ChildCare Dilemma : Should You Use Relatives for Full-time Childcare?

In this day and age when reports of child abuse are heard almost nightly and reports continue to about concerning child abuse at the hands of nannies, babysitters and even the most carefully researched daycare centers, options for child care are narrowing overnight!

Is using relatives as full time childcare providers always a good viable option to the childcare dilemma? Like most questions there are both Pros and Cons to consider:

The Pros of using relatives for child care are;

The children are already familiar with them and have most likely spent time with them and in their home.

With relatives it may be easier to keep a child to a routine that they are already comfortable with such as meal and nap times.

Family values are more likely to be upheld when relatives who share your values watch the children.

The stress for child and mom and dad may be much less than going to an unfamiliar place and having your child cared for by strangers not familiar with your child's unique personality, likes and dislikes.

The Cons to using relatives for child care are also possibilities which need to be considered; these may include such issues as:

USING relatives for child care and taking disadvantage of the fact that it is family. If you wouldn't dream of being late to pick your child up from daycare, why would you be less concerned if you are late picking them up from grandma's?

Unfortunately, even relatives are not a guarantee of quality child care.
Because the children are 'family' that sometimes means even less supervision or quality care while mom and dad are at work.

Undermining family rules and guidelines may become an issue if children are told they don't have to follow mom and dad's guidelines while at grandma's. This may be easily remedied by letting everyone know the 'rules' at home for such things as TV programs, playing with balls in the house or other "no no's"...Better to find out early where the differences are!

Hard feelings as a result of minor miscommunication or misunderstanding can easily escalate to full blown family feuds. Discuss concerns early!