Why is nanny fee so high?
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Anonymous
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How do you overpay someone whose main job is to keep your child alive, nurtured, and loved? Then tack on that they come to your home and provide one on one care. What would you charge as a base price just for this set up?
Then add list of skills such as a college education, cleaning, planning activities, years of experience, skilled knowledge (ie feeding, potty training, handling multiple kids, etc.). |
Anonymous
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Nannies provide individualized attention, working on specific social issues at home and in public, not just dealing with the behavior that crops up in a classroom (for most kids, their best behavior is at school, worst is at home where they feel safe). Nannies also work on understanding and processing emotions, while most teachers touch on emotions then focus on behavior.
Nannies provide individualized educational opportunities, rather than teaching to a whole class. A child who is grasps concepts easily in one area (numeracy) may struggle more in another area (literacy). The nanny will have the ability to add and change things on the fly for one child, so they have a constantly evolving, challenging growth in areas that they understand easily, and they get the time, patience and help they need to be at least on grade level in areas which are more difficult. Most preschool teachers rush kids into writing. A nanny can evaluate an individual child’s hand strength and control, focus on more fine motor activities and wait to start writing when the child is ready. A nanny can also demonstrate and correct letter formation as a child learns, leading to better penmanship long term; most preschool teachers don’t even watch the child write, so they have no idea how the child forms the letter. Children who aren’t taught to form letters correctly from the start have a very, very difficult time changing the formation later. A nanny will provide a variety of gross motor activities. A teacher is usually limited to one playground, perhaps a nearby park. Most preschool teachers allow the children to play on any available equipment they prefer, while a nanny can (and should!) encourage a variety of different play encompassing climbing, balance, strength, stamina, etc. A preschool teacher is also limited in how much time the children can spend outside, based on other classroom usage and the weather; a nanny can evaluate outdoor time each day based on the child’s inclination, energy and gross motor needs, bundling up or keeping cool as the rather dictates. A teacher never takes a class out during the rain, but nannies can. A teacher is responsible solely for the classroom’s tidiness and organization, and teaches the children to help maintain it. Depending on what you negotiate, here are just some of the “duties” for a nanny (limited to household tasks and teaching the child life skills): do child’s laundry, teach child to fold and put away laundry (wash/dry possible, depending on age), swift out seasonal clothes, purge stained and torn clothes, purge outgrown clothes and bundle for consignment/donation/relative, shop for child’s clothing, cook for child, teach child to cook (age appropriate), teach child to wipe/vacuum/sweep/mop up own mess (as age appropriate), teach child to pick up their room, organize toys, clean/sanitize toys, teach child to pick up toys (overlap with teacher), purge toys that are outgrown for donation/consignment/relative, purge broken toys, shop for toys, teach child manners (some overlap with teacher), wash/sanitize pump parts, wash/sanitize bottles, prep bottles, batch cook purées or steamed foods, make grocery list, grocery shop, make household (Child-related) necessity list, shop for household necessities (child-related), make gift lists for parents and relatives, but gifts from parents and/or relatives, wrap gifts for child, buy gifts for child’s friends (birthday parties), track and replenish craft items/science experiment items, etc. A nanny has to be able to function as the sole responsible adult. A preschool teacher usually has another teacher or an aide in the room, a principal and other adults who can help handle whatever happens. For a nanny, you are paying one person all by yourself. A preschool charges tuition for every student. That tuition pays all the teachers and other staff, maintenance on the building, utilities, rent/mortgage/taxes, etc. Now, I only touched on child-specific things that any nanny could do. Educator nannies will do more educational things with your child. Housekeeper nannies will do more household tasks, sometimes things that aren’t related to the child at all. But does this give you an idea of why there’s a difference in pay? |
Anonymous
What you made is irrelevant to what someone else is making in a completely different field of work. Raising and keeping another person alive is the definition of important work. How would you feel if your child was harmed or killed? People do devalue childcare and are cheap bc they only see the outer layer. If you can justify paying a lot for a home just to be in DC then you shouldn’t blink at childcare cost. |
Anonymous
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There's a lot of demand for nannies in big cities because there are a lot of dual income couples now where at least one half of the couple (oftentimes it's both halves) have inflexible jobs that mean they can't be there for every sick day, half day, etc.
