Choosing daycare near work or home?

[Anonymous]

For those of you who are already moms, is it easier/better to have your baby in a nursery school near your office or your home? I'm signing up for daycare at both locations, but would like to be a little more focused based on real-life experience.

Breastfeeding is not likely to be a factor, as I expect to go back to work around 9 months post-partum, so will either wean or pump by that stage. Incidentally, I live in NVA but work downtown, so there is some commute to consider, but not terribly long. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

It is a toss up, if you live relatively close to work. Some thoughts:

Daycare near work:
- You are nearby in the case of an emergency (something 9-11-ish)
- You can drop by and visit and it is easier to go to events at the school
- You spend time together during the commute

Daycare near home
- Your child spends less time in the car or public transport
- If you change jobs, daycare doesn't need to change
- If you are home sick or work from home one day, you don't need to bring your child into DC
- In the case of a 9-11 type incident, your child isn't right downtown

My daughter was literally across the street from my office and that worked well. I later changed jobs, but then she was only about 10 blocks away.

Good luck with your decision.

[Anonymous]

My preference is near home, which is what I've done with my DS. (I also live in NVA and commute to Arlington/DC). The main reason is b/c occasionally I can work from home, but also I worried what if I woke up sick as a dog and wouldn't go to work, it would be so hard to get my son to daycare. Also it's nice for me to be able to run a quick errand on my way home from work before picking up DS, like something I need to grab quickly in the grocery store or pick up dry cleaning. As your baby gets older and enters toddlerhood, these errands are much easier to do solo.

Just my 2 cents, I really think this is a very individual preference so I'm sure others will feel differently.

[maynie]

Some good answers here: http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/16335.page#96348

[Anonymous]

OP here - thank you already, and for sending that link. There are so many good points, but after reviewing them, I think I've already decided the "close to home" option based on my circumstances ... even though the waitlists are longer there. Thanks again for the helpful guidance.

[Anonymous]

We chose close to home because DH and I work in different directions. That way if either of us is out of town, its not a terrible inconvenience for the other. I also work at home now and again so having DC's daycare close to home makes more sense in those cases.

On the negative side, I can't stay at work as late as I could if DC's daycare were close to work. That mainly means I've shifted my schedule to start work earlier so I can get out earlier. I also can't pop by in the middle of the day. Not that I feel I have to, but every now and then it would be nice to see what she does all day.

[Anonymous]

What about quality of staff downtown vs. the burbs? I would think quality would vary, and that NVA/Maryland might have better staff than downtown DC, but am I wrong or being unfair?