Can a nanny care for 3 kids?
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Anonymous
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Is it just childcare, or will she be supervising distance learning for the 6 year old too? Is the 3 year old potty trained? Also, be prepared to compromise on some things.
We had a wonderful college student babysitter early in the pandemic who supervised DL for our two older kids, 4 and 6, and also watched our 2 year old who was in the process of potty training. She was really great. We didn't mind that the house was left a mess at the end of the day or that she used the toddler's naptime to get some homework done because the kids were so happy with her, the DL was done, she spent a ton of time outdoors with the kids and also did a lot of arts and crafts with them. |
Anonymous
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Nanny here. This is totally reasonable, but like any specific requirement it may cost more because it narrows your search pool. A few things I highly recommend:
1) Look for someone with lots of experience. You may be tempted to go for the youthful and energetic former-preschool-teacher nanny thinking the older ladies may not be able to keep up the energy needed but I would be looking for someone who has proven they can handle long days with kids of multiple ages as a solo caregiver in the home. The dynamic of a classroom vs siblings in their own home is massively different, especially with a bid age spread. 2) Specifically look for someone with experience with ALL of your kids’ ages. Unless you feel very confident that the older two will be in full-day school or summer camp year-round, do NOT hire someone who is really just a toddler nanny. You need someone with experience building a relationship and routine for the older kids. Trust me, the older two are the challenge. A 1yo will love anyone who loves them and feeds them. The older two will be much more selective about who they bond with. 3) Make sure your home is set up for a single caregiver. That means that she needs safe spaces to contain the toddler throughout the house, she needs to be able to set up the playroom in a way that works for her, including keeping choking hazards somewhere that kids need permission/help to access them. She needs multiple rooms where play is permitted (e.g., she needs to be able to set 6yo up with legos in a bedroom while she does a toddler activity with the other two, then needs to be able to contain the 1 yo in a high chair while she works on a literacy project with the 6 and 3yo. 4) depending on the grade level for your 6yo, consider homeschooling or functionally homeschooling if in-person school isn’t available and flexible. The vast majority of what they learn in K and first (Reading, vocab, writing, counting, addition and subtraction, number sense, patterns and shapes) can easily be taught by a nanny in short bursts that fit in around the edges of a well-rounded routine for the whole family. If your 6yo is in the kind of DL setup where the entire day is dictated but inconvenient class times, it may make it impossible for all three kids to spend time being active outdoors and playing freely, both of which are critical for all three kids! |
Anonymous
This made me laugh out loud 😂 which means I probably spend too much time on these threads. |
Anonymous
Alice was a fictional housekeeper, and housekeeping was her primary responsibility, not supervision of six children. Additionally, as far as I know, all of the children were school-age. |
Anonymous
| Yes but don't ask her to do housework |
Anonymous
You have to let them take the nap as a break. Even a McDonald's worker at the crappiest McDonald's in the world gets 15min to pee and a 30min lunch break |
Anonymous
| Of course. We have 4 but I do think it’s helped our nanny has been with us since we only had 2. It’s about to get pretty great for her as 3 will be in school next year 5 days a week so she will be making a pretty penny for one kid most of the time. I’m just so thankful she has been with us so long! |
Anonymous
| My friend who’s a former preschool teacher is now nannying 3 boys in that age range and she really likes the job. |
Anonymous
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Yes but it’s a lot of work for the nanny so you need to treat her well and pay a lot!
- mom of 4 kids ages 8 and under |
Anonymous
So that’s already 2 people caring for 3 kids. Try again. |
Anonymous
And presumably both are capable for caring for all three on their own. |
Anonymous
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Anonymous
| When I was 20 I used to regularly watch 4 kids. But the family made it clear that I was really watching the 2 and 4 year old. I was there because the 8 and 10 year olds couldn’t be home alone and couldn’t always reach their own snacks etc, but they were very independent. The family arranged carpools to their activities, for instance. It wasn’t all day (they tended to hire me 3-8 pm or so, to help with bath, bed and dinner) but if I was just there to occasionally help the older two it was doable. As a mom, I take this “ignore one kid” approach much more than I would typically be comfortable with when watching someone else’s children. |
Anonymous
| You have to pay enough to get the experienced nanny who wants this job, |
Anonymous
I bet she is paid well though and treated well. That’s the key |