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Anonymous
It's especially odd because when someone decides to stay at home to raise kids they justify a large settlement/alimony by saying they stayed home to care for kids which allowed their spouse to go far in their career. I don't understand how people determine they "earn" a settlement (sometimes in excess of $1mm) but if they worked they think they shouldn't have to pay a nanny anything beyond minimum wage. Yes, a nanny and a spouse are different, but a nanny isn't just contributing to the well being of your children, she or he is also helping your career. |
Anonymous
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I’ve always had-gasp-$15/hour nannies. I don’t live in DC, though.
My nannies have not been college educated or necessarily experienced as nannies (but they have been mothers who raised their own kids). I don’t expect them to shop or prepare meals or be a household manager. They do provide a stimulating environment, and organize the kids spaces and clean up after them. They put away the kids laundry (but I wash it). They design the kids schedule and also research ideas for art projects and activities. I’m just saying-there are wonderful nannies out there who are less expensive, but on paper they may not seem amazing. I guess I’m not sure why a college degree or grad degree is necessary for a nanny. I just wanted someone loving and reliable, and that has been easy to find at what I can afford. They’ve also taught my kids a 2nd language and that is amazing too. |
Anonymous
Why is a college or grad degree necessary for any work? You gain experience and better understanding with most jobs when you are actually working hands on. Basically, some people value education and others don’t. |
Anonymous
Okay, what about all the people who can’t justify paying a lot fir a home and either rent or live in the exurbs? Do their children deserve subpar childcare??? You are ignoring the real question: What happens to all the children whose parents cannot afford expensive homes in pricey neighborhoods? |
Anonymous
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Many low paid nannies are just child minders. They take the kids over to the other nannies houses, watch tv, talk on the phone and give the kid a snack or meal or two.
That’s a big difference than a full service nanny who dies all that other stuff (never met one myself). |
Anonymous
I feel like you're not reading what i wrote. I am specifically objecting to the idea that people who balk at the cost do it because they think childcare is not important. That is not the case at all. Plenty of important work does not come with a high paycheck, e.g. in home care for the elderly and disabled. What someone makes in an unrelated field is relevant insofar as half this forum is saying "get a nanny while day cares and schools are closed" and then assuming, when someone says "wow that's really expensive," that it's because they think it isn't important. See, you're responding to that as if I'd said children's safety isn't worth considering, when what i actually said is that a lot of people can't afford it no matter how they feel about it. Also, who says everyone can justify paying a lot for a home to be in DC? Lots of people rent and commute from far out because they can't. I hate how the assumption is that everyone has a ton of money and just doesn't want to share it with nannies, rather than that nannies make a decent salary here and so it's not in the budget of families with similar salaries to hire one. |
Anonymous
I’m the PP. I value education but For a nanny it was not essential for our family. We actually use a nanny agency for back up care and while many of those nannies have degrees, I still prefer our “uneducated” nanny. |
Anonymous
I’m the PP with the $15/hour nanny. She does not do what you describe. I work from home full time so we can hear and see what’s going on throughout the day. She doesn’t touch her phone and the kids have an organized schedule each day of activities. I’m sure there are crappy nannies like you describe but I haven’t had a problem finding good nannies for less pay. I’m not in DC though and life in a mid sized city. |
Anonymous
They chose daycare, family care. Simple. And yeah, sometimes it is subpar care. That doesn’t mean a nanny needs to lower their wage to accommodate those families. You don’t get to question why a nanny is expensive bc you want one and can not afford to employ one. |
Anonymous
I responded to exactly what you wrote. If you meant something else then you should’ve posted that instead. |
Anonymous
Then you could’ve just as easily found back up care with other “uneducated” nannies. You didn’t need an agency. But I’m guessing the agency with the qualified and educated nannies is more reliable. Oh well. |