Child Care Options (FM)

Another big decision for couples is who will be nurturing their baby on a daily basis? The fact is that the first few years of a child's life are the formative years. Does a parent want to go back to work and have those years shaped by someone else? Which is why so many parents choose to have either the mother, or father stay at home, for those first few years, to provide a solid, nurturing foundation for their child.

But if that option is not available, the next challenge is, who will take care of baby? Can a relative babysit while mom is working, is childcare an option, or do you go the route of finding a babysitter or nanny?

I know for me, finding the right person to watch my son when I went back to work weighed heavily on my mind. It became my main focus when I was pregnant, because the last thing I wanted to do was to go back to work and be concerned about my child. I needed to focus on work at work, and focus on my son when I was with him.

Luckily for me, I had my own business (a preplanned decision) so I could be flexible on when I worked and how much I needed a sitter. Then as Zack grew, I increased the time that he was at the sitter --providing a nice balance between time spent with me and time spent away -- gaining his own independence and social skills with other kids.

Parents need to be conscious of the type of person they want to help raise their child. I was lucky to find a mother of six children, who had four of her kids in school most of the day; leaving the other two at home to play with Zack. I felt confident that with all her experience, if something came up, she would be able to handle it.

I also saw how patient and loving she was with her children, and I knew that my son would thrive in that environment. She also has strong christian values and does not subscribe to cable tv in her house. So her children are not glued in front of the television -- they are busy playing with each other and involved in various activities.

Zack also became very close to my sitters two younger children, and by having other kids to play with he was able to socialize and develop his communication skills on a daily basis.

I am very fortunate to have her and her family in Zack's life and especially to provide that peace of mind for me when I am working!

What type of environment do you want your child to grow up in while you are away working?