Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since you are also considering fit, here are some other points to keep in mind:

1) Daycares don't close because a single provider is sick -- AP and nanny care have that risk.
2) Daycares won't tailor everything to your child's preferences, like nap times, or way of being put to sleep, favorite foods, etc. -- AP and nanny care can provide that
3) AP can handle very early or late hours, but maxes out at 45 hours/wk; daycares have firm opening and closing times (mostly)
4) Nannies have no hard-and-fast max hours, but likely would not work a split schedule or very long hours (i.e., very early + very late)
5) Nannies and APs are employees, and you will have to be an employer/host mom; this means dealing with the kinds of things HR would deal with, managing quality control, responding to requests, training, etc..
6) You have no control over whom the daycare employs; you control who your nanny or AP is.
7) There are no major "hidden costs" to daycare. With an AP or nanny, you have to consider food, activities, setting up the house, taxes, unemployment insurance, etc..
8) The daycare will deal with conflicts between your family and another family if any arise; in a nanny share, your relationship with the other family is as big a deal as the nanny you pick.

If you have a standard 9-5 (or 8-6) job, and you are generally good at working with people, I think a nanny share offers a lot of perks.

I would really cross off the AP if you need full time care.

If you can never, ever miss work for caregiver illness, or your schedule changes, daycare will probably be your best option.

Hiring a nanny means being an employer. Aside from the cost, it's the biggest negative to nanny care. It is unlikely that you will get through the entire relationship without having to say "no" or asking her to do something differently. If that will be hard for you, it's something to consider.

Thanks for this thoughtful response. My husband is in TV/film and works weird hours and travels quite a bit. I have flexibility to WFH when needed. I don't see us ever needing more than 45 hours of care/week, and the AP route has the advantage of giving our AP a day off during the week when my husband might have a day off and then having her there on the weekend if we want to go out for a bit.

I would be lying if I didn't say I am VERY nervous about having someone so young taking care of our infant child AND living in our house. It feels like a big adjustment when you're also trying to get used to life as a new family of three! That's why we are also still considering the much more expensive and less flexible nanny share route.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since you are also considering fit, here are some other points to keep in mind:

1) Daycares don't close because a single provider is sick -- AP and nanny care have that risk.
2) Daycares won't tailor everything to your child's preferences, like nap times, or way of being put to sleep, favorite foods, etc. -- AP and nanny care can provide that
3) AP can handle very early or late hours, but maxes out at 45 hours/wk; daycares have firm opening and closing times (mostly)
4) Nannies have no hard-and-fast max hours, but likely would not work a split schedule or very long hours (i.e., very early + very late)
5) Nannies and APs are employees, and you will have to be an employer/host mom; this means dealing with the kinds of things HR would deal with, managing quality control, responding to requests, training, etc..
6) You have no control over whom the daycare employs; you control who your nanny or AP is.
7) There are no major "hidden costs" to daycare. With an AP or nanny, you have to consider food, activities, setting up the house, taxes, unemployment insurance, etc..
8) The daycare will deal with conflicts between your family and another family if any arise; in a nanny share, your relationship with the other family is as big a deal as the nanny you pick.

If you have a standard 9-5 (or 8-6) job, and you are generally good at working with people, I think a nanny share offers a lot of perks.

I would really cross off the AP if you need full time care.

If you can never, ever miss work for caregiver illness, or your schedule changes, daycare will probably be your best option.

Hiring a nanny means being an employer. Aside from the cost, it's the biggest negative to nanny care. It is unlikely that you will get through the entire relationship without having to say "no" or asking her to do something differently. If that will be hard for you, it's something to consider.

I agree with so much of your post -- you pointed out great pros and cons for everything, except the part in bold. If they can never miss work, it will be an issue because children frequently get ill when they start daycare, and you have to be able to keep the child home in that case. Daycares usually have stricter policy in terms of illness.

