Nanny / housekeeper hybrid?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here - thank you to everyone who replied. I’ve been reading all the responses. My biggest takeaway is that I’ve been thinking about the job as ‘can this be done in 40 hours’ versus would I want to do this job for 40 hrs and do it well. The person that brought up needing fresh energy for the kids - great point - hadn’t considered that. I’m still reticent to hire 3 people - cleaning person (non-negotiable), nanny, and housekeeper but it may be what we need to do until we find someone that is actually into a housekeeper / sitter set up.

Hi OP, I'd love to talk to you about this role. Do you have an email address (or even a throwaway one) that I can reach out to?

[Anonymous]

You can definitely find someone! In my experience you want someone who has already had kids who are not in the baby phase, and who are a bit older themselves, and honestly most young Nannie’s without kids can be a bit clueless as to how to manage this role. Hint, we do this anyway/ mother our kids and clean. A lot of these forums are very “nanny centered”‘so you absolutely won’t get great advice unless it’s more advantageous to the nanny. Try asking around to friends, neighbors, etc that’s the best way to find someone. And no, do not pay 75 an hour. Whoever said that is ridiculous. It’s kind of gotten outrageous how Nannie’s are expected to be paid top dollar for bare minimum. Some
Won’t even rinse bottles and clean the high chair without an extra $5 an hour.

Anyway, don’t worry about those commenters, bc like I said- you’ll find one who will do what you like and who will be gracious. As long as you pay them a fair wage and treat them with respect then it will work. These forums are extremely toxic, don’t bother with finding them here.

[Anonymous]

Vacuuming IS deep cleaning.

[Anonymous]

I was excited to see this post because I have a similar issue.

My question is, if anyone is still following this thread - where would you find such a person? Places like Sitter-City are definitely geared towards SITTERS and NANNIES, NOT house-keepers, and it seems that people who are looking to do that kind of work definitely don't want to be helping around the house except for something very minimal, maybe organizing the toys or feeding the kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was excited to see this post because I have a similar issue.

My question is, if anyone is still following this thread - where would you find such a person? Places like Sitter-City are definitely geared towards SITTERS and NANNIES, NOT house-keepers, and it seems that people who are looking to do that kind of work definitely don't want to be helping around the house except for something very minimal, maybe organizing the toys or feeding the kids?

Try a domestic help agency. Specify you want a housekeeper who babysits. That’s where we found our housekeeper and she loves babysitting our kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was excited to see this post because I have a similar issue.

My question is, if anyone is still following this thread - where would you find such a person? Places like Sitter-City are definitely geared towards SITTERS and NANNIES, NOT house-keepers, and it seems that people who are looking to do that kind of work definitely don't want to be helping around the house except for something very minimal, maybe organizing the toys or feeding the kids?

Try a domestic help agency. Specify you want a housekeeper who babysits. That’s where we found our housekeeper and she loves babysitting our kids.

We used a nanny agency after unsuccessfully trying to find good candidates ourselves. I really appreciate that our nanny is amazing with my kids when she is with them, which is half her time, and willing to do all the other stuff needed to keep the house running.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was excited to see this post because I have a similar issue.

My question is, if anyone is still following this thread - where would you find such a person? Places like Sitter-City are definitely geared towards SITTERS and NANNIES, NOT house-keepers, and it seems that people who are looking to do that kind of work definitely don't want to be helping around the house except for something very minimal, maybe organizing the toys or feeding the kids?

Try a domestic help agency. Specify you want a housekeeper who babysits. That’s where we found our housekeeper and she loves babysitting our kids.

We used a nanny agency after unsuccessfully trying to find good candidates ourselves. I really appreciate that our nanny is amazing with my kids when she is with them, which is half her time, and willing to do all the other stuff needed to keep the house running.

+1 I'm a PP who already said I used an agency but I feel similarly about our nanny. She's great with the kids and also seems like enjoy the household side of things equally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Vacuuming IS deep cleaning.

I’ve found that those who use the phrase “run the vacuum” instead of “vacuum x room” to be sort of resistant to this idea when others are vacuuming. But maybe it’s a regional/linguistic thing? Or maybe OP had a roomba and its just a matter of pressing the button?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I work 3 days a week and stay at home with toddler 2 days. Current nanny may be moving on (change in schedule) so we are reevaluating whether to look for someone else part time, or hire someone full time who can care for the toddler but also do food prep (chopping), run the vacuum in the living room, empty dishwasher, do our laundry on the 2 days I’m home. I take the toddler to classes, Dr appointments etc so I wouldn’t be here all the time (ie - I’m not going to just ask her to watch him 5 days a week because she’s here AND do everything else). We have a cleaning service so
no deep cleaning, more tidying.

