Daycare v Nanny Care

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The blog post that is the subject of this thread might interest you: https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1120761.page (but beware the author makes the science seem a little more clear than it is, you should look at the individual studies cited in the post)

We have had our child in daycare since she was 5 months old. The biggest pro of daycare (assuming it is licensed) is that the state oversees daycares for basic safety and qualifications of the staff (not that they have amazing qualifications, just basic training and background checks). With a nanny you have to oversee all of that yourself. And the nanny will be in your home, so if you WFH that can be distracting. Also, there is a benefit to being around other children - our child was speech delayed when she was 1.5 yo, that also happed to be while she was at home due to the pandemic. When she started back up at daycare her speech exploded and her speech therapist told us that being around other kids can help with expressive language. Of course, it's possible she might have caught up anyway, but the therapist had obviously seen this happen before. Obviously, a nanny can also take a child to be with other kids.

The cons of daycare are it's a less relaxing environment for the child and they get less individual attention. Also, you have to pack up your child every day to take them to and from daycare. That process can easily add 20-30 minutes to your commute depending on how efficient the drop off process is.

We couldn't have afforded a nanny and it definitely wouldn't have worked for us with our WFH situation, but I definitely see the benefits.

I can think of nothing *less* reassuring than trusting the state to oversee basic safety of my child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The blog post that is the subject of this thread might interest you: https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1120761.page (but beware the author makes the science seem a little more clear than it is, you should look at the individual studies cited in the post)

We have had our child in daycare since she was 5 months old. The biggest pro of daycare (assuming it is licensed) is that the state oversees daycares for basic safety and qualifications of the staff (not that they have amazing qualifications, just basic training and background checks). With a nanny you have to oversee all of that yourself. And the nanny will be in your home, so if you WFH that can be distracting. Also, there is a benefit to being around other children - our child was speech delayed when she was 1.5 yo, that also happed to be while she was at home due to the pandemic. When she started back up at daycare her speech exploded and her speech therapist told us that being around other kids can help with expressive language. Of course, it's possible she might have caught up anyway, but the therapist had obviously seen this happen before. Obviously, a nanny can also take a child to be with other kids.

The cons of daycare are it's a less relaxing environment for the child and they get less individual attention. Also, you have to pack up your child every day to take them to and from daycare. That process can easily add 20-30 minutes to your commute depending on how efficient the drop off process is.

We couldn't have afforded a nanny and it definitely wouldn't have worked for us with our WFH situation, but I definitely see the benefits.

I can think of nothing *less* reassuring than trusting the state to oversee basic safety of my child.

If you go to the other posts there's a mom asking for help because his son is very shy. Not shy with siblings but with others kids.
That poor child does not know how to interact and play with other children. That kid needs more challenging situations to help him grow his cognitive area and importantly social skills.
This world is hard and we live in an interconnected world

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The blog post that is the subject of this thread might interest you: https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1120761.page (but beware the author makes the science seem a little more clear than it is, you should look at the individual studies cited in the post)

We have had our child in daycare since she was 5 months old. The biggest pro of daycare (assuming it is licensed) is that the state oversees daycares for basic safety and qualifications of the staff (not that they have amazing qualifications, just basic training and background checks). With a nanny you have to oversee all of that yourself. And the nanny will be in your home, so if you WFH that can be distracting. Also, there is a benefit to being around other children - our child was speech delayed when she was 1.5 yo, that also happed to be while she was at home due to the pandemic. When she started back up at daycare her speech exploded and her speech therapist told us that being around other kids can help with expressive language. Of course, it's possible she might have caught up anyway, but the therapist had obviously seen this happen before. Obviously, a nanny can also take a child to be with other kids.

The cons of daycare are it's a less relaxing environment for the child and they get less individual attention. Also, you have to pack up your child every day to take them to and from daycare. That process can easily add 20-30 minutes to your commute depending on how efficient the drop off process is.

We couldn't have afforded a nanny and it definitely wouldn't have worked for us with our WFH situation, but I definitely see the benefits.

If you go to the other posts there's a mom asking for help because his son is very shy. Not shy with siblings but with others kids.
That poor child does not know how to interact and play with other children. That kid needs more challenging situations to help him grow his cognitive area and importantly social skills.
This world is hard and we live in an interconnected world

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The blog post that is the subject of this thread might interest you: https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1120761.page (but beware the author makes the science seem a little more clear than it is, you should look at the individual studies cited in the post)

We have had our child in daycare since she was 5 months old. The biggest pro of daycare (assuming it is licensed) is that the state oversees daycares for basic safety and qualifications of the staff (not that they have amazing qualifications, just basic training and background checks). With a nanny you have to oversee all of that yourself. And the nanny will be in your home, so if you WFH that can be distracting. Also, there is a benefit to being around other children - our child was speech delayed when she was 1.5 yo, that also happed to be while she was at home due to the pandemic. When she started back up at daycare her speech exploded and her speech therapist told us that being around other kids can help with expressive language. Of course, it's possible she might have caught up anyway, but the therapist had obviously seen this happen before. Obviously, a nanny can also take a child to be with other kids.

