Hello Everyone-

My wife and I are mulling over sending our 15-month old GBB triplets to daycare - the issues we are concerned with are:
1) how often should we expect ALL of them getting sick if they go at this age (5 days a week)?
2) Is there something else we should be thinking/concerning of when it comes to triplets at a daycare?

Your help is appreciated?

Mike & Chelsea + 3

My worry wouldn't be if they all got sick together. That would be the prefered scenario.

More troublesome is the more likely scenario of each getting sick one week apart. Then you need to figure out subsitute care 3 weeks out of a month.

That is exactly why I didn't go back to work until they were in 2nd grade.

Just a thought

Judie and Victor
lucky parents to
Frankie 3/95
Maggie 7/96
Rose 7/96
Elizabeth 7/96

What are you doing now for child care? We started sending our girls just for two days per week (full days) when they were 20 months (they were with 1-2 year olds). Since it was an early learning program at an elementary school, we had the option of just paying for 2 days (I know sometimes you have to pay full time or nothing). We had a nanny watching them the other 3 days. It was really the best of both worlds for them. Their development sky rocketed once they started and LOVED going there and being with the other kids. They go 3 days per week now. However, they were sick ALL the time at first. Every day the first couple months - just back to back colds. Often it didn't require staying home though. And my husband had a flexible work scheule and we have family in town. However, if you don't have a good backup plan, and they are going every day, it is going to be an issue... Also, even now we find it would be very difficult to get them ready and out the door every single day. 3 days is doable but 5 would be hard. They are always very exhausted after school days too, so back to back would be a huge adjustment. I am afraid they would start to dislike it if we went every day. We plan on trying to stay with just 3 days per week until they are at least in pre-K 4.

Many parents have to use full-time daycare, but if you have an option, I would try to do part time if that is possible. Otherwise I would consider delaying and just trying other formal activities for socialization.

Just one opinion - hope that helps!
Lara
Mom to GGG born at 25+4 on 12/25/09

How sick they get depends on many factors. Ours get sick a lot. More than EVERY estimate for what they should. At 3 years old for playschool once a week it was 18 times. At 4 years old with pre-school three times a week and daycare wrap around it was 24 times last year. Yes that means we were sick almost 6 months out of the last year. We were sick from mid October to May. It gave me flashbacks to the early infant days.

But our trio have reflux (which seems to go hand in hand with more viruses) and they seem to catch every bug going around- twice. Other's have not reported their kids getting sick this much. I can only imagine they have a few bad weeks and the rest of the time is pretty normal.

You could always try out a larger daycare, and if it didn't work out, try finding a smaller, in home setting that would expose them to fewer kids. At 18 months it should be easier to place them.


Susan

Parent to GGG born 31 weeks 4 days 4/26/07




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