Nanny vs Nursery final decision thoughts and experiences ?!

How many days a week is it?

If it's 4 or 5, maybe even 3, I would go for a nanny because I think that one to one care is best at that age.

If it is 3 or less, I think I'd be swayed by the advantages of a nursery setting. I love that they are open without fail 50 weeks of the year. They are never sick. I don't have to plan my holiday around their's. I feel more comfortable knowing that my children's care by any one person is supervised by other people (that was probably the deciding factor for us when we made this decision). I looked at a lot of nurseries and was only happy with the one I chose, which luckily the children - my eldest in particular - has loved. They have good access to the outdoors (woods and a lake even) and although they don't have one to one care, they have that for the other 5 days of the week and it actually feels good for them to have variation, spending lots of time with other children and ultimately developing their own friendships. A nanny may do this too, but they do so many fun activities there I always feel that it is much more fun than any day I manage to give them at home!

I've just realised that I don't know how old your child is - I've assumed 1. If your child is 6 or 9 months I would go for a nanny regardless of how many days a week it is. Nursery felt particularly good from age 2.

I hope this helps. I think if you have access to a good nursery and a good nanny you probably can't make a bad decision here, both will be good in different ways.

I was in your situation and went with the nanny option. IMO it's much easier for you returning to work not to have to worry about getting the baby up and ready. I have no problem at all with nurseries but I also think it is better for babies yo be in their home environment. Best of luck with whatever you decide.

Have you got a cost estimate from a nanny payroll provider such as www.nannypaye.co.uk based on what you are proposing to pay the nanny? The cost of 1:1 care is high and whilst you say that cost is not a factor, it is something that must be considered.

Do not panic about being an employer, the payroll companies will help you with that and the rest is common sense, such as keeping track of when someone works and when they don't work. Use technology to help, such as Google Calendar, so you track working hours and communicate with your nanny about events.

Childminder coming to your home, not quite sure how that would work. The usual advantage of a childminder is that they care for several children from several families which helps to reduce the cost whilst keeping care being in a family environment.

Some baby rooms in nurseries are lovely, others not so. Is it worth another visit?

I'm also a nanny and a few of my friends have had babies and gone back to work in recent years so I can see it from both sides.

I would say if you can afford a nanny, go with that option. A good nanny will reduce the stress of you going back to work, even just morning routines will be easier and simpler, they will do nursery duties like batch cooking for weaning and babies washing etc which will give you time with your baby at weekends and evenings and I firmly believe that being cared for at home is best for young children.
My friends little one started at nursery in October and has pretty much been ill ever since, she's really struggled to be at work and had to rush back and collect him many times.

one thing that I think mums worry about but don't say is what if my baby builds a strong bong with that one person (the nanny) I can firmly say that yes I care for my charges 5 days a week but mummy is and always will be the most important person to them, I've made sure I do things like say "mummy's here yay" when we hear the door and my poor boss gets bombarded by the children! Ha ha

I would go with the nanny .

For me it would be less stressful, you would need to take less time off for sick leave as your LO wont be catching all the nursery germs.

You could switch later when LO is older.

If you are lucky enough to have the financial choice and a nanny you like, I would always pick a nanny over nursery. And I've seen some good nurseries.

You may curse me when the nanny gets pregnant or resigns and you have to fix it, and when the tax bill arrives every three months [wowser] but there is nothing, nothing as good as a good nanny. TBH i think ds's first nanny was better than me She was certainly an enormous support to me as a parent in every way. We had a wonderful three years with her. It was a nanny share and worked brilliantly. The second nanny we had wasn't quite so wonderful - we didn't fix the boundaries carefully enough. It's hard to know what you care about until someone does something you don't like. The question is, are you a good manager - can you set out priorities, manage effectively but not micromanage? It's not easy. Still worth it though.

In the interests of full disclosure I am a nanny (although I have worked in nurseries).

IMO a good nanny is always the best form of childcare.

It is best for children to be looked after in a home environment rather than the slightly institutionalised setting of a nursery. It is best for their care to match their natural rhythms (re. food/sleep/activity) and interests rather than needing to stick to a schedule. It is best for them to have one caregiver to bond with and love and who will hopefully bond with and love them back. It is best for them to meet and interact with a range of children and adults rather than being in the 'baby room' of a nursery alongside 3 members of staff and a group of other babies. It is best for them to get out and about and see the world and experience different things rather than being stuck in one or maybe two baby proof rooms and a garden for 10 hours a day.

It is best for parents not to have to get their baby up and out in time for nursery in the morning. It is best for parents not to have to bring baby home at 6:30pm and start baths and PJ's. It is best to leave them in PJ's at home in the morning and come back to them bathed and ready for bed in the evening. It is best for parents to not have to worry about work because their baby has a temperature/chicken pox/a tummy upset and is banned from nursery for 48 hours+. It is best for parents to have someone who can change the baby's bed, do some laundry, run a few errands, let the plumber in, wait in for a parcel and generally make life a little bit easier.

It's not all plain sailing with a nanny obviously. You could be unlucky and get a bad one. They could be lazy or take time off sick. They almost certainly will do some things different to you. You need to factor in their holidays. You need to be an employer. You might struggle with seeing your child closely bonded to another adult. You might struggle to see another adult enjoying your child while you're at work. And it's bloody expensive! It's not perfect, but it is the best imo.