Daycare/Preschool Vs. Nanny

Personally, I would choose a nanny until August, and then transitioning to the school that you've chosen. A nanny will probably cost about the same as day care for one of the children, and they will have more flexibility in terms of doing fun summer stuff - like going to the zoo or the beach or parks, etc. Then, they can both go to the school that you like. In addition, it helps them transition from being home with a parent to being taken care of by somebody else without also having to be in a new place.

Good luck!

I would see if there are any good in home daycares nearby in the interim. Splitting them up in the short term would probably not be bad, since they'll probably be in different rooms anyway at the new preschool.

I would definately go with my gut and not take them to the institutional feeling place if i didnt have to.

I like the idea of a nanny who will come to your house. That way both kids get to sleep in till they are ready to get up. I have a 18 month old and now that the weather is getting nicer and we are outside more, it is very difficult to wake him up at 615 for us to goto work and for him to goto daycare. Breaks my heart waking him (staying home is not an option). Good luck with whatever you decide.

I would your son in the center where they will end up, and your daughter at a different place, they will not realize at different places. And they may get a spot sooner for you daughter at the place your son is in.......

Finding a nanny to do short term will be hard, since most want commitment of a year or more.

Follow your gut feeling, You know your kids and what they can handle. So the less they have to change the better

I do think the nanny idea would be best since this is just a tempory situation. I would not put them somewhere that you dont love bc if your gut tells you it is not good then it is not good there are too many bad places out there and you dont need that at all! a nanny is a great thing to have really: the kids are still together, you can do your house so they are more comfortable w/ a new person watching them, or do their house to get them used to being out of the house, you can be sure that you like who is watchign them, they will get 'closer' more individual care, and even after you are done with needing the nanny full time you maybe able to use them for much needed date nights! good luck and be sure that you get a GREAT feel for the person watching your child as the same w/ daycare there are bad nannies too.

M.,

I am going to be as honest as I can with you. I HATE the fact that so many parents BASH nannies. I am a nanny, with my own children, and I have been one for over 10 years now. My job as a nanny was a CHOSEN profession, NOT one that I am doing just till my dream job shows up! Sometimes there are people out there that do nanny thru college years while they are studying for a degree, I originally was in school for nursing, and decided that I LOVED providing one-on-one care much more to families. I love taking field trips to the zoo, parks, going for walks, having picnic lunches in the park, and curling up on the couch with a movie, when someone's sick. I LOVE MY JOB!!! I thank God everyday for my job with parents whom LOVE their jobs! They aren't any less of a parent because they choose to work. Mom is putting away money for her daughters future, and loves working closely with me to make sure her child on the right track developmentally.

Daycares are awesome as well, if you find one that you love. My best friend worked in a daycare for 9 years before one of the families asked her if she would be interested in being a nanny for them FT.

You say your son has medical needs. While most daycares can try to be accomodating, a nanny probably would be a better fit in my opinion for your situation. Find a wonderful nanny, whom you can train. Remember that just because she may not have the college degree in child development or education, doesn't mean she isn't a good nanny. I have a medical background and have gotten plenty of offers for jobs based on my babysitting/child experience.

Good luck!

Call your local Child Care licensing Agency and talk to a licensing worker. She may have insight about which centers can provide a higher level of care for your son.

I would think , according to what you said about transitioning, that your son needs to go ahead and start at the center that he can start soon. If your daughter is able to do it then go ahead and take her to someone else and always take her to drop off your son and to pick him up. That way she will know the people's faces, she can visit her potential classroom every day or two, plus this will let the Director know you are serious about bringing her. A lot of the time we tell parents we expect an opening on such and such date but if we like the parent and the child we can usually rearrange a few kids up a class or something as soon as possible to admit a child.

Nanny or sitter for the summer and move them both together in August. Maybe consider moving your son a few weeks early so he has a longer transition time to the center. It may be less stressful for you if he gets acclimated and can then get your daughter excited about it. Also it might be good for him to get to the center first and make some friends...he might use your daughter as a crutch to just stick with his sister if he is shy. Under no circumstance would I leave my child with a center in the interim that I felt any less than 100% comfortable with---that is not a good idea. Best of luck. Be prepared to pay for a nanny, but it will be worth it.

I'd say a nanny until August would be the best thing for your kids.

I would do the nanny until August. The transition to group care is going to be hard enough on your kids without having them go through it multiple times. Just as they get adjusted to a center (which takes about a month or so), they're gonna have to move again and familiarize themselves to new faces. Not good! Just be sure to get a nanny that's trustworthy (lots of references and experience). Good luck!

Hello M.-

I was a Nanny for many years, and while I think having a Nanny is great for a lot of reasons, for your short needs, I don't think it would work.

Most Nannies need/want a commitment of a year or more. When you have a Nanny, the bond between the care giver & child becomes stronger, so having a Nanny for a short period would be hard on your child.

I cannot give you an opinion about the daycare choices, but having a Nanny for a few months I think would not be the best.

Good Luck!

R. Magby

Nanny, if you can't stay home.

I would think that if you want to have the fewest transitions possible, I would try to find a nanny. If you can find a reputable search firm or some other way to ensure you find a good one, that could be a lifesaver for you. Especially given your son's dietary considerations, I would try to keep it as simple as possible for both of them by keeping them home and then sending them to the SAME place together in August.

I'm not sure how feasible it would be for you guys to find a nanny you would be comfortable with in such a short period of time, but that seems like the best answer to me of the ones you mentioned. Tough situation....I wish you the best!

No matter what you choose, just remember that kids are really resilient and they will be FINE! I promise!

Seems like the best choice would be to get a nanny/babysitter between now and August and then let them each start preschool in the fall. The advantages to this as I see them are:

-kids stay together.
-nanny could actually be a good/gentle way to ease your children out of the house and into a preschool environment. Like step 1: still at their own house, nanny could follow dad's usual routine with them, take them on familiar outings etc. step 2: Nanny eases toward the preschool schedule (they should be able to give you a printout with their usual routine) does more preschool activities like sitting for circle, organized art etc. step 3: preschool.
- nanny could probably have an ongoing role as your occasional babysitter. With both of you working full time outside of the house, it's possible you'll have a need to schedule some time to reconnect. The nanny would be someone you and your children know well and trust and she'd probably be happy to watch them from time to time.

The only con, I think, would be the cost. Nanny's can be a bit more expensive than daycare/preschool, but by the time you've paid for two kids, maybe it isn't. Anyway, you wouldn't mention it as an option if you can't afford it, so go for it.

I wouldn't put them at a center temporarily. Especially because you aren't thrilled with the options (or you'd be leaving them there indefinitely) and also because the switch could be really hard on them.

Hope this helps,
T.

Find a nanny for the summer. There are lots of college students looking for summer jobs.

I know that there are situations where this isn't an option, but I would say if at all possible Find a way to stay home with your kids they grow up so fast and they are still so little treasure this time with them as much as you can.

I agree that you should be able to find a responsible college/high school student to help through August and then transition them together. The hassel of putting kids in 2 different facilities seems like a lot for both you and your husband - especially if you're going to transition them again.

Though both of our kids are in full-time day care (which I think is the best decision we've made for them), I do believe in your situation that going from Dad full-time to a sitter will help them get accustomed to another authority figure and then to a good day care/preschool.

I used to "nanny" over the summer for some neighbors, and my only advice if you go that route is to be very explicit with them about your expectations for behavior, etc. The family I worked for wanted me to be very disciplinary with their daughters, as if I were one of the parents. I learned what were acceptable vs. unacceptable behaviors for the girls and acted according to the parents' wishes.