nanny vs creche

I guess I'm very lucky in the fact I work from home, so the hours are not the problem. My nanny is here from 9-3. (sadly today is her last day and the hunt resumes)

I did choose someone with a drivers, I just want that little bit of extra security and it came is very handy this last week when I wasn't able to drive for 4 days!

While yes a nanny may have to take time off if she is ill/whatever, you'd need to take off if your child got ill, and I think there would be less days that your nanny would take off than your child being ill from being in a crech.

On a side note, if my children are very sick I tell my nanny to stay at home so that she does not get ill. My DH still takes off from work then to help look after them.

There are valid arguments for both sides.

Personally if you work full time a school may be a better option mainly because they are reliable, their hours often cater for working moms - my nanny works now from 8h00 - 16h30 - if I worked those hours wouldn't work at all.

Money can also be a factor - a day care is often cheaper than what full time help would be and while our childrens well being doesnt have a price tag - it IS a reality.

I was fortunate enough to find a reliable nanny so the older kids also stayed home for the first 2 years BUT they are increasingly hard to come by.

So if you can find someone good and reliable then that would be my first choice!

Memo, my nanny doesnt have a drivers, but on the fridge is a list of the following numbers:

Me

My mom: She works at the highscholl 500m from my house, so in an emergency would be here in a flash

DH: he also works about 10 mins away

My next door neighbour: She is a SAHM and has a car (her 2 lg are both in school already)

The ambulance

The local saps

Our neighbourhood watch the CCPO

ADT (I also have emergancy buttons on my alarm for the ambulance, the fire brigade and the police)

I sent my nanny on a first aid course so she knows CPR etc

So I dont think she needs to be able to drive (she does have a gate remote and back door keys for if she needs to get out)

Yes.. like yaz's post on how nice it is to be the dad.
Drivers licence... yes. good point.. hmmmm

I amon the anti nanny side of the fence. Mainly due to the unreliability. I grew up with a nanny and it was awesome, but it is so difficult to find a great one these days. I also prefer someone with a drivers to take care of dylan in case of emergency.

When Dylan was months old he went to a daymom. He was the only baby and he was spoilt. At one he couldnt hold his own bottle yet and was always in someone'e arms. He was happy.

True they don't play with other kids, but I liked that he did interact with other kids in some way. The teacher was seriously strict about illness and she wouldn't let the kid into the daycare if they were ill. Dylan hardly ever got sick with them.

He is now in a larger school and is having a ball. large class and yes illness (Memo meet my jackass partner who won't remove Dylan's adenoides even though they are sure he has apnoea).

There are always pros and cons to both sides. I get your anger at hubby. I feel the same. You have no idea how we argued over a school for Dylan. I knew V was perfect, but Neil had other ideas. I hate how we get to do all the work and they then think they have full right to decide what is best for THEiIR kid.

Can you tell how bloody cross I am at the moment.

I have gotten a reference for a nanny (whom I have not met yet) but it says alot when a women is desperately trying to find a new family for someone they can not afford to keep and who also has been with them for 4 years. She says this nanny is a gentle patient lovely women and her son absolutely adores her and runs to her in the mornings when she arrives.
Problem.. she charges R3250 per month and only works till 4h30.
I know this will significantly affect our income but it would still be worth it knowing my son is with a gentle soul being shussed to sleep etc. (haha, such a mommy!)
Now to get DH onboard!

I'm also anti creche - I'm anti their "schedules" and their one size fits all mentality. My nanny is WONDERFUL. Yes their have been a few days when she has been off, which have been a pain, but the flip side is in a creche or at a day mom if your baby is sick you cant send them and you sit with the same problem....
A good nanny is worth far more when your kids are little:) The problem is finding the good ones!