My husband works from home and his hours are 8:30-5, I work outside of the home from 6-2:30. Currently we have our 6 month old enrolled in a daycare program from 8:15-2:45 and our 5 year old stays with my husband till 12:30 when he takes her to school. Our daycare provider took quite a few days off for the holidays and the baby stayed home with my husband all day without too many issues and now my husband is convinced he can work and watch the baby everyday..

Honestly, I feel like occasionally or maybe even 1-2 days a week wouldn't be a problem, but I think it would start to be too stressful after a while and he'd feel like he never gets a break. He also has to take a few phone calls a day and sometimes has teleconferences that last hours. Right now he won't listen to me at all and is saying its stupid to pay 150.00 a week (I think it's a good price for peace of mind) to send him to daycare. We cannot agree on this issue and he's simply stopped taking him so we really are wasting that money. I just really don't want him to ever get in trouble at work or be stressed when he doesn't need to be. What would you do in this situation?

I agree with you. If he has phone conferences and stuff he just can't have two children running around. Thats not professional and he won't be able to concentrate. Maybe a couple days a week but not everyday. Maybe put LO in daycare when your older child goes to school. He can drop them both off at the same time, get the alone time to focus On work. And no $150 a week for FT is not bad at all especially for younger kids.

I would compromise. see about day care 2 days a week and tell your husband that way he still has his time and yet the baby still has social interraction time.   don't make it seem like you don't want HIM watching the baby. Make it seem like the baby is going to be benefiting from going to daycare a few days aweek.

I think you are right, it seems easy at first but babies are easier than toddlers. Soon the baby is going to be getting into everything and needing a lot more attention. It's nice he's wanting to take that on but it will end up interfering with his job.

$150/week for full time for a 6 month old is great. I would have to pay double that for my 6 month old.

I think that either have the baby go part time to cut costs or just leave baby home and when DH really needed quiet have an on-call nanny come in for those few hours that DH needed if he can't just drop the baby off when he needed?

I'm not sure if our provider will be okay with "drop in days" or even a few days less a week. It IS a good price we're paying now and she has watched all 3 of our kids when they were babies.. I bet she loves us now because she gets all the $$ and he's rarely there.

I've been really careful to not say I don't trust in him watching him, but I just think it will be too much soon. Sam (the baby) is super laid back and isn't high maintenance at all, but that can change in the blink of an eye.

Quoting P3RvYmCp3rv:" I would compromise. see about day care 2 days a week and tell your husband that way he still has his ... [snip!] ... don't want HIM watching the baby. Make it seem like the baby is going to be benefiting from going to daycare a few days aweek. "

I agree with this completely. Make it more about the baby than him...he can't say no to that! And it is really important for babies to socialize, so it's not like you're lying  

if your SO is not having any trouble just let him spend the time with the kids! it is saving money and if a problem arises down the road deal with it then.  

I would say have him in daycare a few days a week, once the baby starts getting more mobile, they are harder to handle, while you are on phone calls and stuff... Unless of course your daughter is able to entertain him lol... I would definitely take him to daycare on days you know that he has long teleconferences. I do think though that it is great, that he wants to keep him home  

<blockquote><b>Quoting Alissa (lissapfa):</b>" I would say have him in daycare a few days a week, once the baby starts getting more mobile, they are ... [snip!] ... on days you know that he has long teleconferences. I do think though that it is great, that he wants to keep him home   "</blockquote>



Julie is only soso with Sam, but Trent is awesome! I wishe he was home all day lol. I'm just so afraid he'll get burnt out and we'll be struggling to find another daycare. Ugh I agreed to let him try it.. :/