The cons of daycare are it's a less relaxing environment for the child and they get less individual attention. Also, you have to pack up your child every day to take them to and from daycare. That process can easily add 20-30 minutes to your commute depending on how efficient the drop off process is.

We couldn't have afforded a nanny and it definitely wouldn't have worked for us with our WFH situation, but I definitely see the benefits.

I can think of nothing *less* reassuring than trusting the state to oversee basic safety of my child.

And yet most injuries and deaths of young children occur at home. Vanishingly few at licensed daycare centers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 6 month old was very bad at napping at daycare. I don't see how any baby can nap that well if other babies are constantly waking/crying and there's generally a lot of noise because everyone's on their own schedule. To me that was a big deterrent against sending my 2nd to daycare that young. I felt terrible that he was getting way less sleep than he otherwise at home. Maybe wait a bit if you can until your baby is old enough so that everyone's on the same schedule.

Babies gets used to the sounds. Most Family Daycares has a separate room. The babies, the earlier you sent them they adapt quickly and sleep together. I saw a Daycare in Arlington, Virginia, there's was 9 BABIES IN THE SAME ROOM all sleeping together, while the other 4 who were 15 months were sleeping in blue cots.

Just lol. I love seeing this random "Family Daycare" proponent post in all the forums. I can only surmise that you probably run a family daycare and bring a very specific agenda to DCUM!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The blog post that is the subject of this thread might interest you: https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1120761.page (but beware the author makes the science seem a little more clear than it is, you should look at the individual studies cited in the post)

We have had our child in daycare since she was 5 months old. The biggest pro of daycare (assuming it is licensed) is that the state oversees daycares for basic safety and qualifications of the staff (not that they have amazing qualifications, just basic training and background checks). With a nanny you have to oversee all of that yourself. And the nanny will be in your home, so if you WFH that can be distracting. Also, there is a benefit to being around other children - our child was speech delayed when she was 1.5 yo, that also happed to be while she was at home due to the pandemic. When she started back up at daycare her speech exploded and her speech therapist told us that being around other kids can help with expressive language. Of course, it's possible she might have caught up anyway, but the therapist had obviously seen this happen before. Obviously, a nanny can also take a child to be with other kids.

The cons of daycare are it's a less relaxing environment for the child and they get less individual attention. Also, you have to pack up your child every day to take them to and from daycare. That process can easily add 20-30 minutes to your commute depending on how efficient the drop off process is.

We couldn't have afforded a nanny and it definitely wouldn't have worked for us with our WFH situation, but I definitely see the benefits.

I can think of nothing *less* reassuring than trusting the state to oversee basic safety of my child.

...but I definitely agree with PP. Daycares have a lot of regulations and policies in place to make sure your child stays safe. With a nanny, you just have to trust them to do the right thing. You can tell them what to do but there aren't other adults around to monitor them or incentivize them to follow the "rules". I have a nanny and I think they're great, but just pointing out that this point is super valid and I'm not sure why you're trying to undermine it.

[Anonymous]

I have worked in daycares and was also a nanny for 6 years (one family for 1 year and another family for 5 years). I can give you my thoughts based on my experience as a childcare provider. It's a personal choice and what works for one family might not work for other families. I also think it greatly depends on the provider. Daycares and nannies can't be painted with one broad brush. There are good and bad providers in both categories.

Generally speaking, the biggest benefit of a daycare is not having to find alternative childcare if a nanny is sick or unreliable. If you have a job with very little flexibility and/or don't have family or friends who can help in with childcare in a pinch, daycare is probably your best bet. On the flip side, a nanny can care for a sick child when a daycare would require them to be at home. When I was a nanny, my employers didn't have to miss work when a child had a fever.

Having a nanny is convenient because you don't have the burden of drop off/pick up. A nanny is also able to care for school age children when there is no school.

A nanny can assist with child related tasks like laundry.

Daycare has built-in socialization. However, nannies can also socialize by planning playdates, attending activities like story time, going to the park, etc. My charges and I were always out and about doing things. We stayed very busy!

Being an employer adds an extra layer of responsibility because you'll have to take care of payroll and everything associated with that. Some people don't want to deal with the hassle of that.

Other posters have given a lot of good pro/cons for both. You really need to trust your gut and go with what works best for your family. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have worked in daycares and was also a nanny for 6 years (one family for 1 year and another family for 5 years). I can give you my thoughts based on my experience as a childcare provider. It's a personal choice and what works for one family might not work for other families. I also think it greatly depends on the provider. Daycares and nannies can't be painted with one broad brush. There are good and bad providers in both categories.

