Our caregiver is wonderful with our 6 year old. Can she take on a newborn as well?

banyan_kite_222730 Aug 2026

Practical question that's started keeping me up. We're expecting our second. Our caregiver has been with us a good while and covers the hours between school and when we finish our calls, which for me often means late evenings. Our daughter adores her. When the baby comes, do we ask her to take on both? Or hire a second person for the baby and keep her with our daughter? I don't want to overload her, and I don't want our daughter to feel she's lost 'her' person either. Has anyone done it either way?

2 comments

silver_sketch_532430 Aug 2026
I would ask her before deciding anything. Some caregivers who are excellent with school-age children have never done infant care, and some simply don't want to. Others would welcome it with a raise. You will learn more from one honest conversation than from guessing on her behalf.
sunny_compass_409030 Aug 2026
our caregiver did both for a few months when my niece stayed with us as a baby. she managed, but by evening she was tired and my daughter got a lot more tv than usual. nobody complained, i just noticed it.