Nanny or nursery for 7-8 month old baby

[user1484986087]

Hi,

I am currently on mat leave and hoping to return to work in December or January 2018. My son will be 7-8 months old.
We don't have any family close by so am considering childcare options. Nanny or nursery? We have an OFSTED rated 'outstanding' nursery close to us, but at the same time, I think it would be less stressful for my son to be cared for at home. The advantage of the nursery is that the staff would 'police' each other and no problems as per nanny being off sick etc...
If we go with the nanny option, do I look for a maternity nurse or nanny with experience of looking after babies? Also any suggestions re agencies to use? Thank you

Personally I would choose a nanny if I could afford to. In my opinion, other than the staff sickness issue that you mention, nurseries have no advantages over childcare at home at that age. It's so much nicer for them to have that 1:1 relationship and they can go on all sorts of days out etc rather than being stuck in a noisy, messy room full of other babies and toddlers for most of the day. That's just my view - I don't want to sound judgy, nurseries are great, I just prefer the home setting and 1:1 care.

I am a nanny and have also worked in nurseries.
Would go for a nanny nurseries are noisy and the child fits in with the nursery. When you have a nanny the nanny fits in with the child. If the child is sick nanny will always look after your child nurseries will send them home for not much .

If money is an issue I would assume a nanny would be more expensive? Not sure if that's a factor?

For that age of baby I would go with a nanny, but I think nursery is better for older toddlers as it is more school-like. I do think nursery can be beneficial in bringing children on a bit, my DS was late to do most things but copying other children at nursery really encouraged his walking and speech for instance. I also think it's good for children to interact with other children when they get to be toddler age, rather than just a caregiver.

So in short I would go nanny for maybe a year and then think about nursery after that.

What Bayleaves said. Nanny! No advantage in a nursery until they are well over 2.

Your child is likely to be ill more often than your nanny, especially if he's at nursery (coming into contact with other children more, and catching what they have). He can't go to nursery when he's ill (vomiting/diarrhoea/temp above 38 where I am). Also, he'll have consistent care from one person with a nanny. I'd expect a nanny to be more expensive, but I'd go for it if you can afford it.

Thanks everyone!
How do you find/which agencies do people recommend for finding a good nanny?
Also, how do people check up on nannies? Is it merely a question of trusting the nanny or do people have cameras/monitors in their homes? I appreciate that this concern may reflect my anxieties regarding nannies not mistreating children etc...

There is, of course, the third option of a Childminder.

I know nothing about Nannies, but assume it would be by far and away the most expensive option as you are paying for 1:1 care. Of course, the up side of that is that it is all about your child. The other advantage, I would assume is that you don't have to get them up, washed, dressed and out the house as you do when you take your dc to childcare - the nanny would come to you.

How do you find/which agencies do people recommend for finding a good nanny?

A local one. Spend time talking to the recruitment consultant making sure they fully understand your needs.

Also, how do people check up on nannies? Is it merely a question of trusting the nanny or do people have cameras/monitors in their homes?

The relationship is built on trust. You interview them well and check references even if the agency has already done so. You trust your gut feelings. Have open lines of communication so that you can both feedback any concerns quickly, so small matters don't become big issues. Use technology - very easy now to share photos, online calendars so you can keep up to date with what activities they may be attending with your child. Avoid the use of CCTV, you may watch it more than doing your work. You need to focus on working whilst at work, you need to trust your nanny to care for your child. CCTV can be useful for the nanny as a way of showing what really happened when little one gets a bump when toddling but hidden cameras is not good for building trust in my view. If you have a camera, then make sure job applicants know about that and that the camera system is very visual, not hidden.

Interview Tips thread from the Nanny board.

Anxiety about leaving a child in the care of someone else is normal but you don't mention about nursery having cameras, yet there have been several abuse cases at nurseries - there is not safety in numbers! You can't check out all the staff, you rely on the nursery. At least with a nanny you can do some reference checking.

A nanny to care for one child is a huge cost. Why is using the service of a local childminder not a consideration? They care for less children than a nursery, provide a homely environment, consistency of carer and is lower cost then a nanny as you are sharing with other families. Your local authority Family Information Service can provide you with a list of local Registered Childminders.

I agree about sickness, as a nanny I have very very very rarely had time off sick - I can't recall when it happened, not even sure it has happened during the past 13 years that I have been regularly working as a nanny. Children though do pick up illness from other children, they tend to build up their immune system fairly quickly but it can mean that the first few months involve quite a bit of time off from nursery.

The option few mention is a child-minder....
Home setting, smaller ratios, more family like environment.

Ofsted registered and inspected working t exactly the same standards as nurseries preschools and school to Year 1.
Often working with more than one adult and can be up to 4 before then registering as the in between of childcare on a domestic setting....so your child could be one of 16/20 children with 4 or 5 adults.
Child-minders are often as well if not better qualified than room leaders and mangers with a growing number having degrees and early years teacher status, but preferring to work in an environment that allows individual planning based truly around each individual child's interests an next steps rather than themes of the term.

I echo Jannier. Childminders offer consistent care, your baby will only be looked after by them, rather than a number of different nursery workers. Your baby will be happier with a familiar face each day and with someone who knows their routine, and will take them out and about to toddler groups/music groups/library/park etc