If money weren't an issue would you have a nanny or daycare?

Let's pretend that you CAN'T or don't want to stop working so being a SAHM is out of the picture.

But you can afford a nanny.

Would you still choose daycare? Or would you go with the nanny?

Why?

Re: If money weren't an issue would you have a nanny or daycare?

I had a choice - I chose daycare. The reasons:

1- I adore her provider - she works well with all of DD's special needs, and my DD's love her.

2- My DD's get to interact with other kids - and it just gets them put of the house, and outside everyday.

Re: If money weren't an issue would you have a nanny or daycare?

That's a really hard question, because for me the decision isn't financially based. There are pro's and con's to each.

My intial thought is to keep her in daycare, but move her to a more expensive one that I like better but can't currently afford. DD LOVES to be with the other kids, she wouldn't have that with a nanny.

However a nanny makes my life easier, another set of hands, don't have to wake her and get her ready for daycare, less illnesses, more attention, etc.

So I'm absolutely no help!! Sorry!!

Message edited 9/17/2007 9:17:17 PM.

Re: If money weren't an issue would you have a nanny or daycare?

I would get the best daycare with impecable reputation, programs, etc.. I have a problem trusting individual.

Re: If money weren't an issue would you have a nanny or daycare?

We had a choice - we can afford both, but we chose daycare.

I like that she's interacting with other children her age, that she has a structured ay filled with activities, and that she's learning to bond to various adults, not just one.

I've never second-guessed my decision - I'm thrilled with daycare, though I have to say, for convenience sake and scheduling, having a nanny probably does work better.

Re: If money weren't an issue would you have a nanny or daycare?

When the time comes, I may chose daycare (p/t).

But I can see how a nanny makes life easier.

Can you have a p/t nanny, and do a p/t daycare??

Re: If money weren't an issue would you have a nanny or daycare?

I dont have kids, but when I do, and I have to make this choice, I want to go with both...

I really want my kids in day care for socialization, but I also really like the one on one they would get with the nanny, so I would probably have them in day care pt 2 or 3 days a week, and with the nanny the other 2 or 3

Re: If money weren't an issue would you have a nanny or daycare?

If money weren't an isssue, I'd have 2 nannies with their own cars who would take DC to many different activities and play groups several times a week.

Re: If money weren't an issue would you have a nanny or daycare?

We decided on the nanny route. I like the idea of having DD at home and having individual attention. I also think there is more flexibility with a nanny (they won't "close" at a certain time) and it's definitely 'easier' in terms of leaving in the morning and such. As far as socialization, I am not too worried about that since there are lots of kids in our neighborhood and I have lots of friends with kids.

That said - I also think daycare can provide wonderfully for children as well. It's such a personal decision.

Re: If money weren't an issue would you have a nanny or daycare?

I chose day care for our family, although I may end up regretting my decision because I am unhappy with day care so far for many reasons. However it is only a few weeks in so I will reserve final judgment and tell you the reasons why I initially chose day care:

- it is very difficult to find a good nanny as I have many friends who have been through countless nannies

- I didn't feel I could completely trust a nanny alone with my child, and liked the fact that day care had more people around and was somewhat more monitored

- I liked the fact that my child would be around other children and could play with them, learn from them, etc.

- I need reliability, and cannot risk a nanny calling in sick, taking last minute time off, having to leave early, etc.

So far in day care, my child has been fed, timely changed, and comes home safe, which is ultimately the most important. But he has already been sick (for the first time in his life), and it is not so easy to drop him off and pick him up at certain times. Plus, I am just not in love with how the teachers treat him - they don't "love" him and he gets no special attention and I feel like it's just a job for them that they do as a mechanical routine. I feel like everything is "scheduled" so all the kids do everything at once, but it is not always necessarily the schedule that works for him.

That's not to say that a nanny will necessarily love your child like her own, but they will get more individual attention and will be in their own home with their own toys on their own schedule.

Part of it could be my guilt, too, about leaving him, and that won't go away even if we had a nanny.

Message edited 9/17/2007 9:24:22 PM.

Re: If money weren't an issue would you have a nanny or daycare?

Re: If money weren't an issue would you have a nanny or daycare?

I would go with a nanny till she was about a year/18 months, and then put her in day care. I'd want her to have the one on one attention while she was very small.

My mom will watch DD when my manny, I mean DH, is done with his sabbatical. But I think she will go to some kind of program when she's a little older (though this is also partly because I don't know how long my mom will be able to physically take care of DD)

Re: If money weren't an issue would you have a nanny or daycare?

Can I say both? Nanny for the first year, daycare after that. I kind of wish we could afford daycare. Ava would absolutely LOVE the daily interaction with other babies. And then I could have my husband back from his new job as "manny" to Ava

Re: If money weren't an issue would you have a nanny or daycare?

Re: If money weren't an issue would you have a nanny or daycare?

Posted by prncss

Can I say both? Nanny for the first year, daycare after that. I kind of wish we could afford daycare. Ava would absolutely LOVE the daily interaction with other babies. And then I could have my husband back from his new job as "manny" to Ava

Re: If money weren't an issue would you have a nanny or daycare?

