Working Moms
I have an Au pair and we are currently hosting our 9th one! It is flexible and affordable compared to daycare and nannies! I pay about $340 a week for 45 hours. It's live in and they become like family ! It's one of the most amazing things I've done and all of my Au pairs cook a family dinner and get kids homework done. If my kids are sick at school and I cannot leave work she picks them up! I never have to worry about school vacation days either!
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That sounds nice. But I chose a center for the specific purpose of socialization. DD is an effective only child, so that contact with kids her own age is essential.
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That would be awesome if I had that kind of money to spend on childcare...
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Ditto. And enough space for an extra person.
Quoting aimesnyc:
That would be awesome if I had that kind of money to spend on childcare...
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My friend has an au pair and is on her 3rd one and loves it.
I live in NYC and that price is comparable to putting my child in daycare, however, for us space is an issue and we simply could not house one. My concern with an au pair is also that they only have visas for 2 years so you have to get a new one after their visa is up, which ruins the bond the child has made with her and essentially they have to start all over again.
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An old college friend has an au pair for her 3 kids (I think they're on their 5th one) and she absolutely loves it. My other college friend used to BE an au pair - but in Germany, not the states - and she hated it, LOL.
We're beyond the point of needing childcare full time, but my question is: why do you have to go through so many? Is there a limited time they're allowed to be an au pair for one family? If so, why is that? I would think the constant rotation of au pairs that are "like family" - coming/going/coming/going - wouldn't be that great for the kids.
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I am very interested in this actually. With a new baby coming in fall, I will be back to spending $2400+ month on childcare for my children in the near future, and more money for my house cleaner. So this seems so much more economical. -
Same. With 2 kids we would still only be at 280 a week.
Quoting rissarin:
Ditto. And enough space for an extra person.
Quoting aimesnyc:
That would be awesome if I had that kind of money to spend on childcare...
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Out of my price range. I pay $162 for the center -
For people with only 1 child that's expensive -
That sounds good, but I have no extra room in my house.