Au Pair or Nanny - Full-time or Part Time?
Are you thinking of hiring an au pair or nanny? Do you need one full-time? If you are a two income household, chances are that you do.
A full-time au pair or nanny's primary responsibilities are to meet all the physical, emotional, social and intellectual needs of your child. That means that she is responsible for everything from preparing balanced meals for your child to making sure that your child has activities to stimulate development, as well as lots of comforting and reassuring hugs.
A full-time au pair or nanny is also responsible for your child's domestic routine, such as making and changing beds, cleaning bedrooms, and washing clothes. Be clear, however, that her responsibility is to your child and not you. Do not expect her to clean up after you.
An au pair is always full-time and live-in. However, au pairs are also available for the summer months only. A nanny, on the other hand, can be live-in or live-out, full-time or part-time. Your choice should be dependent upon your need. For minimal coverage, a part-time nanny is the way to go. For parents with irregular work hours or very demanding work schedules that seldom afford them a nine to five work day, a live-in au pair or nanny it is the ideal solution.The soaring cost of childcare has caused many families to take a better look at full-time au pairs and nannies. In the past, having full-time childcare in your home may have been cost prohibitive for most families. Today, however, the rise in cost of daycare has leveled the playing field. Here is a good rule of thumb to use to determine if an au pair or nanny is financially feasible for you. First consider the number of children you have. If you have one child, chances are that traditional out of the home daycare will be more economical for you. If you have two children, however, you will find the cost to be comparable. The real economic benefit is seen with three or more children. With three children, it is more economical to have an au pair or nanny than to use other forms of child care.
Copyright 2004-2008 S&T US LLC
©2004-2008 Wise4Living | Contact | Advertising Info | Legal | Privacy | Directory |
