Did you send your toddler to childcare when on mat leave with their sibling?

[Streats]

DH and I work full time. DD goes to her childminder (I was going to switch to nursery but she loves it there, she’s confident, meeting milestones, and there are other kids to play with). I’m due to have baby no 2 just after she turns 3.

So is it reasonable for me to keep her going to the Childminder’s full time when my mat leave starts? I feel like she would get more out of it than being at home with me breastfeeding and feeling tired with no interaction with other children.

Yes but I dropped him from 3 days to 2 and as he was starting school when the sibling was 2 months old, we finished nursery early. So in practice it was only for a month and a half.

Then no childcare until I went back to work 2 terms in.

Hey @Streats congrats on your impending second baby. You will have a similar gap to one I have with my two boys. DS1 has continued going to nursery for 3 days while I’m on mat leave with his brother. We just shortened the days as it seemed silly to pay for the longer afternoon (he used to go 8-5:30) so he goes 8:30-4:30 three days a week. By the end of his days off nursery he’s ready to go back, and at the end of the three days he’s ready for four days off.

The days when I have both of them on my own have been quite tough but I think that’s been a lot due to lockdown. It’s normally much easier to start with more hours/days and reduce them, as opposed to starting with less and the chance you may not get more. Good luck!

Im due in June with DC2. DS will stay in daycare 3 days a week...he has such high energy levels I struggle to keep up with him now, let alone when I have a newborn!

Yes. Same age gap as you. DS kept going to nursery, I was home with DD. Saved everyone's sanity

Yes two days a week. Those days were amazing and I got to enjoy the newborn bubble like I did with my first. It was lovely and worth every penny.