Did you send toddler to grandparents on maternity leave if they already provided childcare?

[holymacaroni8]

DS would be 3 by maternity leave. Currently he goes to nursery twice a week and my parents for 2 days. I will keep him in nursery for the 2 days but unsure about the other days. I know my parents would want to keep looking after him and I was thinking maybe sending him there for 1 day a week but interested in what others did if grandparents provided weekly childcare?

I can find my parents quite overbearing/obsessive with DS but that's another story, they will often say how much they've missed him when it's literally only been 4 days and when I mention that they'd say they'd see him everyday if they could, I think he is all my mum talks about to others. Even if I sent him there 1 day I'd know they'd still expect to see him/us twice a week so not sure how to navigate. Keen to hear about what others done on maternity leave.

I am in a very similar situation to you except already on mat leave. My parents were my main source of childcare for my toddler and are also quite overbearing!
I decided to keep my toddler at home with me whilst of mat them as I wanted them to bond with the baby and not feel pushed out. They also love spending time at home and going out and about with me. My parents regularly message as in daily and even phone a few times a day to find out what my plans are, if I need to go anywhere and if I’m going to stop by! It’s exhausting! I’ve found that dropping my toddler off for an afternoon a week has helped me take my baby to some baby classes and allowed my parents to spend time with my toddler. I also now drop my baby off with them to do something alone with my toddler so they don’t miss out.

Didn't use nursery at all and didn't keep toddler going to grandparent until baby was 10 months. By then I felt I needed some 1:1 with baby and toddler so grandparent would come to play at our house for the day, once a week. I'd then have a bit of time just 1:1 say go to a baby class in the morning, take toddler to the park afternoon.

I am a Granny. We look after grandchildren for both of our children . We do 2 days a week ( 1 day a week for each of our children). The other grandparents also do the same. I love my grandchildren but when the second lot of maternity leave came round I was quite relieved to only do one day a week sometimes. It meant my husband and I could go away for a few days.

My grandchildren continued to go to nursery when Mum wa on maternity’s leave because they really enjoyed it and it was good to maintain the friendships they had there,
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If they’ll expect to see him as well as for childcare, I’d drop the childcare bit so you have more time with him.

Looking after two little kids is so tough. I would take all the childcare help you can get, maybe reduce it when you see how you’re coping down the line. I have a 1 year old and 3 year old. My parents also help with childcare and they liked the freedom of being able to go away/do other stuff/swap days while I was on maternity leave.

My in laws did a day a week with my toddler but now I’m on mat leave I like to keep her with me. There’s been a bit of hoo har about it but at the end of the day she’s my daughter and I won’t get this time back and I want to spend it with both my children. Do what makes you feel most comfortable.