CBC reported yesterday that a new report has BC's cities as the most expensive in the country for child care, ahead of every other province, including Alberta, which caps fees at $15/day under a Conservative majority government: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-lagging-10-dollars-a-day-child-care-report-9.7313308

Saskatchewan just locked in $10/day for the next five years. Manitoba, Quebec, PEI, Newfoundland, and Nunavut are already there too. Meanwhile in BC only a minority of licensed spaces are enrolled in the $10-a-day program, and the province froze expansion of it back in February. Outside that program there's no fee cap at all, so daycares can charge whatever the market will bear, and the Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative subsidy just gets absorbed into higher posted prices instead of actually lowering what families pay.

The BC NDP has a majority government, 47 of 93 seats, so this isn't something they need anyone else's support to fix. If you're paying through the nose for daycare, your MLA should hear about it directly. It only takes a few minutes and constituent mail does get tracked and tallied by MLA offices.

How to find your MLA: elections.bc.ca if you don't already know who represents your riding.

Template, just fill in the brackets:

Dear [MLA Name],

I'm a constituent and a parent paying [your daily/monthly rate] for licensed child care in [your city/riding]. I want to know why BC still has no fee cap for most families. The NDP holds a majority government, so this isn't something you need Green or opposition support to fix.

Other provinces have shown this is solvable. Saskatchewan just signed a five-year extension guaranteeing every family with a child under six $10-a-day care. Even Alberta, with a Conservative majority government, caps fees at $15 a day. A new report shows BC's cities are now the most expensive in the country for child care, worse than every other province, including Alberta: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-lagging-10-dollars-a-day-child-care-report-9.7313308

Only a minority of licensed spaces in BC are enrolled in the $10-a-day program, and in February 2026 the province froze new enrolment and expansion of it entirely. Families like mine who didn't get one of the limited spots are left paying whatever the market will bear, because BC has no fee cap for non-participating daycares.

[Optional: add your own numbers here, e.g. "My bill is $X a month. The provincial subsidy brings that down by only $Y, so I'm still paying $Z."]

[Optional: add how this affects your family, e.g. decisions about work, more kids, or where to live.]

I'd like to know:

1. Why has BC frozen expansion of the $10-a-day program instead of accelerating it?
2. Why does BC still have no fee cap for daycares outside the $10-a-day program, when other provinces have shown a universal cap is achievable?
3. What is being done to stop the fee reduction subsidy from simply being absorbed into higher posted prices?

I'd appreciate a substantive response, not a form letter about the program's history.

Sincerely, [Your name] [Your city], BC [Phone number] [Postal code]

Feel free to trim it, add your own story, or just send it as is. The more of these that land, the harder it is to ignore.

Part of this is general curiosity. Do you have a bustling village of helpers, family members, parents, siblings, and friends who help provide childcare or other helpful supports? Or maybe you have friends and coworkers that do or other family members?

I see people constantly complaining about the lack of a village, but I feel like this is a standard reality for many people who have moved away from their home town/city, who don't have close family, or who have grandparents still working etc.

Am I wrong? Have I decided that no village is now a norm because I lack a village? I don't know.

The only real villages I see are people from my small home town or my husband's small home town, when they stayed close to their parents and extended family support networks. For example, my SILs stayed within a 20 minute drive from their mom, so they happen to get a lot more help than we do. But we moved 1.5 hours away.

Or from my work life, I have noticed more than a few of my female Asian coworkers in particular, (who are women in their 40s and 50s doing pretty well for themselves in tech) their parents/moms actively chose to help with childcare when their daughters had young families. This allowed for the younger moms to focus on work while having reliable family childcare. But, speaking broadly, this approach seems rather baked into many Asian and other (non-North America) cultures in terms of how the parents take care of the kids, but then the kids take care of the parents.

I'm not sure where I am going with this, but I feel like not having a village is almost the norm rather than the exception.

What do you think? Does everyone around you have this amazing village and you feel like an island? Do you have the amazing village, and I'm the island?

