Nanny vs. Daycare: Why We Chose A Nanny

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Nanny and children

Yes, we have a nanny. No, we are not rich. The word tends to elicit ideas of celebrities pawning their children off, but completely average people have nannies too! And I’m sure different people make that decision for different reasons, but it quite often is the best financial decision. Here are the hurdles we had with traditional daycare.

Hurdle No. 1:

  • Most daycares operate under a 6 a.m –  6 p.m schedule, which is not a schedule that all families operate under. (Second shifters for example)

Hurdle No. 2:

  • The cost of daycare increases exponentially with additional children. The 5-10% sibling discount usually isn’t much help.

Hurdle No. 3:

  • Scrambling to find last minute care when children are sick.

With three children we have utilized all the different kinds of childcare. Formal childcare centers, in home daycare, and now a nanny. Upon the arrival of the third child, there was no way a formal daycare would be affordable and finding an in-home daycare with three open spots was completely impossible. Having a nanny ended up being the cheapest option available and it offered up so much more flexibility for our schedules since we didn’t need to pack the kids in the car to take to and from. Not to mention help around the house for some light chores.

Now just like with any situation, there are pros and cons. The cons being that you are now someone’s employer and there is a completely different tax situation you have to deal with. (Ask your accountant because I understand zero about it.) You also may not have any backup if your nanny has a family or medical emergency but thank goodness for drop in daycare centers.

If you are concerned about the children lacking socialization with other kids, there are so many opportunities for baby and toddler meet ups / outings. Find a moms group for you or the nanny to join and attend as many events as you can manage!

All in all, it is so wonderful having someone you trust to watch over your children and they truly become another part of the family. Knowing my kids are happy enables me to go off to work with a little less stress and well, I happen to think that is pretty priceless.