School's closed till June for me. My partner still has clinics every day. Daycare charges the full month whether he goes or not. Part of me wants him home with me for six weeks. Part of me thinks he'll lose the routine and we'll have tears at the gate in June. He's not yet two. Half days? Full break? What do other teacher parents do?
What do you mean by 'lose the routine'? Nap times and meals you can keep at home. If you mean the drop-off, a toddler who's been away six weeks will cry for a few days whatever you do. That's not a reason to pay for days you'd rather spend with him.
We don't use daycare, ours is at home with family, so I can only add this: the weeks you get at home at this age go very quickly. I'd take them ❤️
Fair. I think I meant the drop-off. Six weeks away and then settling in all over again.
I teach as well, and we've gone to half days this month for exactly this reason. He does 9 to 1, so he keeps lunch and nap there and I get the afternoons. The fee's the same either way, but it felt like a fair middle. Ask me again in June how the drop-off goes.
No daycare for us yet (his grandmother lives with us), but I'd ask the daycare whether they'll hold the place at a reduced fee for a month. Some will if you ask early. Then you get the summer and keep the spot.
your partner will come home from clinic tired every evening and you'll have had him all day. talk about that bit too. i keep those hours myself. six weeks is long for one person even when you want it
is the fee the main thing? if you're paying anyway, half days seems the obvious one. full days while you're at home would feel odd to me
Went with half days in the end. First week done. He's fine. I'm more tired than in term time.
What does a day at home look like for the two of you? If you have a rough rhythm in mind, a morning outing, lunch, nap, evenings with your partner, six weeks is very manageable. If it's mostly the two of you in the flat in this heat, half days might be kinder to both.
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