What is your longer term childcare plan? Some potential nannies may be concerned that you will want to go back to a group care environment in another year or two when your child is older and don't want to look for another job so soon. You might want to mention that you are looking for longer term - like plans for starting part day preschool with nanny pickup/dropoff in a year or a hopeful second child or whatever is relevant.

OP, you really really really don't need teaching experience to offer an enriching environment for an 18-month-old. Honestly, someone trying to "teach" your 18-month-old things is probably not the greatest thing for them. Just find someone loving who wants to spend time with your child. Hopefully they can take your child to things like library story time for some social engagement and "learning." Ask your pediatrician about this. A teaching requirement for an 18-month-old is misguided.

OP here. Thanks so much for the replies. We really do want a college graduate even if in a different field if we can’t find someone with a preschool teaching certificate and teaching experience.

We can offer healthcare insurance or a stipend for it.

I know the search won’t be easy. Thanks.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for the advice. We just want someone with teaching experience to keep DD occupied and to learn. No house-chores at all. I thought all preschool teachers had to have at least those associate credits.

I think you will have trouble finding that unless you are also offering health insurance, even then your pool will be somewhat small. I have worked for several years in ECE and find that many preschool teachers either need the full time plus benefits so they work in a larger group care facility or they like the shorter hours/summers off, especially when they have their own children. I have considered nannying myself but I like a specific schedule (early start, done in time for pickup, school holidays off) that I don't think I would be able to find.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for the advice. We just want someone with teaching experience to keep DD occupied and to learn. No house-chores at all. I thought all preschool teachers had to have at least those associate credits.

Your DD is 18 months old. Everything she does will involve learning in some way. But a nanny doesn’t need a degree or prior teaching experience to teach an 18 month old.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Daycare has been a nightmare for us and my DD. She is now 16 months and we’re looking for a good nanny starting in January.

All the nannies I contacted only want to start with a newborn. We can offer a good hourly ($25) but with no overtime. It’s a straight 40 hour work week. We’d like at least an AA in Early Childhood Education and some teaching experience.

I can’t offer more money and have to pay on the books, but what else can I offer to sweeten our offer?

Thanks.

Drop the AA in early childhood education requirement and you will find yourself a great nanny.

This. Plus those degrees kind of mean nothing.

+1. Look for someone with great references instead.

Yes, someone who has worked for the same family for 2-3 years who can give you a reliable reference. I don’t know why you would insist on an AA degree. They are easy to get if you have the money to pay for one and aren’t indicative of ability to interact with a child.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Daycare has been a nightmare for us and my DD. She is now 16 months and we’re looking for a good nanny starting in January.

All the nannies I contacted only want to start with a newborn. We can offer a good hourly ($25) but with no overtime. It’s a straight 40 hour work week. We’d like at least an AA in Early Childhood Education and some teaching experience.

I can’t offer more money and have to pay on the books, but what else can I offer to sweeten our offer?

Thanks.

Drop the AA in early childhood education requirement and you will find yourself a great nanny.

This. Plus those degrees kind of mean nothing.

+1. Look for someone with great references instead.

Do you have a degree in early childhood education?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Daycare has been a nightmare for us and my DD. She is now 16 months and we’re looking for a good nanny starting in January.

All the nannies I contacted only want to start with a newborn. We can offer a good hourly ($25) but with no overtime. It’s a straight 40 hour work week. We’d like at least an AA in Early Childhood Education and some teaching experience.

I can’t offer more money and have to pay on the books, but what else can I offer to sweeten our offer?

Thanks.

Drop the AA in early childhood education requirement and you will find yourself a great nanny.

This. Plus those degrees kind of mean nothing.

OP here. Thanks for the advice. We just want someone with teaching experience to keep DD occupied and to learn. No house-chores at all. I thought all preschool teachers had to have at least those associate credits.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Daycare has been a nightmare for us and my DD. She is now 16 months and we’re looking for a good nanny starting in January.

All the nannies I contacted only want to start with a newborn. We can offer a good hourly ($25) but with no overtime. It’s a straight 40 hour work week. We’d like at least an AA in Early Childhood Education and some teaching experience.

I can’t offer more money and have to pay on the books, but what else can I offer to sweeten our offer?

Thanks.

Drop the AA in early childhood education requirement and you will find yourself a great nanny.

Agreed. If you insist upon that, then you’ll need to up your pay. You can find a highly qualified nanny with great recommendations, passionate and knowledgeable, nurturing, energetic, etc.

I think looking for an AA in early childhood ed is going to weed out good candidates.

I mean, do you have one yourself? Probably not and you're a good caregiver. Do your daycare teachers? Even if they do, it hasn't been a good year.

Trust yourself to know when you find someone good.

Our current nanny started with us when our DD was 12 months old. We bought a one-month subscription to Care.com to find her, and it was completely worth it because of the way you can filter for requirements (we had a language requirement, but IIRC you can also filter by education). Good luck!

Anonymous wrote:Daycare has been a nightmare for us and my DD. She is now 16 months and we’re looking for a good nanny starting in January.

All the nannies I contacted only want to start with a newborn. We can offer a good hourly ($25) but with no overtime. It’s a straight 40 hour work week. We’d like at least an AA in Early Childhood Education and some teaching experience.

I can’t offer more money and have to pay on the books, but what else can I offer to sweeten our offer?

Thanks.

Drop the AA in early childhood education requirement and you will find yourself a great nanny.

Daycare has been a nightmare for us and my DD. She is now 16 months and we’re looking for a good nanny starting in January.

All the nannies I contacted only want to start with a newborn. We can offer a good hourly ($25) but with no overtime. It’s a straight 40 hour work week. We’d like at least an AA in Early Childhood Education and some teaching experience.

I can’t offer more money and have to pay on the books, but what else can I offer to sweeten our offer?

Thanks.