Re: If money weren't an issue would you have a nanny or daycare?

nanny.

I was a nanny to kids who went to daycare. I would pick them up from daycare during my school year...and for summers I would watch them full time.

As I nanny, I watched them wake up when they were ready too. Eat breakfast and chat. Get their bathing suits on, hang out at the pool. We would attend playdates and go to the library. We had season passes to Busch Gardens...we went there often. Attended movie programs. We read, they rode their bikes. They made neighborhood friends.

The parents were able to come straight home from work.

Re: If money weren't an issue would you have a nanny or daycare?

Posted by leighla

Posted by prncss

Can I say both? Nanny for the first year, daycare after that. I kind of wish we could afford daycare. Ava would absolutely LOVE the daily interaction with other babies. And then I could have my husband back from his new job as "manny" to Ava

That's what we are discussing.

I'm just stressing about the little amount of attention he will get in daycare versus a nanny right now (at 4 months).

When he's older I'm all for daycare, but I just don't feel right about it right now.

Re: If money weren't an issue would you have a nanny or daycare?

Can I add to my answer? Wait, don't answer that because I'm goign to anyway

Let me ask you, if you go with a nanny, will you allow the nanny to take him to playgroups and the park and the library, etc? I ask this because, as much as I am blessed to have a husband who can stay home during the day, he doesn't really take her anywhere. He plays and interacts with her, but because he has to work at night, the last thing he wants to do is shlep her around. Not to mention the fact that he feels uncomfortable being the only man most times in playgroups. I feel like Ava really would benefit from being in daycare, even if from day one.

So, if I were to have a nanny, I would hope to hire someone who had a car and could drive Ava to all those activities. I don't think that I'd want her sitting in the house all day the way she does now. I've only JUST convinced my husband that she should be outside playing during the day Granted, with a nanny, you're paying her so she'll do what you tell her.
So, while the one on one attention in a home-setting is great, it can limit those really important skills of being part of a group. I think that the ratios are very good for infant rooms and he would get a lot of attention in a daycare. Plus, I think that if Ava was in daycare, she'd probably have more patience than she does now. She's used to being the center of the universe over here, and I don't think that's a good thing. I think she should have to learn to share the spotlight with other children, etc.
Anyway, that's my 53 cents on the subject.

Re: If money weren't an issue would you have a nanny or daycare?

Posted by prncss

Can I add to my answer? Wait, don't answer that because I'm goign to anyway

Let me ask you, if you go with a nanny, will you allow the nanny to take him to playgroups and the park and the library, etc? I ask this because, as much as I am blessed to have a husband who can stay home during the day, he doesn't really take her anywhere. He plays and interacts with her, but because he has to work at night, the last thing he wants to do is shlep her around. Not to mention the fact that he feels uncomfortable being the only man most times in playgroups. I feel like Ava really would benefit from being in daycare, even if from day one.

So, if I were to have a nanny, I would hope to hire someone who had a car and could drive Ava to all those activities. I don't think that I'd want her sitting in the house all day the way she does now. I've only JUST convinced my husband that she should be outside playing during the day Granted, with a nanny, you're paying her so she'll do what you tell her.
So, while the one on one attention in a home-setting is great, it can limit those really important skills of being part of a group. I think that the ratios are very good for infant rooms and he would get a lot of attention in a daycare. Plus, I think that if Ava was in daycare, she'd probably have more patience than she does now. She's used to being the center of the universe over here, and I don't think that's a good thing. I think she should have to learn to share the spotlight with other children, etc.
Anyway, that's my 53 cents on the subject.

Re: If money weren't an issue would you have a nanny or daycare?

Yes, the nanny would have a car and I would ask that she takes him to Gymboree or something similar during the week to socialize him.

Re: If money weren't an issue would you have a nanny or daycare?

Re: If money weren't an issue would you have a nanny or daycare?

I would say both. Nanny for when he was a baby baby - from now until about 1-2yrs old.

Then daycare at around 2 - I think it's great for socialization!

Re: If money weren't an issue would you have a nanny or daycare?

I would choose a nanny (which we have now). I like that DD has one on one attention. Yes, it's hard to trust a single person with your child alone all day, but she had great references, plus we installed a nanny cam (which made us feel alot better). She really loves DD and takes her to the playground and to library hour to interact with other kids. I also take her to a gym class once a week on my work from home day. Once she's about 2, we're going to put her in a little school program 2 or 3 mornings a week.

DH and my job has long hours - he leaves by 6:10 am and get home around 6 pm. I leave at 8 pm and don't get home till almost 6:45 - I would hate to have her in daycare those long hours - I don't think it would work well for us - plus I am always such a rush myself in the mornings - I can't imagine having to get her out of the house too!

Re: If money weren't an issue would you have a nanny or daycare?

As an infant a nanny, once a little older I would probably do a small daycare in someone's home with only 1 or 2 other children for him to play with. I'm not a big fan of daycare centers, JMO.