Notice that I said if the CAREGIVER gets sick in the bolded above. People expect to have to manage their sick days and their kids' sick days; some people can't also manage to handle a caregiver illness, especially if it goes on for a length of time, or happens frequently.

Yes, I can read. But nannies generally get sick far less than a child entering daycare for the first time.

Anonymous wrote:Good luck with that. You don't sound that bright.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh -- APs can't work with newborns.

OP here... I should clarify that by "newborn" I mean 4 months. Both LCC and APIA provide trained infant caregivers for 3 months and up.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since you are also considering fit, here are some other points to keep in mind:

1) Daycares don't close because a single provider is sick -- AP and nanny care have that risk.
2) Daycares won't tailor everything to your child's preferences, like nap times, or way of being put to sleep, favorite foods, etc. -- AP and nanny care can provide that
3) AP can handle very early or late hours, but maxes out at 45 hours/wk; daycares have firm opening and closing times (mostly)
4) Nannies have no hard-and-fast max hours, but likely would not work a split schedule or very long hours (i.e., very early + very late)
5) Nannies and APs are employees, and you will have to be an employer/host mom; this means dealing with the kinds of things HR would deal with, managing quality control, responding to requests, training, etc..
6) You have no control over whom the daycare employs; you control who your nanny or AP is.
7) There are no major "hidden costs" to daycare. With an AP or nanny, you have to consider food, activities, setting up the house, taxes, unemployment insurance, etc..
8) The daycare will deal with conflicts between your family and another family if any arise; in a nanny share, your relationship with the other family is as big a deal as the nanny you pick.

If you have a standard 9-5 (or 8-6) job, and you are generally good at working with people, I think a nanny share offers a lot of perks.

I would really cross off the AP if you need full time care.

If you can never, ever miss work for caregiver illness, or your schedule changes, daycare will probably be your best option.

Hiring a nanny means being an employer. Aside from the cost, it's the biggest negative to nanny care. It is unlikely that you will get through the entire relationship without having to say "no" or asking her to do something differently. If that will be hard for you, it's something to consider.

I agree with so much of your post -- you pointed out great pros and cons for everything, except the part in bold. If they can never miss work, it will be an issue because children frequently get ill when they start daycare, and you have to be able to keep the child home in that case. Daycares usually have stricter policy in terms of illness.

Notice that I said if the CAREGIVER gets sick in the bolded above. People expect to have to manage their sick days and their kids' sick days; some people can't also manage to handle a caregiver illness, especially if it goes on for a length of time, or happens frequently.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Above figures sound about right to me on AP:
$18,500 on official costs
$2,600 on food ($50 per week)
$1200 on phone ($100 per month)

You are already at $22,300 annually plus transporation costs (car insurance or metro/uber fares), classes, utilities, and not to mention that you are expected to take her on trips and cultural excursions, etc. it adds up a lot, and if you are using this person for childcare for 40-45 hrs per week and you give no frills she won’t be happy long comparing herself to friends with school-aged kids for 20 hours a week and a personal car, etc.

Home Day cares are relatively inexpensive but as tou have already found the issue is finding a slot.

For nanny shares, plan to pay around $10 per hour minimum and factor in employer taxes as well.

Thanks, this is very helpful. We're looking for a nanny with some significant experience so we've been seeing closer to $30 for 2 kids (or $15/household in share). We're discussing it but wondering if an au pair is more suitable from both a cost and convenience perspective. SO much to consider but this is a good start - thanks!

But a nanny with significant experience isn’t really comparable to the pool of APs. You need to decide whether you want to spring for the professional. FWIW, while I am sure the “revolving door nanny” poster will pop in to refute this, lots of families do well paying for the more expensive nanny option for a set period (say the first 18 months), then move to AP or daycare. That gives baby an experienced childcare provider for the early months but it gives your budget an end daye.

