was over 1 so not sure if it was easier or harder for him to settle in.
Have you considered anothe childcare, what about one close to your mum. our one for part timers I am sure it is just 2 days a week they HAVE to attend. Plus if it was close to your mum then you little girl wouldn't have to do all the travelling each day as it is inda a long time spent in the car (is that an hour each way?) but you know your mum would be close by if needed. ------------- 
 Oct 11
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Posted By: InthemiddleMummy
Date Posted: 05 June 2012 at 2:51pm
| community based or not for profit " preschools" ususlly have 2 day x 4hr minimum |
Posted By: Bky
Date Posted: 05 June 2012 at 5:45pm
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When I put mine in daycare at 4 months we did 3-4 hour or two long visits over 2-3 weeks. Ask your daycare if they have a procedure they recommend. If you have to stick to your daycare's hours I'd cut back the extra Grandma day in favour of 3 daycare days and hold in reserve staying at Grandma's house for some of the sick days that will come. ------------- 7/2010, 10/2012 and 1/2015 |
Posted By: catisla
Date Posted: 05 June 2012 at 10:58pm
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DD1 started daycare at 6 months, DD2 started at 1 year old. It was so much easier to settle DD1 at the younger age as they aren't really aware of the whole 'seeing you walk out of the door' thing that they pick up on when they are older. DD2 was much harder to settle - depsite the fact she had visited the daycare often when i was dropping off and picking up DD1 on her daycare days.
DD1 settled very quickly - she cried a few times when i handed her over in the first few weeks and I would phone when i got to work and they would say 'oh she stopped crying 30 seconds after you left  '
As for settling in, I visited for two mornings for an hour or so when i stayed with her, and then left her for an hour on another morning. Good luck - she will be fine! ------------- |
Posted By: skylar
Date Posted: 06 June 2012 at 6:22am
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Thanks so much for the advice, it's just so nerve racking that you don't know whether or not you're doing the right thing.
We will be managing the travel as will be staying with my mum and dad 1 or 2 nights a week on the days when she will be at day care. did you all go back into work full time or just part time hours? that is my other internal battle  ------------- http://www.TickerFactory.com/">
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Posted By: Shelt
Date Posted: 06 June 2012 at 8:39pm
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DD went into daycare at just before 5 months and she did 2 or 3 visits of about 2 hours in the first week, then I increased the length of visits the second week and in the third week she did her regular hours.
I went back to work 4 days a week 8.30am - 4.30pm and that's what I still work (although now its more like 7.45am - 5pm). In the begining I did some work from home, one morning and one afternoon a week. It didn't work overly well, DD never slept that well during the day and I often ended up having to catch up on work at night and on the weekend. But it meant I felt less guilty and got to spend a bit more time with her. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: lisame
Date Posted: 07 June 2012 at 9:22am
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Re. the part-time/full-time thing - I started off doing three days a week, and now do four plus a bit of extra when needed because we're so busy. I've recently extended our daughter's daycare hours because I just wasn't getting enough done, and I feel guilty enough about an extra 30 mins a day!
I worked out the other day that with her in daycare 4 days and with us 3 days a week, we JUST spend more time with her than her carer does. I'd feel bad if her carer got more time with her than we did. Bit different though as she has a homecarer and so has the chance to get attached to just one person - which I wanted, but on the other hand it makes me more reluctant to leave her there too much longer. so... longwinded answer, but I don't think I'll ever go back to fulltime. not even once she/they are at school - I'll work 5 days, but finish at school finishing time so still only 35 hrs or so a week. ETA: I'm just down the road from you actually (well, 30 mins or so). i know a mum here who commutes to Tauranga a few days a week, and she ended up choosing a daycare at home, rather than in Tga. Her parents or a friend pick up on the odd days when she can't get back in time. She prefers that over having him in the car for 2 hours a day - she did try it to start with. |
Posted By: snugglebug
Date Posted: 07 June 2012 at 8:47pm
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My son has just started daycare he is going to be going for 3 days a week. He had visits last week over 3 days, he came for the morning each time and stayed for lunch and he did pretty well so they said he was quite ready to come by himself. But he is older than your little one so Im not sure how it would work, but I imagine with being that little separation anxiety won't have kicked in quite so much so she might settle in quite easily. I would say visits over a week depending on how much you feel is needed would be quite normal but your daycare will have a process they reccomend. I found most daycares I researched had a 2 day minimum. So far I have found 3 days daycare, 2 days with nana to be a really positive arrangement ------------- Me 28, DH 29 DS born 20 Nov 2010 (4 years old) #2 due October 7 http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: snugglebug
Date Posted: 07 June 2012 at 8:50pm
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Also just another thing, I also have to travel nearly an hour to work and I have my son in daycare close to home rather than close to where I work, so that he can be there instead of having to do the commute with me and also because my parents live 5 mins away from the daycare so can pick him up if he's sick or anything. This has worked really well as my Dad drops him off to daycare as I have to leave before its time for him to go. So perhaps you could consider a daycare close to home rather than close to work? Makes more sense for her to be playing at daycare than in the car. Basically how our day works is at 7am grandad comes over and stays with DS while he has his breakfast, I leave for work, grandad drops DS to daycare about 8. Then I or DH pick him up after work and then go home. His daycare is 5 mins from home so we pick him up, go straight home and get to enjoy some time.
I struggled terribly with the idea of going back full time but Im a primary school teacher and part time jobs are way too hard to find. But so far I have found full time work to be quite positive and not as difficult as I had imagined. I think it will all fall into place for you and you will know what is best once you have tried it, but for me so far, 3 weeks in, it has been really positive ------------- Me 28, DH 29 DS born 20 Nov 2010 (4 years old) #2 due October 7 http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: HuMum
Date Posted: 10 June 2012 at 2:09pm
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DD has just started, she is 5.5mths and goes 5 days but at this stage only 7.30-3pm. She transitioned over a week, with the first 2 days for a couple of hours and I stayed, then we had 3 days where she stayed for a nap and feed. DD is a very happy and easy going baby and sleeps most of the time she is at daycare, (altho its less than she would at home, so shes pretty much straight to bed when we get home.)
We only have to do 2 days at our daycare to have a place. I was worried about the long hours the kids will be in daycare when I go full time, so we chose the daycare close to home (very lucky that its walking distance), that way DH and nana can pick them up early when possible. In saying that I love the feel of the daycare, which was more important.
I plan to stay part time as long as possible . Its the best of both worlds, altho with DS I worked 3 full days which was better, as I always has 4 day weekends, so never felt like I needed a holiday.2 day weekends are very short after 6 months of 7 day weekends ------------- 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: skylar
Date Posted: 10 June 2012 at 3:08pm
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We live in rural and I noticed in our rural newsletter that there is a home based child carer on our road. So I kinda thought about it but then decided to go with option close to work in case DD was sick or something and I needed to pick her up? Also, with her being close to home it is difficult for us as we don't really have anyone else close that can pick DD up during the day as grandparents work (apart from grandma who has the 2days with her during the week). I really like the idea but think if DD is with this homebased carer here then it would be a longer day for her?
At the moment I plan to have her in daycare close to where I work 8:15-4:15pm, this will give me my 24hrs a week I need. However if we were to homebase then the hours would have to change significantly??? so confused what is right for me? as the other thing I need to consider is when DH and I decide to have #2 and I am home again on maternity leave that DD wont be able to continue with daycare where I work? So much to think about and weigh up? ------------- http://www.TickerFactory.com/">
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