Babysitter or daycare

By presumption, it is the mother who takes care of the child after his birth and goes on maternity leave.And without being angry with the fathers who chose to babysit their children, we will say: when a mother has to return to work, interrupt her motherhood or, for another reason, is unable to take care of her little already grown baby all day, the question arises: Who will babysit the child?We exclude the possibility that the family will have at their disposal and prefer a grandmother to take care of the child.There are two options left: a kindergarten or a nanny.By “kindergarten” we mean a nursery or a garden, be it state-owned, if you are lucky to have your child admitted there, or private, as well as a parental cooperative.The choice between the two options is sometimes quite difficult, because each parent wants the best for his child, wants to provide his own peace and comfort, but takes into account his views, understandings and financial capabilities.State cribs and gardens are the cheapest option.Private gardens and cooperatives are more expensive, though fees there vary relative to neighborhood and conditions on offer.To hire a nanny at first glance is the most expensive, but is it really so?

What does the choice depend on?

Whether you choose to send your child to a childcare facility or hire a nanny to take care of him during the day while you're gone depends on several main factors:

When are you coming back to work?

If the mother has decided to use only the first year of her motherhood, then she should return in a precisely specified month of the year of work.As we know, state nurseries and kindergartens accept new children from September 15th, so if motherhood, along with paid leave, end before then there is no way to take advantage of this option.As for private gardens, they are also filled during the school year and it may be difficult to find a free space in your desired and comfortable kindergarten in the middle of the school year. For cooperatives, too, it may be almost impossible to choose because the groups are already formed and there may not be any vacancies. In these cases, your choice is predetermined, and hiring a nanny remains the only possible option. But keep in mind that the process of finding and selecting may turn out to be less easy and fast, so don't remember at the last minute looking for a nanny a week before you return to work.Take a month or two in advance to choose the right candidate!

What is your schedule and working hours?

If you have standard working hours, from 8 to 5pm, and if you rest weekends and public holidays, then a childcare facility will suit you perfectly. However, if you work in shifts, late in the evening or even at night, or if you have to work on weekends or holidays, then you are very limited in your choice. Even if you choose a childcare facility, you need to combine the schedule with your mate or think about who will take care of the child when the childcare facility is not working, and you are at work.The option of hiring a temporary nanny or nanny on certain days and times is also possible.

What in your budget?

Sit down and think about what amount you tend to set aside and give each month for your child's babysitting.Often, this is also decisive in deciding by families whether to choose a kindergarten or a babysitter.Please note that the fee in the state gardens does not exceed 60lv. If you enroll your child for additional activities (roughly, 20 BGN per type of occupation — English, dancing, sports), you will be tied 100-120lv. for three types of activities) if he goes for a full month. For private gardens and cooperatives, fees vary according to the neighborhood in which they are located, the prestige, the conditions they offer (activities, meals, working hours). You can enroll your child in a private garden for 350lv. per month, maybe 1000 BGN, and more. Here note that even if your child does not walk any day in the private garden, you will still owe the full amount of the fee. For nannies, the pay is also different — it depends on how many hours the child will watch per day, how many days a week, what duties you will give her, what working conditions you will offer her (transport, additional extras), what kind of nanny you prefer (young or more experienced).To count absolutely coarse and tentative, count the hours of employment per month and multiply them by 7-10lv. per hour. You can also use our Calculator on our website bavachki.bg.

Like any other thing, hiring a babysitter or using the services of a children's institution have their advantages and disadvantages.We will briefly summarize for you who they are.

Kindergarten

Pros

To begin with, we would mention that every childcare facility is licensed and its functioning is defined by legal requirements, which is a prerequisite for greater reliability and professionalism.It is structured — its working time is precisely defined by days and hours, so it is entirely predictable. The children are taken care of trained teachers, educators, nurses, speech therapists and other specialists.The children there are taught order, discipline, and there is rarely arbitrary, which can be educative.Many times exactly the garden helps parents in battles such as “training a pot”, “dressing alone”, “feeding alone”, “self-care”, “self-care”.There are curriculums that teach children in basic educational fields and children acquire basic knowledge and skills.Playing and communicating daily with others like them, children learn basic principles of communication, socialize. Various and different from home toys, books and activities are available.Choosing a state kindergarten, it will certainly be the cheapest option, which will not further burden the family budget.

Disadvantages

The very thought of crowding dozens of children in one place leads inevitably to countless conflicts and situations, which, in turn, are a prerequisite for any unforeseen incidents and injuries that may endanger the security of children.In addition, all bacteria and viruses thrive in space, are retransmitted and often children suffer from all kinds of diseases — from chickenpox to lice.Which leads to another problem: often absent from work because of illness or looking for an alternative option for babysitting a sick child.Let's not forget the period of adaptation and the unfading roar when taking the child to the garden and his reluctance to go there at all. And lastly, the working hours of children's institutions may be completely inappropriate for a number of parents.

Hire a babysitter

Pros

Hiring a nanny can provide you with quite a lot of convenience.The mere fact that she comes to your house to take care of your child at home, in a familiar setting, eliminates your obligation to take the child somewhere to watch him.Early getting up and not sleeping of the child, the rush in the morning, the hysteries of leaving somewhere else — all this you save yourself by coming to your nanny.Yes, there is a period of adaptation, but it is relatively easier, because the child does not have to get used to a new place, but only with a new carer. You can exercise direct control and instruct the babysitter how to take care of your child — according to your understanding, views and requirements.Your child receives a personal attitude, his needs are borne by a person who is responsible only for him, and not for another 10, 20 or 30 children. Even if you have more than one child to take care of the nanny, the children are used to each other, they are close to each other, so it will not be different and unusual to spend their daily lives together. And it may even cost you cheaper to hire a babysitter if you have two or three children than paying a few fees in private kindergartens. And the main advantage — the nanny's schedule, when it comes and goes, is tailored to your own, so you won't be wondering how to get out of work early to pick up your child from a garden or who to leave it to if you work on weekends.

Disadvantages

Using the services of a babysitter also has its minuses, like any other thing, of course. In case of possible delay on the part of the nanny, you risk being late for work yourself. Or if your nanny gets sick, then you're left without a sure option for a carer.The good thing is that you can always hire a temporary babysitter to replace your absent permanent nanny (using our package services, as an agency). For some families, hiring a nanny is a serious expense and are reluctant to set aside such funds. But always keep in mind that, in fact, expensive is not so expensive if you come across poor quality cheap. And another major point is that you are the employer, that is, you are the “honor” of choosing, hiring, training, exercising control. If you do not want to commit to the commitment of searching and selecting, or checking documents, qualifications and recommendations, you can always hire our agency to save yourself all these headaches. You will have only the part of approval and subsequent observation — whether the nanny is coping with your views, whether she watches and educates as you want, whether she treats the right approach to your child, whether she gives the necessary attention.

Whatever you choose — a kindergarten or a nanny, be honest with yourself, be aware of what you want, be interested in what you can expect, what you can demand and what you can get.And the most important thing remains your peace and the happiness of your child!