It sounds like OP needs really flexible hours, though, and needs a nanny share, not her own nanny. That kind of flexibility is easier with an AP than with a nanny who will likely have set hours and need to stick to those hours for another family as well.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Above figures sound about right to me on AP:
$18,500 on official costs
$2,600 on food ($50 per week)
$1200 on phone ($100 per month)

You are already at $22,300 annually plus transporation costs (car insurance or metro/uber fares), classes, utilities, and not to mention that you are expected to take her on trips and cultural excursions, etc. it adds up a lot, and if you are using this person for childcare for 40-45 hrs per week and you give no frills she won’t be happy long comparing herself to friends with school-aged kids for 20 hours a week and a personal car, etc.

Home Day cares are relatively inexpensive but as tou have already found the issue is finding a slot.

For nanny shares, plan to pay around $10 per hour minimum and factor in employer taxes as well.

Thanks, this is very helpful. We're looking for a nanny with some significant experience so we've been seeing closer to $30 for 2 kids (or $15/household in share). We're discussing it but wondering if an au pair is more suitable from both a cost and convenience perspective. SO much to consider but this is a good start - thanks!

But a nanny with significant experience isn’t really comparable to the pool of APs. You need to decide whether you want to spring for the professional. FWIW, while I am sure the “revolving door nanny” poster will pop in to refute this, lots of families do well paying for the more expensive nanny option for a set period (say the first 18 months), then move to AP or daycare. That gives baby an experienced childcare provider for the early months but it gives your budget an end daye.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since you are also considering fit, here are some other points to keep in mind:

1) Daycares don't close because a single provider is sick -- AP and nanny care have that risk.
2) Daycares won't tailor everything to your child's preferences, like nap times, or way of being put to sleep, favorite foods, etc. -- AP and nanny care can provide that
3) AP can handle very early or late hours, but maxes out at 45 hours/wk; daycares have firm opening and closing times (mostly)
4) Nannies have no hard-and-fast max hours, but likely would not work a split schedule or very long hours (i.e., very early + very late)
5) Nannies and APs are employees, and you will have to be an employer/host mom; this means dealing with the kinds of things HR would deal with, managing quality control, responding to requests, training, etc..
6) You have no control over whom the daycare employs; you control who your nanny or AP is.
7) There are no major "hidden costs" to daycare. With an AP or nanny, you have to consider food, activities, setting up the house, taxes, unemployment insurance, etc..
8) The daycare will deal with conflicts between your family and another family if any arise; in a nanny share, your relationship with the other family is as big a deal as the nanny you pick.

If you have a standard 9-5 (or 8-6) job, and you are generally good at working with people, I think a nanny share offers a lot of perks.

I would really cross off the AP if you need full time care.

If you can never, ever miss work for caregiver illness, or your schedule changes, daycare will probably be your best option.

Hiring a nanny means being an employer. Aside from the cost, it's the biggest negative to nanny care. It is unlikely that you will get through the entire relationship without having to say "no" or asking her to do something differently. If that will be hard for you, it's something to consider.

I agree with so much of your post -- you pointed out great pros and cons for everything, except the part in bold. If they can never miss work, it will be an issue because children frequently get ill when they start daycare, and you have to be able to keep the child home in that case. Daycares usually have stricter policy in terms of illness.

Anonymous wrote:Oh -- APs can't work with newborns.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Above figures sound about right to me on AP:
$18,500 on official costs
$2,600 on food ($50 per week)
$1200 on phone ($100 per month)

You are already at $22,300 annually plus transporation costs (car insurance or metro/uber fares), classes, utilities, and not to mention that you are expected to take her on trips and cultural excursions, etc. it adds up a lot, and if you are using this person for childcare for 40-45 hrs per week and you give no frills she won’t be happy long comparing herself to friends with school-aged kids for 20 hours a week and a personal car, etc.

Home Day cares are relatively inexpensive but as tou have already found the issue is finding a slot.

For nanny shares, plan to pay around $10 per hour minimum and factor in employer taxes as well.

