Options when you don’t want daycare.

[Anonymous]

Our nanny of four years (kids are 4 and 6) is moving on to grad school, and we are finally allowing my parents to take on a childcare role. I just don't think it would have worked (for us) at younger ages. They are self sufficient enough now that it's less of a heavy lift. The older one will be in full day school, and the younger will be in half day preschool three days a week.

My parents were insistent they could do five days a week, but I went ahead and hired a part time nanny for two of the days, and you could tell they were secretly relieved. They are still able to provide back-up care for the nanny should she call off, which is great. We also were able to sign up for a backup care service with the nanny agency we used in the past - the registration fee was only $200 for the year so that felt well worth it for the ability to find someone in a pinch should we need it. We also have jobs where it's no problem to work from home, and we could muddle through with the kids on ipads in the worst case scenario.

[Anonymous]

My grandparents helped raise their grandkids, but my grandma was only in her early 40s when her first few grandkids were born, so same age as some moms. (She is Mormon...of course in a family like this, the first grandkids to be born out of many get the best deal in terms of grandparent care). I think with most people in DC now having kids when grandparents are much older, it is a tougher situation particularly as the children become active toddlers.

[Anonymous]

I think unless you are paying them grandparent care is really unfair to them.