Full time nanny with kids in school?

[Anonymous]

Spouse and I both have demanding, stressful jobs, and currently have an amazing nanny for our 1 and 3 year olds. Although it's a few years away, we are doing some financial planning (nanny is our second biggest expense after housing) and are wondering at what point most people who have had a nanny let go, and what do you do for childcare in that case? Once both kids are in school, do you reduce hours to afternoon/evening (but then help your nanny find another family for the morning, which I'm guessing is less in demand?). Or do you keep your nanny full time, but then what do they do until the kids get home from school? I know schools have before/aftercare, but between holidays, illness, etc., I'm not sure that will be sufficient.

[Anonymous]

Once both kids were school aged, we let her go. Other circumstances, COVID, nanny got pregnant, WFH made the transition easier. Worst case, you can arrange for an afterschool/afternoon helper, if the nanny won't work out splitting time, even if it feels superfluous. It's nice to have someone handle things from 3-7 every day.

[Anonymous]

If you can afford it, having a full-time nanny is still awesome. As you say there are SO many days off: holidays, teacher workdays, sick days, etc. Would she be able to switch to being more of a house manager at other times? Someone to make meals for the kids, buy stuff for school projects, swap out the old clothes, etc? That's the dream
We switched to an au pair for a few years, which was good (but has its downsides). As the kids get older they need a "driver" more than a babysitter. But lots of families organize carpools too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you can afford it, having a full-time nanny is still awesome. As you say there are SO many days off: holidays, teacher workdays, sick days, etc. Would she be able to switch to being more of a house manager at other times? Someone to make meals for the kids, buy stuff for school projects, swap out the old clothes, etc? That's the dream
We switched to an au pair for a few years, which was good (but has its downsides). As the kids get older they need a "driver" more than a babysitter. But lots of families organize carpools too.

That first paragraph is us. We love our nanny and she is now doing more general household upkeep while the youngest are in nursery school, and does all their cooking, all of our laundry, etc.

[Anonymous]

I’m a nanny who has been with my family 16 years. Kids are 16, 14, and 12. My employers still pay me full-time, even though I only work usually 3 to 8 PM. They don’t ask me to do anything while the kids are at school. During Covid I did all the remote schooling and helped a lot with the household because I didn’t have housekeepers for 18 months. I cook dinner for the family every night, and I think that they just keep me because the Dad loves my cooking haha! During the day I will work for other families with my employers blessing, but the other families know that I’m on call for my main job. I also cook pretty elaborate dinners, so I’ll do a lot of prep at home and then put everything together at work. I had a conversation with my boss last year about how long they would need me, and my boss said he wanted me to stay until the youngest went to college. I asked if he would be OK with still paying me full-time for so few hours, and he said said that after so many years, I’ve earned this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m a nanny who has been with my family 16 years. Kids are 16, 14, and 12. My employers still pay me full-time, even though I only work usually 3 to 8 PM. They don’t ask me to do anything while the kids are at school. During Covid I did all the remote schooling and helped a lot with the household because I didn’t have housekeepers for 18 months. I cook dinner for the family every night, and I think that they just keep me because the Dad loves my cooking haha! During the day I will work for other families with my employers blessing, but the other families know that I’m on call for my main job. I also cook pretty elaborate dinners, so I’ll do a lot of prep at home and then put everything together at work. I had a conversation with my boss last year about how long they would need me, and my boss said he wanted me to stay until the youngest went to college. I asked if he would be OK with still paying me full-time for so few hours, and he said said that after so many years, I’ve earned this.

That’s sounds like a great set up, congrats!

[Anonymous]

Our kids are in 4th grade and we still have a full-time nanny.

That said, the nanny we have now is not the same nanny we had for the first 4 years. When our first nanny left we decided to revise the job to a nanny/housekeeper position. So we hired someone with the intent that they would be with us for years, and that while the kids are in school they would clean the house, shop for groceries, run light errands, etc... And that the first priority was always childcare.

So we're many years into that relationship now (with the same person) and it generally works pretty well. And it's an absolute life-saver for the sudden illnesses, myriad school holidays or half-days, and for managing the driving of the after-school activities.

