Kids

• Wally

  2 boys-both married.
  
  The oldest has 2 kids, a 4 yr old boy and a 2 yr old girl, and a boy on the way. He is in the Air Force. The boy was born in St. Louis, the girl was born in Las Vegas. He is in Dayton now and we are loving the chance to spend lots of time with the grandkids because you never know where the AF is going to send him next. So…we will babysit every chance we get and not be bothered by it.
• Sonofanump

  A wonderful 10 year old. I thought ages 3 to 6 were pretty awesome, but it seems every year is a neat new experience. Not sure what we did for entertainment prior. We live in the same basic community as our parents, we have never paid for night time babysitting, sometimes it's hard to get her back, she plans weekend trips to grandparents house.
• Raw Dawgin' it

  

  My son goes to day care and it's well worth the money. I was home a week by myself with him and i don't understand why anyone would want to be a stay at home mom or dad, especially during the winter. I also think daycare really helps them develop socially, so even if we had the option of one of us being a stay at home parent, i wouldn't do it.
• Fab4Runner

  

  Raw Dawgin' it;1698652 wrote:My son goes to day care and it's well worth the money. I was home a week by myself with him and i don't understand why anyone would want to be a stay at home mom or dad, especially during the winter. I also think daycare really helps them develop socially, so even if we had the option of one of us being a stay at home parent, i wouldn't do it.

  I'd rather not pay someone else a fortune to raise my kids. And depending on how much money a person makes, sometimes you literally work just to pay for child care, which is silly.
  
  I have no issue with parents who both work and want to send their kids to daycare, it's just not my preference. That said, I may end up having to work, even if it's part time or from home. If that's the case, I will have no problem with putting them in daycare of some sort.
• jmog

  My wife and I have 3 boys, they are 13, 11, and 8.
• Midstate01

  

  Fab4Runner;1698659 wrote:I'd rather not pay someone else a fortune to raise my kids. And depending on how much money a person makes, sometimes you literally work just to pay for child care, which is silly.
  
  I have no issue with parents who both work and want to send their kids to daycare, it's just not my preference. That said, I may end up having to work, even if it's part time or from home. If that's the case, I will have no problem with putting them in daycare of some sort.

  That's how it was in hawaii. Childcare was 300 a week. So I stayed home and went to school full time and stayed with my daughter. It's all dependent on how much the care is. Now she's going to day care 3 times a week (not in hawaii anymore) and I think it's been awesome for her. I can see a difference socially for sure.
• BR1986FB

  I decided a long time ago that it would be best for me to never have kids. I have no issue with kids, just not for me.
• TedSheckler

  

  Two step-daughters, 22 and 19. Two sons, 10 and 7.
• ernest_t_bass

  

  2 daughters, 9.5 yrs and 5 yrs.
• BRF

  

  Six children ranging in age from 20 to 31.
  
  Two grandchildren.
• jmog

  My view/opinion on the whole daycare thing is this...
  
  When they are little, babies, infants, even little toddlers, if financially possible one parent should be home with them. Having a daycare raise them 8+ hours a day 5 days a week isn't good for the kids. I also understand when financially both parents have to work (although with the costs of full time daycare sometimes one parent is working just to pay for daycare).
  
  Even if one parent is home, once the kids are around 3 or maybe as late as 4, a part time daycare/preschool can be very beneficial for the kids social development. I still don't think 8 hours 5 days is the right answer at this age, more like 2 or 3 days a week for half a day.
• Uz2Bon36

  

  BR1986FB;1698662 wrote:I decided a long time ago that it would be best for me to never have kids. I have no issue with kids, just not for me.

  reps
• Raw Dawgin' it

  

  jmog;1698675 wrote:My view/opinion on the whole daycare thing is this...
  
  When they are little, babies, infants, even little toddlers, if financially possible one parent should be home with them. Having a daycare raise them 8+ hours a day 5 days a week isn't good for the kids. I also understand when financially both parents have to work (although with the costs of full time daycare sometimes one parent is working just to pay for daycare).
  
