The Golden Perks of Choosing a Nanny over a Daycare
According to Statistics Canada, the number 1 reason a parent chooses a specific daycare is based on the location of the center. Parents need to drop their kids off in a place that is either close to home or close to work. Coming in 2nd for deciding on which centre was “trust in the care provider.” Below we cover the reasons why a nanny wins over a daycare setting for those #1 and #2 reasons, plus several more perks that are the icing on the childcare cake.
Perk #1: Convenience
Imagine how convenient it would be to stop driving the kids across town 5 days a week and instead letting them stay in your home with a nanny. No more packing a diaper bag the night before, waking them up at the crack of dawn, feeding them, dressing them, loading them in the car, and dealing with the daily drop-off meltdown. After work you can skip the whole pickup routine and instead go straight home.
Perk #2: Trust in the Care Provider
As for “trust in the care provider,” (which you’d think would be the #1 reason a parent chooses certain childcare) you get to hand choose your nanny, as opposed to leaving them with a daycare provider someone else interviewed and screened. You choose the applicant that’s a perfect fit for your family, you get to make sure a thorough background screening is completed, you get to speak directly with their references, and you will know 100% for sure that they are up to date on CPR, first-aid, and other handy childcare certifications.
Perk #3: One-On-One Care
At a childcare centre, your kiddo is grouped in with other kids around the same age. According to Childcare Canada, depending on the ages of the kids and where you live, there may be as many as 20 preschoolers in a group with one single adult (see QC in chart below). If the centre markets and licenses the class as Kindergarten and staff has the proper training, there can be 25 children in a group, ages 3.8 years and older, in NS. In your home, your child is the star. With a nanny, your child can get as much individual attention as they need and you don’t have to worry about them being overlooked in a busy daycare room. 
Perk #4: Personalized Care for Your Little Individual
In a daycare setting, kids are expected to fit into a cookie cutter mold. A child that is more advanced may get frustrated at not being challenged enough by the materials covered in a daycare classroom. A child that is behind may fall even more behind, as in a room full of kids they don’t get the help and extra instruction needed for them to catch up. If your child has any sort of special needs, they may not be allowed in a traditional daycare setting at all, which is a horrible feeling for you as their parent. With a nanny, you can choose what activities and curriculum is covered. For example, if your little one is behind with their speech, you can choose to have their nanny focus on games and songs that strengthen language skills. If your little one is ahead of their peers with reading, your nanny can choose books and materials based on their current reading level. If your child has special needs that keep them from fitting into the daycare mold, their needs can be met and exceeded in your home with a personal caregiver.
Perk #5: A Nanny Can Cost Less than a Daycare
Yes you read that right! Cost ranked #3 on the list of why parents pick a certain childcare center, and hiring a live-in or live-out nanny can in fact cost less than what you’d pay a daycare. Want to know more? Check out our article: Hire a Nanny to Save BIG on Childcare. Photo courtesy of Flickr.
