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[viet_mom]

Here's my input:

I'm single, but I still work part time so I can be with Viet Babe more. I wanted a Nanny for the Babe's young years and even though I do not live in a big city, I was paying way over market rate for Nannies in the area AND I was paying her portion of state taxes as well as mine, AND an estimate of what her fed taxes would be. No matter how good the hours and money were, and no matter the fancy agency I used with the $2,600 fee, our Nanny took off with nary a word after 6 months. It turns out she took the job knowing she'd be leaving the country in 6 months (to live in style on her Nanny salary in a country where it goes a long way) and then she'd come back six months later, find a new set of parents and work for 6 months, etc. etc. I have not had good luck with Nannies. I have not found that the more you pay means the more reliable they are.

I paid over $600 a week for the Nanny. Now that I'm in daycare (a real good one - Kindercare) it is only $258 a week, and that buys me a significant amount more hours than the Nanny worked (6 am to 6 pm, although I would never need to use all those hours). And the care she gets there is so far superior to the Nanny care. There's arts and crafts, music and "wacky gym" programs that come to the center once a week, little "parades" around the place, and a huge outdoor playground, and two hot meals a day, and they arrange for a photographer to come to the center so you have professional photos once or twice a year and....oh, and they are ALWAYS open and they don't quit or call in sick. A nurse there. I could go on but I'll stop there. It is crazy to think that I paid double for Nanny care, and then also paid for "Music Together" and Gymboree apart from that whereas we get all of that together in a safe fun environment with other kids.

I think Nanny care at home is good when the kid is still a "blob" and half asleep and/or can't hold his/her head up. Good to keep them home when they're in such a sorry state. After that -- for us it was 18 months -- day care should at least be considered.

Vietmom