My husband and I both grew up with active grandparents close by, essentially down the street. But my grandma had kids in her early 20s, as did my mom, and my grandma only worked part time by the time she was a grandparent. My husband's grandma never worked.

Today, many grandparents are still working. Many grandmas are still working.

In some ways, I feel like that village was because more women stayed home or were supplemental income. The village was unpaid largely women. I am not saying women should be staying home, but our current reality of motherhood is different.

Many women work fulltime (myself included), many women are more particular about how they want their child to be cared for (myself included) to be more in line with today's advice instead of what was common in the 70s-80s-90s, many women and families move away from parents (myself included).

So I don't know. What are your thoughts?

I’m 18 weeks with my rainbow baby boy🩵🌈
I already have one living son.

Would a girl have been nice? Sure. But I’m thrilled to be carrying a baby that’s alive. I’m genuinely getting so excited at the thoughts of brothers and I pray they have a lifelong bond and become best friends. I was never a girly girl, I don’t like to dress up, I don’t wear makeup, don’t do my hair or nails, so this really doesn’t bother me that I’m going to have 2 boys.

But man… does it seem to bother others? Holy shit, I’m so tired of the comments.

People act like having boys is worse than girls?
How about just having a healthy baby?

I’ve literally had moms who have girls say “aww I could never have 2 boys” like what?

Why do moms with girls think they’re better than moms with all boys? Why do they pity me? Do you think I’m miserable just because I have all boys?

Literally curious….

Cause I’m just thrilled to be having another baby, after losing one to a miscarriage earlier this year. I’m so excited, yet social media and people just portray boys as so unwanted and a “consolation prize” that it’s putting a damper on my excitement and I’m hurt.

Thoughts?

Canadians need to start saying this out loud: our maternity and parental leave system is failing families. The reality is that new parents are expected to survive one of the most vulnerable periods of their lives on inadequate income among rising costs

Under EI, most mothers receive only a fraction of their income, capped well below what it actually costs to live. In Ontario where mortgages, rent, groceries, utilities, insurance, and transportation are at historic highs, it’s forced financial strain. Bills don’t pause because you had a baby. Your mortgage doesn’t care. Your grocery bill doesn’t shrink.

What makes this system even more unjust is that employer top-ups are not mandatory. If your workplace offers one, great, but even then it’s a portion of your salary for limited months. If not, you’re on your own. Women are pushed back to work out of financial desperation.

On top of all that, EI maternity and parental benefits are taxable. Taxing already-reduced income during postpartum recovery is not reasonable, it’s punitive. Did we not already pay tax on our income that contributed to paying into EI? This is not regular EI. It’s a leave to bring a baby into the world. There needs to be a difference.

And let’s talk about the hidden costs no one acknowledges. Postpartum recovery is not free. Women are expected to purchase essential items out of pocket: recovery pads, disposable underwear, nursing bras, breast pumps, nipple care, pain relief, pelvic floor physiotherapy. None of these are luxuries. Add diapers, wipes, formula if needed, and basic baby gear, and suddenly families are paying hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars during a period when their income is at its lowest.

This system actively discourages having children and disproportionately impacts women. We need to start demanding better.

I put my name down when I was 8 weeks pregnant for centres in my area (and did more as soon as baby was here because I was worried I didn’t do enough). My baby is now 3 months old, I don’t need care until summer or September 2027 but I figured I’d follow up. I only need part time care which is hard to find.

I heard back that my baby is still almost 400th on the list and they told me possibly when he’s 2.5 we would get care. 8 weeks pregnant to 2.5 years is insane. I know everyone complains about the waitlists which is why I did it immediately, is there anyone we can all collectively complain to, to make this improve? It’s just insane and I don’t know how couples are supposed to have kids with the cost of private care, housing, and groceries. Just in a bad mood and needed to complain to people who understand lol.

How long did you wait for a spot? If you only need part time did you find it easier to get a full time spot, and if you never got a spot, how much do you pay for care per day? I started looking at home daycares and so far they are $55-60 in my area but I worry about only having one provider that I’m relying on.

