Hellobee Boards

I think it is a great option. They check out their nannies pretty well, and you can learn a lot about a person by interviewing them.
I don't think it would be a problem to get a nanny four days a week either.

@jholler25: aww I'm so sorry *hugs* I went through that same thing. I thought NY State STD paid for a full 6 weeks so I was planning on using a week of PTO and one unpaid to take 8 weeks. Then I realized a few weeks prior that it was actually only 5 weeks paid.

No experience with care.com but no family members nearby?

We are currently looking for childcare on care.com and have so far had a pleasant experience. However we found that while care.com lists an hourly rate many of the people charge by the day. As for the number of days, care.com allows people to list their availability/willingness to work different days so you should be able to easily see if someone is willing to only work 4 days instead of 5.

Also, do a search for care.com coupons because I did that and got the first 3months of membership for the price of 2; we didn't find the "free" trial of much use since it really limits what information you can see and you can't get any background checks without a paid membership.

Here is my two cents :):)

I have been a nanny for a long time, about 7 years. And a babysitter for four years before that. I have worked for four different families, my last (and current) family being 2.5 years.

I have used quite a number of websites.

My favorite was actually nannies4hire.com - but I know it's a little more expensive for the families (I think over $100 to start up??). I found my first family there.

I used care.com and found my current family on there. I really liked it also.

As for pay - dude I want to work for you!! Even being a nanny for 7+ years, I honestly don't get paid that much lol. I will be frank and say that I get $10/hr for two kids. Now I would have asked for a raise when they had their second child - BUT I got pregnant only a few months later and considered it enough of a raise that I get to bring my child to work with me.

One family I worked for on the side last year only paid me $8, which I was honestly quite offended considering how much experience I had AND that they had two YOUNG kids (6 weeks, 1 year). Needless to say, I didn't work for them for very long

So I think it is completely possible for you to find a nanny for $10/hr! I would work for you!! :):)

Also, I always liked 4-day work weeks better than 5 anyhow. Right now i'm a PT nanny and I know many students love having the flexibility of a PT schedule, if you choose to hire a college student.

We were going to go with daycare but as that date looms large we are looking into nannies again. We hbe one potential lead through a personal contact but if thy doesn't work out I'm going o go trough care. We are looking for 3 dys and that doesn't seem o present a problem. Nannies are like $17 an hour in Boston though : (

@jholler25: I used sittercity.com and we found a nanny we LOVE. I posted that I would pay $12-$15/hour ($400-$500/week) and I found that the ones who wanted the higher rate were worth it and had the experience that I wanted to take care of my child. We pay $500/week for 4 days (2 of the days I work from home and the hours are a little shorter so I don't have to pay while I'm just driving).
I also looked at daycare and it was tempting because of the lower cost, I really think my little boy is thriving with the one on one attention he is getting from his nanny. Also, when he was sick, she still came to take care of him while in daycare you would have to take him home. Downside, last week she had a personal issue and couldn't work all week and hubs and I had to take some days off, but I was still able to work during naps.
If you can afford it, I recommend a nanny while they are so young and then think about daycare when they are older so they can have some social time. Good luck!

@jholler25: yeah well I have worked for $8/hr, but like I said, for someone with my experience (and you WILL want someone with infant experience, at least 2 years, and 2+ infants) *$8/hr is an insult... but $10 is more reasonable. I don't have a doubt in my mind that you can find a stellar nanny for $10/hr!!

Like @mrsbird said too - there are some perks you could add in too! I had a car to use at one job, gym membership at another. I know some families who add a line on their family plan for the nanny. One family would have me do the grocery shopping and literally hand me their credit card and tell me to buy myself the food I normally eat. Which was AWESOME. I never went crazy, but it was a great perk.

@Jholler25: We were looking for someone to watch our 2 children in either our home or theirs and were open to them watching other children depending upon the number and ages since we will have a 2 1/2yo and a newborn. We've interviewed 5 people so far- 3 in person and 2 over the phone (over the phones ended up wanting too much money in that they really wanted their top pay listed and had zero experience as a nanny).

Our interview process was that DH and I met with the person in their home (if that is where care would be provided) or a neutral location (if care was to be in our home) and asked a set of questions we pulled from various sources on the internet. If we liked the person then we set up a second interview that included DD (newborn isn't here yet); we only found one of the 5 that we did this second step. We really liked that person but when we met for the second time she informed us that the number of children she'd be watching was going to be greater than she had originally said and we didn't like that so we are still looking.

In our situation we are looking for more affordable childcare for 2. DD is thriving in daycare (has been there since 8w) but it is going to be a stretch to afford 2 and so we're looking for less expensive options.

I was a nanny throughout college age 20-22 for a family and loved it. The father was a professor and found me that way...I'm not certified but I was more than halfway through my social work degree and I was (and am) a little girls' soccer coach at a huge school district here ..so I was legit;) they paid me $15/h for 2 kids under 3 (the one was 5w when i began) and contracted me no less than 15h a week and no more than 35h/w. So I was never worried about being there too much or too little. Even if one day 1 kid wasnt there for some reason, id still be paid $15 regardless. I babysat essentially but also took to dr appointments, made their meals and snacks during day and gave baths...all that. I didn't clean the house or do laundry or anything. I only quit because I graduated college and entered a busy grad program while also getting engaged or else I would've stayed.
I would *personally* do a nanny for the year if you can afford it. Then daycare all the way. I love the work from home idea too:)