Nursery or Nanny?
Every family operates in their own way. Some people are lucky enough to be surrounded by family members who chip in where they can to help with looking after your little ones. Some people may be in a position to not work and look after their children themselves. Some people may send their children to full-time nursery so they can go to work themselves. Some people hire a part-time nanny to help with the school drop off and pick up. Some people hire a daily nanny to have their children from 7am - 6pm whilst they are at work. Some people may not work but still choose to have a nanny help them during the day. What we are trying to say here is everyone’s family set up is different.
We understand that for some people hiring help is not financially possible. Sending your little one to nursery is sometimes the only viable childcare option. However, if like many other parents you find yourself weighing up your options, we have gathered some useful information that may make the decision a little easier!
Maisie was an after-school nanny throughout university in London and has been a full-time nanny since graduating in 2020. Rebecca started her nannying journey as a full-time nanny to two little boys when she was 17 then, like Maisie, she took on a role of an after-school nanny during her time at university. Since graduating Rebecca has returned to being a full-time nanny working Monday- Friday. Even in our current roles, the children we look after are in either full-time school or part-time nursery. Maisie works two half days a week, where she only drops off her kid at school and picks him up, and three 11 hour days whilst finishing her Masters degree. Whereas Rebecca works 10 hours a day Monday-Friday. Some people may think that hiring a nanny means they need to pay someone for 50 hours a week which does get expensive. However, many families hire a nanny to fill in where they can’t which is considerably cheaper and allows for a lot of flexibility. A lot of nannies will prefer a more flexible schedule, especially if they are studying or have a family of their own. Finding a nanny that meets your requirements won’t be easy, you may have to trial a few before you find someone that perfectly slots into your family dynamic. But when you find the right person, you’ll be wondering where they have been all your life!
A nanny is a consistent and familiar caregiver for your little one who, in no time at all, will become part of the family. Having a nanny takes the pressure off of juggling the school drop offs and pick ups with your commute to work and other commitments. A nanny will also give your child routine and structure. Hiring a nanny to work within your home will encourage a routine of nap-times, lunchtime, bath time and bedtime that might not necessarily be present if your child was attending nursery. If for any reason you were held up at work or running errands, you can be confident that your child is still having all of their needs met within their normal routine. It is typical for a nanny to perform light-housekeeping duties relating to your child such as cooking them dinner, washing their clothes and keeping the toys organised. It is not unusual for a nanny to take children to dentist and doctors appointments too. Having these things in order will free up time for yourself and allow you to spend quality time with your child when you are in the home rather than needing to rush off to put on a load of laundry. Some nannies will be comfortable doing the washing and cooking for the whole family but this is something that would need to be discussed during interviews to ensure the expectations of the role are clear to avoid any conflict and upset down the line. If you are inviting a nanny to work within your home, everyone needs to feel comfortable. At the end of the day it is your home but it is also their place of work.
A nanny can give your child 100% of their attention, something that is not possible for nursery workers to give a large group of children. However, a child’s opportunity to interact with other children their age is sometimes limited. Of course there are classes and clubs that your nanny can attend with your child, but it is important to remember that these classes are often highly structured and planned. During classes there is often little opportunity for free-play and interactions between the attending children. Your child will still undoubtably socially benefit from these classes, but this is where a nursery arguably has greater benefits for your child over a nanny. If your child attends nursery they are given ample opportunity to interact with other child their age and build upon their social skills. There is always plenty of things going on to provide your little one with constant mental stimulation, something we can all agree a toddler needs!
Some nurseries will have more of an educational focus than others. This is especially true for nurseries that feed into private schools as they are helping your child get ahead of the educational standards in these schools. Even if your child is attending a less formal nursery, they will still benefit from being in a ‘classroom’ environment so that when the time comes to attend full-time school, it is not a massive shock that they are expected to be away from their caregivers all day. If your child attends nursery they will also have access to a wide range of toys and activities that they might not have at home. Whilst being incredibly fun for your little one, having access to different activities can also help to develop their motor skills. Another benefit to sending your child to a nursery is that you will still be provided with childcare when one of the nursery staff is off sick. If you have a nanny who is off sick it is unlikely you will find cover at short notice.
When choosing between a nanny and nursery, there are many thing to consider. Not only does it need to work for your family, it needs to work for your child. No two children are the same. Not even when they are both your own. You may find that one thrives at nursery whilst the other finds it overwhelming and difficult. Unfortunately, money is also a contributing factor. At face value nursery may seem to be the cheaper option but when you add in late fees, breakfast clubs, holiday cover and having multiple children, nursery can cost an arm and a leg.
Whatever route you follow, make sure you do extensive research into who is caring for your precious offspring. It may mean trialling a few nurseries or nannies and whilst this is frustrating and time consuming, it will be worth it in the end.