Another daycare question...

[jhrabosk]

This time, daycare vs. nanny.

DD is currently in daycare, but I'm not happy with the situation. I think they care for her adequately, but the communication is abysmal, among the employees and with me. Plus, it's very small and I don't love the thought of her being there once she gets moving around more. There are two other centers in town but, besides having obscenely long waiting lists, I don't think they're any better.

I'm thinking we're going to switch to a nanny, but for some reason am having a hard time moving forward with it. I can't figure out why I'm hesitant.

Any input on pros, cons, etc?

I haven't heard of any reputable in-home situations in my town and, for the moment at least, staying home isn't an option. As sad as it is, I make too much money and have AMAZING health benefits that we can't afford to give up.

TIA!

[annasmom]

Well, ultimately it is a very personal choice, and it depends on finding a really good nanny or daycare center.

We have a nanny and it has worked well for us, but she is leaving soon and I hope to find someone just as good. A nanny is a good fit for me because I work part-time and mostly from home. I also have 2 children and a nanny also makes financial sense for 2 dc. Most of my decision comes down to the fact that I like being here, at home, with my kids even though someone else is taking care of them. For those reasons I don't really consider daycare an option for us.

[bubbaray]

Here's a thread from last week:

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=37&topic_id=314970&mode=full&page=4

HTH

Melissa

Maya Papaya!
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[Sillygirl]

I love having a nanny, but as Jonathan's gotten older I would also be a little more comfortable with a day care. I didn't like the idea of him in a group when he was a young as your daughter, because I thought a nanny would provide a lot of one-on-one care.

We actually have what has been the ideal solution for us, which is that we share a nanny with one other family. So Jonathan has a playmate all day, who's about four months younger. It cuts the financial burden substantially and I like it that he's interacting with another child.

We pay our nanny legally, and you can PM me for tips on how to make that work easily if you need to.

[MonicaH]

We have a nanny and I can tell you how we got there.

We wanted someone who would be able to give their full attention to our daughter and do what we wanted in terms of naps, food, no CIO, etc, rather than trying to make her adhere to someone else's schedule. From this standpoint we have been so happy. Also we wanted to minimize her respiratory infections, and this has been marginally successful.

I was worried about finding someone who would be patient and loving with her. I was nearly having panic attacks because of worry that someone would shake her or hit her or something like that. She's a very easygoing baby but still I worried. My fears were put to rest when we met our current nanny. She has 4 kids and a 1 year old grandson (he has a lot of medical problems which she is totally on top of so we knew she could handle anything).

To find her, we went through a nanny agency. They did the background checks and so on. We got several applications and interviewed 3 or 4 people. The one we ended up with was the one we both felt most comfortable with. (Those we didn't choose were a woman who told us all about her infertility struggles at the first meeting, one who left her previous job in a different state and gave us a reason that didn't sound true to us, and one whose goal in becoming a nanny was "to have a less stressful career.")

The downside is, obviously, the expense, and you pay more for someone with more experience especially with infants which is what we wanted. You have to pay FICA and other taxes associated with a household employee (if you do it above the table). And there's the fact that you need a backup plan if the nanny's sick.

OK, this was pretty long but I think it sums up our experience. LMK if I can help you out any further. Good luck!

Monica

[Alys the Cat]

I've gone both routes, and am infinitely happier having a nanny for DS.

After taking a three-month maternity leave, I enrolled DS in a daycare across the street from my office. Overall, it was a nice place, with bright, clean rooms and really sweet teachers. I felt DS wasn't getting enough attention, tho. And he got ear infections constantly! I usually got sick when DS did, making it almost impossible for me to work. Quitting wasn't practical (ditto on the great salary and health benefits -- plus a pension!), so I ended up taking an unpaid leave of absence and tracking down a nanny.

We interviewed about seven ladies -- some from an agency, some from word of mouth. We ended up going with an agency nanny who had wonderful references and felt like a great fit for our family.

Yes, going the agency route is pricey -- as is paying her on the books -- but she is incredible. DS is thriving in her care, and gets plenty of socialization, as she takes him to the park, library, etc. To my great relief, DS has been healthy and antibiotic-free for nearly a year!

I know that I have benefitted greatly from the convenience and peace of mind that a quality, one-on-one caregiver can offer. Whatever you decide, I'm sure you'll find a situation that works for you and DD.

Best of luck in your search!

[squimp]

For us, a nanny was the best option until about the 18 month-2 year period. I felt that DD needed lots of individual attention until then. She didn't really show that much interest in other kids until that point. We started her in daycare at about 20 months, and she has done really well. We hired our nanny through the paper, and it worked out really well. We did it legally, and it's not such a big deal to do taxes, etc. Our accountant charges $100 to do our taxes and our employer paperwork, so it's a no brainer.

If you're not happy or at least content with your childcare, I think you're smart to consider making a change. No one is just like mama, but it's so hard to be at work and not feel that your child is in the "next best" thing to mama.