Nanny or nursery.

[vintagewhine]

Just looking for peoples experiences, pros/cons of both. I'm about to go back to work and have to decide. Ds is 13 months, never been left with anyone. Dd is 3 and was in nursery two days a week. Am going back to work four days a week.

Nursery, dd is happy there but it took a while for her to settle. It's big and communication isn't perfect but nothing is. Rated outstanding.

Nanny is local, have seen her with her previous charge and always caring. I am so torn and hate to admit it but worry that I'll be jealous of a nanny bond which I don't need to stress about in the same way as with a nursery.

Costs initially, at least until ds hits 3 are the same.

Any experiences welcome and feel free to flame if it's needed.

I would always, always, always go for a nanny or childminder over a nursery. I am a nanny though so I might be biased. I've also worked in nurseries.

If you do a search of old posts you will see this topic debated again and again, there are pros and cons to both, ultimately it's personal preference.

With regard to cost would a childminder (or nursery) not be cheaper once your DD starts school?

Nanny- will cover also when children are sick/ during holidays/ when eldest is at school can do drop offs/ pick up and any school cover. Most schools have min 12 weeks school holidays a year. Will also sort children's washing/ bedding/ food to save you coming home and doing after. Also means you can leave early and children stay in bed if still tired, and they can be bathed and ready/ in bed if your late

I have a mix of nursery 3 mornings and one afternoon a week and nanny 2 afternoons (with a nursery morning) so my DD's only do half a day with any one setting. works well as I get the free hours for DD1 and pay nursery for DD2 but then have them home fed and often bathed when I get in on the nanny afternoons (which are days when I am unable to leave work til 6/7pm so would be scuppered totally by nursery)

nanny is more convenient and great from a clean kitchen, bathed kids perspective but actually if I had my ideal world I'd do shorter hours and only use nursery as I love the nursery I use and would prefer there not to be someone in my house when I am not there (and nanny is expensive even if you pay near minimum wage as you have to add on mileage, expenses for trips out etc etc whereas nursery si a flat all inclusive rate)

Just to give you a different perspective... I have used both and if I could find a good nursery where DCs were happy, and they were not excluded often for being ill, I would have chosen nursery. I have been lucky to have some lovely nannies, but also too much stress with some of them being off sick a lot, not turning up, not safety conscious, or just wanting to lounge around with their nanny friends all day in a cafe using my money. If you're not experienced in nanny recruitment, it is pretty difficult to spot potential issues. When nanny relationships go bad, they can really hurt you, both financially and emotionally. You shouldn't enter the world of nanny employment lightly.

Also I would be extremely surprised if the total cost of a live out sole charge nanny for one child is really less than a nursery. Have you taken into account tax, NI, employer's NI, heating, food for nanny, nappies & outings (which many nurseries include in their fees), possibly Ofsted registration, possibly first aid/childcare courses etc?

Isn't the nanny for two children not one?

I have two dc, 3 and 13 months. Dd is an Oct baby so a while before school so actually the nanny is cheaper at the moment!

Thanks for the replies, I know ultimately I have to go with what I feel comfortable with but just looking for experiences.

I prefer a nanny but I'm a bit of a control freak. We currently have a nursery/au pair combo which works really well - means DS can go outside/swimming/have one:one time etc - but that wouldn't be cost effective with a nanny.

Do check and double check the figures, a nanny is often cheaper if you have 3 children. With 2 children, there may not be a lot in it but I would suspect the total cost of a nanny would be a bit more than 2 nursery places - however it may depend on area you are in and on how low a salary you at which you can find a suitable nanny.

You do need to go with what you feel comfortable with and what you can manage. With a nursery you do not do staff management, you use their service. With a nanny you do need to manage them a bit, sometimes a lot, though with luck just a bit.

Rough 4-day Nanny Calculation
Working Hours: 8am-6pm
Nannies Gross Salary: £10 Gross per hour
Number of hours per week: 40
Nannies Salary per Week: £400 Gross ? £20,857 Gross per Year
Employers National Insurance: £ 1847 2012/13 tax year (calculation by MrAnchovy?s PAYE Calculator 2012/13)
Nanny Payroll: £135
Weekly Expenses Kitty (for activities/outings): £5 per day
Based on a 48 week working year, £5 x 48 weeks x 4 days= £960
Mileage (nanny using own car) 75 miles a week (it could be more than this) @0.45 per mile = £33.75 per week, £1620 per year (48 weeks).
Increase in food bill, extra £3 a day maybe? Other costs such as extra insurance, heating/lighting, wear&tear.
Call these misc costs £5 per day: 48 weeks x £20 = £960
Grand Total: £26,379
So nursery cost, per child, would need to be a little over £253 a week assuming nursery wants payment 52 weeks a year. So a bit over £63 a day. In my area nurseries can charge £60 per day, so it is close.

Given the convenience of not having to get your children up in the morning, the benefits of having things like laundry done by your nanny, then you could certainly feel it is the better option, even if it does not turn out to be the cheaper option.

Nanny nick great calculations but could be cheaper or a lot more expensive

£10 gross is v cheap, many areas now £10 net

£5 a day petrol
£5 a day activities.
Of course these are dependent but can be cheaper. A nanny in central London can pretty much walk to 99% activities and take a bus the other 1%. Especially with under 5s.
In the summer we spend most the day outside, public transport once a week max. Cost of activities equals an ice cream or two over the week ( def not £25)

So an employer could reduce costs that way by asking for local activities and little use of car ( £50 a week saving) £2400 a year

A London nanny based on £500 net a week is just over £30k a year without extras. So a 4 day nanny probably £25k ish. Deduct a few thousand if location is out of a major city.

Dd is 3 and was in nursery two days a week.

How long since she WAS in nursery? It could well be the case that she would settle back into nursery routines quickly and your DS may well settle quickly.

Alternatively one or neither may settle quickly. Very hard to know.

What happens when DD is 5? If you think longer term does it make a difference to your view as to what may be the better childcare solution for your family?

How do you feel about someone fairly unknown to you coming into your home.

There are various pros and cons, you need to consider what you feel is important for your family.

Given you had previously used the nursery, how come having a nanny is something you are considering at all? Is there anything that specifically appeals about having a nanny?

forevergreek - of course costs will vary around the country, however I hope by listing the major cost things, it will enable vintagewhine to check that they have not missed any cost associated with having a nanny.