Remember that kids have so many days off of school - snow days, holidays, teacher planning days, weeks of school breaks, and when the child is too sick for school but doesn't need a parent, etc - I'd see if you could hire a fulltime nanny who does household stuff in AM (or is with kids when they are sick/snow day/etc) then is with kids in afternoon.

You nanny would work 10-6pm - 10-12:15 they'd do kids' laundry, pick up the livingroom of toys, etc - maybe even do small errands if they agreed. Then pick up preschool at 1pm, bring home for quiet time, then be outside at bus stop at 3pm for older kid.

IF you prefer that your 3 yr old naps, then you probably need to leave them at preschool until 4:30pm - so then nanny would pick up from school bus at 3pm, then she and older kid would head over and get preschooler at 4:30pm. (or earlier, perhaps right away, at 3:30pm?

Then home to play at playground, turn on crockpot for dinner, set table, play with kids.... so that dinner is mostly read to eat at 6pm.

Anonymous wrote:I'd do what's easiest for your family, which is keeping the current nanny for DD2 and have her pick up DD6 as well. No preschool.

We kept both our kids in their daycare until 5 and they went straight to K without preschool. They're doing well.

this. Assuming your current Nanny goes out and does things, music class, story time, play dates etc.

Honestly, keep your nanny. Find a 2 hour preschool program in the mornings that toddler can attend 2-3x a week. Yes it’s expensive but so worth it. We kept our nanny with 3 and had one in school, one in preschool and a toddler. We kept her until youngest could go to full day preschool and others had after-care. Spendy but convenient. She did the kids’ laundry, made homemade lunches (with leftovers for dinner), took youngest to library, picked up others as needed, etc..

It’s a short period of time and it’s worth the money.

If pick up is at 1 and it a 20 min walk home. Nap will not start till almost 2. Then they have to be up at 2 40 for the 20 min walk for school pick up? Not enough nap time

Anonymous wrote:What is the plan when a kid is too sick to go to school?

Just like a toddler share, that child can't be with the nanny that day.

Do the share. Nanny picks up both preschoolers at 1, back for nap (either pick one apartment full time or rotate each week). Double stroller so that she can get the kids from ES quickly. 4 kids from 3-6. Between the two families, it's a full time wage, which will make it a lot easier to get someone reliable.

What is the plan when a kid is too sick to go to school?

Anonymous wrote:Since you're in the city, I would try looking for a student who can be pick up the two older kids from the school at 3pm, then either

go play at the playground
supervise their homework
solve dinner (make it together, make it while the kids are doing their homework)/pick up dinner

then pick up the two little ones at 5/6pm.

All the adults get the benefit of a longer work day (I guess only a parent would call this a "benefit!") and come home to dinner made. (Or brought home, a la NYC)
Both families pay for all days, even if there are sick days when the service isn't needed. (Should still cost less than a half-day nanny for both families)
This should keep the student happy enough to keep them well-engaged in the stint and hopefully for long enough until the littles are out of daycare.

OP are you saying that this one person gets the older kids and then also picks up the younger kids and makes dinner? That really doesn't sound feasible to me.

If you're suggesting DH or I pick up the younger at 5/6pm thats' a maybe...trying to weigh if that will cost more in the end (aftercare is a lot) and be less convenient because we have to rush to pickup / don't have someone doing some of the light house stuff a nanny does. I think I am leaning towards we hire someone to pickup preschool at 1pm meet bus at 3pm and keep it to our family so we have the flex we need.

I wonder if there is a way to share the 1pm pickup with our neighbor but then one of us has someone else start at 3pm (like a college kid) so the kids can do different after-school classes etc.

Anonymous wrote:Since you're in the city, I would try looking for a student who can be pick up the two older kids from the school at 3pm, then either

go play at the playground
supervise their homework
solve dinner (make it together, make it while the kids are doing their homework)/pick up dinner

then pick up the two little ones at 5/6pm.

All the adults get the benefit of a longer work day (I guess only a parent would call this a "benefit!") and come home to dinner made. (Or brought home, a la NYC)
Both families pay for all days, even if there are sick days when the service isn't needed. (Should still cost less than a half-day nanny for both families)
This should keep the student happy enough to keep them well-engaged in the stint and hopefully for long enough until the littles are out of daycare.

Students will have breaks that aren't necessarily in line with the local public school breaks. You'll either have to find alternate coverage for those times, or pay enough that the student is totally fine with missing ski week, beach week, etc. with their friends. I can't imagine how much that kind of incentive would cost.

Since you're in the city, I would try looking for a student who can be pick up the two older kids from the school at 3pm, then either

go play at the playground
supervise their homework
solve dinner (make it together, make it while the kids are doing their homework)/pick up dinner

then pick up the two little ones at 5/6pm.

All the adults get the benefit of a longer work day (I guess only a parent would call this a "benefit!") and come home to dinner made. (Or brought home, a la NYC)
Both families pay for all days, even if there are sick days when the service isn't needed. (Should still cost less than a half-day nanny for both families)
This should keep the student happy enough to keep them well-engaged in the stint and hopefully for long enough until the littles are out of daycare.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd do what's easiest for your family, which is keeping the current nanny for DD2 and have her pick up DD6 as well. No preschool.

We kept both our kids in their daycare until 5 and they went straight to K without preschool. They're doing well.

There’s a big difference between daycare (which is essentially like preschool at older ages and nanny in terms of socialization and learning to deal with a structured educational environment.

Is an aupair an option? Cheaper than a full time nanny but able to do flex childcare.

You're wrong. There's tons of Family Daycares with Preschool teachers. Usually is the provider. They must take early child development courses every year to keep the license. There's Family Daycares with Teacher who teaches PreK and then the child is ready and goes straight to kindergarten.

Many Family Daycares have Preschool Teachers. Therefore they are Preschool facilities too. Children are getting tons of activities lesson plans, etc.

It's better a small group like 8 or 10. In centers, kindergarten the class will go up to 15-20 kids per class and less individual attention.

Public schools needs more staff and not just 1 teacher for 30 kids

- Hire someone who gets both of the kids at preschool (us and neighbor) at 1pm and is home when both kids K and 1st grade get off the bus (seems like a lot for one person to have 4 kids + put the two preschoolers down for a nap and get them up before 3pm).

I'd try this option. I don't think four kids for a couple of hours is too much. She can pick up the little ones at 1 PM, take them home for a nap, then meet the older ones. Everyone has a snack and then plays until parents pick up/get home between 5-6 PM. It's really only a short time with four kids and the older ones are big enough to walk safely and not run into the street. The little ones can be belted into a double stroller, if needed. If the hosting family gets home first, she can just move to the other apartment with the other two kids.

In a few years you may want your own nanny so your older one can go to after school activities, but I'd share a nanny for now. She'll make more in pay for fewer hours and that will help make up for the shorter day.