Thanks, this is very helpful. We're looking for a nanny with some significant experience so we've been seeing closer to $30 for 2 kids (or $15/household in share). We're discussing it but wondering if an au pair is more suitable from both a cost and convenience perspective. SO much to consider but this is a good start - thanks!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since you are also considering fit, here are some other points to keep in mind:

1) Daycares don't close because a single provider is sick -- AP and nanny care have that risk.
2) Daycares won't tailor everything to your child's preferences, like nap times, or way of being put to sleep, favorite foods, etc. -- AP and nanny care can provide that
3) AP can handle very early or late hours, but maxes out at 45 hours/wk; daycares have firm opening and closing times (mostly)
4) Nannies have no hard-and-fast max hours, but likely would not work a split schedule or very long hours (i.e., very early + very late)
5) Nannies and APs are employees, and you will have to be an employer/host mom; this means dealing with the kinds of things HR would deal with, managing quality control, responding to requests, training, etc..
6) You have no control over whom the daycare employs; you control who your nanny or AP is.
7) There are no major "hidden costs" to daycare. With an AP or nanny, you have to consider food, activities, setting up the house, taxes, unemployment insurance, etc..
8) The daycare will deal with conflicts between your family and another family if any arise; in a nanny share, your relationship with the other family is as big a deal as the nanny you pick.

If you have a standard 9-5 (or 8-6) job, and you are generally good at working with people, I think a nanny share offers a lot of perks.

I would really cross off the AP if you need full time care.

If you can never, ever miss work for caregiver illness, or your schedule changes, daycare will probably be your best option.

Hiring a nanny means being an employer. Aside from the cost, it's the biggest negative to nanny care. It is unlikely that you will get through the entire relationship without having to say "no" or asking her to do something differently. If that will be hard for you, it's something to consider.

Thanks for this thoughtful response. My husband is in TV/film and works weird hours and travels quite a bit. I have flexibility to WFH when needed. I don't see us ever needing more than 45 hours of care/week, and the AP route has the advantage of giving our AP a day off during the week when my husband might have a day off and then having her there on the weekend if we want to go out for a bit.

I would be lying if I didn't say I am VERY nervous about having someone so young taking care of our infant child AND living in our house. It feels like a big adjustment when you're also trying to get used to life as a new family of three! That's why we are also still considering the much more expensive and less flexible nanny share route.

Anonymous wrote:Oh -- APs can't work with newborns.

Anonymous wrote:Since you are also considering fit, here are some other points to keep in mind:

1) Daycares don't close because a single provider is sick -- AP and nanny care have that risk.
2) Daycares won't tailor everything to your child's preferences, like nap times, or way of being put to sleep, favorite foods, etc. -- AP and nanny care can provide that
3) AP can handle very early or late hours, but maxes out at 45 hours/wk; daycares have firm opening and closing times (mostly)
4) Nannies have no hard-and-fast max hours, but likely would not work a split schedule or very long hours (i.e., very early + very late)
5) Nannies and APs are employees, and you will have to be an employer/host mom; this means dealing with the kinds of things HR would deal with, managing quality control, responding to requests, training, etc..
6) You have no control over whom the daycare employs; you control who your nanny or AP is.
7) There are no major "hidden costs" to daycare. With an AP or nanny, you have to consider food, activities, setting up the house, taxes, unemployment insurance, etc..
8) The daycare will deal with conflicts between your family and another family if any arise; in a nanny share, your relationship with the other family is as big a deal as the nanny you pick.

If you have a standard 9-5 (or 8-6) job, and you are generally good at working with people, I think a nanny share offers a lot of perks.

I would really cross off the AP if you need full time care.

If you can never, ever miss work for caregiver illness, or your schedule changes, daycare will probably be your best option.

Hiring a nanny means being an employer. Aside from the cost, it's the biggest negative to nanny care. It is unlikely that you will get through the entire relationship without having to say "no" or asking her to do something differently. If that will be hard for you, it's something to consider.