Pros and cons of live-in vs live-out nanny

[princessx]

Hi there, I'm just starting to look into getting a nanny for my precious dc. Dd1 currently goes to nursery and absolutely loves it. But we are moving soon, and we'll need a nanny to cover longer hours that we're away from home. Also ds2 will need childcare, so it won't end up much more expensive than 2x nursery, and hopefully a bit cheaper.

I've just been looking at the salary guide and I've seen it's a lot cheaper for a live-in nanny. We'll be living in a spacious 3-bed house so there will be plenty of space. I will be working 4-days a week, so will it be awkward having her around on my day off? Also what do nannies generally do at the weekend? Would it not feel so much like a family home?

It would be great to hear your thoughts.

I used to be a daily nanny, so can't really answer about the pros and cons for a live in nanny, but wondered would your children share a room if you got a nanny? If its a three bed house, a room for you, one for the dc, one for the nanny. Two of my three children share (3 bed house) and it is far from ideal (early riser waking sibling up/other one wakes in the night and is quite loud when she wakes). But if your happy with that set up its obviously fine.

A live in nanny may be cheaper but there will be extra expenses for you. Nanny will eat your food, use the washing machine/tumble dryer, extra electric for her tv, lap top, lighting in her room etc. But, I imagine she will become like part of your family so of course it will still be your family home, just with an extra one in it.

I feel it is hard to get a true cost of having a live in nanny.

Cons

Unknown cost of feeding nanny, all meals and drinks.
Unknown cost of nanny doing their laundry including bedding, towels, gym wear, horse riding wear, whatever clothing is needed for activities nanny may do during their own time.
Another adult using bathroom.
Nanny spending time in family room when you would rather they were not there.

Additional bandwidth use of internet.

Pros
Childcare on site. May be willing to do overtime at short notice.
No worrying about them not turning up to work on time, though they may oversleep.

Pros
They don't phone in sick . You can see how sick they are and work around it.
They started really early and /or finish later.
Babysitting is easer t.they can go bed and you can come back when ever.
Cons
A full time daily nanny will eat 3 meals at your house anyway where as you have to feed a live in 7 days a week.

Thanks all, I imagine it might be a bit like living with a flatmate in a way. I suppose it would be better if she had her own accommodation of sorts , as she'll have to share the family bathroom. But the benefit is we are moving to a new area, so it will be helpful to me to have someone who I can rely on.

The bit I can't get my head around is what she'll do on my days off and at weekends.

I suppose the main thing will be to find someone who really fits in.

Just thinking about living accommodation. We actually have 3 reception rooms downstairs and the is a downstairs loo. So although she would need to use the family bathroom it would mean we felt a bit more private upstairs, and she could feel a bit more relaxed downstairs. We go to bed really early anyway, and she could just make herself at home in the kitchen and living room as we'll all be upstairs. I'll be giving up my study for working from home days, but I could always use my bedroom for that.

On days off/weekends she would do all sorts of things. Laying around watching TV, going out on walks, weekend away perhaps, visit friends/relatives.

Re weekends
It depends on
How much you pay her
Where you live ?
What there is to do on sat and sun daytime and night time.
Where here family live .
Can she go home for weekend?might be worth giving here long weekend if you the house to your self . Every now again.
Where the boyfriend lives and who he live with.
I used to spend a lot of weekends as boyfriends parents house as I did not i used the kitchen on a weekebndin one place I worked.

I just remember another con that when you go away your pets or plants/ house can be look after by live in .