Daycare v Nanny Care

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The biggest downside of daycare is the constant onslaught of illness. I've never been so sick in my life.

Centers are worst. They have lots of kids, staff and they keep closing for most of the year.

My local Daycare kids gets sick the first week then they are fine and working on their inune system. Kids will always get sick in any school or at home, it does not matter.

In Family Daycares is different. If someone is infected that person stays quarantine for 5 days and can return on the 6th with a mask for the next 2 days, that's in Maryland for Family Daycares. If 1 person is infected it does not mean the others are. They just follows the covid training.

[Anonymous]

The worst centers are from your job. Mine has a childcare area for those who works there. It's just ONE BIG ROOM with all the babies, cribs, some toys there. If is just 1 room then that's awful. Babies can't sleep in the same room where others are playing. It's like right next to it.

Find childcare that has many rooms, 1 specifically for cribs. Our Family Daycare set up is nice, they have 3 rooms total for childcare. I even came one day there and all 3 babies were sleeping in the same room.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The worst centers are from your job. Mine has a childcare area for those who works there. It's just ONE BIG ROOM with all the babies, cribs, some toys there. If is just 1 room then that's awful. Babies can't sleep in the same room where others are playing. It's like right next to it.

Find childcare that has many rooms, 1 specifically for cribs. Our Family Daycare set up is nice, they have 3 rooms total for childcare. I even came one day there and all 3 babies were sleeping in the same room.

I don't think you can make this kind of blanket statement. Some employers have excellent childcare on site with separate rooms, etc. Lily Pond at Metro Park and the Innovation Station Daycare at USPTO are well regarded and have long waitlists.

I'm sorry your on-site daycare wasn't great, but there are many that have separate rooms, low ratios, etc.

[Anonymous]

Whether you choose a nanny vs in home vs daycare depends on the flexibility of your job, your schedule/commute, and your budget.

A nanny is the most expensive, but provides the most flexibility if you have hours that are outside the 8am-6pm hours most places provide. It also offers customization if you need special accommodations for therapies, food allergy diet, etc. It also requires the most hands on management of payroll, hiring, and training - and the huge risk of replacing the caregiver if she quits or something causes you to fire her. My friend has an amazing nanny, but other families are constantly trying to poach her and my friend has to give her raises and bonuses to keep her.

In-home can be a good hybrid of the pros/cons of a nanny and daycare center. You can have some customization - but you will need to align vacations with the caregiver or have coverage for those weeks.

Daycare centers are turn-key in that you pay a set cost, they provided consistent care even if your regular teacher is sick or on vacation. They have set policies and hours - so it’s reliable, but not flexible. If you have very little flexibility or PTO and need dependable care, it’s probably the best option for an easy going kid with no special needs. Most 3rd kids I know are by nature easy going because they have to go along with the family and old kid activities. The bustle and activity level of a daycare center may be more like home than one on one care.

[Anonymous]

I would also add that Au Pair is another option, though used more frequently for older kids (but some can care for infants). You get the flexibility of a live-in caretaker, especially if you need unusual hours, but you also have to deal with basically a teenager or college kid living in your home.

Nannyshares are also another option though you need to be okay working closely with the other family--it requires coordination with the other party AND managing the employee. Where I have seen this work best is when the families have aligned needs and views and the families work well together. I have, for example, had two coworkers do a nannyshare that worked great because they worked well together already AND had identical hours and days off, mostly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The biggest downside of daycare is the constant onslaught of illness. I've never been so sick in my life.

Except OP has 2 older kids who go to preschool or elementary school - so avoiding group daycare won’t shield them from illness the same way a 1st/only child with a dedicated nanny will.

[Anonymous]

If you want a noisy place find a center, if you want a small group of kids find a Family Daycare. Most Daycare Providers are Preschool Teachers and they must take Early child development classes every year to keep the license. There Family Daycares with a pre k program to kindergarten if you want to send your kid in a small group of 8. Centers can be too much for a kid, so many kids there like 12, 30, 60.

