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Two-timing nanny: a French solution called 'garde partagée'
When I was six months pregnant, I went to the city hall to sign up for a daycare waiting list for our son. It was a very awkward moment: the baby was not even born yet, and there I was, crossing my fingers and begging an inflexible adjoint maire for a place in one of the half a dozen daycares available in our neighborhood. The demand being immense, we did not get a spot. So, like many other Parisians who do not wish to interrupt one of the parent’s careers, we opted for another popular child care solution: la garde partagée (literally ‘split guard’). The concept is easy: two families share a nanny, who looks after two babies, taking turns: one week at each baby's house. The only requirement is for the families to live very close by, in order to save on transfer time in the mornings and evenings, and to agree on most financial, logistical, nutritional or educational issues that might arise in such a venture. Milo has been looked after together with Antoine, a French boy six months his senior. During this year, they have grown accustomed to looking after each other. They have learnt how to share and to do things together and they often fight and then cuddle, just like two siblings! Antoine’s 6 months leverage has been an accelerating factor in Milo’s physical development, and now it's a great one for his verbal development in French. It's fun to hear the two exchanging full sentences, often about nonsense... The harmony between the two is guaranteed by the nanny, who happens to have a very charming and solar personality, and from day one has interacted with them a lot, playing and truly teaching them not only words and games, but also manners. During the weekend we are always impressed to see how Milo asks about his little friend and vice-Mum, they have become very much part of his life; and when we go on trips, returing to them is a source of joy for him! The financial weight of such a venture, even if split among two families, is still significant; however the French government allows for a substantial tax write off for hiring home personnel. The advantages are numerous: Milo did not have to adapt to a totally new environment (in our case the arrangement is that the kids are always at our place), they get individualized care and attention, they are not exposed to the millions of bacteria and microbes that circulate in daycare, if they fall sick the nanny comes anyway and I am not obliged to stay at home, in the mornings I don’t have to rush him anywhere, etc.
Make sure to visit Clo's column each month where she will share her knowledge, ideas, tips and inspirations. Clo is an Italian native currently based in France with her Belgian partner and raising a quadrilingual child. Learn more about Clo at her MULTI TONGUE KIDS blog. © Clo - MULTI TONGUE KIDS – April 2006
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