It's Going To Work!

This was originally written on Thursday, March 12, 2009:

Guess what? I heard from all of the babysitters on our top ten list and only the very last one had an opening! That's right, nine babysitters had been crossed off, so I had started thinking that maybe the one day a week thing wasn't going to work (for those of you aren't caught up: I've decided that for me to continue to love being a stay at home mom with my awesome son, which I have very much enjoyed the past 10.5 months, I need to start making time for myself/doing something by myself one day a week because I haven't really given myself a break or had time away from Logan since he was born). Well, the final lady called me back! She watches 6 boys and 4 of them are part-time so she was fine with doing just one day a week. So we set up an interview today and Joe & I got a great vibe. Originally, I had hoped to meet with several at-home daycare providers in order to compare, but since she ended up being the only possibility I am comfortable going ahead with her. I plan to call her on Monday and let her know that we will be using her as our babysitter and will schedule our first day! :)

Ever since she called me back this past Tuesday I have felt like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Fridays are the only day all 6 of her kids are there, so my option is any day Mon thru Thursday. I've decided that I'll start with two half-days a week opposed to one full day. That will help Logan adjust easier, as both she and a friend of mine who works at a daycare center in Iowa said that in the beginning it's easier on kids who go every day, compared to those who only go one day a week, so it may be an adjustment for Logan. :( This way Logan can take his nap at home because ever since we had daylight savings he hasn't been going down until noon. (Although he's been sleeping from 8 pm to 8 am so I can't complain about not getting up at 6:30-7 anymore.) Joe will drop him off in the morning before work at 8 and then I can pick him up at noon. Once we both get comfortable then we can try for the full day since I'm not sure how productive I will be getting stuff done before noon. :p

Here were my notes:

First thing I saw: Nice house built in 2000.
Second thing I saw: Nice looking woman (tall, slender, blonde, very nice clothes, in her fifties)
Third thing I saw: Very clean, well-decorated house. . .
The basement is where the daycare is. At first I didn't know if it'd be big enough for Logan (since he now spends his day exploring our house rather than playing with toys in the family room), but there are a ton of new, different fun toys (as well as those that he can climb), and with other kids around I have a hard time imagining that he'll be bored. There was a small kitchen blocked off with a baby gate (as were the steps), a bathroom, and a walkout to the fenced backyard. In nice weather they will play outside (there was a swingset and some other toys).

The first thing I asked her is how long she's been doing this. Well first she had seven kids of her own -- yes, that's right, she is the mother of six boys and one daughter! Her oldest is 29, her youngest (the girl) is 18. Twenty-six years ago she opened her first at-home daycare in Omaha. She loves every minute and doesn't plan to stop anytime soon.

For Logan's age it is $35 for an 8-hr day, after 18 months is $30 and school-age is $25 (so if we did two 4-hr-days then I would pay her on the second day). That's a little more expensive than the other places, but obviously still not at all bad (a little over $4 an hour) and worth it since she has been in this business for longer than most of the other women because they are current stay-at-home moms. I like that her children are grown so she's going to give the kids equal attention and she won't be stressed out with her own kid-stuff, haha.

Her hours are 7:30 am to 5:00 pm. She currently has two full-time kids ages almost-4 and 9 months (they are brothers), and then 4 part-time kids: 2 that are two, 1 that is three, and 1 that is four (all boys). In the summer the two full-time kids won't come because their mom is a teacher so she will be at home, so they will be replaced by three girls: 1st grade, 2nd grade, and 4th grade. At first I was bummed to hear that Logan will end up being the youngest in a couple of months (hope he doesn't get picked on!) but then I decided that the girls might actually enjoy playing with him and might be best with him at this time since three-year-olds probably aren't "gentle." She said that the kids are well-behaved but they are boys. (This is where I need to remind myself not to be the mom with the baby in the bubble - have you seen that commercial? I crack up laughing every time I see it!

