Child Care
- Thread starter Buddy'sParents
- Start date
Moms wouldn't have to think about putting their kids in daycare at 6 weeks if employers had to provide them with more generous maternity leave. :-/ Imagine calling in sick for work for 6 weeks... no employer would put up with that. But becoming a parent and being sick shouldn't be comparable.
How about these stats from http://www.hreoc.gov.au/info_for_teachers/pregnancy/fact_sheet.html#7:
-in Norway, moms get 12 weeks of paid maternity leave, and either parent can take up 26 weeks of extra paid maternity leave (that's 3 months+6 months!!)
-in Sweden, moms get 450 days of paid maternity leave
-Thailand, 90 days
-etc etc etc
How nice it would be...
How about these stats from http://www.hreoc.gov.au/info_for_teachers/pregnancy/fact_sheet.html#7:
-in Norway, moms get 12 weeks of paid maternity leave, and either parent can take up 26 weeks of extra paid maternity leave (that's 3 months+6 months!!)
-in Sweden, moms get 450 days of paid maternity leave
-Thailand, 90 days
-etc etc etc
How nice it would be...
Yes, it would be nice , but unfortunately it's not here and most of the cases are Wal-mart or McD's employment cases. Preggie ?? No time off -- you're out ! And yes groups for youngsters are important . Jan had Nash in Gymburry ( or whatever !! ) , therapy riding , etc. I didn't have those things in my day so we had our own " outings " . believe me , even visiting an elderly Aunt was part of their education and growing up . Ever taken a 1 and 4 year old out for a social visit !? Fun, Huh !!
My sister in law was in Handi Riders (our therapy riding program here) for several years-she has CP but is very high functioning. Now the Neurologist has pretty much diagnosed Gabriel with CP...but we do not know the severity yet. I definitely plan on going with Handi Riders for him...such an amazing experience, I am so thankful for programs like that.
Not to get off topic...I stay at home with my three boys...it's hard financially, by husband makes pretty good money landscaping during the spring/summer, but when winter hits it gets tough. He used to work at a warehouse in the winter, but went back to landscaping, and was going to do snow removal in the winter along with picking up hours here and there doing shop work, maintainence (sp?) on equipment, etc. It just doesn't cut it. The other guys on the crew take unemployment for the winter...David just left this morning for the first day on a construction crew job (he has never done construction work before) the windchill is in the single digits. I feel so bad, but he would rather me stay home with Gabe (he is not really comfortable with Gabe's medicines, feeding tubes, etc) then him, so I could go to work, or to send him to daycare. We have gone that route; my two older sons have spent time in daycare (I remember one time paying MORE in daycare then what I brought home...that stopped right away) but we always ended up with colds, ear infections, whatever they could pick up it seemed. I know that is all a part of childhood...and they will be exposed to that in school, etc, but with Gabe he picks up alot more (he was premature by 7 weeks) he has been in the hospital already for pneumonia, and they said he will not be able to fight stuff as well (apparently CP affects the immune system too?) So he is just better off at home with me right now.
As far as my mental state, that's a different story, :lol-sign: Seriously though, I can see the point in going back to work...I miss that adult interaction. David is working until 6 pm, then there are chores to do; cows to feed and water, horses to feed, misc. stuff to get done around the farm in preparation for snow, etc. He comes in, we eat, he plays with the boys, and then it's bed time. We rarely sit down to "just talk" Most of my other friends are either working, or live further away. Family members work...so it's just the kids and I during the day. I do get down sometimes...I will think about Gabe's future, and what he endures even now, being drugged up to prevent seizures, high muscle tone, etc. But sometimes it is good for the parent (s) to get away too, for both their sake and the children.
My boys have "play dates" also; we have several friends who have children the same age (or close) and they come over maybe once during the week, and on weekends. Isaiah (my oldest) is also in preschool two days a week. He will start kindergarten next year.
Not to get off topic...I stay at home with my three boys...it's hard financially, by husband makes pretty good money landscaping during the spring/summer, but when winter hits it gets tough. He used to work at a warehouse in the winter, but went back to landscaping, and was going to do snow removal in the winter along with picking up hours here and there doing shop work, maintainence (sp?) on equipment, etc. It just doesn't cut it. The other guys on the crew take unemployment for the winter...David just left this morning for the first day on a construction crew job (he has never done construction work before) the windchill is in the single digits. I feel so bad, but he would rather me stay home with Gabe (he is not really comfortable with Gabe's medicines, feeding tubes, etc) then him, so I could go to work, or to send him to daycare. We have gone that route; my two older sons have spent time in daycare (I remember one time paying MORE in daycare then what I brought home...that stopped right away) but we always ended up with colds, ear infections, whatever they could pick up it seemed. I know that is all a part of childhood...and they will be exposed to that in school, etc, but with Gabe he picks up alot more (he was premature by 7 weeks) he has been in the hospital already for pneumonia, and they said he will not be able to fight stuff as well (apparently CP affects the immune system too?) So he is just better off at home with me right now.