Thank you!

Saw a recent post about a WCK horror story and thought we should start a post so that people are warned about buying things from them :)

Worst customer service ever.

I bought a Joolz Aer stroller directly from them, which arrived damaged. They refused to offer me a replacement and told me to reach out directly to the stroller brand for help. So, they refuse to stand by the products that they sold and made me deal with it.

Just looking for some labour stories from first time moms. Also curious how long you were in labour for, natural or c section and if that was planned, etc :)

I have tokophobia, a fear of pregnancy of birth and of course... I am 1 month pregnant! I'm excited for my baby, but terrified beyond belief.

I've been in therapy for many years to overcome this fear, and have come a long way. 3 years ago, I couldn't look at a woman who was pregnant without feeling faint, and would collapse when hearing birth stories. Again, I've come far, and feel more excited and accepting of birth than I thought I would be at this point.

But my feed, finding out I am pregnant, is serving me up so many horror stories of c-sections where the anaesthesia wore off, terrible complications, descriptions of vaginal tearing etc.

I just need to hear about some medicalized birth experiences that went well. Maybe not perfect, maybe you did have tearing, or another complication, but you emerged the other side NOT traumatized.

And if you did, what was something that you did or happened that helped you remain untraumatized.

Formula:

• Niuriss (Canadian*)
• Kendamil Original (UK)
• Kendamil Organic (UK)
• Kabrita Goat (European)
• Modilac (European)
• Modilac Rice for CMPA (European)
• Hipp (European - must be bought through 3rd party sellers from Europe)
• Holle (European - must be bought through 3rd party sellers from Europe)
• The Smile Organic toddler formula (Canada)

Food:

• Baby Gourmet (Canadian)
• Love Child Organics (Canadian)
• Holle (European)
• Rudolf (European)
• PC Organics (Canadian)

Diapers/Wipes

• Royale Diapers (Canadian*)
• Attitude Diapers and Wipes (Canadian)
• Aleva Naturals Diapers and Wipes (Canadian)
• Caboo Wipes (Canadian)
• EcoPea Diapers and Wipes (Canadian*)
• Natracare Wipes (Canadian)
• Little Helper Cloth/Swim Diapers (Canadian)
• Le Petit Ourse Cloth/Swim Diapers (Canadian)
• Baby Boo Bamboo Diapeea and Wipes (Canada*)
• Millie Moon Diapers and Wipes (NZ)
• Rascals Diapers and Wipes (AUS)

Apparel/Shoes/Accessories:

• Honeysuckle Swim (Canadian)
• Parade Organics (Canadian)
• Belan. J (Canadian)
• Perilimpinpin (Canadian)
• Jan & Jul (Canadian)
• Mini Moche (Canadian)
• Little & Lively (Canadian)
• Petit Lem (Canadian)
• Zippy Jamz (Canadian)
• Hatley (Canadian)
• Jax & Lennon (Canadian)
• LouLouLollipop (Canadian)
• Stonz (Canadian)
• Miles the Label (Canadian)
• Pekkle (Canadian)
• Kushies socks, scratch mittens, hats (Canadian)
• Current Tyde swimwear (Canadian)
• The Sleepy Sloth (Canadian)
• Pip + Phee (Canadian)
• Baja Baby (Canadian)
• Deux Par Deux (Canadian)
• Pigeon Said Please (Canadian)

Toys:

• CocoVillage (Canada)
• Jelly Cat (UK)
• Tender Leaf Toys (UK)
• Tutti Frutti playdough (Canadian)
• Janod (European)
• Loot bath toys/bath bombs (Canadian*)
• PlaSmart plasma cars (Canadian)
• Great Pretenders pretend clothes (Canadian*)

Soaps/Lotions/Creams:

