Pros of choosing center over nanny ... ?

Re: Pros of choosing center over nanny ... ?

• jenny1980 member

  January 2011

  My feeling: if you can afford it, absolutely do a nanny for the first year. In my opinion, the most important thing during infancy is consistent, loving, one-on-one attention. Before early toddlerhood, kids really don't play enough with each other to benefit from a group setting.

  It will also be easier on you logistically to have someone come to your place.

  Now that DD is one, we're transitioning from nanny care (I WOH three days/week) to daycare (starting tomorrow!) I'm excited for her to start, but very glad she benefitted from so much one on one time while a baby.

  The reality, even if you're looking at a center with a really good ratio (three babies or less/teacher) is that there WILL be times when a teacher is just not available to comfort or play with your baby. I, personally, am not comfortable with that scenerio if it can be avoided.

  How old will your baby be when he/she starts care?

   

  Lucy, 12/27/2009
  

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• KiKiGee

  January 2011

  Thanks.  That was sort of my initial reaction first.... having a nanny for the first 2 years... then doing DC until school aged, then back to nanny for after-school (I want him to be able to do all the activities, practices, play dates etc.... he wants to do when he is old enough to choose activities).  BUT.... now I'm just concerned... the Center we are looking at is less than 1/2 a block from my office, so it would be SO nice to be able to see him during the day...

  He will be either 4 or 5 mos when he starts, depending on how long my mom will stay with us.
  

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• shannm member

  January 2011

  Accountability and caretaker support and backup.

  My DS entered a center with a 1:4 ratio in the infant room when he was six weeks.  There were always two teachers plus a floater.  He got TONS of one on one attention.  Frankly, probably more than he got with me during lots of my crazy "trying to get a million and one things done" weekends. 

  If you KNOW your nanny is a sparkling star who is wonderful and perfect then go for it.  However most people I know hire someone after one or two interviews.  This would never work for me.  I would be a nervous wreck leaving a stranger alone with my child in my home.

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• thatjessie

  January 2011

  For me it was the accountablity. Daycare Centers are very structured and our ratio when DD was an infant was 1:3 like pp said she soemtimes got more snuggle time then she did at home when we were running errands and doing this and doing that. I personally would jump at the DC since it is just right next door.

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• liza0828

  January 2011

  One good thing about a center is that they have a backup if workers get sick. When my nanny gets sick we have to take off work to stay home with DD.  Of course, when my DD is sick we can still go to work, whereas in a center she would have to stay home.  And in daycare your baby is going to get sick more often than if she's with a nanny.

  So it probably all comes out pretty much the same anyway. 

  

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• EastCoastBride member

  January 2011

  I largely agree w/ Jenny.  DS has been w/ my parents or a nanny for 2 years now and I've been really happy with it. If you do your research, you can find a good, trustworthy nanny.

  And having DS at home has been wonderful.  Having the nanny come here has made my life so much easier. 

  But now I really do think he'll really benefit from being around other kids. 

  "Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."
  ~Benjamin Franklin

  
  DS dx with celiac disease 5/28/10

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• Cheerio B

  January 2011

  I chose a center because I just didn't feel comfortable leaving her with an individual, either in a nanny setting or someone who watches several children in their home. I like the fact that at a center there are always other workers and parents around. To me that means that if a worker were to do something wrong, there a ton of people around to see it.

  I'm still happy we chose the center we did. Several of the teacher's DD has/has had have been there for years. I've learned things from them and I like knowing that DD spends so much of her day with people who are good at and love what they do.

  

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• viety82bur

  January 2011

  I'm happy w/our center for many reasons...DD went to a former neighbor for the first year and it's just overall so much easier dealing w/the center than with an individual...and I thought that we had a good experience w/DD's previous caregiver.

  Centers have accountability and there is usually more than one teacher in the room...if one person is having a bad day, there are others there to pick up the slack.  This is not the case with a nanny.  Centers don't call off and say they're sick at the last minute or need to use vacation time other than what is in your contract.  It's much simpler to pay a center than to pay taxes/do accounting for a nanny.  If you do it under the table, there is a huge liability factor there.

  It seems to be that many people are concerned about their babies not receiving enough attention @ a center...it is their job to take care of your baby all day long.  They don't have the opportunity to put your kid in a swing and read a book or watch tv because of the accountability factor. 

  DD has absolutely thrived at daycare and even though a nanny could be less expensive I still would keep both kids in daycare for the social aspect alone.  Finding a center that you love is half the battle--in your situation I'd give it a shot.  You can always go the nanny route at any time if the center doesn't work out for you. 

