Providing Day Care for My Grandchild

Bless you, you will do wonderful! Okay my baby has tons of stuff and I have only a handful of stuff that I love and need. A swing was the best, you can even buy a portable one that is cheaper and less bulky, a vibrating chair is pretty inexpensive and my son loved it but only the first couple of months, the best thing ever though has been my ergo baby carrier, I didn't get till my son was 6 months, he is big so I could not carry him in other carriers, but this one does not hurt my back. I can shop, go outside and do stuff around the house and he is content. They are pricey but I feel it was worth it. Truthfully he really does not use most of his stuff, and my son arched his back n got out of his bumbo the first time I put him in it, 3 months, so make sure you stay close. I would look on ebay, yardsales, online, craiglists, and resale shops for baby stuff. There is so much of it, the prices are SO much cheaper than at the store, I regret not doing that earlier.

Toys! Babies seem to love the little gyms (I'm not sure what they're called) but basically the baby lays on the floor and this is an arch type thing with toys that hang down for the baby to swing/grab at. It helps develope eye hand coordination.

Try to have toys that offer visual stimuluation, auditory stimulation, and large/small muscle stimulation...

examples: brightly colored toys, toys that light up, toys that make noise...and toys that they can grasp (like rattles)

i would get a sling or 2 and learn how to use them well! they are a lifesaver when a baby needs to nap but is fussy and doesn't want to be put down. my favorite is the moby wrap. they take a little practice but there are lots of holds. i think the website is www.moby.com or you can do a search for moby slings, very affordable! also the zolowear slings or an over the shoulder baby holder are good. tend to be a little pricier, though. sometimes you can find organizations in your area that have slings you can check out to see which the baby likes best before buying one. plus they help you figure out how to use them.
also on the toy front, have some black, white and red things. they see the contrast better than with very colorful things. after a few months start adding the more colorful toys and mats. my daughter loved the "olivia" books by ian falconer at 4 months of age b/c they are black white and red. she would sit so still in my lap and look at the pictures.
good luck! so glad it's family who will take care of the little one and not a daycare!

First of all I want to say what you are about to do is the most wonderful and selfless thing you can do for your daughter and soon to be grandchild. If it were not for my M. and mother-in-law I don't know what my husband and I would have done. Both of our M.'s take turns watching our son. My M. has him M/T and his M. has him M/W/F. It was really hard for me to make sure I had what I need as a first time M. and they both had what they needed to help care for him during the day. I would say keep it simple...you said you have a crib and a bumbo....you might also want to consider a bouncer and at some point you might want to consider a highchair. My M. found one for her house and my mother-in-law got one of those space saver ones that you can attach to your dinning room chairs and when you are ready it turns into a booster. The multi-purpose products are great!

Best of luck to you and your daughter!!!!

I'm Nana to 4 so far. Early on you will need the portable crib (or a pack n play), a swing, lots of burp rags (the smaller receiving blankets work well for this), and a base that matches the carseat. You don't really need the carseat at this stage just the base to leave in your car. Also a fully reclining lightweight stroller is nice as well as the sling that the others have suggested. At about 6 months or so you will want an exersaucer and a highchair. When they can get around you will want the pack n play or play yard to keep them contained if you need to do something (like go to the bathroom or put in a load of laundry - they're really fast). They outgrow the carseat at about a year, then you will want a front facing one. I agree with the suggestion to look for used stuff. The kids outgrow the baby gear so fast that I have been able to buy everything used (except the front facing carseat - those get pretty hard use). I then can sell most of it for what I paid for it when I don't need it anymore. Grandchildren are such a blessing, congratulations!

I was a tacher in San Marcos but wanted to saty home with my son so I found this awesome group of moms and now I work from home. Visit: www.MoreForMyBaby.com

I just wanted to add that your daughter is so lucky to have you. My bestfriends M. has always worked so she could watch her grandchildren. I wished i had the luxury of the grandma watching my kids. I rotate shifts so it is hard. Then my husband isnt able to work so he watches the kids. We couldnt afford daycare if he went to work anyways..
The one thing i couldnt have lived without is a swing and walker.