The decision to have your first child can be a difficult one. If both you and your husband work full time, the decision to have a child can be even more challenging. For many couples the transition to having a child involves the decision to find a daycare setting so that you can both continue your careers. For many new parents, this involves paying very close attention to the individualized infant care options that are available. And while many couples have the opportunity to have one parent stay home full time, this simply is not the case for all new parents. The decision to find individualized infant care is one that can result in one of several solutions, including leaving the infant with grandparents or other family members, finding an in home daycare option, or enrolling your infant in a daycare setting.
Family Members Can Sometimes Provide the Care Your Infant Needs
For some families, the decision of care is pretty simple. A grandmother or grandfather who has the time and energy to be a caregiver can be a great solution. Knowing that your child is with a loving grandparent while you are at work can make the hours you spend at your job less stressful. Family members are sometimes even able to come to the infant’s home, eliminating the need for taking a child out on the coldest and rainiest of days.
Another advantage of having a grandparent or other relative care for an infant is that the schedule can often be more flexible. For instance, instead of paying a flat rate for an entire month, a relative who cares for your child may offer their services at a reduced rate, some even do so for free. When a parent wants to take a day away from work to spend with a child, the relative who provides care is less likely to stick to the daily fees. Child care at all ages can be a challenge, but infant care is even more difficult. The decision to have a family member care for your child, however, can make the decision to go back to work easier to manage.
In Home Day Care Centers Provide Solutions for Many Families
In home child care centers are an option for many families. The decision to leave your child in the home of someone else is often the result of great recommendations from friends and family. Knowing that your child will have the opportunity to interact with others of the same age is one advantage to selecting an in home child care setting. Limited by how many children they can care for, these in home centers are not the same as leaving an child with a grandparent, but they can feel like a unique, individualized infant care solution. By visiting the home and interviewing the care giver, parents are able to get a real feel for the person who will be caring for their child.
With a backyard that can provide fresh air for infants and play and exercise opportunities for younger children, an in home day care setting can provide a setting that still feels like home. Eating in a kitchen, sleeping in a bedroom, and enjoying the fresh air in the back yard with a few other infants is a natural setting that is a great child care solution for many families.
Educational Child Care Centers Provide Stimulating Learning Opportunities
The birth-to-three period is known as the time for the fastest rate of brain development across the entire human life span. If you are unable to care for your infant yourself, it is essential that you find a healthy and stimulating environment for your infant. In the search for an individualized infant care setting, many parents prefer the benefits that a child care center can offer. With the latest in educationally stimulating toys and books, these professionally staffed centers can make the most of an infant’s fast brain development. Surrounded by other children of the same age, an infant in a child care center immediately learns to socialize with other boys and girls, as well as trained adults.
If you are looking for an option of child care that will provide educational stimulation and opportunities for socialization, a child care center can often be the best solution.
