Live-In Nanny vs. Live-Out Nanny: Pros and Cons

A nanny can be an excellent way for families to get consistent and reliable child care, but there are many ways to hire a nanny. There are full-time nannies and part-time nannies, nanny share arrangements, and more. One of the most common questions families ask is whether they should hire a live-in nanny or a live-out nanny. Both of these can be either full-time or part-time employees, but the difference is that a live-in nanny actually lives in your home while a live-out nanny doesn’t.

Which one is the right fit for you? Let’s look at the pros and cons.

Pros of a Live-In Nanny

When you hire a live-in nanny, you’ll enjoy all the traditional benefits of having a nanny along with a few additional benefits:

Added Flexibility

When your nanny is living in your home, you may be able to have them hop in and care for your kids on short notice as needed or vary their work hours based on your needs. This can be helpful for parents who have jobs with irregular schedules, like a doctor who is on-call or whose procedure schedule varies. Keep in mind that a live-in nanny is not required to be available at all times, but they are more likely to be able to offer more flexibility.

Closer Bonds

When your nanny is living in your home, they’ll develop a close relationship with you and your kids more quickly. For families who want their kids to have a strong, trusting bond with their nanny, this can be a fantastic benefit.

Cons of a Live-In Nanny

For all the benefits of having a live-in nanny, there are disadvantages too:

Adding to Your Household

A live-in nanny, of course, will be living in your home, which adds one more person to your household. The home can start to feel cramped quickly if you don’t have enough extra space, and you will sacrifice some amount of privacy too. The ideal situation for a live-in nanny is to have a bedroom with their own attached bathroom or even to have a basement apartment or in-law suite.

More Significant Adjustment

As you may imagine, adding a nanny to your household around the clock is a significant adjustment. You’ll need to adjust to having them around day and night, and it can be difficult to establish clear boundaries between personal life and work or between the nanny’s work time and free time.

Pros of a Live-Out Nanny

Would a live-out nanny be a better fit for your family? Consider these advantages:

Clearer Boundaries

While it can be difficult to balance and establish boundaries with a live-in nanny, the boundaries for a live-out nanny are much clearer. There’s a clear distinction between their working hours and free time because they aren’t there during their free time, and your personal space doesn’t overlap with theirs.

Lower Cost (Usually)

Both live-in and live-out nannies are paid hourly. While they are typically expected to work the same number of hours, live-in nannies usually expect a higher hourly rate. Keep in mind, though, that hourly rates can be negotiated between nannies and families and that a nanny’s rate depends on factors like their experience as well.

Cons of a Live-Out Nanny

As you weigh the benefits of a live-out nanny, be sure to keep the disadvantages in mind too:

Less Flexibility

While live-in nannies aren’t on-call 24/7, they’re more likely to be able to step in on short notice compared to a live-out nanny because a live-out nanny would have to travel to your home. Live-out nannies are more likely to expect set, consistent hours with less flexibility.

Slower to Establish Bonds

Just as a live-in nanny can develop closer bonds with your family sooner because they’re living in your home, the relationship with a live-out nanny can take more time to develop. This doesn’t mean that your kids won’t see your nanny as part of the family, only that their bond probably won’t be close so quickly.

Hiring Your Ideal Nanny with Tried and True Nannies and Sitters

Between live-in and live-out nannies, neither one is better than the other – it’s just a question of which one is the better fit for your family. Either way, Tried and True Nannies and Sitters can help you find the experienced and skilled nanny of your dreams. Contact our Nashville nanny agency today!