Since they were infants, my twins have spent their days being cared for by someone other than myself or my husband. Both my husband and I work outside the home, which means our boys are spending on average ten hours a day at daycare. Think about it: ten of their 14 hours of awake time are spent with someone else. Choosing the individuals who will care for my children has been one of the single most important investments in my children’s development.
As first time parents (twins nonetheless), we did copious amounts of research and visits before making each of our decisions. For every daycare decision, it has been equal parts logic and gut feeling. We have been lucky to have both in-home providers and a daycare center. Both of which have been extremely beneficial for our boys for different reasons.
In-Home Providers
The financial burden of having two infants in daycare was our initial reasoning to seriously consider in home daycare providers. The lower cost got us interested, but the family environment and the direct communication between provider and parent is what kept us in an in-home environment for two years.
In-Home Provider Pros
- Our in-home provider was incredibly flexibly and let us drive most of the decisions. We got to determine when we wanted to drop the second nap or how we wanted to bring and store breast milk.
- Our infants got to interact with six other kids of various ages. As infants they were loved on by all of their daycare friends.
- There were less kids being cared for therefore there were less germs being spread. My kids immune systems were challenged, but we weren’t subject to doctor’s visits every few weeks.
In-Home Providers Cons
- This is specifically unique to parents of multiples, but there is a state regulation that the ratio of children 18 months and younger to care giver is two. So logistically, the likelihood that two infant openings are available at the same time for one provider is super slim. Luckily, our in-home provider had two turning 18 months about six weeks apart and we were able to slide into those spots with only a few extra weeks covered by grandma and grandpa.
- Like mentioned above, this age ration also became a challenge as the boys got older. While they were infants, it was no big deal that they were the only ones their age. It did become a challenge a little later developmentally when they were each other’s only peers (at daycare and at home).
- Most in-home providers do not have a back sitter if they are on vacation or if they or their children are sick. If you are considering an in-home provider, I would make sure you have a family member or flexible job as you may need to take more time off—both planned and unplanned.
Daycare Centers
Right around the boys’ second birthday, we decided that we wanted to move them into a more educational and social atmosphere like a center. Again, we did our tours and settled on a center that they could get preschool and pre-k curriculum when they reached the appropriate ages.
Daycare Center Pros
- We appreciate the curriculum that has both an academic and social bearing.
- Our kids are given more experiences with enrichment opportunities brought in by outside groups (Kid Rock, Story Teller, Jemimah’s playhouse, Kona Ice Day etc.)
- Day care centers bring a much more diverse group of children together from varying backgrounds, which mirrors the real world.
Daycare Center Cons
- Daycare centers are held to higher state regulations and are more rigid in their rules and policies. While they do appreciate parent input they generally have a majority approach to their structure and routine.
- Daycare centers have the capacity to care for more children and thus the classes are larger and the caregiver’s attention is divided among the children.
- Staffing at centers are robust. They can include primary and lead teachers but they also are interacting with part rime floaters, assistants, and administration. With all these people it is inevitable that communication sometimes gets lost between parent and staff or staff and staff.
