I just became a single mom and am planning to move to Kunming to teach ESL. I have a BA, online TEFL certificate, and some experience with ESL in the US. I have a few questions that I've had trouble finding answers to so any feedback would be much appreciated.

1. Would I be able to find an affordable nanny for my 7 month old while I'm still in the US/immediately upon arrival?

2. İs it financially feasible for a single mother to teach ESL in Kunming?

Again, so appreciative for any input. Thank you :)

It may help if you define what you mean by a nanny. A live in person could cost you the same as you would earn as a teacher.

If you mean hourly paid person, finding someone with that flexibility may also be a problem.

You should also consider that many employers would not be willing to employ a single mother, finding work may be difficult. I have seen local teachers, recently married, asked to sign contracts that they won't get pregnant, I know this is not your case, but it demonstrates the employment environment.

Hi Anne, it’s able to find a nanny but not sure if she can speak English, also I think some university foreign students they could help perhaps.
I’d say it’s feasible, and it’s better to teach in a university

Thanks for the responses...İ am planning to do some prep work with Chinese before I go and learn when I'm there (hello, language number four!), so I would be fine with a non-English-speaking nanny. I was also planning to work online to make extra money. Do you have any idea how I'd be able to find someone to watch my baby? I haven't had any luck with Google searches.

You can post on this site that you need a nanny full time/part time both, I believe that there’re nannies who can speak English here.
Teach online is a great idea

Thanks for the input! I will go ahead and do that.

If your baby is only 7 months you may need time off for emergencies with the child.

Most schools are not tolerant of this.

Heck if you call in sick they have a baby.

How it goes for you depends on how well you are financially you are before coming here.

I just inquired those in the know regarding nannies in Kunming that are able to caretake a 7 month old child.

They cost around 5,000 per monrh for 8 hours a day 6 days a week. These are 40-50 year old women who can't speak English. Younger nannies who could speak English reach 15,000 a month for same hours.

I'm not in academia so I can't calculate financial feasibility for you. Stay strong, and best wishes.

In the past when I looked at this (not necessarily in Kunming, but nationwide in China), live-in nannies were considered to come cheaper than daycare nannies. Reason given was that you would provide them housing, meals, etc "for free" on the side. But this means bigger apartment that you'd pay for.

In your shoes I would try looking for a co-living arrangement with a Chinese family who could look after your child during your work, in exchange for tutoring/playing with their children in English outside your work hours. If lucky, you may even get free housing.

Such opportunities are known to exist, but not just anywhere in town if you want to live close to the place of your employment.

It may not always be easy living that way (especially with a young child), but few co-living scenarios ever are.

@vegananne

Regarding #2, Have you had any job offers, and if so, Uni, grade school, training center?

There is often a big distinction between the three in money and hours worked.

Also my understanding that for some legit schools an online tefl is not sufficient to procure the visa.

IF it's an agency, they may, but beware of the issues about all of this. If you are not aware, do you research on the work laws here.
They do enforce nowadays unlike the past.

So regarding the type of job, and after having a nanny, even if u do some side work, it may not be financially rewarding, but of course this is always a subjective question.

Are you familiar with healthcare in China, btw, and for children?
This would be concerning for me if I had a baby and alone here.

On a sour note from people my wife or I have known using nanny's, it was a headache. Different thinking, approaches, lack of stability, etc.

But that is anecdotal.