Babysitter, Nanny, Au Pair and Daycare
We are so fortunate to have options of babysitters, nannies, au pairs and daycare. Take a look at the nature of these services and see what fits your needs now and maybe in the near future. I couldn’t believe how often our childcare needs changed in the first few years of our children’s life as they grow and mature. Remember, creativity can get you far. Layout your ideal childcare situation and see how you can provide that with the resources you have. For example, you want a nanny but can’t afford one. Keep your eyes open. Maybe there is a nanny you like at the park, and it looks like the children they are caring for are growing out of a full time nanny range. Maybe you can find out if there’s a nanny share possibility there. If you know exactly what you want, it’s much easier to spot it when the opportunity presents itself. Good luck!
Babysitters are usually on a part-time or as-needed basis. They are usually
paid by the hour. Although no special training or background is required, it
is good to make sure your babysitters have basic first aid skills and can
communicate effectively to parents and outside help, in an emergency
situation. It’s always handy to have a few babysitters in case of a need for
plan B. There have been many times when my usual help couldn’t or didn’t
come at the last minute. Many high schools offer babysitting classes
nowadays. If you have older kids who are fairly self sufficient, you might
find some good and reasonable help from local teenagers.
A nanny is usually employed by a family in either a live-in or live-out
situation. Nannies usually work full time for one family. However, if you
can swing it, many people do a “nanny share” with another family to split
the cost. You can either share a nanny for different days of the week, or
more commonly, a nanny would watch the children together from different
families. Besides basic childcare duties, nannies are responsible for other
household tasks related to the children. These may include potty training,
keeping a regular nap schedule, exercise, shuttling, grocery shopping, food
preparation, laundry, cleaning and tidying up. For the many duties
performed, more experience, training and certification are required of a
nanny.
“Au pair” means “on par” or “equal to” in French. Au pairs typically are
young students from a foreign country who has a reciprocal and caring
relationship with their host family. They are usually women who can provide
childcare and lighthouse keeping. Au pairs can work with a family in the
United States for up to one year. There are services that pair up host
families and au pairs. They provide services like other career agencies.
Daycares are childcare facilities that parents take their children to during
regular work hours. Most daycares provide care for infants through
pre-schoolers, although some also offer before- and after-school care for
school-aged children. Some even offer transportation services. Daycare
centers are usually open year round, except for major national holidays and
personal vacation days if privately owned. All daycare centers must register
with the county or state. You should be able to attain a list of daycare
facilities for your specific childcare needs from the local childcare
council. Be sure to ask about the regulations, licensing or accreditation
requirements to know what you are paying for. The daycare director should be
able to tell you what type of education and training their care-takers have.
You can also find out if there have been documented complaints from the
childcare council.
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