Infant care OR hire a helper?

Hello parents, In one month’s time, my wife will be ending her maternity and we are considering between sending our baby to infant care and hiring a helper. My parents are aggressively wanting us to hire a helper but my wife and myself are poised to using infant care instead. We have weighed the pros and cons between both options and felt that the latter is best for our baby’s development. Reason for not wanting a helper 1. Having another person at home will introduce a different set of problems 2. I can’t have my helper at home with my 3 months old son without supervision 3. Maid will usually take the easiest way to stop the baby from crying without long term consideration for the child’s well being 4. Baby might grow accustomed to helper’s indulgence and affect the bond between child and parents Cons of sending a child in infant care 1. Time and schedule will become rigid 2. Child can fall sick easily due to contagion I would like to hear more from any parents here whom were once in my position. What were your considerations, observations and ultimately what did you choose and why? Thanks once again.

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We have a helper. But under the supervision of my in laws. We sleep with our son. His bond with the helper is strong but never replaced her over us. Admittedly we should have sent him to play group at 18 months to at least learned some social skills and communication skills which was behind other children his age. Having a helper seems good for the first 18 months of a child’s life cause it really takes our burden off cleaning and washing. Which is a lot lol.

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