What age did you put your baby/child into childcare?

Also OP to echo what @QueenLagertha just said it's actually way easier st that young age. It's when they are older and want to be st home that you feel more guilt. I remember one summer when I worked the hottest week of the year and all DD wanted was her paddling pool in the garden but she had to go to crèche.

First baby went 3 days from 9 months. I went full time when he was 1.5 but he stayed with grandparents 2 days.

9.5 month old starting settling in tomorrow 3
days.

Needs must! Honestly they usually love it when they're so young. I remember one Saturday morning DS standing at the front door looking to go to nursery.

However it's a different story since he started preschool. He's in school now. Hates going to nursery after school. Just wants to come home. I feel no guilt about sending baby but I feel guilty for sending DS. I know plenty of friends who's kids have been the exact same once the eh start school. It gets harder as they get older

Best to be with mum until 3 but it's just not possible for some in the current climate.
Ridiculous cost of living ..
thankfully we have a good mat leave set up compared to USA

DC1 - started with CM at 6 weeks. Stayed with same CM until 3 then went to nursery. Wonderful CM.

DC2 - went to different CM from 3 months until 1. Less happy with different CM but old one had retired.

DC3 - DH became SAHP. Best decision for us.

All childcare was full-time

DD is 10 months and started nursery 2 days a week at the beginning of January. She's doing fine. We still have tears at drop off but they only last a couple of minutes (I know this because after I've dropped her off I need to take DS to a different room. By the time I walk past the baby room on the way out she's happily eating her breakfast).

There is no "normal" really.
I didn't take maternity leave (self employed) and so worked around having the baby - this was also in covid so I was very much WFH, as was DP, which made things easier.
I always did this and worked around naps etc, with family helping one or two days a week (usually one) so I could do more "bulky" jobs like a tax return for example where I needed more time to sit and concentrate. I'd say all of my self employed friends have gone down this route, if not with family help then with a childminder or babysitter, but to my friends who are employed this sounds bonkers! My daughter started at pre school, so in the September two years before she started reception.
I don't personally know anyone who's put their child in nursery successfully. Most have tried it for a few weeks then opted for a childminder (better flexibility I guess) but then we're lucky to be in an area where there are lots of childminders which isn't the same for everywhere.

DC1 went at 12 months. 4 days a week which eventually increased to 5.

DC2 went 5 days a week from 10 months on.

In an ideal world I'd have kept each of them at home until the age of 2, but we couldn't afford it. I had to go back to work.

DD1 was about 9 or 10 months when she went full time to crèche. DS was seven months when he went three days a week to crèche (I went to three days the year before he was born) and now I'm a sahm so DD2 stayed at home until her free pre school years started at three and a half. There is honestly no normal and whatever you decide to do it will all work out fine.

Mine were both at home with me until they got the early years/pre-school/nursery funding (whatever its called). So the term after they turned 3 iirc. They did 5 half days per week.

They coped just fine, tears for the first couple of days from DS1 and then that was it. DS2 ran in happily waving me off from day 1.

My husband had 4 months paternity leave. I worked around my son from him being 6 months and he went into nursery for mornings at 3.5 years old. I think we are quite unusual.

6 months, when I went back to work.

DD went to nursery (8.30am - 5.30pm) 3 days a week at 10.5months. Got on absolutely fine. She loves it. About to step up to FT at 20months. We will see how that goes!

DH had 2 week pat leave - DD was still in NICU at the point his pat leave ended 😥

DD went at 8/9 months for 3 days a week and then full time from about 15 months as I changed jobs between those. She absolutely loves it there to be fair, and I think she gets bored at home (she's now 20 months). Husband had 2 weeks pat but then took 2 weeks annual leave so he could be around for the first month (first baby)

You need to see how you feel, I was surprised how strongly I wanted to go back to work part time.

first baby went in nursery 2 mornings a week from 12 months and gradually increased to 3.5 days.

second baby went in 3 mornings a week from 9 months (but I was lucky that I could wfh from 4 months!) and increased to full days.

id recommend booking baby into your chosen nursery now for the max time you can afford, and you can always reduce your days / hours closer to the time. Most good places have very long wait lists - ours is full until end of 2023 atm!

good luck and enjoy

My daughter went to nursery 3 days a week 8am till 5ish from 11 months old as I finished early and she was late so I had a year in total.
Still loves it now at almost 3 and will stay at nursery until school as pre school in my area are rare and nursery is better with no school holidays and hours.
No local help with childcare.
The first year or so in childcare expect many days off to cover illness - it gets better with age.

My husband took two weeks off as it was full pay or he was going to use holiday as couldn't afford the amount the government gives you as he is the main earner.

Make sure to get your name down on childcare soon, if you haven't done it already as my area most places are full with waiting lists for the good ones.

Can you do split leave once you have started on maternity leave? (I haven't a clue)

Also check if you plan to change hours when you need to submit a form to do so.

I took 6 months ML as I got full pay for 6 months and then it reduced right down. TBH it never even occurred to me that I could have planned to take longer - I am the main earner and just assumed I’d be back after 6 months. Took 7 with the second. DH took 2 weeks paternity and normal holidays when he could - it was nearly 15 years ago so there wasn’t the same parental leave sharing. We’d def do that if it was now.

They both went to a childminder at 6-7 months old, and stayed with her until they went to secondary school. She was amazing. (Actually my eldest went to a different one for a year or 2 but then we moved when new baby arrived - I was most sad about leaving our CM, but found another great one).

Hours full time around 7.30-5pm 5 days per week. But after a few years DH went part time so they went to CM for 3 days. They’re lovely well adjusted teens now.

@bobbyew all mine (I have 4) have been at home with me until 3 - 4 years then have gone to preschool 2-3 days a week and have all done absolutely fine 🙂 so I wouldn't necessarily worry about grandparents having them as long as they are having plenty of social interaction with grandparents

7 months old and full time at a small nursery setting (max 9 children).

Both started nursery at 5 months. I dropped them off in the morning and DH started work earlier so he could finish early and pick them up.
DDs are now both happy 19 and 21 year olds.

With our first DC, I took 9 months and DH took 3 months, with our second I took 6 months and DH took 2 months. DC1 started nursery four days a week 8:30-5:30 at 12 months, DC2 at 9 months. Both are happy and well adjusted and great and making friends.

DH taking a really meaningful chuck of time was the best thing we ever did. It meant he properly understood how to look after the DC - what to pack to take them out of the house, how important nap time and routine was, how to entertain them, what to feed them, how to buy clothes and get haircuts and sign up to activities, how hard it can be to get other stuff done while looking after them. And he is very close to them, especially DC1.

11 months mat leave for my first, and they went to nursery at 11 months old for 2 days a week at first, stepping up to 4 days a week within the next 6 months. 9 months mat leave for my second, and they went to nursery at 15 months old for 2 days a week (only just started).

I didn't put mine in until they turned 3.

I didn't feel like they got much out of it before then and a nanny made more sense for us for other reasons as well.

Both loved it once they were there but I was glad they weren't bombarded with colds and coughs when they were little. I couldn't have dealt with the time off work.

Had six months maternity leave - the norm then. Went back to work full time. DT’s went to a lovely local nursery. DH dropped them off around 7.45am and I collected them between 5.30-6pm. No family in the UK to help out but they did fly over regularly.

Managed to produce two well adjusted adults who have both graduated and working in their chosen careers.

This is what I'm intending to do @Bemyclementine (although I'm returning at 11 months part time).
How did the children cope going to pre school having never attended nursery? My mum is looking after DD so we wont need to put her in formal childcare setting until 2.5/3