r/AskSeattle • u/Conscious_Cold3870 • 7d ago

Daycare Question

Hi All - We’re pregnant with our first child and due in Jan 2027. I keep hearing from others that you should get on the daycare waitlist as soon as you get pregnant. So asking the broader group when should we start touring the daycares and when should we get on the waitlist ?

We live in Fremont, Seattle. TIA

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u/mobile-metaphysical 7d ago

Research longterm effects of daycare. You might do better having a nanny.

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u/Conscious_Cold3870 7d ago

I was told by my friends that day care is a must so the kid can interact and also develop immunity.

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u/AllAboutThatEd 7d ago

As a parent that had to utilize daycare for my first and as a psychologist this is such a false narrative that parents spread. Babies do not need peer socialization that young, it is not developmentally sought or needed until 3 and beyond.

Babies need to form bonds of secure attachment with their primary caregivers.

Not here to make you feel guilty, do what you need to do, but I just want to correct a false narrative that so many new parents are told.

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u/kpeteymomo 7d ago

I'm a former Pre-K teacher with a bachelor's in Early Childhood Ed. I agree 100% with this. Daycare is fine, but I chose to do a nanny for my own kid. I work part-time to offset the cost, and my kid is now in part time preschool. I worked in childcare centers in high school and college, and I saw a lot of shit that I didn't want my own kid to deal with. The centers that I worked in ranged from average price to pretty expensive places. There are good childcare centers out there, but IMO it's better to go with a nanny (or nanny share) if you can afford it.

Also, as far as immunity goes, it's actually better for kids to not be in daycare. Our immune system isn't a muscle that needs to be exercised, and small children who get sick more often are at a higher risk for a lot of long term health issues. A decent amount of this has to do with antibiotic use. The more often antibiotics are used, the more likely children are to develop asthma, allergies, and a host of other issues. It's mainly because antibiotics disrupt our gut microbiome- keeping that healthy for little kids is incredibly important.

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u/Fun_Opening1462 7d ago

Neither of my kids went to daycare (we were blessed with grandma), both started PreK3 and both are social, healthy kids with great immune systems now at 9 1/2 and 13. Daycare is needed for many parents but it’s not needed for any kids.

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u/Outrageous_Wish9934 7d ago

I would say the interaction is needed around the 1.5-2 year mark. Before that, baby needs security and comfort.

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u/AllAboutThatEd 7d ago

Families are perfectly capable of providing those interactions for toddlers through daily living.