It has been a couple of months since we started using a nanny instead of a daycare center. Because my nanny is now pregnant (good for her, bad for me), I am in the situation of having to find someone new again. I keep going back and forth trying to decide what to do. My ideal situation (if I had the funds to do so) would be to have my 2-year-old go to daycare and have someone come to the house to watch my 3-month-old. But since finances won’t allow for this arrangement I have to make the decision to either put both of them in daycare or have a nanny come to the house to watch both of them. I am no where close to making up my mind, but here are pros and cons of each arrangement as I see it.
Daycare Pros
- They are always open, never sick. Unless my son is sick, I have care for him.
- Older kids get to play with friends all day.
- They are very good about reporting things and telling you exactly what happened while you were away.
- A curriculum – most (but not all) daycare centers have a curriculum that they follow, making sure your kids learn certain things.
- Checks and Balances – there are other people around to minimize the chances of someone doing something bad to one of your kids.
Daycare Cons
- Coughs, Sniffles, Flu, and Fever – My son was constantly coming home sick from other kids
- Not as much one-on-one attention for babies & newborns (this is why I switched to a nanny when my daughter was born)
- Getting everyone out of the house is a big hassle – especially in the middle of a Michigan winter!
- Turnover – when my son was in daycare I felt like different people were taking care of him everyday. Difference shifts, people get hired, people quit. There was no one person that was always there and he could look forward to seeing.
Nanny Pros
- No morning “get everyone out of the house” stress
- More one-on-one care for babies and toddlers
- A little piece of mind knowing your kids are safe at home
- More flexible on changing times, staying late, coming early
- If you arrange it ahead of time, may also do some light housework
Nanny Cons
- Day is not as structured
- Most don’t give you the play-by-play of what happened each day
- Older kids miss the interaction with other kids their age
- Unless you have a nanny-cam, there is no one there to watch that the nanny isn’t doing anything bad with your kids
- If you nanny is sick, you have no one to watch your kids for you
So that is my list, please comment to let me know your experiences with daycare centers and nannies.