Daycare vs. Nanny?

[Christian Barber]

I am having a baby in July, my first child. I am trying to figure out if daycare or nanny-type care is a better option. I am so worried about my child getting sick from regular daycares. I know many people whose children have gotten RSV. However, the daycare option is cheaper and I worry some about hiring a random nanny that I do not really know. Any suggestions/comments ??

[Jennifer Louie]

Ms. Barber,

I was in your shoes several months regarding day care/nanny.  Ultimately, we hired a nanny.

Tips on hiring a nanny (part-time)

1.  You and your husband will have to determine how many hours a week you will need this person.  Nannies can be more flexible with hours than a daycare.

2.  If hiring a nanny, you could check with your church to see if there are some members that might be available and can handle newborns. Online sites such as sittercity.com and care.com are also great sites.  My nanny was registered with sittercity.com.  I do not recommend Craigslist. 

3.  Be prepared to do tons of reference check/background checks as well as social media checks.  Reference checks should always be done by phone; check for accurate information and if the reference likes this person.  My husband and I received 75 applications for this position so we called references before the applicant to weed out people. 

4.  When interviewing a nanny in person, meet in a neutral spot, such as a restaurant. Trust your intuition. 

5.  I viewed hiring a nanny like hiring an employee.  I expect professionalism and full attention to my child.  They are not there to bring their personal problems nor bring friends or their children or their pets over to my house.  

I wish you the best of luck.

[Lydia]

I would also recommend looking into an "at home" daycare type situation, where you take your children to a sitter in her home. She might look after her own children or sometimes a couple of others.

My children go to a sitter in her home 3.5 days a week and it's been a great situation. My kids don't get exposed to some of the illnesses that go around daycares and I like that they are in a home environment, especially as babies. Plus, that type of situation isn't as expensive as a nanny or a regular daycare.

[Candi Wingate]

In today’s society, there are many benefits of hiring a nanny:

1.  COST.  If you have two or more children, it may be cost effective for you to hire a nanny as many daycare centers can cost you more.  Also, many families are using “nanny share”.  This is an arrangement in which two families share one nanny.  This cuts down on costs but you still experience the benefits of having a nanny.

2.  HEALTH OF THE CHILDREN.  You may have healthier children by keeping them away from the large groups of children typically found in daycare.  Germs are easily spread from child to child, so daycare centers can be breeding grounds for every cold and flu of the season.  When your children contract illnesses, it takes an emotional toll on both you and your children.  Further, they may miss school, you may miss work, and you may incur expenses associated with doctor’s visits and medications.  Your children’s exposure to germs, and thus the risks discussed here, can be dramatically diminished by simply using the services of a nanny.

3.  WORKPLACE PRODUCTIVITY.  If your children are sick, many daycare centers will not accept your children.  However, if you have a nanny, you can still go to work as the nanny will stay home with the children.  Further, if you have an attentive nanny at home with your children, you will be less likely to feel like you just can’t concentrate at work due to concern for your children.  By staying focused at work, your workplace productivity remains high.

4.  HOME WORKLOAD DELEGATION.  A nanny can help you maintain work/life balance.  For example, a nanny can be an extra pair of hands helping with household duties such as laundry, errands, transporting children, and starting the evening meal.  This allows for more quality family time when the parents arrive home.  No need to rush in the morning to get the kids out the door for daycare or school: a nanny is an extra pair of hands in the morning.

5.  MARITAL BONDING.  Many parents become so over-committed with the tasks of working full-time on top of parenting, household maintenance, and a host of other daily responsibilities, that tending the marital bond simply isn’t on their radar screen.  Years later, it may be too late when the couple realizes that they have grown apart.  A nanny can help prevent that.  Nannies can watch children in the evenings (which many daycare centers will not do), thus allowing parents an opportunity for a romantic evening out, or maybe just some private just-the-two-of-us time.  These relationship-building evenings help maintain the marital bond.

6.  PEACE OF MIND.   Daycare centers have... http://tinyurl.com/yakn7ws

[Donna Davis]

I am an in home daycare provider and I think we are a parents best option!  I am state licensed-That is a must now days! There are so many pros when you find a "good" in home childcare. Please see my ad-Wiggles and Giggles In Home Childcare.

 

You can email me at [e-mail], for more info.