Whether
you already have kids, or are planning to have them, you may be
thinking about who is going to care for them when you have to go to
work. Nowadays, most parents are both working; therefore, they are not
able to stay home to care for their children. When this situation comes
up, what will you do? I worked in a daycare center for 3 years, and a
few months ago, I decided that I wanted to become a nanny. I love
working with kids, and I wanted to work in a more personal environment,
with only 1-3 kids at a time, instead of a large group of six 2 year
olds. There are many things I dislike about daycares, and many things I
do like about being a nanny.
Is hiring a nanny something you are
thinking about? Does putting your child in a daycare center seem like a
good idea? The choice is yours. From my experience, I will share with
you the advantages and disadvantages of both.
Advantages of Hiring a Nanny: Trust and Cost-Effective
Hiring a nanny can be a difficult process for you as a parent.
However, the advantages of having a nanny in your home far outnumber the
advantages of a daycare. First of all, you have the opportunity to get
to know the nanny as a person, so that you are able to build a trust
with this person. If you find someone through a nanny agency, you won't
have to worry about checking their background or obtaining clearances
and records, as the agency will have already done this for you. Most
nannies that are found through agencies are required to have a minimum
number of years of child care experience, along with current CPR and
First Aid certifications. Just as you sign a contract for a daycare,
you'll have to write up and sign a contract for your nanny as well,
including pay, hours, responsibilities and benefits.
Having a
nanny in your home allows you to keep an eye on her, as well as your
child, at any time you wish. A lot of families even have a "nanny cam"
for the times they are at work or away from the home, and they wish to
check in on the house. This gives you, as a parent, a sense of security
when leaving someone alone with your child. Eventually, you may start to
feel as if the nanny is part of your family.
Another good
advantage of hiring a nanny is the cost. The popular myth is that only
wealthy families can afford nannies. However, nannies can actually be
cheaper than daycare. Although many nannies charge between $10-15 per
hour, you are paying a flat hourly rate, and not per child. Enrolling 4
kids in daycare can really hurt your wallet; however, hiring a nanny to
care for your 4 children may save you money in the long run.
Advantages of Daycare: Learning Programs
The only time I ever see daycare as an advantage is when your child is
older. Infants and 1-2 year olds are just there for the "babysitting"
aspect of daycare. 3 and 4 year olds can benefit from the preschool
programs offered at a lot of daycare centers. 4 and 5 year olds can
learn a lot from the pre-kindergarten programs as well. Also,
school-aged children under 12 years of age are offered a place to do
homework and play with friends before and after school. Most of the
time, daycare is a great way for your child to do art projects,
participate in field trips, and make friends. It's a good way for them
to become social before entering elementary school. Just be sure that
the center is accredited and licensed by the state before enrolling your
child in preschool, pre-k or a before/after school program.
Disadvantages of Hiring a Nanny: Reliability
If you are relying on one person to care for your kids, then you run
the risk of having nobody if your nanny calls off sick or is unable to
work for any reason. In a daycare, there will always be a backup, or
substitute teacher to take the sick teacher's place. You won't have to
worry about who is going to care for your child.
A nanny may
decide that they don't want to work for you anymore, and they may quit
without notice, leaving you without anyone to care for your kids. This
is why it's important to come up with an agreement in your contract,
such as a 1 year commitment between you and the nanny. This way, she
must put in a minimum of 1 year with the family before deciding to quit.
Disadvantages of Daycare: Cost, Care and Sicknesses
Enrolling your child, or children, in a daycare center can be costly,
especially if you have more than one child. I knew a family who took
their 3 kids to a KinderCare, and was paying around $2500 per month for
care, for a 4 year old, a 2 year old and a 1 year old. The younger your
child is, the more expensive it is going to be.
Another
disadvantage of putting your kids in daycare is that you really cannot
trust who is taking care of your kids. Just because a teacher has their
background clearances and CPR certification, doesn't mean they are
trustworthy and caring. You really don't know what happens once you
leave your child, unless of course, the center has cameras where you can
monitor your child throughout the day at work. But remember, not all
centers have this feature. The popular daycare centers like KinderCare
don't have them in most of them across the country. Also, how can you
put your infant in the care of someone else, when they have 3 other
babies to take care of in the same room? State ratio for most infant
rooms is 4 to 1, meaning 1 teacher can have 4 babies in their care.
Obviously, your child isn't going to get the love and care that they
truly deserve if 3 other kids are constantly in need of something.
Illnesses in daycare are a given, and your child is most likely going
to get sick a few times while they are in daycare. But think about it,
the more your child is sick, the more you may have to miss work, and
then you risk losing your job. Illnesses and germs spread around daycare
centers like wildfire, and even worse if the classrooms and toys are
not properly cleaned and sanitized. Colds, strep throat, pink eye, the
flu and chicken pox are only some of the illnesses that your child is
susceptible to.
