Nursery or Nanny? It’s a difficult decision and there is no one right answer. We know that childcare is a crucial matter and that every family has to decide for themselves exactly what works for them. So let’s look at some facts.
Cost
The Money Advice Service says that a nursery for a child under two costs £222 per week – full time while a live-in nanny costs between £350 – £550 per week plus tax, National Insurance and room and board. On that basis is almost seems a no-brainer that a nursery is cheaper. But let’s look at what that really means for the average family. When you add in the extra hours most families spend on a childminder or after school club, the costs turn out to be pretty similar.
Flexibility
Day nurseries offer little or no flexibility. When their hours are over, you either need to be there to collect your child or pay a childminder to soak up the hours that you can’t be home. That soon gets very expensive. In addition, there are late fees if you fail to collect on time and that adds to family stress. Depletes the family budget and can lead to a small child feeling guilty about something that they have no control over but appears to be ‘their fault’. Nannies can be much more flexible and you’ll work out a system. That ensures you can relax at work and be confident your child is being looked after.
Socialisation
Nurseries by their nature supply rich opportunities for children to socialise and learn group skills. This is vital to child development and the best nurseries bring in outside expertise in music, gymnastics and even languages, to give children a great start. A nanny clearly can’t provide everything that a nursery can. Although play dates go a long way to boosting a child’s social skills and a bilingual nanny may be the ideal choice for certain families. Not all children love endless stimulation and variety. Some parents find that nursery life, with its endless noise, movement and transitions in staffing, can actually send a sensitive child backwards.
Sickness
There’s one definite difference – your nursery and even your childminder – will not want your sick child around them! Most nurseries have a strict rule about not bringing sick children to nursery and collecting them from nursery if they become sick. It’s only logical – they don’t want an infectious disease spreading through their ranks and they aren’t equipped to prove the necessary care for an unwell infant. Nurseries are a hotbed of diseases. Little ones transmit viruses and bugs between themselves and it’s a simple fact of life that your child is going to get ill. A nanny is almost certainly going to be available to help look after your sick little one. As long as you ask at interview about her own vaccinations and previous illnesses, is unlikely to be a source of illness.
So, there are always reasons to decide one way or the other, and every case should be judged on its merits. As we said at the beginning, there is no one right answer – we’re here to help you make the decision that is best for you.