As far as my mental state, that's a different story, :lol-sign: Seriously though, I can see the point in going back to work...I miss that adult interaction. David is working until 6 pm, then there are chores to do; cows to feed and water, horses to feed, misc. stuff to get done around the farm in preparation for snow, etc. He comes in, we eat, he plays with the boys, and then it's bed time. We rarely sit down to "just talk" Most of my other friends are either working, or live further away. Family members work...so it's just the kids and I during the day. I do get down sometimes...I will think about Gabe's future, and what he endures even now, being drugged up to prevent seizures, high muscle tone, etc. But sometimes it is good for the parent (s) to get away too, for both their sake and the children.
My boys have "play dates" also; we have several friends who have children the same age (or close) and they come over maybe once during the week, and on weekends. Isaiah (my oldest) is also in preschool two days a week. He will start kindergarten next year.
My mom ran a liscensed daycare for a long time. SHe has books of photos of all the children she kept for over two decades. SHe kept the children of the children...around 200 total. They grew up to be nurses, engineers, artists, and more. SHe was not a cuddly babysitter, she was reliable, responsible, and well trusted. SHe worked so terribly hard and didn't cut corners or costs. I never found a place like that for my son. THe first time i put him in daycare i found they cut the juice with water, and a snack consisted of a gem doughnut cut in forths, each child getting a fourth. My mother made nutritional cookies sighs...the second daycare i tried was just as bad, i liked to show up unannounced, at unexpected times. WHat i found was older children carrying around the little ones ( a BIG nono) and non child related music on the stereo along with non child related shows on the tv ...another big nono. I opted to work the night shift, going in at 7 pm and getting off in the middle of the night. THat way i was home during most of the children's waking hours. Daycare certainly will not make a child grow up a lesser person, but it doesnt begin to replace Mom for the first three years. I use to feel so sorry for the children as they went through the bootcamp of daycare. Finding their place amonst their peers. WHen they are 4 and up, then maybe it is appropriate for them, especially if they are without siblings and playmates, but under three, IMO a child belongs at home with mom. AS long as Mom as on the ball and making the baby the piority of life. Grandparents use to play such a big role in young children's life, now so many are being the parents themselves. I don't think there is a perfect solution. WE all just do the best we can do, and pray the children grow with the best of our efforts. I would not judge a woman for putting her child in daycare, nor would i judge one that stayed home with the baby. I do however cringe,...and i mean seriously CRINGE when infants are thrust into a world of germs and noise, especially at 6 weeks. THat is just a crying shame.
I totally agree about YOUNG babies being put in daycare. My mother worked at the baby daycare portion of one daycare I went to, and occasionally I could talk my way into going to work with her and helping out. Good times...taught the 3's and 4's how to make origami, or at least gave them a swan to take home after they finished coloring on the paper. I loved the baby room, but those babies were so tiny! I was 6 or 7 and able to hold them no problem, sitting on the floor of course! I had two younger brothers to practice on.
I took care of 4 infants while i was pg with my daughter. I had to laff when the nurse came in to teach me how to care for my baby in the hospital after her birth. I was a pro by that time.
One thing i think there really needs to be balance because my children were always around other children growing up. Now they hate to be alone as grownups. Where as i was alone a good deal of the time and spent most of my hours entertaining myself. I do not mind being alone at all, most of the time i prefer it. If a child is in daycare, they need some unstructured mill around time to learn to provide their own stimulus. I think too much structure is not a good idea at all. Rather a decent balance of both worlds.
One thing i think there really needs to be balance because my children were always around other children growing up. Now they hate to be alone as grownups. Where as i was alone a good deal of the time and spent most of my hours entertaining myself. I do not mind being alone at all, most of the time i prefer it. If a child is in daycare, they need some unstructured mill around time to learn to provide their own stimulus. I think too much structure is not a good idea at all. Rather a decent balance of both worlds.
One of my first jobs was at a day care center .... I was only 20 and had 5 from 17 months to 2 years . old . The youngest they took . What an eye opener for me ! Luckily I was only there from 8:30 am through lunch . At naptime I went to my second job and then back at 4:30 until kids were picked up . Maybe this is when I decided I'd be a stay home Mom !