Daycare babysitters for your exercise time?

  • I just moved and am trying to find daycare. I work at home so it's harder to find someone to work with me on varied hours and times. The local gym doesn't have daycare like the ymca that I was a member of in my former town. The ymca is 20 minutes away and I could still drive there twice a week with my boy - they have daycare until 8 pm which is nice. And I like working out evenings. I am building a mini home gym with dumbells and I have an indoor cycle that I like to ride. It's just I miss the social part as I work alone at home - and the peer pressure of others working out. The gym here is a nice new one, only $33 per month with no commitment so I could wait to join in the fall/winter as we are quite active outside.

    My boy is three - I'm just wondering what others do to get in time at the gym, outdoor cycling, etc? I also have a horse I'd like to ride. I'm a single mom, love my boy, but I was so independent for a long time. I just feel so tied down at times. I haven't had my boy in daycare for awhile as the last woman at home was screaming at kids, but I know he'll enjoy other kids. There's a drop in daycare at $3.50 per hour and then we could commit to more days, ams are preschool activities. I'll have to schedule my workouts coming and going to daycare either in the am or early evening at 4:30 or so. I can't seem to exercise much in the am as it makes me sick other then maybe 20-30 min of cardio, I like my weights in the late afternoon or evening. Maybe I could find a neighbor/teen to help evenings so I could ride my horse again. My boy is active and we ride bikes together, I can do walking while he's at parks - I just miss my own workouts - I'm a bit of a loner.

    Just venting and trying to figure out all of this and set up a new schedule.

  • you might want to try the local college (if there is anything in your area) where you could advertise for an *older* student, maybe a future pre-school teacher? it's also good to chat up the other women and find out who they use and recommend....ask at the local church? sometimes they have daycare programs that are quite good too.
  • I "tested" a local daycare today for three hours and I think it's going to work, they actually allow "drop ins" the first time I've found this in 3-1/2 years of my boy's life for only $3.50 per hour - so I can take him even on days when I'm not really working for just a few hours. And he liked it, he liked it. He came home very happy. They have preschool in the ams so he'll learn something too when I take him in the mornings. I was whining but I shouldn't, I should be grateful, I work at home, have a good business, spend a lot of time with my boy - the most important thing to me in my life - and life is good. It's true I miss my days of traveling the world but it'll come again. Too bad I married a punk that wouldn't help and was abusive because I believe in marriage - and I'm a single mom. Just have my ups and downs. But getting more fit helps, I have more ups then downs as I feel better about myself.
  • Congrats! one less thing to stress you out.....forget the X-it's obviously HIS loss.

    it's good for the little ones to have a social network too.....he'll be well-rounded and less shy, learn to share and make friends...and he'll be telling all about HIS day.
  • Well we don't want our son (21 mo.s) in daycare and really don't have the option for it right now, so I HAVE to tailor my exercise with him. I jog with him in a jogging stroller. I have a bike, but need to get the baby carriage to attach to the back of it. When exercising at home, I keep him contained to his play area where I can see him from the equipment but he can't get under any moving parts. You could try those options, along with the 2 days at the Y. That way you get the socializing at the Y, and you can still bike and run with your child in tow.

    I make my runs at the park an event for the both of us by taking his sand pail and shovel for the playground and packing a lunch in the stoller carrier. After the run, he can play and we can both have a picnic. And I get to socialize with other mom's there. Other times, I walk or run in the neighborhood, and add my shopping run to it. There's a Wal*Mart down the road, so after I've logged my miles, I pop by there on foot and pick up the items we need and head home.

    I'm wanting to join the Y here myself because of the daycare aspect, but its another thing that has to wait until my hubby's gets his permanent position...and raise.