Daycare was not for us

2025/1/2 Edited to

... Read moreDeciding on daycare is a huge step for any parent, and for many, it can feel like a lifeline. But what happens when you try it, and it just doesn't feel right? Just like the original post shares, sometimes daycare isn't the perfect fit, and that's completely okay. Our family has been there, and it's tough when you realize your child's first day or even their first week isn't going as smoothly as you hoped, leaving you wondering if staying home is the better option. There are so many reasons why daycare might not work out for a family, and it's rarely a reflection of the daycare itself, but rather a unique combination of your child's needs and your family's circumstances. For some toddlers, the transition can be incredibly difficult. They might struggle with separation anxiety more than expected, or find it hard to adapt to a new routine, different caregivers, and a larger group of children. We often hear stories of kids experiencing persistent distress, not just the initial tears, which can be heartbreaking for any parent. Another common challenge is the health aspect. It's almost a given that kids in daycare will pick up every bug imaginable, especially in their first few months. While it's part of building immunity, constant sickness can be draining for both the child and the parents, leading to more missed work, doctor's visits, and sleepless nights. For some families, this constant cycle of illness makes daycare unsustainable. We experienced this firsthand, and it felt like we were constantly battling something new. Then there's the emotional toll on parents. Many of us grapple with a sense of guilt, missing out on milestones, or feeling like we're not spending enough quality time with our little ones. For SAHMs, in particular, the decision to use daycare can be fraught with conflicting emotions. You want what's best for your child, but also need to consider your own mental health and other family dynamics. If you're constantly worrying or feeling unhappy with the arrangement, it might be a sign to re-evaluate, just like when we didn't even last a week before deciding to change course. If you find yourself in a similar boat, feeling that daycare just isn't working, remember you have options. It's worth exploring alternatives like a smaller home-based daycare, a nanny or in-home care provider, or even looking into part-time options to ease the transition. For some, the best solution might be adjusting your family's schedule to allow for one parent to stay home, at least temporarily. Every child is different, and what works wonderfully for one family might not for another. Trust your instincts as a parent; you know your child best, and making a change to better suit their needs is always the right decision.

Related posts

Happy daycare worker
#fyp #viral #letschat #Lemon8Diary #babies
Woady's World.LLC

Woady's World.LLC

25.9K likes

Toca Boca daycare tour
#tocalife #tocaworld #tocaworld #tour #daycaresetup
>ᴗ<꩜𝐓𝐎𝐊𝐘𝐎⏾ ♛

>ᴗ<꩜𝐓𝐎𝐊𝐘𝐎⏾ ♛

53 likes

Busted mugging down at daycare 🐶😂❤️
Ellie & Charlotte the rescues

Ellie & Charlotte the rescues

74 likes

Ricky’s daycare!
Ricky wants to open a daycare! #RickyAndTheBoss #breadstickricky #RoughneckRoscoe
Ricky and The Boss

Ricky and The Boss

308 likes

Zuri’Velle went to daycare for the first time!
Omg I was soooo scared but my baby did great! ⭐️Overall rating: 10/10
Issabella & Zuri’Velle

Issabella & Zuri’Velle

4957 likes

Trump’s Daycare Comments Ignite National Debate on U.S. Priorities.
Trump’s Daycare Comments Ignite National Debate on U.S. Priorities ⸻ Donald Trump sparks controversy after claiming the U.S. cannot support daycare and major social programs while dealing with global conflicts. The statement is fueling a nationwide debate about what America should prioritize
King media Roof Llc

King media Roof Llc

3 likes

Daily Daycare Rate Breakdown
Let’s make $445.50 in my in home daycare today! 💗
Ashley Rounds DC

Ashley Rounds DC

754 likes

Cozy, Magical Daycare Atmosphere
Throwing some ideas out there as this is truly my dream to have a home daycare. Love this idea as kids thrive in spaces that feel safe, warm, and full of wonder. 🩵🪴🌈📚 #daycareideas #cozyvibes #daycaredecor #learningthroughplay #daycareinspo
Erika

