Summer Childcare Options

[RobynCD]

Here is my situation:
I start an awesome new job in July and am currently looking at my childcare options. I'll be working 3 days a week, 8hrs/day. I have been blessed to be a stay-at-home mom for the past 6 yrs, and my children have never been in a full-time childcare situation, and have only had the occasional non-family babysitter. My oldest is 6 and will be in school full-time in the fall, my youngest is 3 and will be doing half-day playschool in the fall which should work out to be on my days off. To start my 3 days would be Tues/Weds/Thurs but will be going to Mon/Weds/Fri in August. We live in a rural village where options are extremely limited.

Option A
I hire a teenager to watch the boys at my house. She is 14 and seems to have a good head on her shoulders and be quite mature and responsible. This would just be for the summer until school starts at which time I would have to find a dayhome spot for the youngest. I am concerned that three consecutive days a week might be too much for a teenager. I was thinking of paying her $120/week.

Option B
I put both kids in a dayhome...the plus to this is more structure, an obviously more mature caregiver, and easy transition for the little one come fall. The downside is that this will cost me $180/week (for both boys) which is almost half of my take-home pay.

I'm basically just looking for some advice...

[erin9mmm]

Would the cost of Option B reduce in September for you? If it does a couple months at that rate wouldn't matter as much.

[RobynCD]

It would reduce in September by about a 1/3 because I'd still need some after school care for my oldest.

[erin9mmm]

Okay, then my vote would be for option B.

[Lyssia510]

180.00 a week for 2 kids fulltime 3 days a week is not bad at all. I paid more than that for before and after school care for my dd when she was 7, and full time care for the summer was 300/wk for 1 kid, plus the sitter kept wanting to be reimbursed for whatever activites she decided to plan(with no discussion with me before hand), so it ended up being closer to 400/wk.