Childcare Options: Pros and Cons

1

Childcare optionsFor many moms-to-be, the most pressing question (beyond the great unknown of childbirth!) is how to find the best, most affordable and nurturing childcare option for your baby. I started my research midway through my first pregnancy, visiting centers, asking all kinds of questions about meals and licensing. But, in truth, I felt pretty clueless about what would work best.

In the ensuing years, we have ended up trying many different options for our now three kids, ages 6, 4 and 1. By no means do I claim to be an expert, but I would love to share my experience, and pros and cons of the options we have explored.

At-Home Childcare Location: During my childcare search with my oldest son, a colleague pointed me in the direction of a wonderful woman, Ms. Dawn. She took only a small number of children, kept the kids on a schedule, got them to nap and even eat vegetables! We decided to send Cameron to Ms. Dawn’s house at four months old. Four months turned into more than four years, and the addition of our daughter, Victoria, to the mix. At-home daycares, in my experience, are best found through word of mouth. The best ones often have waitlists.  Ask colleagues with kids if they know of anyone who runs a daycare of this nature. Finding a gem like we did can make or break your working experience. The downsides include if the provider takes vacation or is sick, you may need to come up with a backup plan, as there is not a staff in place to take over.

Daycare Canter / Corporate Pre-school: Around the age of 3 1/2, Cameron began outgrowing Ms. Dawn’s house. While he loved going there (and still does, to visit), he needed a bit more stimulation with kids his same age. He needed structure, and a bit of peer play to help him get ready for the larger world of school to come. We found a great location, Little Sunshine at DC Ranch, that allowed Cameron to go three days. That way, he had a blend of Ms. Dawn’s loving care, and also the structure of a bit more formal classroom. Be forewarned, rules are much stricter at corporate daycares! You cannot be running a few minutes late (many charge by the minute!) and your child may not get as much hands-on attention and care as they receive in an at-home environment.

Nanny: When my youngest son was born, we decided to try a nanny for the baby, and preschool and prekindergarten at our neighborhood school, operated through Community Education with PVUSD. We found our nanny on Care.com, a great resource that you can customize to your needs. Pluses of a nanny: they come to your house, you can work with a part-time schedule, you only pay for the hours you need, and you can set the rules at home about naps, feeding, etc. Downsides: cost is a major one, lack of socialization and, in my case, working around other commitments (college, other nanny jobs if part time). Expect to pay a tiered amount, with variables ranging from the age of your child (infants cost more) to the number of children the nanny will be watching.

Au Pair: After about eight months with our nanny, I knew we needed more hours of help.  But the cost of a full-time nanny when I was working part time seemed excessive. Plus, I was tired of complicated accounting each day to figure out how many hours, at what rate, dependent on how many kids were present. So, we signed up with Au Pair Care agency to host an au pair in our home for a year. On the positive side, au pairs are in the United States specifically to provide you with childcare. It is their full-time job. You are technically their only commitment, besides mandatory school credit hours (six hours per year). There are downsides, though. They live in your home, so space is of the essence. You must be open to sharing your life beyond the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.. For us, the trade off is worth it, as it allows us to go out for happy hour on occasion, or take my daughter to dance without dragging two other kids along for the ride.

I would love to hear some of your success stories, and things you would do differently next time.

 

Previous article4 Things that Will Change Your Life {No Joke!}
Next articleYo, Momma. Yo Gotta YONANAS!
Kim Cole
Kim Cole is a busy hospitality public relations professional and mother of three children (ages 2, 5 and 7). She loves being outdoors with the kids, hiking, riding bikes and running. Born in Tucson, her family moved to Texas when she was in grade school, and she attended the University of Texas at Austin. Kim followed her heart back to Arizona after meeting her husband of 13 years on a spring break trip to Mazatlan. While there will always be a soft spot for her "deep in the heart of Texas," she loves all things Scottsdale and Arizona and enjoys being an ambassador both professionally and personally for the destination.

1 COMMENT

  1. Kim, thanks so much for the helpful info and for sharing your experiences! It’s one thing to look up childcare options online and/or conduct an interview, but it’s another to actually hear from someone who’s “been there, done that”. 🙂

Comments are closed.