Erika

501 likes

A colorful daycare classroom with cribs, play mats, and soft play equipment. Overlay text reads "Things I Hate as a 2yo teacher" and "Swipe" with an arrow, indicating a series of dislikes.
A purple package of Huggies Pull-Ups training pants featuring Minnie Mouse. The text highlights "up to 100% Leak Free" and size "2T-3T 128 count." The accompanying text discusses the difficulty of 360 Pull-Ups.
A single brown lace-up children's boot with a light-colored sole. The text above and below the image expresses a dislike for boots due to their difficulty to put on and take off.
Things I Hate as a Daycare Teacher
What are some of your likes and dislikes about working in childcare or having children in childcare? • • • Disclaimer: These are all just MY opinions. You don’t have to agree or disagree. There are many things I LOVE about my job, these are just some of my dislikes. #daycareteacher👩🏽‍🏫
carlee 🧸

carlee 🧸

1007 likes

things i wish i knew before job addition 💉 Phlebotomist + 🧸 Daycare Teacher
Things I wish I knew before becoming a 💉 Phlebotomist + 🧸 Daycare Teacher (real edition) Nobody tells you how draining it can be… 💉 As a phlebotomist: – Some days you miss veins… and it messes with your confidence – Patients can be rude, scared, or just not in the mood—and you still gotta
Ery.Danyell

Ery.Danyell

45 likes

things that daycare workers say on a daily basis
#daycarejob #daycareworker #daycareteacher #childcareteacher #childcareprovider
keswick

keswick

562 likes

🎉 This or That: Daycare Edition! 🧸✨
Let’s have some fun! Tell us your daycare style — which one would YOU choose? ⬇️ #daycarefun #ThisorThat #HomeDaycareVibes #daycareteacher👩🏽‍🏫
🌸Summer🌸

🌸Summer🌸

228 likes

A messy daycare classroom with toys and items scattered on the floor, featuring cribs, shelves, and windows. The image has text overlayed that reads: 'Reasons why I quit my job as a daycare teacher'.
Why I quit my job at a daycare
1) we were always short staffed was always being asked to help with other classes 2) number of kids I was managing > dollars an hour 3) had students from other classes attacking my students and me on the playground and during transition times 4) was strictly only paid 8-5 any extra time sp
Lucy Megan 🍒

Lucy Megan 🍒

21 likes

Stacks of US hundred-dollar bills are tied with a pink ribbon, illustrating the goal of saving money. Overlay text states, 'WEEK ONE OF COMPLETING SIDE HUSTLES TO SAVE FOR A HOME TO MOVE MY DAYCARE INTO,' aligning with the article's theme of saving for a new daycare space.
💲Saving for a Daycare Space 💲
Here’s how much I’m making doing side hustles (not including my full time child care job) to help save for a new permanent daycare space! Things are tough out there and it is a challenge to afford anything now days. But I am doing my best to provide for my family & create a great space for th
🌸Summer🌸

🌸Summer🌸

29 likes

Daycare crafts for waddler/toddler
Such an easy craft and came out so cute!! We eventually added the pebbles at the bottoms which made it really stand out (not pictured here). Follow me for more ideas! I’m new here but I will be sure to post often🫶🏻 #daycareteacher👩🏽‍🏫 #toddler #crafts #toddlerrecipe #art
miiaaapiiaaa

miiaaapiiaaa

17 likes

Daycare | Childcare png design
First Day of School Png, mom of toddler gift, gingham bow teacher png, Tiny Human Tamer PNG, pediatric nurse png, Daycare Provider Teacher Design, Preschool Kindergarten Clipart, Back To School Digital File Sublimation Download ✅ WHAT YOU RECEIVE (Instant Download) ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ✔ 2
Mimi Prints

Mimi Prints

1 like

An exterior view of a pink and white Bloxburg daycare building named "Sunny Daycare," featuring a large sun logo and a sign. The image includes text overlays indicating it's a "daycare build BLOXBURG" and its cost is "$285,236."
An interior view of the daycare's reception area, featuring a curved desk with a computer and an "EXIT" sign above a glass door. A colorful play area with various toys and seating is visible in the background.
An office space within the daycare, featuring a wooden desk with office supplies, a black chair, and a bulletin board displaying "LITTIES Daycare Club NOW ENROLLING" information. A large window overlooks an outdoor scene.
𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐱𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐠 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞✨
𝐡𝐞𝐲𝐲 🙈 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐲 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐢 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐱𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐠! 🚨**𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐑**🚨 𝐢 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐢 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐢 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞. 𝐢 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐬 𝐁𝐔𝐓 𝐢 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐫𝐞
~.𝐁𝐞𝐞𝐟.~