Having her was also the only way we survived the pandemic. There is no way that we could have managed our jobs and the online schooling and everything the kids needed w/o her help.

Our biggest expenses are the mortgage and the nanny. It's a huge luxury to be able to retain her and it's worth every penny.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you can afford it, having a full-time nanny is still awesome. As you say there are SO many days off: holidays, teacher workdays, sick days, etc. Would she be able to switch to being more of a house manager at other times? Someone to make meals for the kids, buy stuff for school projects, swap out the old clothes, etc? That's the dream
We switched to an au pair for a few years, which was good (but has its downsides). As the kids get older they need a "driver" more than a babysitter. But lots of families organize carpools too.

If you can afford it, 100% keep her. That's what we did and I've never once regretted it. In fact, I count my blessings every snow day, sick day and teacher work day. Plus I don't want to spend my weekends at Target and the grocery store or doing laundry. She makes our house run and gives me the ability to recharge on weekends so I can have my career.

[Anonymous]

Most families shift the role to a nanny/household manager hybrid to ensure they have back up coverage for sick and no school days

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a nanny who has been with my family 16 years. Kids are 16, 14, and 12. My employers still pay me full-time, even though I only work usually 3 to 8 PM. They don’t ask me to do anything while the kids are at school. During Covid I did all the remote schooling and helped a lot with the household because I didn’t have housekeepers for 18 months. I cook dinner for the family every night, and I think that they just keep me because the Dad loves my cooking haha! During the day I will work for other families with my employers blessing, but the other families know that I’m on call for my main job. I also cook pretty elaborate dinners, so I’ll do a lot of prep at home and then put everything together at work. I had a conversation with my boss last year about how long they would need me, and my boss said he wanted me to stay until the youngest went to college. I asked if he would be OK with still paying me full-time for so few hours, and he said said that after so many years, I’ve earned this.

That’s sounds like a great set up, congrats!

Thank you! I love my job and my employers are truly wonderful people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you can afford it, having a full-time nanny is still awesome. As you say there are SO many days off: holidays, teacher workdays, sick days, etc. Would she be able to switch to being more of a house manager at other times? Someone to make meals for the kids, buy stuff for school projects, swap out the old clothes, etc? That's the dream
We switched to an au pair for a few years, which was good (but has its downsides). As the kids get older they need a "driver" more than a babysitter. But lots of families organize carpools too.

If you can afford it, 100% keep her. That's what we did and I've never once regretted it. In fact, I count my blessings every snow day, sick day and teacher work day. Plus I don't want to spend my weekends at Target and the grocery store or doing laundry. She makes our house run and gives me the ability to recharge on weekends so I can have my career.

Nanny here- I’m so happy you can relax on weekends! I really think great nannies have a service heart and devote themselves to a family. My job is to make my bosses lives easier, and I’m paid extremely well to have a ‘no job too big, too small’ attitude.

[Anonymous]

How much do you guys pay the nanny once your kids are in school? It seems like a lot to spend on a substitute Sahm.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks, all. Keeping a nanny on for elementary school years sounds wonderful, though I was really hoping to reallocate the cost to private school, which we're considering. Presumably at some point, though, the kids really do not need a nanny anymore. For those that still have nannies or have older kids, what do you think that age is? 10? 11?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks, all. Keeping a nanny on for elementary school years sounds wonderful, though I was really hoping to reallocate the cost to private school, which we're considering. Presumably at some point, though, the kids really do not need a nanny anymore. For those that still have nannies or have older kids, what do you think that age is? 10? 11?

If you are planning to send your kids to private school, you will continue to need a nanny/other childcare unless you want your kids home alone on several days.

We have kids in private and there are half-days, breaks, and vacation during which there is no aftercare or other camp options. If you work from home and can watch your kids, you can make it happen, especially as they are older and can manage their own days. I would probably not feel comfortable leaving my child home all day until 12 or so, although obviously it depends on the maturity of the child.

Private schools are typically not friendly to families where both parents work FT and don’t have a nanny.

[Anonymous]

I started as a Nanny when kids were 1 and 3 and stayed with them for 8 years. That kept paying me full time to know I was available. That could obvious afford it and it was worth it to them to not have the stress of worrying about days the kids were home. I did errands, did some extra babysitting etc.