The parks are full of them: ladies looking after children not their own, while their parents bring home the bacon. While you may dream of a well-trained au pair who will teach your baby a foreign language while whipping up nutritious meals and singing restful lullabies, it’s good to have a reality check: a live-out nanny in Toronto costs at least $500 per week, plus some extras, like a Metropass, health/dental benefits, or whatever else the nanny negotiates.
Getting over the hurdle
My Sister Is A Bit Theatrical by Elizabeth Albert
A live-in nanny would be less expensive, as you're providing their room and board, but that assumes that you have the space - and the desire - to accommodate someone living in your home. The other drawback to a full time nanny is the lack of socialization for your child, especially in winter months when the Toronto weather is too awful to spend days at the park; the baby won’t be exposed to as many other kids, new and exciting toys, learning, and people to play with if they are being looked after by just one adult as opposed to going to daycare. This comes into play at a year and up, when baby is actually capable of socializing.
Says Michelle, “The Ontario Early Years Centre had a great, informative workshop about how to hire a caregiver.” She is also part of a couple small groups that have started just by meeting people at workshops – such as the group of moms from her post-natal classes at the hospital. Word of mouth among moms is a great place to find a nanny or babysitter if you don’t trust the ads on craigslist, kijiji, Toronto nanny placement organizations or the supermarket bulletin board. One such mothers’ group in North Toronto is the Moore Park Moms, which boasts an e-list of about a hundred people and meets one evening a month for drinks, snacks and mommy chat. People send out queries often, seeking and offering recommendations for child care, selling gently used kids’ items, and the like.
