Backup child care options??

[Anonymous]

My husband and I are looking for a nanny share for our primary child care. But I understand that sometimes nannies get sick, have emergencies, etc. What does everyone do for backup child care options? My parents are about 60-90 minutes so that is one possibility, but I'd prefer something local. Is it possible to have a daycare as a backup?

[Anonymous]

We use a service for backup care. We also have a friend and a neighborhood nanny who works parttime so is sometimes available when we need fill in help.

[Anonymous]

Make friends with other nearby families with nannies and FT parents who are mostly at home. Offer to help one another in emergencies like this. They're probably thinking they can't ask you for help, the same way you may hesitate to ask them for help.

[Anonymous]

My friend's dad is a widow, retired and lives nearby. He's one option. A neighbor is a writer who works from home - she is an option though she prefers to be our last resort unless the baby is sleeping. My SIL works from home.

Plus if DH and I don't have crucial meetings we can each work from home. So that's our backup.

[Anonymous]

Dh and I mostly cover it ourselves. Occasionally ask parents to drive down and more infrequently bum a favor from close SAHM friends that have offered to help (I would not ask A SAHM unless she was a good friend AND volunteered herself). This only works since nanny is pretty reliable. Oh we also share so at times have worked with the nanny share family to split the coverage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Make friends with other nearby families with nannies and FT parents who are mostly at home. Offer to help one another in emergencies like this. They're probably thinking they can't ask you for help, the same way you may hesitate to ask them for help.

Do not do this if you want to remain friends. Forget the "village" crap bevause those of us who stay home do so to tske cate of our OWN children as opposed to being your backup for childcare. Other people's nannies are also not the "go to" backip childcate for your kids.

Stay home or call a professional servivce. Stop mooching off neighbors.

[Anonymous]

I use White House Nannies, not ideal, but they will send someone reliable within an hour or two. The children are never happy about it but I try and work from home if that happens so that I am at least nearby. I have also had the WHN nanny come and had a trusted nanny friend come with her charges to my house for a play-date so the kids would have someone they know there for most of the day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My friend's dad is a widow, retired and lives nearby. He's one option. A neighbor is a writer who works from home - she is an option though she prefers to be our last resort unless the baby is sleeping. My SIL works from home.

Plus if DH and I don't have crucial meetings we can each work from home. So that's our backup.

Your friend's dad is a "widower." Women are widows.

[Anonymous]

We have made arrangements with an in-home daycare provider to be our backup provider. She is not charging anything for the option to use her if our nanny is sick and is only charging $65/day when/if we do need her. She came recommended from a friend who used to have her children in her daycare full time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My friend's dad is a widow, retired and lives nearby. He's one option. A neighbor is a writer who works from home - she is an option though she prefers to be our last resort unless the baby is sleeping. My SIL works from home.

Plus if DH and I don't have crucial meetings we can each work from home. So that's our backup.

Your friend's dad is a "widower." Women are widows.

Thanks.