Daycare Vs. Nannying

I am trying to figure out how it could be cheaper, you will still be paying her the same wage when your daughter starts kindergarten in the fall.

Anyway, big con you missed, if she gets sick you miss work. There will be no back up anymore. I can't remember which mom it is but she has had a crazy amount of expense and stress because she is having to find another sitter and still pay her nanny (or maybe it is a small day care) because of a death in the family and an unexpected illness.

Not sure how a nanny is cheaper than daycare...it never should be. Paying for a nanny is a "premium" item. Plus there is a bit of taxes and things to do on the "up and up" to do it correctly. Paying overtime, a working wage, the employer taxes, etc. A nanny needs to make a living wage, and if thats less than what you were paying for daycare, you are doing a great dis-service to the role of nannies. Just the other day, I found my orig nanny contract from 1989 (I stayed with them over 8 years). I see advertisements for nanny jobs making the same as I started at way back then. Rediculous.

Sorry, but as a former nanny, it burns my muffins to see how "nannies" are treated, for the most part, in this day and age in these regards. This will not be the popular reply, but someone had to say it. Sorry.

You didn't mention a con as being the tax complications of becoming an employer. If you haven't already investigated the legal way of working with a nanny, definitely contact a CPA. You don't want to get zinged by the IRS for managing this incorrectly or illegally.

There are pros and cons to both options. If you've found a great caregiver, that is such a huge plus. It will also make for an easier transition for your kids.

Best of luck to you!

I'm jumping on the "nanny is a good idea" bandwagon. My son had a nanny until he was two and a half (I then became a SAHM). She took him to the park and scheduled playdates with other kids in the neighborhood (with our permission). He had plenty of interaction with other people. Your younger daughter may have more separation anxiety once you put her in preschool or kindergarten, but I think that's a pretty small con against the larger benefits you already outlined. BTW - if you want help with taxes, try Breedlove and Associates: www.mybreedlove.com/. The whole firm is dedicated to domestic worker tax issues, and they make it incredibly easy to stay compliant.

Get the nanny-and invite friends over occassionally-but work that out with the nanny-or do it on your time when you will be home. Your children will be sick a lot less, too, most likely!

Keep in mind that your nanny made the choice herself to leave her job and become your nanny. So let go of the guilt for that. Your responsibility is to do what is best for your family. Your oldest will get plenty of socializing in kindergarten and if this is a great nanny, she will likely be taking the kids out on occasion, to parks for example. I'm not an expert, but from my own experience as a mom, the security and connection that will come from being home with a nanny and a little more time with you is more valuable than having daily playmates. The only con I can think of that you didn't list is that if your nanny gets too sick to care for the kids or goes on vacation, you will need a backup plan. Good luck!

It sounds like you made a great decision! And; yes; a nanny can really be cheaper than daycare when there are 2 or more children involved. There are many benefits to a nanny including not only helping with childcare, but also with light housekeeping, starting the evening meal and even transporting kids to activities, etc. If you kids are sick; you can still go to work as the nanny can care for the children. In regards to taxes; many families use a nanny tax/payroll service. You can find more information out about that here...http://tinyurl.com/3rdw9do

Best of luck with your new nanny : )

We just changed to a sitter instead of a daycare. We make play dates with my oldest friends. The sitter has other kids so My daughter (6 month) will have friends to play with as she grows. My son 3 yr goes to school now for half days and he loves it.. so now his friends will be close by, as before our daycare was near my husbands work- because the infant care in the area is way to pricey. My son gets to be a handful, but we are working with the sitter. I think your decision is fine. Check with you school when your daughter gets a little older , she might be able to go to school and get the interactiuons there. Keep in mind 30 years ago us kids were home with our moms and never had the daycare or the socializing to go with it.. we turned out just fine.

Well, you guys made the decision for a lot of good reasons. Having a nanny can be a huge benefit. Your older daughter will be in school soon and will do plenty of interacting. You can also put your daughter into a part time preschool program if you are worried about the same thing. You can also express this worry with the nanny and have her take the girls to library reading groups, play dates, etc. I wouldn't be worried about it at all. They have had a long time to experience group child care and have been working on social skills. Plenty of kids stay home in their early years and end up fine. They will not be completely isolated and your benefits are going to clearly outweigh this concern.

Addressing the cons:
1. your five yr old will get plenty of social interaction in kindergarten. your nanny can take both kids to the park and library. there's all kinds of reading programs and various learning activities sponsored by the library geared towards children 6 mos and up. Check out their schedule.
2. don't you get social interactions with adults at work? you'll also get plenty of that once your child goes to kindergarten. moms that bring their kids to school usually stay until the bell rings. we chat with each other.

Sounds like you are just questioning the decision. I have a sitter at my home. I love it -- but I also work from home so that means the sitter can deal with all the problems and I still get to hear about the good things in my kids' day. If you are concerned about socialization with other kids then make sure you set up play dates. Other than that, I think your pros are good ones and I would have made the same choice.

i have 3 kids and we did a nanny for a while (because it was cheeper then having 3 kids in daycare!) I loved it! I did not have to get the kids up and out of bed in the AM, if something happened at work and I was running late, out nanny never minded. Out nanny was going to school while being out nanny. It worked great for her as she would put the little ones down and then do "homework" with her and my oldest. She also took my oldest to school and picked him up so that was nice for us. I really miss those days when we had a nanny! For the friend’s part, get the phone #'s of the moms whose kids your kids like to hang around and have them over for play dates! My hubby and I were so busy in those days we forgot about friends for ourselves! We now do play dates a lot, for out kids and for us! Enjoy the nanny, you made a great choice!!