  

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• liza0828

  January 2011

  I will add one thing about the "checks and balances" issue.  Think about it this way-- at a center, someone else is hiring the people who are caring for your child.  With a nanny, YOU are hiring that person.  At a center, you're following their rules and doing things their way.  A nanny is hired to do things your way.

  

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• Maybride2 member

  January 2011

  I really do hate the myth that infants in daycare are left crying in their cribs all day and don't get one-on-one attention. Sure, I have no doubt that there were times that DS wanted attention at the same moment that 4 other babies did; there were also times when DS was home with me and wanted attention at the same moment that I had to poop, or was in the middle of putting laundry in the dryer, or brushing my teeth, and he had to wait a few minutes for me. And especially as infants, the children are all on their own schedules - the babies aren't all napping, eating, and playing at the same times. Anyway, even if price wasn't a concern for us we still would have gone with a Center. We needed the accountability and reliability, and the structure and socialization were big deals to us too.

  

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• DallasHorn member

  January 2011

  As someone who's done both...I'll chime in with this...if your DC center is so close you can go there during the day, do that! Hands down this is what I recommend.

  I WFH, so having a nanny when #2 was an infant allowed me to "see" & hear what was going on. I just don't think I would have felt comfortable if I did not work from home having someone care for my infant right off the bat.

   #1 was at an onsite DC during her first 2 years and was great. I was able to nurse during lunch and felt like I really got to see her more since she rode with me to work and back, plus lunches.

  Pros:
  - no reliability issues (trust me on this...it can be a real PITA when nanny calls in sick and you can't find back up care)
  - Multiple line of sight - meaning multiple people know how and what's going on with your child while they are being cared for during the day
  - consistency - even on our 3rd nanny (whom I love), they all do some things that I don't like/prefer, but in a center, there is greater accountability and consistency in how things are handled

   

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• duchess0727

  January 2011

  For me, the benefits of having a nanny are the ease of someone watching your kid at home and being able to go to work when your kid is sick.  My kids got tons of personal attention in daycare so that was never an issue for me.  I just didn't feel comfortable having someone watch my child in my home with no supervision.  The daycare center gives me the security of a director who circulates the center, cameras that I could watch at any time and 4 teachers in the infant room so I know my kid could never be neglected/injured by a teacher.  My kids got so much love and attention at our center that I would never not choose a center for that reason but I'm sure a lot of that has to do with the specific teachers.  Ours treat my kids like family - the teachers in the infant rooms cried the day that my daughter moved up to the toddler room and they still come to visit her every day. 

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• Dec31stBride

  January 2011

  Pros:

  - accountability, back-ups for vacations and sick caregivers, baby learns to trust other adults.

  I firmly believe that they DO benefit from interacting with other children, even from a young age. If you intend to have more children, even better. DS wanted to do what the other children were doing - motivated him to practice crawling and walking. I know he would have done it anyway, but I saw him studying the other children who started walking early.

  I also think his verbal skills benefitted. And, he is now way better at social interaction than his cousins who stayed home.

  There is no TV at daycare for the caregivers to watch all day.

  Cons:

  - you have to get the baby ready in the morning, prep bottles, etc, drop off, and get to work on time. With a nanny, you just hand off and go...nighttime routine is a little rushed too.

  - more minor illnesses in the first year (although, DS rarely got sick)

  - probably a little less 1:1 (but not much in the beginning) 

  I am very happy with my choice of using a center, but I'd love a nanny fairy to help me early in the morning and at night...and on the weekends... 

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• SimDoh

  January 2011

  Although there are some great nannies out there, Personally I would not be able to fully trust just one individual to care for her, without any supervision or accountability. I like that when a teacher is feeling frustrated they can pass her to another teacher to help. I like that the teachers are watching each other. Many teachers creates a good ratio (1:3). Our center has a policy that no less than two adults will be with a class at any time, which creates good accountabilty. I loved that the center is accredited and they work hard to keep ther accredidation.  I loved that one teacher in each room is a certified teacher.

  We are actually having an unpredicted struggle, that the center, is holding baby too much, b/c now at home, she really cries when anyone tries to put her down for just a second. I guess its a good problem to have.

  I really debated between a well screened nanny in our home or a center and I'm happy with my decision.

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• KiKiGee

  January 2011

  Thank you all SO much.

  I'm really torn, and you all bring up great points.

  We did put a deposit down at the great center we found b/c they had just one spot left, so maybe as one of the PPs suggested we will try it and see...

   

  Thanks again, so much!
  

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