Nanny vs. Daycare, who do you trust your children with?

For many parents the issue of childcare is a big one. It is becoming increasingly more common to see families with two working parents, which creates the debate of childcare. When looking for someone to care for your child there are many factors to consider, factors which are different for every family. It is important that you are comfortable with the person that will be spending such a huge chunk of time with your child.

 

In the Raleigh area this brings us to the classic question: daycare or a nanny? Do you bring your child to someone at their house, or have the sitter come to you? There are so many things to consider and it is not to be taken lightly. The younger years are so formative and important that you owe it to your child to take the time to really make sure you have reached an informed decision.

 

Regardless of what you chose to do with your child, there is one important thing to remember. Research, research, research. There is nothing wrong with checking and double checking on a facility or nanny. Ask questions, verify references, even schedule a few “test days” before you decide on something definitely.

 

Let’s look at a nanny for hire first. Many cities, like Raleigh and Cary, have nanny agencies available, where they will do the work for you! It is important to make sure you check all references, resumes, and background checks for the Nanny you are looking to hire. If you are not hiring someone you already know, it is a good idea to go through a nanny agency that will be able to thoroughly research each and every person that could have potential to walk through your door.

 

Having a nanny can have a lot of great benefits. A nanny provides one-on-one interactions that may be lacking in a daycare or preschool, simply because of the number of children. Also, if your child is sick, many nannies are still willing to come to your house to care for them, which could reduce the amount of time needed to take off of work. Additionally, you are able to specifically determine what your child is playing with, watching, or eating throughout the day. You can play activities, meals, and designate exactly how much time you want your child sleeping, watching tv, etc.

 

It is important to always know what you are looking for and what you are willing to pay for. Some sitters are willing to work outrageous hours for cheap, but is this what you want? In one article a mom explains that she found a sitter on Craigslist for $60 a week. This sitter ended up abusing the child. Be wary of deals that seem too good to be true, many times they are!

 

http://www.wave3.com/story/20538293/experts-parent-had-better-options-for-suitable-child-care

 

When looking at daycares, make sure you ask plenty of questions. Make sure you know what the ratios are, how many teachers are in a room at a time, what the star rating of the school is, what food, if any, is provided to the children. No one will get offended of someone finding out everything they can about a facility. If you were buying a car would you purchase it before test driving? We wouldn’t either.

 

Daycares and preschools have a lot of great benefits as well. Your child will get the opportunity to spend time with other children, which can teach them how to share and play well with others. Being in a school with structure and having the same “schedule” every day can also help to prepare your child for school as they grow older.

 

When talking about the price you pay for a daycare vs nanny, it all depends on how many children you have. For many with only one child it may be most beneficial to pay for daycare, as the total cost may be less than what you would pay for a nanny (especially if you need to provide gas, insurance, and other costs for a nanny). However, the more children you have, the pricier daycare becomes. In many cases, the cost of a nanny does not go up exponentially if you have two or three children, where as many daycares in the Raleigh, Cary, and Durham areas can go up by at least $1,000/month.

 

Above all, trust your instincts. If something feels wrong to you, it probably isn’t a good fit. If you hire a nanny or enroll your child in daycare, there is nothing that says that needs to be your final decision. If you have an issue, then start back at the drawing board and keep looking until you are comfortable with your decision. Whatever works best for your family is what is most important.

 

 

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 16th, 2013 at 4:28 pm and is filed under Raleigh Nanny & Babysitting Blog, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.