~.𝐁𝐞𝐞𝐟.~

52 likes

Daily daycare breakdown!
A breakdown of what I would’ve made today if parents paid me at the end of the day today! Parents paid me a flat monthly tuition for my in-home care. #homedaycarelife #homedaycare #startingdaycare
Ashley Rounds DC

Ashley Rounds DC

32 likes

A collage showing a female caregiver interacting with children in various daycare settings, illustrating the theme of starting an in-home daycare. The title reads '7 FORMS YOU NEED TO START YOUR OWN IN-HOME DAYCARE'.
A 'DAY CARE ENROLLMENT FORM' template with a smiling sun icon. It includes fields for child's full name, date of birth, gender, home address, and parent/guardian name for an in-home daycare.
An 'Emergency Contact & Consent Form' template with an exclamation mark icon. It provides fields for child's name, DOB, parent/guardian name, and space to list authorized emergency contacts for pickup.
7 Forms You Need to Start Your Own In-Home Daycare
✨ Starting your own in-home daycare? ✨ Here are the 7 essential forms you’ll need to run your business smoothly, protect yourself legally, and give parents peace of mind. 🍼🏡 From enrollment forms to liability waivers, I’ve got you covered with everything you need to get organized and look profe
Ashley|SAHM of 3 💙🩷💙

Ashley|SAHM of 3 💙🩷💙

65 likes

Sunday Daycare Reset! 💗
Everyone have a fabulous Monday! 😊 #daycare #sundayreset #daycareteacherlife
Ashley Rounds DC

Ashley Rounds DC

27 likes

Daycare Worker Beat Dog to Death
This was supposed to be safe care for a family dog, but turned into tragedy. In Seattle, a 20-year-old employee, Dejean Bowens, is accused of punching and kicking a 6-year-old Labrador, Mitch, who was in his care at the Lazy Dog, Crazy Dog daycare. Surveillance footage reportedly shows Bowens
Sylvia Lustre

Sylvia Lustre

133 likes

6 Reasons to Take Daycare Photos From a Child’s POV 🧸📸
📸 A simple daycare photo hack: take pictures at kid’s eye level! ✨ It makes your room look brighter, more inviting, and lets parents see the space the way their child will. Whether you’re advertising your program or just showing your setup, this little tip can make a BIG difference. 🧸 #daycar
Ms Taylor

Ms Taylor

477 likes

DAYCARE ≠ BAD 🍼👶🏼
My oldest began daycare at three years old. It was a combined daycare and preschool, and she went Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 4 PM while I was teaching. I was super scared to put her in a daycare and spent a really long time researching. I came across a church daycare in my town that I ab
McKenzie

McKenzie

78 likes

Things Daycare Teachers Wish Parents Knew
#lemon8dairy #earlychildhoodeducation #parentingtips #preschool #lemon8creator
Early Bloom Co.

Early Bloom Co.

175 likes

In-home daycare tour
#inhomedaycare #daycareowner #daycaretour #howtostartadaycare #startingdaycare
Abigail Z Robinson

Abigail Z Robinson

19 likes

I need this for my in home daycare …
Arlania

Arlania

494 likes

✨June Daycare Lesson Plan ✨
Weekly Lesson Plan for the month of June~ We’ve got lots of different ages and do lots of different art 🥰 #daycareteacher👩🏽‍🏫 #Juneready #artinspo
🌸Summer🌸

🌸Summer🌸

253 likes

A child in a blue t-shirt with a sun and rainbow design, and pink shoes, viewed from above. The image introduces the topic: 'Things to do if you work at a daycare'.
Three colorful craft umbrellas made from paper bowls, popsicle sticks, and blue paper raindrops. They are decorated with markers, illustrating a daycare craft activity using styrofoam bowls, paper, string, and markers.
Several paper acorn crafts, each with a child's name like 'Audrey' or 'Tessa' on the brown top, and colorful dotted patterns on the bottom. This daycare activity uses glue, paper, and markers.
things to do if you work at a daycare
#lemon8diarychallenge #daycare #daycarelife #daycarebudgeting #littleworkers #daycareideas
Idk.anymore

Idk.anymore

34 likes

After Daycare Rainy day routine!
#avatarworld #paz u
itsuniqueyt

itsuniqueyt

34 likes

Opening your own daycare Series- Licensing Lookup
#daycareteacher #daycare #daycareowner #letschat #lemon8partner
PreschoolQueenSeries