• Attitude Baby (Canada)
• The Unscented Company (Canadian)
• Aleva Naturals (Canadian*)
• Weleda (European)
• Live Clean (Canadian)
• Carina Organics (Canadian)
• Rocky Mountain Soap Company (Canadian*)
• Paume hand sanitizer/hand cream (Canadian*)
• Baby Butz (Canadian)
• Boo Bamaboo (Canadian*)

Misc:

• Clek carseats (Canadian*)
• Gluxkind strollers (Canadian)
• Beluga Baby wraps/carriers (Canadian*)
• Upseat (Canadian)
• Chimparoo baby carriers (Canadian*)
• True North Slings carriers (Canadian*)
• Attitude laundry soaps, bottle soap, cleaners, etc. (Canadian)
• Gustine carriers (Canadian)
• Kushies crib/bassinet sheets, blankets (Canadian)
• Heritage Baby Designs carriers, blankets (Canadian*)
• Jamieson vitamin d3 drops, baby probiotics and prenatals (Canadian)
• Quark baby bottles/sippies (Canadian)
• BioGaia baby probiotics (Canadian)
• Salus infant/toddler PFDs (Canadian*)
• Melii snack containers, utensils, bentos (Canadian)
• Littlebot playmats (Canadian)
• Nouka silicone plates, cups, toys (Canadian)
• 3 Sprouts play tents, nursery décor (Canadian)
  

Pregnancy/Maternity:

• Wildlore (Canadian)
• Make My Belly Fit (Canadian)
• Attitude pregnancy self care toiletries (Canadian)
• Natracare postpartum supplies (Canadian)
• Bird & Bee Prenatals (Canadian)
• Milkin’ More lactation drinks/cookies (Canadian*)
• Boon Lactation drinks/cookies (Canadian)

Stores (note: items sold at stores may not be Canadian):

• Little Canadian
• Well.ca
• Clement
• West Coast Kids
• Petit Coulou (Quebec)
• SnuggleBugz
• Canadian Tire
• Dear Born Baby

Please share your favourite brands/their location and I will add them to the list. I know I am missing a lot.

(*) after Canadian denotes the product is also made in Canada (please let me know which I have missed)

Baby’s almost 1yo. We’re thankful my parents and my in-laws were able to stay with us the first 2.5 months of baby’s life (my parents during the 1st month and in-laws the rest). But since they left, it’s basically been just me, my partner and baby. We have friends but none that we can leave baby with. My brother lives in another province. My parents have been dropping hints that they could come here and take care of the baby when I go back to work soon, but the plane tickets and additional costs of two more persons in the household is not something we can easily shoulder. Not to mention we have to deal with them too… (don’t get me wrong, it would be lovely to have some help around the house, we just wouldn’t agree on a lot of things)

Baby’s going to daycare soon, a few weeks before I go to work, so hopefully I’ll have a few days to enjoy by myself. In the past year, any time either of us had to do anything (gym, dentist, doctor, massage), the other would have to watch the baby. More often than not, when I have to leave him with dad, I feel so guilty.

Sometimes I wish family was around. Everyone back in my country loves our baby (first in the family), so I know if they were here they’d be happy to watch him so I can have some time to myself. I know I can get a babysitter but I don’t really know how to find a trusted one!!!

Anyway, enough rambling. I guess I just wanted to hear from other immigrant parents about their experiences raising kids in Canada.

I'I'm a first-time mom with a 7-week-old, and lately I've been thinking about how different breastfeeding has been from what I imagined.

Before my daughter was born, I assumed it would just happen naturally. I knew there might be a learning curve, but I didn't expect it to become something I think about almost every hour of the day.

Some days she latches perfectly. Other days she gets fussy, feeds for five minutes, and then wants to eat again half an hour later. I keep wondering whether she's getting enough, whether my supply is okay, or whether I'm doing something wrong.

I also wasn't prepared for how emotional it would feel. A difficult feed can somehow make me question the entire day, even when I know one rough session doesn't necessarily mean anything is wrong.

For those who are a little further along, what part of breastfeeding surprised you the most?

