Nanny or Day Care?

Even though I have no experience in hiring a nanny or using day care, I will add my opinion. I think day care sounds like a great option for you! Nannies call in sick sometimes. Nannies go on vacations. Nannies (as you have found out) might move away. The day care center is reliable and you won't have to worry about whether or not you can make plans based on their availability.

That is great that you visited the day care center and like it. My sister put all three of her kids in the same day care, and those day care workers were just so incredibly loving to all of her children. They really were like family. Good luck to you!

Do you need for your 3 working hours/day to be from noon-3?

If you could shift that to 3-6, maybe you could have a neighborhood teen come to your house 3 days per week after school. A teen would be happy to have these hours, and would likely be less expensive for you.

You would still need to have a backup plan for your once per month all day meeting. Do you have any family around,? Or if you have a SAHM friend, maybe you could ask her if she'd like to early some $ for those occasional long meetings.

I've used a day care center for my kids for years and have had a great experience. Kids like the social time - it's good for them to have time that is NOT 1 on 1. Especially since it sounds like your daughter gets plenty of 1-on-1 time with you, so I don't see this part as a big deal. If you can afford it, she might enjoy the center.

How old is your daughter? Is nursery school three afternoons a week an option? I doubt you will find a professional nanny who is willing to work only 10-15 hours a week. You might have better luck finding a SAHM who would be willing to babysit, in their own home. (I used to do this when my kids were small. It was ideal because my kids played with the kids I babysat, I appreciated the extra money but I didn't rely on this income to live, and it didn't disrupt my daily routine too much.) Most kids enjoy the company of other kids over one on one time with an adult. Or, as someone else suggested, can you do your work a little later in the day and hire a high school student to come after school?

Here's the only issue I can think of. Almost all child care centers have state regulated rules they MUST go by or be closed down. One of them is how old kids must be in each classroom. Since your little one is still an infant they'll be in the infant room until they turn 1. Your little one will have to move to the toddler room. That's GOOD. BUT you'll have to understand it's not all about your little one at the center. The toddler room should only have 1 nap per day, they should have the kids on cots instead of a baby bed, they will have certain times they eat, sleep, play, do table work, go outside, and everything.

They have to have all the kids down at the same time, they have to follow a written class schedule for the most part, if the licensing worker comes in and finds them not going by the state regulations they can lose their license to they won't change for you just because you want your little one to do something differently, you'll have to conform to their schedule and rules and expectations.

That will influence your home much more than a nanny who will do basically what ever you want them to do.

I'd still do child care because I have less issues with a child going to a facility that has numerous people wandering in and out of a classroom and seeing how the kiddo's are being treated than if a person was at home with a kiddo by themselves.

Daycare without a doubt. You do not need many hours and it is good for her to be around other children. One on one is good but they need more than that.

You need to realize, just because you are home, this is still a full time job.

Daycare, they are always available.
It sounds like what you all need.
The kids will love it. Daycare is all about the child.

You will have a lot less stress and worry which will make you an even better mom.

In my opinion day care is always a great expierence. It lets them meet childrend there age, exposes them to a classroom settings thats great prep for preK/kindergarden, and even though it doesnt seem good- they get exposed to some germs and colds to help boost there immune system so when they get to kindergarden there not catching everything!

Sounds like a couple days a week of daycare would meet you needs pretty well.

Yes, it WOULD be cheaper to potentially find an hourly nanny who would take payment only for the hours you actually need her... but given your wacky scheduling needs, WHO exactly would end up taking your job? I know you had a good nanny before, but I'd say that was your one lucky break. The schedule you describe doesn't allow anyone to hold another job or be in school (it's two unset with the SOMETIMES this sometimes that). Unless you have a niece or something who needs a place to live for several months who can babysit in exchange, I think you're out of luck.

Could potentially shift your work to two full days (well until your son is done with school) rather than a couple of hours every day? If so you could consider doing 2 days a week instead of 3 (probably cheaper) but taking her for the whole day instead of just after her nap. Then you'd have the other 3 weekdays to really just BE with your little one and not try to squeeze work in every free moment. Just a thought.

Hope this helps.
T.

I think it depends a lot on the all important money situation. Routine is super important for your kids and you too. So unfortunately daycare will likely provide more stability in the way of routine. But expense is a real issue. So look at your expenses and ask yourselves; can you afford daycare?
We have a nanny personally. We love her. But she works the same days a week for the same times a day. Its guaranteed. A good nanny loves tour kids and has chosen to work with your kids rather than somewhere else i order to pay there bills. You as their employer have to provide anyone with any selfworth stability. My kids 2.5 and 4 y/o know and expect when our nanny will be coming. They look forward to it. But if there is no predictable hours, I totally get that its going to be hard to attract a professional nanny. Not to mention that the sporratic hours will not provide that routine that young kids crave. However I get that a nanny will give you the comfort of maximizing your time with your kids and being able to maintain more control over their environment (what they do, who they meet, general activities). So I personally think that the daycare route would best benefit your family. But again that's if its affordable.
Your child can know that routinely, this is where I go on these days. This is what I can expect each day. Also, there is the benefit of the not a family member factor... Other kids, other adults, other routines, other places. I think that this will make the transition to 'real school.' That much more successful.
Nannys are great, and there are some great nannys out there. But a great nanny will also likely know their worth. They will likely need competative pay with regular guaranteed hours, in order to retain them. If you aren't able to retain your nanny, then there is no stability to your family and you're back where you are again.