PreschoolQueenSeries

10 likes

EVERYTHING you need to know before opening an in-home daycare
Thinking about opening an in-home daycare… but don’t even know where to START? 👀 Here’s the truth: you don’t need a huge space, a fancy setup, or a degree in early childhood education. You just need the right information, a safe environment, and a whole lot of love. 🫶🏼 A few things to keep
Ms Taylor

Ms Taylor

48 likes

Daycare Breakdown
Daily daycare rate breakdown! 💗
Ashley Rounds DC

Ashley Rounds DC

71 likes

Things.You.Should.Know.As.A.Daycare.Teacher.✏️
#daycareteacher #tips #teacher #class #daycare
Hallie.Grace

Hallie.Grace

47 likes

Daily Daycare Rate Breakdown 💗
A snowy and slow spring break. Another daily daycare rate breakdown. 💗 #daycarelife #firstdayofdaycare #inhomedaycare
Ashley Rounds DC

Ashley Rounds DC

74 likes

Dog Daycare Betryal List
This is just the start of my list 🐾 #dog #dogdaycare #dogboarding #dogsoftiktok #dogmom
Storm, Summit, Zeus, Stryker

Storm, Summit, Zeus, Stryker

8 likes

A spiral-bound guide titled 'THE CHILD DAYCARE BUSINESS STARTUP GUIDE' with colorful handprints. It is surrounded by children's toys at the top and craft supplies and money in jars at the bottom, symbolizing elements of a childcare business.
Childcare and Daycare Business Startup Guide
#business #plrproducts #plrdigitalproducts #digitalproducts #Lemon8 https://classygirlplanner.etsy.com/listing/1801288614 Looking to start your own childcare or daycare business but don’t know where to begin? This eBook is your go-to resource! Perfectly crafted for aspiring daycare
CreativeLove

CreativeLove

24 likes

How to Respond to Daycare Parents
Setting boundaries isn’t mean. It’s creating clear, consistent, and professional expectations. As a provider, we can find ourselves struggling to find the words to use when we’re put on the spot. So we over explain, apologize, or agree to things that WILL lead to burnout. You can acknowledge
Ms Taylor

Ms Taylor

192 likes

Looking for Daycare ?
Looking for daycare ? in-home family oriented (small group ) we don’t just play provider getting all children ready for pre-school also all children wear uniforms. #childcarecoach #fraiserschildcare #585
Fraiserschildcare

Fraiserschildcare

0 likes

Things I don’t feel guilty enforcing at my daycare.
Late fees. Because my time has value. Hours of operation. Because my workday has limits. Vacation time. Because caregivers are human. Terminating care. Because not every situation is the right fit. None of these boundaries mean I care less. They mean I care enough to protect the qu
Ms Taylor

Ms Taylor

13 likes

A Sims character holding a child, with a large 'ABC Daycare' sign. An inset image shows the exterior of the daycare building. Text indicates an 'INSIDE TOUR ABC DAYCARE'.
An interior view of the daycare's entrance area, featuring shelves filled with toys, a check-in kiosk, and a 'OUR RULES' poster on the wall.
A colorful daycare play area with a woman standing, a baby in a bouncer, soft floor cushions, and various children's toys and furniture.
ABC Daycare in The Sims 4✨
Today was Bryson’s first day of daycare. Taylah thought he would cry but he didn’t. He was more amazed by all the toys he didn’t notice when she left. These are just a few pictures of his day but he did make a friend. 🚨ℂ𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕥𝕠𝕣 𝔸𝕟𝕕 𝔹𝕦𝕚𝕝𝕕 𝕀𝕟𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟🚨 Creator Name: Bean’s Builds Build Name: ABC
𝓜𝓸𝓷𝓲👩🏾‍💻✨

𝓜𝓸𝓷𝓲👩🏾‍💻✨

53 likes

A daycare floor shows a shape sorting activity with masking tape outlines of a triangle, square, and circle, containing corresponding colorful paper shapes for children to sort.
A child's hand plays with blue glittery ocean slime on a blue table, featuring plastic ocean animal toys like a seahorse, stingray, and octopus.
Multiple circus-themed crafts hang on a wooden door, each featuring a child's handprint elephant with a party hat on a painted circular background.
5 Enrichment Activities For Daycare Kids
1. Shape Sort- I use this activity for 2 and 3 year olds who are just learning about shapes. I use masking tape to make big versions on the floor and cute out smaller ones with construction paper. They sort the shapes into the correct spot. 2. Ocean slime! This kept my kids entertained for a lo
Vada Irish