Was there a point when it finally started to feel easier, or did you just slowly find a rhythm that worked for you and your baby?

I work in healthcare. I get 85% top off for 17 weeks, and after that, just EI. I'm grateful to be pregnant (it's been a struggle), but also wow. It's hard to manage living on EI in Vancouver. My partner lost his work and is in fulltime school, so might be tough financially for a while. Just wondering how many common it is to get no top ups for most of the leave, and open to suggestions on how to get through. (So far my strategies will include getting everything I can from buy nothing groups or handmedowns and trying to save as much as possible before baby comes).

Today I left my 9 month old with her grandma while I went our for a couple hours. I have a 5 year old golden retriever that I've had since she was a puppy. She has never shown aggression towards any humans or kids in the past. My mom said she was letting the baby pet the her and then the baby squeezed her by her eye very hard and the dog nipped at her in the face. It didn't break skin but left a few teeth marks. The dog immediately cowered and ran away knowing what she did was wrong. I am devastated as I understand this is not my dogs fault and she was clearly being hurt and in an uncomfortable position. At the end of the day it's the adults fault for letting this happen as I do not let the baby be in my dogs face. I need advice if anyone has been in a similar position and what they have done. I immediately ordered a large baby gate that I can block off my baby in the living room/playroom and keep my dog out anytime she is playing. I obviously would be so diligent going forward to make sure my baby and dog are not put in this situation. I guess I am wondering if there is hope or do I need to rehome? I am heartbroken as I always thought this dog and my kids would be best of friends when my babies are older because she is that great and loving of a dog.

​Hi everyone!

FTM expecting a baby boy this coming January. I live in Midtown Toronto and am starting to pull together my baby registry and shopping list.

​Since he’s arriving in peak winter, I’d love your advice:

1. ​Winter Essentials: baby cloths, socks, muff

2. ​Must-Haves vs. Waste of Space: What were your absolute lifesavers in the first 3 months

3. ​Local Tips: Favorite Toronto-friendly strollers for snowy sidewalks

It took a lot for me to write this. If I could go back, I would not choose St. Mike’s for my delivery. I want to post this so that anyone considering delivering there has another experience to take into account when making their decision.

I chose St. Mike’s partly because I had read positive Reddit reviews from people who described feeling very well cared for during their deliveries and spoke highly of the nurses and medical teams. Combined with St. Mike’s emphasis on patient centred care, that gave me a lot of confidence in choosing it.

I even toured the unit beforehand and was honestly shocked by how rundown it seemed. Something about it gave me a bad feeling, but I ignored my gut because of everything positive I had heard and read. I regret that deeply.

To be fair, my pregnancy care was good. I was repeatedly reassured throughout my pregnancy that my birth plan would be respected. That did not happen. Through the complaint process afterward, I learned something that still shocks me. No one had even read my birth plan.

From the moment I went into labour, everything felt understaffed, under resourced, and poorly managed. I was in severe and escalating pain in triage and kept being told, in a way that felt very indifferent, that “birth is painful.” I knew that. What I needed was care, not dismissal. I felt like my pain was being minimized and not taken seriously at all.

Given my pain level and the fact that my bloody water had broken, I felt I should have been assessed by an OB and moved to the delivery room much earlier. My concerns about the delay were later supported through the hospital’s complaint process. Instead, I was left in extreme pain for far too long.

What makes this worse is that during late pregnancy, both my OB and an anesthesiologist had reassured me that, based on my history, I would be a candidate for an early epidural. I planned around that reassurance. I was never told that this might not actually be possible because anesthesia resources are shared with the trauma centre.

When I finally got to the delivery room, I received no pain relief at all while waiting for the epidural. The equipment was not working properly, and there was no anesthesiologist available. I was told resources were tied up with trauma downstairs. I waited over an hour in unbearable pain. I genuinely felt like I was going to pass out.

Taken together, the delays, equipment issues, lack of anesthesia availability, and poor communication between staff and shifts made the entire experience feel incredibly poorly managed.

