We found a nanny!
Thanks to everyone for your comments and suggestions on Finding Mary Poppins. We found someone we really like and hired her this past Saturday. She's a twenty-something girl who's taking some time away from college to find herself and happens to be living with her parents near our house in the 'burbs. While she figures out what she wants to be when she grows up, she's moonlighting as a nanny and comes highly recommended by past employers and other families with children. Believe me when I say, Andi and I searched to find a negative and came up empty-handed. So, we made the leap! I think she'll be great with Tory.
The only downside in choosing someone who's not committed to being a nanny forever is ... she won't be our nanny forever. Although the more Andi and I discussed it, we aren't sure what we'll want to do in the future either. We may end up sending Tory to the Montessori school we liked in a year or two, so it'll be nice to have options when deciding her future. Or, we may decide the nanny-route is more suited for us and end up hiring someone different if this gal moves on. We'll see what happens ...
More and more, I'm feeling comfortable with our decision. After meeting with Allie* (I'll use a fake-nanny name in case she doesn't want to be mentioned) on Thursday, I phone-screened several more applicants who failed to impress me. We had 28 people apply in all and of those, I think Allie is the best fit for us.
I do plan to sign Tory up for ECFE classes and / or other activities to make sure she's exposed to other kiddos. Any suggestions on specific classes or groups I should look into? I also have more and more friends who are choosing the SAHM route, so we'll have plenty of options for play-dates too.
I'm thankful Tory will be safe in the comforts of our home for her first year, away from most germs and Minnesota's scary winter driving. It'll be nice for Chloe to have some company at home, too. So happy to have crossed this BIG task off my baby to-do list!
Congrats - Allie sounds like a good fit! Adriana went to a Tiny Tots class when she was 15 months old, and it was so much fun! They set up balls, hoops, an obstacle course, etc. They also had musical instruments and sang songs at the end, so it was kind of like a gym class and music class combined. I'm not sure what is offered in your area, but I think most cities have Kindermusic, Mommy and Me Yoga, and swimming classes, which all sound fun.
ReplyDeleteGreat news on the childcare front!! I especially like that you are hiding her true identity! :)
ReplyDeleteWonderful news! I have a very similar schedule to you, it sounds like. I work 3 days a week, and it was really a nightmare trying to figure out what we were going to do for childcare. I never even really considered a nanny, because I thought we wouldn't be able to afford it, but sometimes I wish I had persued it. I mean I never even looked at how much it could cost, ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteBut yeah, we ended up sending out son to three different homes every week, my mom's, my MIL's, and a neighbor. That worked ok, but I think there were some real negative aspects of having such a varied routine for a baby, and now a toddler. Naps were always a nightmare, no one seemed to be willing to get him on the schedule we had him on at home, and it's been a battle ever since.
Around 1 year, our neighbor moved away and we ended up sending him on that day to an in-home day care once a week. That was a nightmare and he got sick ALL THE TIME and cried every Tuesday when I dropped him off. Daggers to the heart. So we pulled him from there quickly, and MIL picked up another day.
So that's my long-winded self-absorbed way of saying your scenario sounds AWESOME. Someone to come to your house every day! Less shuffling around for baby! Routine! The loving care of the same adult, every day! I love it. Congratulations on figuring something out. :)
Laura - Thanks for the class suggestions. I never thought about Mommy and Me Yoga or swimming classes, good ideas!
ReplyDeleteAliRose - FYI for the future, should you ever find yourself changing ... We used Care.com to find someone and we're paying $10/hr. There were several people who wanted $15/hr but we weren't willing to pay that much.