Vada Irish

166 likes

Daycare morning! House hunting and day date. 💗
#daycare #dayinmylife #inhomedaycare #househunting
Ashley Rounds DC

Ashley Rounds DC

41 likes

5 things I have learned owning a in-home Daycare!
My top things I’ve learned the past two years, owning an in-home daycare! 💗 #daycaretips #daycarelife #daycare
Ashley Rounds DC

Ashley Rounds DC

69 likes

Mi toddler en su primer día de daycare 🧸🩵🥹✨
Una mañana siendo mamá primeriza de un toddler, en su primer día de daycare. Lo logramos!! 🧸🩵✨🥹 #vlogdemamá #mamicamii #mombloggers #momboys💙💙
Mami Cami

Mami Cami

2 likes

Daycare theme this week 🎡
🎡🎟️ It’s FAIR WEEK at daycare! 🎟️🎡 Step right up — the fun has begun! This week, we’re bringing all the magic of the fair to our cozy little daycare 🎠✨ We’ll be: 🍿 Playing fair-themed games 🎯 Creating colorful crafts 🎨 Face painting & pretend ticket booths 🎡 Learning about kindness, tak
🌸Summer🌸

🌸Summer🌸

16 likes

SPEND 4:00 AM - 2:40 PM WITH ME | first day of daycare, gym, bread baking, + more
The mom guilt hit me hard today… Keeping busy helped a ton and it made me realize that we made this choice for our family for a reason. #s #spendthedaywithmem #mommorningroutinem #momtokb #beforethekidswakeupm #morningroutineslowliving #wfhmom
turnerbrit

turnerbrit

78 likes

Doggy Daycare🤍🐾
#lemon8diarychallenge #dogs #puppy #dog #daycare #love #puppies #dogdaycare #cute #doggy
Carmen

Carmen

36 likes

Daycare 🍼🤍
Arts & Crafts ideas 💡 👍🏽Pros : It’s pretty cool to do for your class💓 🤔Cons: They gonna ball it up and try to put in they mouth ( the paper ) It’s probably best to do it yourself fully if you have a lot of kids in your class.. Ik sumn have up to 7 kids for 1yr olds… lol 😝 #daycar
@👸🏽

@👸🏽

18 likes

How I Knew I Picked The Right Daycare
Picking a daycare is stressful for us mamas! But bottom line, trust your gut because we know what’s best for our babies. Besides that I knew I picked the right one when my son was coming home learning new things! When I saw he was able to remember and do knew things, I knew that meant he was en
Rachael | Boy Mama🩵

Rachael | Boy Mama🩵

23 likes

Daycare experience #momlife #daycare #toddler
vikaukr

vikaukr

1 like

A white crocus flower bud with purple stripes and green leaves emerges from dark soil, set against a desaturated background of a house and trees, with the text 'Daycare for infants or no?' overlaid.
Daycare for infants or no?
I know some moms don’t have a choice in the matter but I want to know everyone’s good and bad thoughts about day care for infants. I have to decide between just staying home or putting my (would be) 12 week old in daycare. Both options are not easy for me. Any thoughts would be greatly appr
Jerricorn

Jerricorn

1 like

A close-up shows colorful magnetic building tiles (yellow, green, red, blue, orange) on a carpet, with a child's hand in the background. The text "WORKING IN DAYCARE HEALED MY INNER CHILD" is overlaid, alongside a pink heart and Lemon8 branding.
working in daycare healed my inner child
I worked at a daycare from 2019-2024 and I can't tell you how much these kids throughout the year touched my hearts and enjoyed hanging around with them and teaching them various things. I am currently in school to become an elementary teacher and working in daycare really opened my eyes on
lorenaxcouch

lorenaxcouch

3 likes

Calling all daycare providers
Use this song in your classroom during morning circle time and watch your kids get excited to be at school! 💜 #daycare teacher 👩🏽‍🏫 #preschool #infanttoddler
Kaylee Vranish

Kaylee Vranish

9 likes

🖤 daycare list.
#inhomedaycare #childcare #betrayal #daycareprovider #kanye
Ms Taylor

Ms Taylor

109 likes

See more