I made a list of questions before I went and I forgot to ask her how long she'd been watching each of the current children, but she did say that the part-timers vary their days and hours. There's another stay at home mom who just drops her little guy off so she can go workout, haha! It is such a relief to know I'm not the only one doing this!

It doesn't sound like she has a set schedule of activities for them. . .just breakfast at 8 am, lunch at 11:30 am, and snack at 3:30 pm. She has two pack n plays for naps and takes the waking kids to the other part of the basement to be as quiet as they can, but the nine-month-old only sleeps for 45 minutes. So I'm not expecting Logan to take a great nap there, but I don't plan to ever have him there for more than one full day a week, so at most there would just be one day a week that he doesn't get a good nap in. Maybe I'll even decide the two half-days are all I need to get stuff done and do that instead, so I can work around his nap schedule at home and then take him there before or afterwards. She said she had wanted to use the upstairs bedrooms for naps but as a licensed babysitter it is against the rules due to fire hazards.

She has everything except we supply personal items such as diapers, wipes, sun screen, and extra clothes. It is preferable to send a supply to be stored in her home rather than packing a daily bag. She will notify me when supplies are low. We are not to bring any toys from home.

Her contract says children must be up-to-date on immunizations but she said our situation is fine. We explained that the only vaccines we've been delaying are DTaP, polio, and Hep. But Logan will start getting the DTaP at his 12 month appt. in April. Since there are four doses, his last one will be done at 24 months (so he'll just be one year behind). Like all kids, he'll also have his final Hib and PC shots next month. He won't, however, have the MMR (so he'll be one year behind that one as well, but he'll get the only other dose like everyone else at the age of 6). We won't ever be doing the chickenpox (that is standard at 12 months nowadays, crazy). Since most kids don't get much done at their 15 or 18 month appts, that's when we'll start Logan's polio and hepatitus series. So by the time Logan turns two next year he will be completely caught up to the standard schedule/fully vaccinated.

She is a member of the Federal Food Program so she will meet their requirements of providing a nutritious breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snack. Menus will be available on the first morning of each week. After Logan turns a year old he will be participating in these meals--today it was muffins, applesauce, and milk for breakfast, chicken, wheat crackers, mashed potatoes, pears, and milk for lunch, grahm crackers and juice for the snack.

Infants will be fed on demand or as requested by the parents. A daily schedule of feedings will be given to parents at pick-up time.

She is certified in CPR and the Heimlich. For discipline she gives time-outs to the older kids and "re-directs" the younger kids. She does not smoke, she has one pet - a cat - but it is declawed and is hardly ever around.

When kids have separation anxiety she holds them and comforts them and helps them eat. (She said some kids refuse to eat but I really don't see that happening with Logan!!!)

I asked if there would ever be anyone else there. She said her daughter still lives at home but is moving to UNL in the fall. She sometimes helps out or subs if Babysitter is sick or has an appt, but we will be notified in advance if this is going to take place. Her husband also has subbed, we will be notified which person it will be. I said that since I am flexible I would prefer to have Logan at home those days, same thing for if any child is sick, however it is in her rules that children don't come if they have thrown up or have a fever over 101 degrees. She said her parents have been very good about this (two are nurses), and this time of year there are far less virus' so hopefully I won't notice a difference in Logan's health.

I asked if children are ever transported in a vehicle. She said yes, if they take a trip to the park or zoo but she will never do so without asking me permission/notifying me in advance.

I am free to drop in for a visit or stay with Logan for as long as I'd like to help him get comfortable.

She is closed the week between Christmas and New Year's Day, and also two weeks during the summer for vacation. There will be ample notice of these days. Also closed on Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the day after. Obviously that is fine with me!

Like I said before, it is such a relief to know I now have a place that I can take Logan at any time of any day - if I have an appt, if I want to go shopping, if I need to get something done around the house, or if I just need to rest. Just KNOWING this makes me feel better! Now I just have to hope Logan does as well at her place as he did with my parents last weekend. . .!