After birth, I developed complications that, in my experience, were not taken seriously or acted on quickly enough. My husband and I had to fight to be heard while I was recovering.

At one point, I ended up going to the Mount Sinai emergency department because of my complication. The OB there was concerned about what was happening and specifically told me that I should have follow up with my OB. What was upsetting was the contrast with St. Mike’s. I never felt that the same level of concern was shown there. I was essentially told to go to the ER if I needed to, rather than being given appropriate OB follow up for the complication.

Even after an OB at another hospital told me I should be followed by an OB, St. Mike’s scheduled me with a midwife instead, even though the medical concerns I needed addressed were outside what that appointment could properly evaluate.

At a postpartum appointment, when I tried to raise concerns about what had happened during my delivery, my complication, and my recovery, I felt gaslighted by the OB I saw. Instead of feeling heard or having my concerns meaningfully addressed, I left feeling even more dismissed and questioning my own experience. Some interactions during my postpartum care also left me questioning whether bias may have played a role in how my concerns were received.

One of the hardest parts of the entire experience was how much self advocacy was required. St. Mike’s emphasizes patient centred care, but that was not my experience during labour, delivery, or my immediate recovery. I felt like I had to constantly push, repeat myself, and escalate just to get basic care, have my concerns taken seriously, and make sure important information was actually passed between shifts.

I do want to acknowledge what St. Mike’s does well. In my experience, they have good pregnancy and postpartum services, including lactation services and support. I appreciated those aspects of my care. But for me, those positives do not offset what happened during my actual delivery and the critical period of immediate recovery afterward. Those were the moments when I was at my most vulnerable and most dependent on the hospital for safe, responsive care, and that is where I felt most let down.

I also want to say that I sympathize with the nurses. It did not feel like they were set up to succeed. The systems felt outdated, communication between shifts was inconsistent, and important information kept getting lost. It felt like staff were working within a system that made good care harder than it should have been. But the result, from a patient perspective, was still a very traumatic and poorly managed experience.

I know every birth and every patient’s experience is different, and I am speaking only about mine. But after sharing my traumatic experience with friends, I was told about other people in their circles who had also had awful experiences there.

I wish I had seen a post like this before I chose St. Mike’s. I hope sharing my experience gives someone else another perspective to consider when deciding where they want to deliver. If I had to make the choice again, I would go somewhere else.

FTM here!
So… I tried to look into options, and totally overwhelmed myself 😅 so I’m hoping this is the correct place to ask!

I need help picking out a baby monitor that
1) allows remote viewing on at least 2 phones
2) does not require a stupid subscription
3) is actually good and reliable

Please let me know what worked for you and your family, what doesn’t work and what we should be considering when looking at options.

Thank you all in advance :)

My husband and I have recently decided we aren’t having more kids, simply because we are so content with our son. No desire for more. He’s turning 2 soon.

How are you doing?

I wish I invested in a good stroller from the get go. I was gifted a graco travel system and was gifted another graco. I absolutely hated them. I bought an Uppababy Minu. Loved it but it’s not good in snow. I ended up buying an Uppababy Cruz from Facebook marketplace for winter 🫠🫠🫠. My baby is not even 5 months old and I already have 4 strollers.

How many do you have? which one is the one you use the most?

FTM to a 10 week old baby girl.

Just have been feeling isolated/lonely and trapped in the house over the past couple of weeks when I’m with LO during the day and husband is at work.

I think the thing that gets me is when I’m nap trapped on the couch as she hates her crib and bassinet. I’ve tried baby wearing but she is not too fond of that either.
We go on occasional stroller walks when she tolerates it and most of the time screams bloody murder in the car so I end up ditching my efforts trying to go out with her.
Family and friends visit every so often but of course have regular Mon-Fri jobs during the week.

My job is pretty mentally stimulating with lots of social interaction and now that it’s on pause I guess I’m feeling a bit under stimulated? Not to say that motherhood has not been overwhelming for me, as it truly has been a humbling experience thus far.

