Go visit before hand without your son, give you a good chance to see the carer in action, and a good rapport with them helps heaps…

If you didn’t have a choice then I suppose it has to be done! But make sure you are comfortable with the pace and people you are leaving him with. We tried 2 childcare centres when my LO started and only kept 1 because I just didn’t have a good feeling about the other!

I put my son in daycare 1 day a week at 6 months old to get him ready for me going back to work. we went there a few hours a day for about 3 weeks, the both of us for him to get used to it. He even had a sleep there one day, that was my biggest concern. when he actually started i sent him with a couple of blankets and a teddy from home. He had a ball and slept really well( first day was only 4 hours). There were 2 ladies in his room and they had everything for him, and remember they are experts. I had a harder time then he did.

I would only leave him if I had too, 8 months is very young and I would be apprehensive also

there are some good comments here

i took my daughter to dayccare first time it was upsetting but then i see how much fun and how much she learnt

I was apprehensive at first as well so two weeks before my dons official starting date I spent s few days at the Childcare playing with my son snd getting to know the people who would be caring for him. I’d recommend this as it gives your child s chance to get use to the environment with you there at first

Is there a reason you feel apprehensive? Hopefully it is just that feeling of leaving your bub for the first time. I chose a centre rather than a home day carer because I needed the reassurance of knowing that there were several people looking out for my girls

Go and visit the daycare for a little while with him if this is possible so you can see the fun environment he will get to be in. These places are very well regulated (sometime too much) and aimed at teaching, learning and fun. Being 8mths it will be more of a game and a few tears when you leave, but 99 per cent of kids will have stopped by the time you get to your car. Ask if you can ring at lunch and see how he is going. It gets easier.

I felt exactly the same when my son first started daycare at 10 months old. I cried when I drove away. But he is now 2 and has learnt so much and loves daycare so I know its worth it

Just remember that your feelings are your feelings and no matter what you may feel its ok.
Some Mums feel really upset and cry and they miss their child.
Others feel relief and feel as if they can unwind and they suddenly feel free.
No matter what you feel its ok….we are all different.

My son goes to a family day care and it is the bet decision we ever made over a franchised daycare. It is never easy leaving your little one alone witch a stranger but they do cope eventually. It took my soon about 4-6 weeks but he would only cry for about 10 seconds after I left. My day care lady sends me photos and text messages throughout the day to let me know how he is going and what he is upto. We started at Mulberry tree and had the worst experience with a lot of bad feedback. Since we changed my son loves it! Drop your little one off, maybe play with them for 5-10min to ensure they are settled they say your goodbyes and leave. It’s hard but it defiantly gets easier! My son waves bye to me now!

If you can take him in a day earlier than he’s meant to start, do that. Sit with him and the childcare workers and gauge how he is playing with the other kids etc. He’ll have a ball and it’ll be easier to leave him when the time comes

Did you meet the Family Day Care workers. You must have toured the facility and chose that one for a reason. They must be registered with your state. You could ask to drop in again to see how things are done and re visiting will set your mind at ease. Getting to know the persons who are looking after your baby will make you feel at ease.

I’m a child care educator with 25 weeks pregnant. And working in the babies room. I totally understand how you would feel. If I were you I would bring a communications book every thine you bring your baby to day care. So you could let the cares know what and when they can give to your baby and when your babies usually takes a bottle. and at the end of the day if u can talk to the care that look after your baby during the day (as we usually work different shifts) and they can leave comments how is your baby doing during the day when ur not there. hopefully this would help.

I agree, don’t let him feel your apprehension. It’s important you feel 100% comfortable with your day care mum though, you will quickly know if she’s the right choice- some mums have a few attempts before they find the right fit. Good luck

Don’t Stress. My son is 5 now and attended full time daycare from 9 mths old until he started prep this year. The first day – first week can be a little rough but is well worth it. They will cry and be upset but try to be positive back and not feed them your fears. Once you have dropped them off. Stand where they can’t see you and watch for a bit. You will see how the staff interact with your child and their responses. You will find they settle pretty quickly. The other children are a great help too as all children are naturally curious. Best thing you can do. By the end of the first week my son had blossomed. Its amazing how quickly they learn. Best feeling watching your little world refining who they are. Stay strong and go for it. If you have concerns take it up with the day care centre first. Nothing wrong with being vigilant. Good luck.