Margarita (our Salvadorean nanny) stopped by last night with her son and granddaughters. We worked out a babysitting plan that works with her schedule at the local taqueria. She will come each morning (Monday-Friday) from 8-11am. So, we’ve got 15 hours a week of babysitting… at $150 a week ($10/hour). We really like her and she is great with Will. And we are lucky to have her. Still, the expense is considerable. Most full-time daycare is roughly $400-500 a month: cheaper than what we are paying now for Margarita. But the in-home care is really the only option we have until he’s older.
Lesson to be learned: children under 3 (ie: children who are not potty-trained) are VERY difficult to place in daycare, because of the high ratios and requirements for these caregivers. You have to have something arranged way in advance (one year is the shortest waiting list for these ages). OR, you have to have in-home care. This is high on my list of “things parenting has taught me.”
Oh, and seeing a daycare is really heart-breaking. The thought of leaving your kid in a place with lots of other small kids that need equal attention is very hard. The bottom line is that you actually DON’T want your kid in daycare as much as you actually want it.
Dream solution: grandparents who live next door and want to help LOTS.
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