Daycare vs. Nanny

BMaidPlanner · August 2014

If you could afford both, talk to me about which you would choose and why.

irenewslee · August 2014

We debated between the two and ended up choosing daycare.

Originally we were leaning towards nanny bc LO is still too young and we are afriad she will get exposed to germs too soon. Plus with a nanny we save some pick up/drop off time and the nanny may be able to do some light housework. The downside is the risk of having my daugher alone with someone at my house. Anything can happen to my dd and she will not know how to tell me. I also have a hard time trusting a stranger in my house since i had bad experience with housecleaner before.

The daycare we picked have some older kids (4 and 5). I figured if something goes wrong, they will know to tell their parents and the parents will take them out of there... The place was recommended by a friend.

PressLove · August 2014

I like the idea of a nanny for infants. However, I'd like my toddler to have the social interactions and educational structure that daycare would provide.

JESNYC · August 2014

I was deciding between the two and decided to go with a nanny. It was almost half the price of daycare but we would have gone with a nanny at this age even if the cost wasn't so different. We are doing a nanny share with close friends so he will still have some socialization. We preferred a nanny for more individual attention, more flexibility if we got stuck at work a little late and some days without pick up and drop off. I was very lucky though because we were able to hire a good friend's nanny because he was moving out of state. She worked for him for a few years and their toddler adored her. We may reconsider our arrangement when our son is older.

tbmadeamistake · August 2014

We chose daycare for C for a couple reasons. If her teacher was sick, they'd have back up and we wouldn't have to call in sock ourselves. That said, a nanny would still care for your child if your child got sick whereas a daycare won't. We also liked the idea of having her get used to different people caring for her and interacting with the other children. She is two now and very happily adjusts to having other adults and kids around. Getting yo her and out the door wasn't too bad and they helped get her on a schedule and transition to one nap when she was ready. They end up learning a lot of skills at daycare just by watching the older kids (I am now relying on her to reach all of that to Charlie, I have no idea how to teach someone how to use a fork and shit).

We also chose a small, family run center, not one of the big franchises. They are awesome and in a building that goes from infant through pre-k only have 80 kids. They were the same cost as an in home daycare and less expensive than a nanny in our area.

purtz · August 2014

For both kids, we've done/will do a nanny for 9 months after I go back to work. Then start daycare at 12 months when they are walking and wouldn't be in the infant room anymore. Worked out great with DD; hope we have such a great experience with DS!

curlylocks3 · August 2014

We were planning to do a nanny. Our main decision point was logistics (which are specific to us): we have one car, none of the daycare places were easily accessible by public transit (and even if they were geographically, our train stop has no elevator so it would be one parent carrying them both- aka not feasible right now), and due to our schedules one of us would be doing drop off and the other doing pickups. It would have saved our sanity to have someone come to us. Additionally, I do not have a set work schedule and with a nanny we could have arranged for flexibility (they'd get a 6 week schedule like mine) vs havig to pay for 5 days a week in day care. The socialization factor wasn't as big a deal for us because they will always have their sibling to hang with, but we also know most of our neighbors' nannies take the kids on play dates so we figured that would happen.
I ended up becoming a SAHM but am planning to return to work in the next 1-2 years and we will likely go with a nanny then as well.

Mindyvl · August 2014

I will be staying home with DS, but was a nanny for 10 years and ran an afterschool program for 3 years. If I had to make the choice, I would 100% choose a nanny (not live-in) in a heartbeat. A nanny will get to know your child as well as you do. A good nanny will give her undivided attention to your child(ren) vs. having to split her time between many other children. Your child will not have to deal with the incredibly excessive turnover rates that you may find in a daycare center. A good nanny have absolutely no issue with nannycams, whether she knows where they are or not. She will organize play dates, outings, and take your child out in the world vs. staying in the same room all day, 5 days a week. The chance of your child getting sick at daycare is dramatically higher (not to mention more serious) than your nanny calling out sick. You'll have far more flexibility in your schedule. The nanny can come early or stay late. She can make dinner or do the laundry. You have complete control over what your child eats vs. sometimes sketchy, mass prepared food in the daycare center. I could go on and on.

nicolewhelan · August 2014

I would love to have a live in nanny as well (I have a basement apartment too!) if money was no object. Then again...if money was no object I wouldn't be going back to work! LOL!

We were going to do daycare, but a friend was looking for 2 kids to watch so we jumped on that. Saves us $300 a month compared to daycare and he gets a little more one on one attention til he gets bigger. So LO will be with her 3 year old and 9 month old. I'll probably move LO to daycare after the 1st of the year, hopefully flu season won't be as bad this year, but they have to get sick at some point:)

katekat8721 · August 2014

If we had to, we'd go with a non live-in nanny. CA has insane tenant laws so she would come to us. Not worried about socialization because 1) they're twins and 2) I'm in a twin mom's group the nanny could hang out with.

IlliniQT · August 2014

If money was no object a nanny would make our lives a lot easier. Our older boy is starting preschool this year and coordinating all of his transportation and having to take LO to daycare has been tough. But nanny's around here cost a fortune so it's just not an option for us.

katekat8721 · August 2014

nutmegs8 said:

katekat8721 said:
If we had to, we'd go with a non live-in nanny. CA has insane tenant laws so she would come to us. Not worried about socialization because 1) they're twins and 2) I'm in a twin mom's group the nanny could hang out with.
I watched something on 20/20 (I think) about that nanny from hell. I couldn't imagine...

Seriously!! So crazy!

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Daycare vs. Nanny

Re: Daycare vs. Nanny

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