Working parents- would I be crazy to consider this?

[Anonymous]

I used to be a nanny full time for 15 years. I'm on to an adjacent career now and work full time during the week. I have my own two kids ages 2 and 4.

A high profile family friend of one of my former nanny families just approached me about being their weekend nanny from 6pm Friday-8am Monday for the next 3 months for their new infant. Includes weekends in both domestic and international high end destinations. $40hr plus overtime for all hours worked comes to about $4k per weekend or $45k for the 3 month contract.

However, that means I would be working 7 days per week for the next 3 months and would only see my own kids on weekdays from 6-8am and 4-8pm this whole summer. I do have some flexibility with my full time job and could probably pull each kid from camp/daycare a couple times this summer to spend a day with them.

I make $90k at my full time job so this would be a 50% pay increase for the year. But is it temporarily worth the lost time with my babies?

[Anonymous]

Damn that is tough. That is a nice amount of money for three months. But I would miss my own kids so much. Weekends are so special right now with my one and three year old. The mornings and evenings during the week often feel rushed. I don't think I could do it even for the extra money.

[Anonymous]

That's all your free time!!

[Anonymous]

Do you need the $? Would you resent this about 2 weeks in when you're missing the summer with your kids. Also travel? Will someone be home with your kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you need the $? Would you resent this about 2 weeks in when you're missing the summer with your kids. Also travel? Will someone be home with your kids?

We don't necessarily NEED the money to cover bills or anything, but we've been living in our house for 8 years with the original 1963 kitchen and this contract could literally provide me a new kitchen in 3 months. If not a kitchen, it would be a huge asset to the kids' 529s and retirement savings.

[Anonymous]

I would only consider this if I had some flexibility to bring at least one of my kids on some of the weekends. I get it that probably wouldn't work for the other family so this would probably be a no go for me unless I really needed the money. However, if you make $90K and I presume your spouse works making at least $50K I wouldn't think you need the money badly enough to do this.

[Anonymous]

How badly do you need the money?

[Anonymous]

This will put a lot of stress on your marriage too.

[Anonymous]

Maybe for older kids if the money was really, really important and might help me make a valuable change (like afford the down payment on a better house or fun a child's college savings). But 2 and 4 are so young and those ages are so important for bonding, setting good relationship patterns, and making sure your kids know you are there for them. I also think that's a tough age to adjust to a temporary schedule disruption like that -- 3 months would feel like an eternity to them, especially the 2 year old.

If the money is essential, and your spouse would be with them on weekends, I'd say do it because I know what it is to just really need the money. But if your normal salary is 90k a year, you probably aren't in that situation unless you are a single parent (and if you are, who would stay with the kids on weekends? would you have to pay for childcare?).

It just doesn't sound worth it even though I totally get why that money is appealing. On top of everything else, you will probably burn out due to working so much, which means the time your kids get with you will be harder and less rewarding because you will be tired and in need of a break.

[Anonymous]

I can't imagine spending an entire summer away from my kids and husband other than a couple hours a day. Unless the money was going to keep a roof over your head and food on the table, it wouldn't be worth it to me.

[Anonymous]

That’s so hard. I feel like I would want at least one day a week off/with my kids, so I guess it would defend on if I could swing that with my regular job (like taking Wednesdays off all summer or something). I would be really tempted to take if I could manage PTO every week or at least every other week — I make only a little more than you and that $45k into a down payment or 529s would be really huge.

[Anonymous]

I would do it if:

I *needed* a new roof, or some other critical expensive home repair.

We didn't already have a great emergency fund.

We were otherwise in debt and this would put us ahead.

[Anonymous]

Can you take time off from your regular job? Maybe thurs and fri all summer? Then you could have some time with your own kids.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn’t do it for the whole summer. How about half and see if they can find someone else for the other half?

[Anonymous]

How much vacation time do you have at your full time job? I'd probably do this, but I'm a grinder and a saver, and this is just 1 summer. But to make it work, it would be ideal if you could take off every Friday all summer from your full time or take off 2-3 full weeks. It would be a really good use of your PTO.
FWIW- DH had a work opportunity that that required tons of extra hours for year. He didn't eat weekday dinner with us or do week night bedtime for a year, but for $100,000. We don't regret it AT ALL. That was years ago, so even with time the decision stands as a good one.