anyone switch from nanny to nanny share?
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Anonymous
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Has anyone switched from a nanny to a nanny share? We love our nanny who has been w/ us since our oldest, now 3 was just a few months old. We now have a second child, but we're finding the costs to be unsustainable, older one does PT preschool.
Is it worth trying to do a share? Not even sure she'd go for it though, but just wanted to ask about others' experiences. Is there much savings? TIA! |
Anonymous
Not much savings if you have 2. It's more work to have a share. You would most likely pay 60-65% of nanny's pay. If paying a nanny is unsustainable for you, I'd look into daycare. |
Anonymous
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I'm in a share caring for 4 kids. I make 22 an hour each family pays a 11.
I started off with one family and went to a share when first family had a second child. I was making $15 with the one it would have been $17 with the two. Family saves and I make more. Shares can be complicated. My families are related so it works. |
Anonymous
| Shares, in my experience, are far more trouble than they are worth and don't give the baby the same attention or focus. I was in the same financial situation with my second and we cut corners on everything to give our second the same one-on-one attention our first had with a very good nanny. We gave up DirectV, eating out and all take out, cut way back on clothes, toys and gifts, became coupon-clippers and second-hand buyers of tricycles, wagon, booster seats, etc and stopped flying to visit my in-laws (a gift to me as well). We found the money. |
Anonymous
FWIW: I think shares are great. That being said... Since your older child only does PT preschool, it isn't an ideal situation. When a nanny only has your children, it isn't a big deal to push the naps a little bit to accommodate drop off/pick up. Add in a second family's child and things get more difficult. I don't think your situation is ideal for a nanny share. If you're concerned about raises, could you offer more paid time off instead? |
Anonymous
Or just cut her pay, she may quit, or maybe not. If she does quit just find a new nanny that is cheaper. |
Anonymous
+1 |
Anonymous
Nannies (most) are like cars. The less you pay, the less you get. I'm sure someone will say that they found an amazing nanny who has a degree, never missed work and taught their child Latin for $10/hour. Keep in mind...that is very, very rare. The lower in pay you go, the higher your chances are of hiring someone who is not professional, knowledgable, punctual or serious about her work. Can you afford to miss work? |
Anonymous
OP here. Yes, I tend to agree w/ you and others saying shares might not be that great either. To the other PP saying that we should just find a cheaper nanny. We are very happy w/ our current nanny. It's just getting to be quite a financial stretch, particularly if both kids end up going to some type of part time preschool and paying for a FT nanny. We may be able to get both kids into my daycare at work (which is very highly regarded) but we just visited and it didn't seem to great for our infant. Not as concerned about the older child as she's doing great at preschool and the older kids' program offers a great preschool. It's just due to the availability/timing we may have to send the younger one to the daycare before we would prefer to do so. We may be able to cut back more and manage to afford the nanny for a few more years, but by the time we need to cut back we might not be able to get both kids into the same daycare. Hence our dilemma. |
Anonymous
A "few more years" is a life time to your newborn, OP. Keep the nanny thru his first and even second year so he gets the attention and nurturing that he needs and then send him to daycare with his sibling or another daycare program. I wouldn't rush your newborn into daycare just to assure they get into the same daycare. Who knows where you all will be in two years? Infants, in even the best daycares, don't get enough of the one-on-one attention they need, IMO. |
Anonymous
| And in 2 years when your infant is 2 yrs old then your older will be 5 yrs old and ready for kindergarten. That is, if your child is actually a preschooler now since you said DC is in a part time preschool. Your kids might have different types of childcare from each other and that's ok. In 2 years you can still get into your work daycare. Just put both kids on the waitlist now and keep in contact with them so they know you are interested in 1 or 2 years. |
Anonymous
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I totally get nanny + preschool dilemma! I'd wait as long as you can with your nanny just for yours two kids. The longer the youngest can have 1-on-1 attention the better.
In terms of a share, I'd look for a family that has a kid in the same preschool as your older one and on the same schedule. I actually think preschools are so much better than a day care in tea of kids development, and us working mothers are at disadvantage there as it is hard to find door able arrangements for after preschool care without nannies, and it becomes expensive. I'd search through your school for the partner or in the neighborhood for people who might be interested in The school . |
Anonymous
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OP again. thanks for all of your comments. we are leaning toward trying to keep our nanny for two more years if possible. we'll just wipe out our entire savings probably by that time. we are feeling uneasy about the youngest being in daycare when DC is doing so well sleeping at home etc. we are keeping our fingers crossed that when our oldest hits last year preschool we'll be able to find PT baby sitter for the less than 2 hrs we would need aftercare.
thanks for everyone's kind advice! |