The COVID-19 pandemic has flipped normal life on its head, for better or worse. Although some states have begun loosening their restrictions, the outbreak is still ongoing. People still aren’t able to gather or go about their business in the same way.

As a parent, this unusual situation can make planning for the new school year a challenge. Instead of enrolling your kids in a private school, you may want to give some thought to hiring a full-time nanny to teach them this fall.

“Can a Nanny Really Teach My Kids?”

Yes! Not every nanny teaches, but there are many who have a degree in education (or another certification) and are experienced in working with a standard curriculum. With this kind of knowledge and experience, you get all the usual household benefits of having a nanny as well as those of having a private educator.

Full-Time Nanny vs. Private School

Are you thinking about sending your child to private school, daycare, or somewhere else this fall? Before you make a final decision, here are several reasons why a full-time nanny might be a better fit for your family.

Kids’ Return to School Is Still Uncertain

There is no way to predict exactly when the world will return to normal levels of activity. At the moment, it’s not really certain whether students and educators will be able to return to school as usual. Public health experts say that many unknowns still exist, and parents are unlikely to be comfortable sending their kids to school until there are almost no new cases of COVID-19.¹

While some schools were able to use virtual classes and online tools to finish the previous school year, there’s no guarantee that they’ll be able to do so in the fall. Even a private school with plenty of resources may not be able to provide a quality educational experience during this time.

A Nanny Provides Personalized, Individual Care

A full-time nanny lives in your home with you and your children. This allows them to bond with your family in a way that a typical teacher is unable to do. Because your nanny will get to know your children’s particular strengths and needs, they’ll have a better idea of how to help them understand the material.

Homeschooling with a nanny also makes for a great student-to-teacher ratio. Instead of working with more than a dozen children at once, your nanny will be able to dedicate a good amount of time to each individual student as needed. There’s plenty of time for one-on-one help, giving your children extra support.

Nannies Can Be More Flexible

Unlike the set daily schedule of a private school, homeschooling with a nanny can be adjusted to fit your family’s schedule. If your children have doctor appointments, chores, or other responsibilities during the day, you can fit their school schedule around them. Similarly, your nanny’s schedule can be adjusted to suit the children’s academic needs.

If your child is sick or there is a family emergency, you don’t have to worry about them missing lessons or having to do make-up work. If you have to travel for any reason, your nanny can continue to teach from any place, even if internet access is poor.

They Can Also Handle Care Before and After School

In a typical school year, parents usually have to shoulder the responsibility of getting the kids ready for school in the morning and arranging for any necessary after-school care. If a bus route isn’t available, they also have to figure out how to get them to and from school. With a live-in or live-out nanny, your kids are fully cared for both before and after the day’s lessons. When schools are able to open again, your nanny can continue to do so.

Private Schools Can Be Expensive

Private schools are classified that way because they don’t receive public funding. Instead, they get their funds from student tuition and private donations. This means that the cost of sending a child to private school is significantly higher than sending them to public school.
On average, one year of private elementary school costs $9,946, and a year of private high school costs $14,711.² If a school has a certain level of prestige and a good academic reputation, it may be more expensive than others. Of course, sports, and extracurriculars also add expenses.

A Nanny Can Keep Your Kids on Task

Schools have been able to use webcams and other technology to verify that students are showing up for online classes. Even so, there’s a lot they cannot do from a remote location. It’s not as easy to make sure a student is paying attention or using their time wisely. Sometimes, readings and activities are posted to be completed at any time. It’s very easy for students to get off-track and put things off until the last minute.

A nanny, on the other hand, can be physically present at all times. They’ll be able to keep your kids’ attention, help them when they struggle to focus, and check in with them about their schoolwork.

You’ll Have a Much Greater Say in Things

In difficult times, it’s natural for parents to want to protect their children first and foremost. If you enroll your child in a private school, you won’t have as much control over how certain things are handled.

If, for example, the school requires in-person classes sooner than you feel is safe, you might be forced to decide between sending your child to school and disrupting their education. With a nanny/homeschool teacher, you can choose what you feel is best.

You’ll also have more say in things like their daily schedule, expectations for their achievement, and the level of authority the nanny has as a teacher. What kind of consequences should there be for things like late homework or plagiarism? Will the nanny handle consequences, or will they come from you? Instead of dealing with temporary school policies written hastily to fit the latest government guidelines, you’ll be able to manage it as you go.

Choosing the Right Nanny

Here are a few things to consider when reviewing homeschool nanny candidates:

• What is their background with regard to education? Have they previously provided private education for children as a nanny? How does that fit with your kids’ academic needs?
• What other capabilities do you need your nanny to have? What is their experience with those duties?
• If they’ve had previous employers, ask them what that was like. The way they speak about their previous job(s) and employer relationships could be informative.
• Look for a candidate who is in alignment with your expectations surrounding COVID-19 and your family’s health. At this time, it’s important that everyone does their part to keep the household safe.

Staffing at Tiffanie’s Can Help You Find a Nanny to Homeschool Your Kids This Fall

The pandemic has already made 2020 challenging; you don’t need more stress on your plate. At Staffing at Tiffanie’s, we strive to make the process of hiring a nanny easy and worry-free. Rather than combing through online classifieds and job boards, simply let us know what you’re looking for, and we’ll provide qualified, pre-screened nanny candidates. All you need to do is interview them and choose the right one!

Contact us online or call (866) 484-5550 to get started.

Sources:

1. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/04/will-schools-be-open-in-september-experts-weigh-in.html
2. https://www.privateschoolreview.com/tuition-stats/private-school-cost-by-state