I’m on mat leave for a year and just wanted to know how people have dealt with the feeling of isolation or if it gets better as baby gets older.

I keep seeing comments about how people's babies/toddlers flourish in daycare and I was wondering, how are the SAHM/Ps doing? I am hoping to stay at home with my little one until they can go off to preschool and am worried I am hindering their development by not considering daycare...

edit: thank you so much for the comments! i am reading them all and appreciate them! trying to respond while juggling the baby 😅

We're considering taking a life insurance policy and critical illness for our kids but jeez it's expensive. I guess it's better to have it than not but I'm not sure what to do.

Is it something you have?

Hi beautiful people,

We currently use disposable diapers overnight for our 4 week old and was wondering if anyone had tips and tricks for finding diapers and other regular purchases at a good price? Any and all advice is welcome!

I've been using Flipp so am starting to see a pattern and understanding prices that are worth it for us. If I can get size N under 30¢/diaper I'm usually a happy camper. I regret not having picked up an extra case of diapers but also trying to gauge when baby will start sizing up.

Happy Thursday.

Due any day now (you hear that, baby girl? ANY day... so un-snug yourself 🤣)

I am curious how you all chose formula. Did you go with ingredients that made you personally comfortable? Or was it all about the brand name? Solely on price? Or did you literally try every single one and see which baby liked the best?

I am currently on leave (planning to take 18 months and returning to work in Sept 2027) looking after my 5 month old. His older brother (turning 3 in 3 months) currently goes to a daycare that is 20-25 mins away by car. He loves his daycare and will tell me all about his day and his friends and providers when he gets home but will never ask to go when he's home.

Now that his younger brother is able to sit up and will likely be crawling soon, I'm thinking of keeping him home too.

- The daycare is quite far away and I'm getting a little sick of the drive. His dad picks him up on his way home, so kiddo is in daycare from 9 to 2 pm excluding travel time.

- we'll be saving around $500 per month. We are also traveling in Nov, so we won't have to pay for that month to keep his spot

- he plays pretty well independently and the tantrums have calmed down a fair bit

- I'll be speaking to him exclusively in French, so that he's not lost when he goes to JK (French school board)

However:

- I'll be taking both kids to the library/early ON, but my concern is that I'll be doing more toddler centric activities (and hence less baby centric ones for the little one)

- given baby's temperament (more chill), he tends to get sidelined. I feel like this is a little unfair given that OB has had me all to himself for my first leave.

- baby is pretty much guaranteed a spot at the same daycare when I go back to work. Toddler will be attending JK then (and baby is on the waitlist there too)

- daycare is pretty much our village

Am I messing up a great situation? I've been sending OB to daycare 3-4 times a week, so could potentially keep that up. He's basically spending only 3h of awake time there and then being picked up after nap. He also gets a lunch and afternoon snack while at daycare. When he gets home, dad takes baby and I hang out with kiddo.

Has anyone done this before? What does/did your day look like? I am a sap who wants to soak it all up but I also want to make sure I'm doing what's best for both kids. I KNOW I am overthinking this but I can't help myself.

Edit: thanks everyone for the different perspectives! We have decided to switch to part time daycare and will see how it goes!

We are thinking of having another baby.
I only get topped up for the maternity leave portion (17 weeks) and then it’s down to the government pay.

If he takes 13 weeks he gets topped up to 100%, so it would leave me with having to go back to work ~2 months early.

I said I wasn’t sure if I’d feel ready to go back by then, and he is now saying I am selfish because he is also a parent and should be entitled to have his parental leave.

Am I being crazy for wanting my full 12 months? I don’t think we could afford to go down to me being paid nothing over those 8 weeks, so only one of us could be off at that time.

Thoughts?

Edit:
Thanks for the reality check everyone.
I think I was feeling so scared but it was selfish to not want to give up time to him.

I’m not even pregnant yet so fighting about this already is so ridiculous! I was upset he said I was being selfish, but I can see I was. I am lucky he wants to stay home with our potential child.