Childcare Search 101

Daycare drop-off circa 2010

Finding childcare for your little people can be one of the most stressful and time consuming processes ever. If you aren't blessed to have family that can help you - for example, if you're like us, all alone in North Carolina :tear: - then you have to recruit help.

Fear not, though a daunting feat, it can be done! Here are some of my strategies for finding a good daycare.

First, you have to list (and prioritize) your needs. 
-  Do you need someone comfortable with more than one child? Do they need to be familiar with newborns?
- Will you need help with driving kids around?
- A place within reasonable proximity to your job?
- Someone who can make meals and/or help with cleaning?
- Do you have language preferences? I love the idea of someone who could help my kids practice their Spanish...

Next, be honest about your budget. 
- Can you afford one-on-one care? Although this would be ideal for many of us, usually this can be a difference of $200-300 per week compared to a daycare center. You have to be real about what you can afford.
- Does the idea of a co-op/swap childcare situation appeal to you or sharing a nanny with another family? This may be more feasible if you have a flexible schedule yourself - not typical of medical school/residency.
- See if your job has child care expense accounts or extra living expense loans for childcare (I had to use those in med school). Make sure the facilities you are looking into are eligible for any childcare related spending accounts.

What else should you consider?
- College students are awesome, but they may leave for the summer/school year, study abroad, or leave. Then you are back at square one. Make sure you specify whether or not this is a long term need.
- Sites like Care.com can help you start a list of possible nannies and/or daycare centers. If you go the nanny route, you can get a background check done for an additional fee.
- If you want someone who can drive, they may need you to supply the vehicle and definitely gas money. You can see how this could get even more pricey.
- What you see on the website may or may not be what you get, so be sure to not put all your eggs in one basket.

Hope this helps!

This is a spreadsheet I have used to organize my list of daycare centers in the areas. Feel free to download and use. Just click the link: HERE

Good luck!

Weekend Recap

Hope you had a great holiday weekend! Friday at 5PM kicked off my vacation week. I'm not ashamed to say I was VERY eager. Saturday, the kids got their Easter baskets and we went to an egg hunt at a local church. They had a blast!

Afterwards, I ran out to buy the kids' outfits for church the next day - can you say "procrastinator"? Next, I caught up with a med school friend (Dr. Andrea Tooley) over Skype for a video interview on her blog. I posted about my chat with her on an earlier post. The night ended with a cozy dinner at home and then Smore's outside - so yummy!

Sunday was cool and rainy, but it didn't stop us from making it to church. I am trying to get back into the habit of going to church again. We found a great one. Weekend calls have been a big obstacle to this, but I'm tired of feeling so out of sync with a part of me that is a BIG deal. Just like everything else, it's so nice to feel connected. I am so, so thankful for forgiveness, The Cross, and The Resurrection.

I'm excited to spend the week with my babies. We have no special plans, and that is okay with me!

Have a great Monday! You can find links to the kids' outfits {or similar finds} below.

Check Out My Interview with Dr. Andrea Tooley!

Over the weekend, I had a blast catching up with one of my medical school classmates, Dr. Andrea Tooley. Andrea is a first year ophthalmology resident at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. She also started blogging in medical school. She is such a sweet person - in addition to a huge inspiration when it comes to healthy living, eating, and fitness.

Here is Part I of my interview where I talk about all things OB/GYN. Part II is coming soon and we talk about balancing motherhood and medical school/residency. Hope you like it! I realized this morning that I forgot to talk about Urogynecology...I guess I was more nervous than I thought LOL

I didn't think I would have so much fun doing a video, and since I didn't look like a total dork (LOL), I'm thinking about doing some YouTube videos of my own. Let me know what you would want to hear about!

Happy Easter!

Happy Resurrection Sunday to you and yours.

I think I post this picture on my pages every year, because I love it so much...

He is risen!!!

xo

Monday Motivation Mash-Up

Happy Monday Friends!

Here are some of my favorite motivational posts from {Pinterest} this week!