It really depends what you want and your child needs. If the child has special needs it needs a place to accommodate those needs, 1on 1 nanny or small Family Daycare or centers.
Just do research, see the places and choose 1 that makes you feel good

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The biggest downside of daycare is the constant onslaught of illness. I've never been so sick in my life.

Except OP has 2 older kids who go to preschool or elementary school - so avoiding group daycare won’t shield them from illness the same way a 1st/only child with a dedicated nanny will.

+1. The baby will get all kinds of bugs from the older siblings anyway regardless of the care situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The biggest downside of daycare is the constant onslaught of illness. I've never been so sick in my life.

Just wait for Public schools!! 😂🤣🤣😂
My friend had her baby at home and they still got sick. You will always get sick if you are in contact to the social world.
Family Daycares are small, Centers and Elementary schools has a lot of kids and illnesses. As long there's no fever is fine.
Capitalism works, you gotta work long hours, work work

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The biggest downside of daycare is the constant onslaught of illness. I've never been so sick in my life.

Just wait for Public schools!! 😂🤣🤣😂
My friend had her baby at home and they still got sick. You will always get sick if you are in contact to the social world.
Family Daycares are small, Centers and Elementary schools has a lot of kids and illnesses. As long there's no fever is fine.
Capitalism works, you gotta work long hours, work work

Because expensive private schools are disease-free zones, along with having children who carry themselves with dignity and splendor.

[Anonymous]

Any child interacting with anybody will bring germs. Just put the kid in a bubble? No, that's not logical.

Just wish they are all washing theur hands a lot, and using that air disinfectant spray that kills germs and viruses

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The biggest downside of daycare is the constant onslaught of illness. I've never been so sick in my life.

Just wait for Public schools!! 😂🤣🤣😂
My friend had her baby at home and they still got sick. You will always get sick if you are in contact to the social world.
Family Daycares are small, Centers and Elementary schools has a lot of kids and illnesses. As long there's no fever is fine.
Capitalism works, you gotta work long hours, work work

Because expensive private schools are disease-free zones, along with having children who carry themselves with dignity and splendor.

Sorry, I was not thinking of private schools. Yes the kids going there gets sick too.
And I wish Public Schools gets more funding, it's not enough

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: If you want a noisy place find a center, if you want a small group of kids find a Family Daycare. Most Daycare Providers are Preschool Teachers and they must take Early child development classes every year to keep the license. There Family Daycares with a pre k program to kindergarten if you want to send your kid in a small group of 8. Centers can be too much for a kid, so many kids there like 12, 30, 60.

It really depends what you want and your child needs. If the child has special needs it needs a place to accommodate those needs, 1on 1 nanny or small Family Daycare or centers.
Just do research, see the places and choose 1 that makes you feel good

Ok there is clearly some “Family Daycare” provider replying over and over. I have friends who have loved their in home providers and some that had challenges, like every single child care situation. Personally we were happy with our center daycare until my child dropped their nap very early and then it no longer worked. Some things work for a while then you need a change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We hired a nanny when our second child was born and have not looked back. It is logistically easier, and especially for the first year, I’m grateful my baby naps at home. It’s also helpful that my oldest child can be with the nanny on days there is no school. The nanny is a great fit for our family!

Cons? Managing someone, payroll, potential for nanny who calls in sick often.

Plus finding a nap who will respect your schedule with an infant. Some nannys want to hang out at the playground with their nanny friends and will have your child out and about all morning, napping in a stroller. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I dropped my nanny for this reason. I wanted my baby home for all naps and she didn’t like being “cooped up in the house with a baby.” Me either girl! That’s why I hired you 🙄

[Anonymous]

We did daycare for my first, got a nanny during Covid when our second was born to keep things smaller for a bit, but just didn’t like all the extras of having a nanny (they’re in the house, constant management) so switched back to daycare. Nothing is permanent!