u/Acceptable_Mind_1994

Hi everyone! I’m preparing to send my second child to daycare this August when she will be about 7 months old.
With my first child, we did the traditional center-based route. He started at a similar age in a dedicated infant classroom where everything—the environment, schedules, toys, and teacher training—was exclusively geared toward infants.
This time, we are looking at a home-based daycare. On paper, it looks great:

It’s fully licensed, neat, and very clean.

They have excellent references from highly satisfied parents.

The ratio seems fantastic: 12 kids total with 4 teachers plus the owner.

However, because this is a mixed-age setup, I’m having a hard time visualizing how it works for a young infant compared to a traditional center. When I asked the owner how they manage the mixed ages with a baby, she mentioned that because of their high adult-to-child ratio, the younger kids usually get more attention. She added that if things get really busy, they might put the infant in a pack-and-play for about 10 minutes until things settle down.
As ECE professionals, I would love your honest insight on a few things:

How well do infants typically thrive in a mixed-age home environment compared to a dedicated infant room?

Is the pack-and-play solution during chaotic moments standard practice in home daycares, or should that raise a flag for a 7-month-old?

In your professional experience, what are the pros and cons of a high-ratio home daycare vs. a traditional center for the under-1 age group?

I really value your on-the-ground experience and would love to hear your thoughts to help ease my working-mom anxiety. Thank you!

Okay, I was told breastfeeding would be this magical journey of deep soul-searching eye contact and sweet mid-meal smiles. I was prepared for the "heart-melting" moments.
My 3.5-month-old daughter, however, has different plans.
Most of the time, her eyes are bolted shut. On the rare occasion she does open them, she isn't gazing lovingly into my soul, she is staring intensely at my armpit. No smiles, no reaching for my face, just pure, unadulterated focus on my deodorant or the void.
Are these "bonding milestones" something that develop later, or is my daughter just a very serious, no-nonsense eater? When did your babies start actually acknowledging your existence during a feed instead of treated you like a silent vending machine?