Is it cheaper to have a nanny for 2 kids than daycare?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know several people who chose daycare over a nanny even though money was no issue at all. Right or wrong, nannies have a can have a bad reputation for being unreliable, inattentive, demanding and a big hassle. The fact that nannies are completely unsupervised throughout their day really bothers some parents and they don't want to hassle with a nanny cam. In a good daycare, you have not only the teachers in the class to depend on but directors and other staff who set guidelines, supervise caregivers, ensure activities are happening etc. With the exception of the occasional once a year field, the activities at daycare are on sight. Many have really nice playgrounds and the kids have automatic playmates. With a nanny, you run the risk of the kids being driven in a car or not watched at a public park.

Personally, I preferred having a nanny but I'm more laid back. The convenience of not dealing with drop off or pick up was huge. It was also great not to miss work if the kids had a cold. With a nanny my kids actually caught more colds but recovered faster because it was no big deal for them to stay in and rest for a few days.

This is spot on!

We are in daycare, but are toying with the idea of a nanny when #2 comes. It ends up being around the same cost (a little more with daycare), but I realize that with a good nanny, it might be better for #2.

BUT- it's so hard to trust a person with our kids. Especially after reading some of the posts on here. I know there are great nannies out there, but to find one would be taxing. Just looking on DCUM, there are the threads complaining about MBs and salaries and kids, and there are the MB posts about nannies and it becomes daunting. If a great nanny fell into our lap, then we would jump at it, but the uncertainty of it is just scary.

Our daycare is wonderful, and it was particularly wonderful when our DD was a toddler. While she was an infant, it was difficult. I would have loved for her to have a nanny, because she never got the one on one attention that I would have liked for her. The infant teachers were very sweet, don't get me wrong, but they had to tend to all of the kids, so the reality was their time was split constantly. But all the work that goes along with getting a nanny makes it tough. There is a lot of certainty with daycare. I know the teachers, it is very open, parents are in and out of there so the standard of care is the same all day, and I know so many parents that have kids there, or with kids that graduated from there, that I know it's a good place. That piece of mind seems worth the extra money.