  Even if one parent is home, once the kids are around 3 or maybe as late as 4, a part time daycare/preschool can be very beneficial for the kids social development. I still don't think 8 hours 5 days is the right answer at this age, more like 2 or 3 days a week for half a day.

  I'd have to disagree. I see no benefit in a child being around a parent all day everyday. Daycare helps kids become social and independent. The focus isn't always on one child, so they learn to play with the other kids, be part of group activities, share, and entertain themselves.
• ZWICK 4 PREZ

  

  22 month old boy and daughter due in 3 weeks.
• OSH

  

  My wife HAS to work, or else our bills wouldn't be paid. She'd stay at home and we'd love raising our kid (soon to be kids) that way. Maybe one day we'll do that.
  
  I see benefits to both. I see the downsides to both. Either way, our kids will grow up socially. I work at a college, they will always be around college students. My colleagues all have kids at varying ages, so my kids will always be in that environment. A stay-at-home mom, or not, the social development will not be hindered. And, since no one really knows me on here, I can vouch that my wife and I's offspring will not lack in being social butterflies.
  
  I'm trying to pick up another gig so my wife can stay at home. She's tried figuring out some stay-at-home income, but it's tough to find -- especially where we live in a very rural community.
• TedSheckler

  

  RDI sounds like an AWESOME father.
• QuakerOats

  majorspark;1698596 wrote:Daughter 21
  Son 19
  Son 17
  
  Hard to believe in a few years they will all be gone from our home and it will just be my wife and I. It will be quite a change as my daughter was born less than a year after my wife and I were married. I joke with here about anytime anyplace anywhere.

  
  Time to get a dog; a real one ..... from the hound group or sporting group etc....
• Sonofanump

  We are both working professionals, so child care was the really only option. Luckily, living in our hometown, her cousins wife had a small day care, so she got to play with a cousin her same age from early on until being school age.
• vdubb96

  

  BR1986FB;1698662 wrote:I decided a long time ago that it would be best for me to never have kids. I have no issue with kids, just not for me.

  Grumpy ol' man!!!
• vdubb96

  

  ernest_t_bass;1698668 wrote:2 daughters, 9.5 yrs and 5 yrs.

  No wonder you love the beers!
• Raw Dawgin' it

  

  TedSheckler;1698689 wrote:RDI sounds like an AWESOME father.

  Yup, I'm a dead beat. You get all that from 3 posts?
• ernest_t_bass

  

  jmog;1698675 wrote:My view/opinion on the whole daycare thing is this...
  
  When they are little, babies, infants, even little toddlers, if financially possible one parent should be home with them. Having a daycare raise them 8+ hours a day 5 days a week isn't good for the kids. I also understand when financially both parents have to work (although with the costs of full time daycare sometimes one parent is working just to pay for daycare).
  
  Even if one parent is home, once the kids are around 3 or maybe as late as 4, a part time daycare/preschool can be very beneficial for the kids social development. I still don't think 8 hours 5 days is the right answer at this age, more like 2 or 3 days a week for half a day.

  My oldest daughter is one of the smartest (if not THE smartest) kids in her class. While I give credit to my wife for a lot, I also give a TON of credit to the fact that she was in a daycare/preschool setting since she was an infant. She had a constant learning environment, and learned to socialize at a very young age.
• TedSheckler

  

  Raw Dawgin' it;1698704 wrote:Yup, I'm a dead beat. You get all that from 3 posts?

  Yup!
• sherm03

  

  Saw this shared on Facebook today from some girl. Belly, you should probably start taking those grandkids more and stave off the inevitable.
  
  http://shineonmom.com/grandparents-babysit-less-likely-develop-alzheimers/
• ZWICK 4 PREZ

  

  ernest_t_bass;1698713 wrote:My oldest daughter is one of the smartest (if not THE smartest) kids in her class. While I give credit to my wife for a lot, I also give a TON of credit to the fact that she was in a daycare/preschool setting since she was an infant. She had a constant learning environment, and learned to socialize at a very young age.

  Maybe her dad is really smart.