Does anyone have any tips on how to find someone who would be open to this hybrid role? In the past the quality nanny candidates I’ve interviewed would not touch adult laundry with a 10 foot pole. Current nanny does kid laundry but if there’s something in the dryer as basic as sheets she will not even fold them. It’s very important to her to keep the separation to only kid duties. Ideally we’d love to find someone that can be with us long term and transition into a house manager role once kids are in school. No family in the area and spouses very demanding hours mean we can use more help, but I don’t want to have a cleaning person, a part time nanny and a part time housekeeper. Thoughts? Anyone care to share a job description for this type of role? Thanks

You'd better be paying a minimum of $75/hr. Nannies take care of children. Housemaids run vacuum and do adult laundry. Cooks do food prep. You are looking for three people to do one job and you want them to stay with for the long run. Dream on. You would have to find undocumented because no one else is that desperate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a nanny who does this for a couple of families. I certainly don't charge $50 an hour, though I am paid above market for a nanny. Look for an older nanny who got burned out with the extra workload during covid. I pop my AirPods in and listen to library books or podcasts and do a deep dive into 6 loads of laundry every week, then I clean the kitchen (which is usually a hazmat zone), do the recycling, and break down any boxes that came into the house that week--basically the stuff they hate doing. They usually have the laundry washed, and I fold/put away/transfer anything from the washer to the dryer if needed.

Last week I went through the house with a magic eraser and cleaned the walls. Another time I cleaned the fridge. I'll go through the clothes and pull sizes that are too small. I'll make the kid's beds, tidy their rooms, organize toys in the basement and make sure they're put away right, take crib rails off, install new carseats etc. I also do a date night for them once a week, and if the kids are out of school, I might help out here and there with that. Whatever comes up, I'll do it.


I work part time on a salary for a single mom who's a doctor with a varying schedule, and I help out with that type of thing for her as well, since her kid is in school.

OP you can absolutely find someone for this. My situation is very flexible in terms of which day I go. Maybe consider a PT for the childcare days and a separate person for the organization/cleaning days if you're having a hard time selling it as all one job--but I guarantee you will find someone who likes this set up. Just be clear about what you're looking for, be patient as you each settle into the role, be flexible (if she has to take a day off here or there, be cool with it.) Also be prepared to pay a little more, but not excessively more.

Federal law states unambiguously that all domestic employees Are HOURLY employees and are paid OT over 40 hours. Your doctor is breaking the law and you are cheating yourself. I hope she is reported.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a nanny who does this for a couple of families. I certainly don't charge $50 an hour, though I am paid above market for a nanny. Look for an older nanny who got burned out with the extra workload during covid. I pop my AirPods in and listen to library books or podcasts and do a deep dive into 6 loads of laundry every week, then I clean the kitchen (which is usually a hazmat zone), do the recycling, and break down any boxes that came into the house that week--basically the stuff they hate doing. They usually have the laundry washed, and I fold/put away/transfer anything from the washer to the dryer if needed.

Last week I went through the house with a magic eraser and cleaned the walls. Another time I cleaned the fridge. I'll go through the clothes and pull sizes that are too small. I'll make the kid's beds, tidy their rooms, organize toys in the basement and make sure they're put away right, take crib rails off, install new carseats etc. I also do a date night for them once a week, and if the kids are out of school, I might help out here and there with that. Whatever comes up, I'll do it.


I work part time on a salary for a single mom who's a doctor with a varying schedule, and I help out with that type of thing for her as well, since her kid is in school.

OP you can absolutely find someone for this. My situation is very flexible in terms of which day I go. Maybe consider a PT for the childcare days and a separate person for the organization/cleaning days if you're having a hard time selling it as all one job--but I guarantee you will find someone who likes this set up. Just be clear about what you're looking for, be patient as you each settle into the role, be flexible (if she has to take a day off here or there, be cool with it.) Also be prepared to pay a little more, but not excessively more.

Federal law states unambiguously that all domestic employees Are HOURLY employees and are paid OT over 40 hours. Your doctor is breaking the law and you are cheating yourself. I hope she is reported.

oh stop. you don't know the particulars of the situation and are making a lot of assumptions about the number of hours involved and who's getting the better end of the deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can definitely find someone! In my experience you want someone who has already had kids who are not in the baby phase, and who are a bit older themselves, and honestly most young Nannie’s without kids can be a bit clueless as to how to manage this role. Hint, we do this anyway/ mother our kids and clean. A lot of these forums are very “nanny centered”‘so you absolutely won’t get great advice unless it’s more advantageous to the nanny. Try asking around to friends, neighbors, etc that’s the best way to find someone. And no, do not pay 75 an hour. Whoever said that is ridiculous. It’s kind of gotten outrageous how Nannie’s are expected to be paid top dollar for bare minimum. Some
Won’t even rinse bottles and clean the high chair without an extra $5 an hour.

Anyway, don’t worry about those commenters, bc like I said- you’ll find one who will do what you like and who will be gracious. As long as you pay them a fair wage and treat them with respect then it will work. These forums are extremely toxic, don’t bother with finding them here.

