After 7 years, considering switching out of daycare for nanny - pros and cons?

[Anonymous]

We have three children - 7, 4, and 18 months. For the last seven years, we've used the same wonderful daycare, managing our work schedules with a few hiccups, but overall fine. Our two oldest are at the same DCPS school.

This year, with our third and so many viruses going around, we're having to miss so much work due to sicknesses and frankly at our breaking point. We're seriously considering a nanny for the first time. The cost difference is not insignificant - it's almost $20K more, assuming $27/hour, 45 hours a week, including all the payroll taxes, etc. And that's after subtracting all the extra childcare expenses we'd be saving like no school camps and aftercare. We'd keep our house cleaner who comes 1Xweek, but would love the nanny to help keep the house organized, maybe help us with laundry while the toddler sleeps. At the core of what we're trying to solve for is a lack of safety net - day to day we manage fine, but when work travel or kids sickness interfere with our routines, it's chaos.

Struggling to make this decision and would love to hear from any daycare families who have made the switch. What are the pros and cons? Are you happy with your decision? Appreciate any advice. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Made the switch to a nanny thinking it would be easier and now headed back to daycare. We have 3 as well (two in public and one that’s 18 months).

1) managing a nanny take a significant amount of time. Even an experienced one with many glowing recommendations. Daycare is easy, you drop off, you pay, no questions or decisions needed to be made. It was a heavy mental and time load.

2) the nanny must be comfortable watching a sick kid. You may think it’s a small virus but if she has other people in her house (kids, parents), she may not be as willing to come in.

3) you know when daycare is open/ closed for holidays well in advance. Our nanny had 3 weeks PTO (one week that lined up with our vacation) so we had to find coverage on those days. Also, the nanny also got sick. Do you want the virus your kid had to have come from the nanny who came in sick?

4) the cost kept seeming to grow. There were always extra classes or enrichment she wanted to do. We said no to a lot but realized most of the nanny families in the neighborhood did them so this was fun for her too.

[Anonymous]

You need an au pair - they work more flexible hours to cover work travel and stuff. A nanny work 9 am - 6 pm but can’t cover it one parent has a late meeting and one is out of town.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have three children - 7, 4, and 18 months. For the last seven years, we've used the same wonderful daycare, managing our work schedules with a few hiccups, but overall fine. Our two oldest are at the same DCPS school.

This year, with our third and so many viruses going around, we're having to miss so much work due to sicknesses and frankly at our breaking point. We're seriously considering a nanny for the first time. The cost difference is not insignificant - it's almost $20K more, assuming $27/hour, 45 hours a week, including all the payroll taxes, etc. And that's after subtracting all the extra childcare expenses we'd be saving like no school camps and aftercare. We'd keep our house cleaner who comes 1Xweek, but would love the nanny to help keep the house organized, maybe help us with laundry while the toddler sleeps. At the core of what we're trying to solve for is a lack of safety net - day to day we manage fine, but when work travel or kids sickness interfere with our routines, it's chaos.

Struggling to make this decision and would love to hear from any daycare families who have made the switch. What are the pros and cons? Are you happy with your decision? Appreciate any advice. Thanks!

I'm not sure you'll find a nanny willing to watch 3 kids for $27/hr.

The nanny will do the toddler's laundry, but not the parents laundry.

[Anonymous]

Even if older kids are in school until 3:15?

[Anonymous]

We only ever used a nanny rather than daycare so I know you didn't ask for my opinion, but I'll just point out that my nannied kids still caught things. Because the nanny took them out each day to aquariums, zoos, story hours, various playgrounds, etc. All places that both cost money AND where other kids with germs are.

[Anonymous]

Are you going to do pre k through DCPS at 3?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We only ever used a nanny rather than daycare so I know you didn't ask for my opinion, but I'll just point out that my nannied kids still caught things. Because the nanny took them out each day to aquariums, zoos, story hours, various playgrounds, etc. All places that both cost money AND where other kids with germs are.

Yep, and if your older kids are in school, you’ll still get all those germs. My younger child catches everything my older one brings home from school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You need an au pair - they work more flexible hours to cover work travel and stuff. A nanny work 9 am - 6 pm but can’t cover it one parent has a late meeting and one is out of town.

Op needs 45 hours a week, that’s more than an au pair can provide legally I think.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have three children - 7, 4, and 18 months. For the last seven years, we've used the same wonderful daycare, managing our work schedules with a few hiccups, but overall fine. Our two oldest are at the same DCPS school.

This year, with our third and so many viruses going around, we're having to miss so much work due to sicknesses and frankly at our breaking point. We're seriously considering a nanny for the first time. The cost difference is not insignificant - it's almost $20K more, assuming $27/hour, 45 hours a week, including all the payroll taxes, etc. And that's after subtracting all the extra childcare expenses we'd be saving like no school camps and aftercare. We'd keep our house cleaner who comes 1Xweek, but would love the nanny to help keep the house organized, maybe help us with laundry while the toddler sleeps. At the core of what we're trying to solve for is a lack of safety net - day to day we manage fine, but when work travel or kids sickness interfere with our routines, it's chaos.

Struggling to make this decision and would love to hear from any daycare families who have made the switch. What are the pros and cons? Are you happy with your decision? Appreciate any advice. Thanks!

I'm not sure you'll find a nanny willing to watch 3 kids for $27/hr.

The nanny will do the toddler's laundry, but not the parents laundry.

Yeah, “helping keep the house organized” beyond picking up kid messes made on her watch and any laundry other than the kid’s is a housekeeper, not a nanny.

[Anonymous]

It’s not really a safety net to have a nanny, they get sick, they have family emergencies, they need days off too. Daycare at least guarantees in advance what days they’ll be open and can have substitute teachers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Even if older kids are in school until 3:15?

So then you WILL still be using the "no school camps?"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You need an au pair - they work more flexible hours to cover work travel and stuff. A nanny work 9 am - 6 pm but can’t cover it one parent has a late meeting and one is out of town.

Op needs 45 hours a week, that’s more than an au pair can provide legally I think.

Au pairs can work up to 45 hours a week.

[Anonymous]

Stay with daycare.

[Anonymous]

Not what I expected and appreciate all the great points. Thanks!