If your family has two or more children, childcare performed by a nanny is likely to be a money-saver. Pay rates in this case range from the minimum wage ($8.00 per hour in B. C.) to about $10.00 per hour. At the lower end of the scale, the cost of having a nanny is comparable with that of keeping two children in day care.
Even if you have one child, a live-in nanny still have an advantage. You can confidently leave for work in the morning without rushing your child to a the day care. If you are on shift work, a nanny can adjust her hours to accommodate yours. Also, beyond the care for your children, some domestic chores can be performed by the nanny allowing you to spend more quality time with your children after a day’s work. These criteria also apply to a live-out nanny who visits your home daily. However, a live-in has the advantages of never arriving late for work and having little chance of canceling at the last minute.
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The biggest bonus in this case is that nannies are less likely than other types of caregivers to switch employment. Therefore, a nanny can give your child a sense of consistency. Between one and three years of age, children establish strong bonds with caregivers. At this stage, a child’s language skills are too undeveloped to understand why the childcare arrangement has changed. When a nanny suddenly leaves, a toddler may react with aggressive behaviour or retreat into babyish activities like thumb-sucking. The child is displaying bewilderment over the loss.
From age three to six, a child will be more understanding but will still experience distress if a favourite caregiver leaves. This happens often with informal baby-sitting arrangements. Even at day-care centers with prescribed child-minding philosophies, staff turnover is high. Live-in nannies are more stable because leaving their jobs means leaving their homes.
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