Child Care Issues

The cost of child care shocks many new parents. In some cities, the cost of a full-time nanny or two kids in a high-quality daycare center is over $30,000 a year -- rivaling annual college tuition. Even the Saturday night date starts to get pricey when you include 4 or 5 hours of babysitting. Here are 10 ideas for lowering your child care cost.

Child care makes or breaks a working mom’s career. If you’re stressed about your child’s well-being, you can’t focus on your job. Being confident that your child is in a safe, loving, and stimulating environment frees you to excel in the workplace. Let’s run down the pluses and minuses of the five primary child care choices.

Moms and dads love the idea of having grandparents babysit. But sometimes the reality of grandparents babysitting is different from the concept. When your own mother is taking care of your child, it raises all kinds of emotional and logistical issues. Take note of these 5 pitfalls to avoid when grandparents babysit.

Maybe your child's preschool uses time-outs, while you’re a fan of positive parenting and gentle redirection. Or the nanny tolerates your toddler throwing food from the high chair, which you forbid. No matter your care situation, at some point your ideas of discipline will differ from your child's caregiver. It’s clear you need to have an uncomfortable conversation. But how?

As you explore child care choices for your new baby, you might consider a live-in nanny. Whether you hire a live-in nanny just for the immediate period after giving birth, or permanently, you'll want to understand the benefits and drawbacks. A live-in nanny will be less expensive than a live-out nanny, but will come at the cost of privacy.

When you first become a parent there are a million new things to learn, and day care is one of the most important. What day care is may vary depending on your geographical location, work hours and other factors. The most important parts of day care remain the same for all working moms.

Child care cost shocks many new parents. But you can lower the cost of child care without sacrificing quality. Readers share their child care costs and how to reduce them.

Do you know the right interview questions to screen candidates for au pair jobs? As you hire an au pair to care for your children, make sure you look past the obvious right answers to find an individual who is well suited for the rigors of full-time child care in a foreign country. Au pair jobs can be demanding and challenging for the young...

As a new mom looking for child care, you may have heard about a nanny share and wondered what it is. A nanny share can be a cost-effective way to give your baby close adult supervision while also exposing him or her to socialization with another child. A nanny share works best if you find the right family with which to share -- and the right...

Working moms sometimes worry that their child loves the babysitter more than mommy. Share the stories that make you think your child loves the babysitter more -- and read other moms' tales of rejection and babysitter love.

When your kid has a cold, you never know if it means one afternoon off, or an entire week. Hope it's just allergies. You can keep your kid's cold from turning your world upside down -- or derailing your career.

When you give birth to your first child, you can't imagine finding a baby sitter who is worthy of being entrusted with the care of the most precious being in the world. But as the end of maternity leave nears, you are forced to confront the need for another adult -- or team of caregivers -- to take over some care from you, the doting mom. It's...

School break! Two words that cause both working moms and children to shriek, but for totally different reasons. The kids are thrilled and you are worried about your child care options during school break. Relax. These creative child care solutions will take the stress out of breaks from school.

Use this daycare packing list to make sure you take everything your baby needs. Use this packing list for daycare to reduce morning stress and avoid return trips home in the morning because you forgot something important.

Have a toddler in daycare? Use this toddler packing list to make sure you take everything to daycare your toddler will need. Make mornings easier and less stressful with this packing list for daycare.

Working moms continually debate the best child care choice for their progeny. Now you can sound off on why working moms should choose a family daycare, a daycare center, relative care, an au pair or a nanny or babysitter. Add your voice to the mix!

Summer day camp is a necessity for many working moms who desire to keep their kids stimulated and active. However, when it comes to choosing a summer day camp that suits all your needs, the prospects can be limited. For this reason, it's wise to search for a summer day camp several months in advance, and to investigate all your options. Follow...

One of the most important interviews you'll ever do isn't the one for that big promotion or new job at a better paying company. Instead it's the interview you'll conduct with nanny agencies for your child care needs. To find the best person for the job you must first make sure you're dealing with a reputable nanny agency that can provide the...

When both parents work, quality child care is a necessity. The sticker shock of daycare can leave new parents reeling. For families with more than one child, child care can eat up one salary, leaving them wondering if both parents working is worth it. That second salary, however, provides a safety net for the family, if you can hang in there through the high-cost early years.

It's a parent's biggest concern, but problems in a childcare setting do occasionally happen. In many cases, the situation is fixable and your child can continue to be safe and happy in the care setting. The key is to address problems immediately with the teacher or program director. Even small concerns can cause a negative outcome for your child. So, what should you do if you have noted problems?

Kids fight. It's as simple as that and is a child behavior to be expected. Kids fight with each other for a multitude of reasons; parents and providers often have the difficult task of knowing when to let it run its course and when to intervene and take action.

You've made the decision to use child care. So, why is the search for a provider so difficult? Many a parent has struggled with choices about who, what type, where, how much, and how often. The answers aren't always easy. But the good news is that a quality care provider that is right for your family is out there ... you may just have to do some detective work.

As a mother you want to make sure you're getting the best child care services while you're at work. Faced with a myriad of options for child care services, working moms need to weigh all options. There are several ways to find the best child care services for your child and yourself. Based on your salary, decide how much you can afford to pay for child care services. If you have a smaller budget …

While you're pregnant, it's wise to start visiting infant daycare centers. Narrow your infant daycare choices, and schedule personal interviews and tours of each facility. On your interview, be sure to ask the following five questions to infant daycare providers.

Some of the most stressful times for working mothers can be summer, spring break and just about any time school isn't in session. That's when we must scramble for day camps that will occupy, stimulate and entertain our children while we're at work. However, finding the right day camp isn't always easy. Try employing the following tactics and...