Success Stories w/ Caregiver bringing baby?

[Anonymous]

We are interviewing candidates for our 10 mo and one mentioned in her email that she wanted to bring her ten week old baby. Does anyone have experience with this arrangement? I’m nervous about it because at ten weeks, all my baby did was nurse; how is someone going to simultaneously care for an active near toddler? On the other hand I don’t want to write it off if this scenario is one people have had success with.

My husband and I are both WFH so I’m also concerned about additional distractions, and the psychological aspect of hearing my baby be told to wait if she needs something.

[Anonymous]

At ten weeks and ten months, their ages and stages are too far apart, and one will have to wait (and likely cry, distracting you). There are a number of benefits to having a share or a nanny bring their child, but only if their child is either older or within 2-4 months younger.

[Anonymous]

Hard pass. Nanny was sleep-deprived from staying up with her infant and was distracted by her child’s demands.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hard pass. Nanny was sleep-deprived from staying up with her infant and was distracted by her child’s demands.

I agree.
Her baby is still too young right now.

Usually people do this for their children to have a built-in playmate.
But these children are too young to need this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hard pass. Nanny was sleep-deprived from staying up with her infant and was distracted by her child’s demands.

I agree.
Her baby is still too young right now.

Usually people do this for their children to have a built-in playmate.
But these children are too young to need this.

It could work if the nanny’s baby were at least 4 months, it would be better. 6+ months and they would do well together.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hard pass. Nanny was sleep-deprived from staying up with her infant and was distracted by her child’s demands.

Indeed, the child is too young.

[Anonymous]

Why are you even considering this as an option?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are you even considering this as an option?

Because it occurred to me that someone who wanted to bring their ten week old to a job might really need the job, and if it’s an arrangement that had worked for people in the past I shouldn’t just write it off. We went with another candidate.

[Anonymous]

I see you passed but I will give you my perspective in case someone else is looking.
1. I would totally consider this for an established nanny. Someone who knew my kids, my routine. Establishing that AND having her own baby would be harder.
Having other kids around can be awesome and can give opportunities for sharing, for waiting and for learning.
2. 10 months old would be ok. I would not sign up with a nanny who had a four or five month old (still not sleeping well maybe and life is hard..).
3. I have done this with our nanny who has older kids. They needed places for teacher work days and summer. We were happy to have her youngest play with our kids then. But that was a shorter time than if she wanted to bring her kids every day.