Did you leave bottles from night before and a dirty highchair? A nanny should find, at the very least, a clean kitchen with no dirty dishes or bottles from night before. A nanny is only responsible for cleaning up after herself during her shift. How would you like to clean your office kitchen every morning or office bathroom. You would be screaming bloody murder!
I am not a nanny but they are taking care of your most precious possession and so many of you badmouth your nanny because they don't clean your filthy mess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a nanny who does this for a couple of families. I certainly don't charge $50 an hour, though I am paid above market for a nanny. Look for an older nanny who got burned out with the extra workload during covid. I pop my AirPods in and listen to library books or podcasts and do a deep dive into 6 loads of laundry every week, then I clean the kitchen (which is usually a hazmat zone), do the recycling, and break down any boxes that came into the house that week--basically the stuff they hate doing. They usually have the laundry washed, and I fold/put away/transfer anything from the washer to the dryer if needed.

Last week I went through the house with a magic eraser and cleaned the walls. Another time I cleaned the fridge. I'll go through the clothes and pull sizes that are too small. I'll make the kid's beds, tidy their rooms, organize toys in the basement and make sure they're put away right, take crib rails off, install new carseats etc. I also do a date night for them once a week, and if the kids are out of school, I might help out here and there with that. Whatever comes up, I'll do it.


I work part time on a salary for a single mom who's a doctor with a varying schedule, and I help out with that type of thing for her as well, since her kid is in school.

OP you can absolutely find someone for this. My situation is very flexible in terms of which day I go. Maybe consider a PT for the childcare days and a separate person for the organization/cleaning days if you're having a hard time selling it as all one job--but I guarantee you will find someone who likes this set up. Just be clear about what you're looking for, be patient as you each settle into the role, be flexible (if she has to take a day off here or there, be cool with it.) Also be prepared to pay a little more, but not excessively more.

Federal law states unambiguously that all domestic employees Are HOURLY employees and are paid OT over 40 hours. Your doctor is breaking the law and you are cheating yourself. I hope she is reported.

oh stop. you don't know the particulars of the situation and are making a lot of assumptions about the number of hours involved and who's getting the better end of the deal.

I don't need to know anytime but that under Federal law nannies are hourly employees and cannot be salaried. Salaried employees are not eligible for OT pay. Stop cheating the people taking care of your children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a nanny who does this for a couple of families. I certainly don't charge $50 an hour, though I am paid above market for a nanny. Look for an older nanny who got burned out with the extra workload during covid. I pop my AirPods in and listen to library books or podcasts and do a deep dive into 6 loads of laundry every week, then I clean the kitchen (which is usually a hazmat zone), do the recycling, and break down any boxes that came into the house that week--basically the stuff they hate doing. They usually have the laundry washed, and I fold/put away/transfer anything from the washer to the dryer if needed.

Last week I went through the house with a magic eraser and cleaned the walls. Another time I cleaned the fridge. I'll go through the clothes and pull sizes that are too small. I'll make the kid's beds, tidy their rooms, organize toys in the basement and make sure they're put away right, take crib rails off, install new carseats etc. I also do a date night for them once a week, and if the kids are out of school, I might help out here and there with that. Whatever comes up, I'll do it.


I work part time on a salary for a single mom who's a doctor with a varying schedule, and I help out with that type of thing for her as well, since her kid is in school.

OP you can absolutely find someone for this. My situation is very flexible in terms of which day I go. Maybe consider a PT for the childcare days and a separate person for the organization/cleaning days if you're having a hard time selling it as all one job--but I guarantee you will find someone who likes this set up. Just be clear about what you're looking for, be patient as you each settle into the role, be flexible (if she has to take a day off here or there, be cool with it.) Also be prepared to pay a little more, but not excessively more.

I'm a nanny dumb dumb. Just because someone disagrees with you and calls you out for not knowing what you're talking about, doesn't mean they're a parent out to get you.

Federal law states unambiguously that all domestic employees Are HOURLY employees and are paid OT over 40 hours. Your doctor is breaking the law and you are cheating yourself. I hope she is reported.

oh stop. you don't know the particulars of the situation and are making a lot of assumptions about the number of hours involved and who's getting the better end of the deal.

I don't need to know anytime but that under Federal law nannies are hourly employees and cannot be salaried. Salaried employees are not eligible for OT pay. Stop cheating the people taking care of your children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, it’s housekeeper first. You’re not going to find anyone with a childhood education degree who is going to wash your laundry or vacuum. I echo the above: advertise for a housekeeper who is willing to babysit for those days. It might be hard to find someone who can read to your child in English (if that’s important to you). But you could find a loving woman who raised her own kids.

+1. Another nanny here who works with a full time housekeeper who loves spending time with my charges. But she isn’t a nanny and doesn’t want to be one! She likes her job as a housekeeper but also enjoys babysitting.