Generally speaking, the biggest benefit of a daycare is not having to find alternative childcare if a nanny is sick or unreliable. If you have a job with very little flexibility and/or don't have family or friends who can help in with childcare in a pinch, daycare is probably your best bet. On the flip side, a nanny can care for a sick child when a daycare would require them to be at home. When I was a nanny, my employers didn't have to miss work when a child had a fever.

Having a nanny is convenient because you don't have the burden of drop off/pick up. A nanny is also able to care for school age children when there is no school.

A nanny can assist with child related tasks like laundry.

Daycare has built-in socialization. However, nannies can also socialize by planning playdates, attending activities like story time, going to the park, etc. My charges and I were always out and about doing things. We stayed very busy!

Being an employer adds an extra layer of responsibility because you'll have to take care of payroll and everything associated with that. Some people don't want to deal with the hassle of that.

Other posters have given a lot of good pro/cons for both. You really need to trust your gut and go with what works best for your family. Good luck!

+1. This, especially the bolded. I have had both nanny care and daycare and prefer daycare, although the sick/stay home requirements were VERY stressful during COVID.

[Anonymous]

The biggest thing that pushed me towards nanny is that the daycare children I know are constantly sick. Continuously runny noses between October-April, and parents have to drop out of social gatherings because of the kid being sick, and they have to manage their leave or simultaneously juggle work and a sick child at home. Other than not wanting to put a small child through that, it would be stressful for me.

I also find WFH a big pro when having a nanny. Our nanny keeps the kids engaged but I like seeing them during my lunch and coffee breaks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 6 month old was very bad at napping at daycare. I don't see how any baby can nap that well if other babies are constantly waking/crying and there's generally a lot of noise because everyone's on their own schedule. To me that was a big deterrent against sending my 2nd to daycare that young. I felt terrible that he was getting way less sleep than he otherwise at home. Maybe wait a bit if you can until your baby is old enough so that everyone's on the same schedule.

Babies gets used to the sounds. Most Family Daycares has a separate room. The babies, the earlier you sent them they adapt quickly and sleep together. I saw a Daycare in Arlington, Virginia, there's was 9 BABIES IN THE SAME ROOM all sleeping together, while the other 4 who were 15 months were sleeping in blue cots.

Early Educators have more experience and are teaching parents

Just lol. I love seeing this random "Family Daycare" proponent post in all the forums. I can only surmise that you probably run a family daycare and bring a very specific agenda to DCUM!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 6 month old was very bad at napping at daycare. I don't see how any baby can nap that well if other babies are constantly waking/crying and there's generally a lot of noise because everyone's on their own schedule. To me that was a big deterrent against sending my 2nd to daycare that young. I felt terrible that he was getting way less sleep than he otherwise at home. Maybe wait a bit if you can until your baby is old enough so that everyone's on the same schedule.

Babies gets used to the sounds. Most Family Daycares has a separate room. The babies, the earlier you sent them they adapt quickly and sleep together. I saw a Daycare in Arlington, Virginia, there's was 9 BABIES IN THE SAME ROOM all sleeping together, while the other 4 who were 15 months were sleeping in blue cots.

Just lol. I love seeing this random "Family Daycare" proponent post in all the forums. I can only surmise that you probably run a family daycare and bring a very specific agenda to DCUM!

Early Educators have more experience and are teaching parents

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have worked in daycares and was also a nanny for 6 years (one family for 1 year and another family for 5 years). I can give you my thoughts based on my experience as a childcare provider. It's a personal choice and what works for one family might not work for other families. I also think it greatly depends on the provider. Daycares and nannies can't be painted with one broad brush. There are good and bad providers in both categories.

Generally speaking, the biggest benefit of a daycare is not having to find alternative childcare if a nanny is sick or unreliable. If you have a job with very little flexibility and/or don't have family or friends who can help in with childcare in a pinch, daycare is probably your best bet. On the flip side, a nanny can care for a sick child when a daycare would require them to be at home. When I was a nanny, my employers didn't have to miss work when a child had a fever.

Having a nanny is convenient because you don't have the burden of drop off/pick up. A nanny is also able to care for school age children when there is no school.

A nanny can assist with child related tasks like laundry.

Daycare has built-in socialization. However, nannies can also socialize by planning playdates, attending activities like story time, going to the park, etc. My charges and I were always out and about doing things. We stayed very busy!

Being an employer adds an extra layer of responsibility because you'll have to take care of payroll and everything associated with that. Some people don't want to deal with the hassle of that.

Other posters have given a lot of good pro/cons for both. You really need to trust your gut and go with what works best for your family. Good luck!

Many people love quickbooks! Administration is fun, I love my job.
My nanny didn't go many places and I see some kids bored or bullying each other at the park. Not pleasant. Maybe that park suk.
I like home daycares, they are small and have everything ine one place, a perfect learning place for all the learning areas for Early child development