Hello all, I was wondering if someone could share your experiences of au pair vs nanny childcare for a young family of a 2 years old boy and an infant due in November. We are both working and we need a few hours help in the morning and the rest of the childcare in the afternoon (our 2 years old goes to part-time daycare and infant will go to grandma's house from 9 to 1:00pm). Am I naive thinking that I can make this work with 1 or 2 nannies? Thanks much!
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Are you looking for someone to live with you?
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I prefer live out if possible. That's why I'm hesitating about aupair. Thanks!
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I would only do an au pair if you are sure about live-in and have the space. One of my best friends is from another country and first came to the US as an au pair when she was 19. She lived for a family for 2 years and they paid her, provided her with her own bedroom/bathroom, the use of a car, and a cell phone. The kids were school age, so she attended college during the day but did breakfast with the kids, school drop off and pick up, and all after-school activities, homework time, and some meal prep in the evenings. Plus she did at least 1 date night a week.
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@avu: I think to have an au pair, they need to live with you. If you have a dedicated space for au pair, mini apartment set-up, I would consider an au pair. Personally, I would not want someone living with us, regardless if they have their own apartment set up in our house (kitchen, LR, bedroom, separate entrance).
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The bummer about an au pair is that they are capped at 45 hours per week. I needed at least 50 hours to cover me. The shortest day I would ever have would be 8-530. But I have a couple of 7-6 days here and there. But an au pair is probably half the cost of a live out since you are providing room/board.
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Au pairs (at least in my area) are WAY cheaper than nannies, but have you have to provide their housing and food. It costs approximately $8K up front and then approx $200 per week while they are here. They can work up to 45 hours a week and 10 hour days, which equals out to about $8 per hour. Nannies in my area are $18-$20. In interviewing au pairs you have access to much highly english fluency/experienced au pairs if you live in a metro area on public transportation because it is easier for them to meet people/experience the culture on the time off. I have a friend who lives in a rural area and the au pairs that were willing to live there were very different than friends who live walking distance to the subway. They have to have their own room, but not their own bathroom or car. I am pretty sure au pairs would be okay working 6-9am and I feel like it would be hard to find a nanny to do the same! Good luck!
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It seems like the schedule you need would work better for an Au Pair. If you hired 1-2 nannies, what hours would you be looking for? I especially think it would be hard to find someone to do just an hour or two every morning (but maybe that schedule would work for a college student living in your neighborhood).
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Thank you for your advices! It does seem that it's quite difficult to find someone to fill the 2 shifts. I'll need to spend some more times thinking about it. I don't need more than 45 hours/week but I'm not sure how much I can invest in an aupair-family relationship as it seems to requires quite a lot of times as well. Thanks again!
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Have you tried an agency? They might have some good candidates that could do mornings for you and afternoons with another family and then a second person to meet your afternoon needs.
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