So I'm perusing the AU Jobs board, horrified that sitters expect $17 an hour

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We pay $10 an hour for Marymount students. $17 is insane - most nannies start at $10-$13.

I think your logic is flawed. Most college students are better educated and smarter than most nannies, at least the severly under-educated nannies you find working in many homes in the area. I definitely expect to pay a college student (from a good school like AU or Georgetown) than most "nannies" in the area.

That's ridiculous. Acing your SATs does not make you a better babysitter. Most of these under-educated nannies have 10x the childcare experience compared to your typical AU or Georgetown student. I know DCUM posters love to think their degree(s) make them a better caregiver, but get real.

Better educated caregivers are more likely to know about children's developmental stages, positive approaches to discipline, have a more varied vocabulary, model and encourage more confidence in academics (through both confident homework help and general knowledge) - basically, they represent the education level of a younger version of their employers. This is important and valuable to some families who do indeed feel this makes them a better caregiver.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've never paid more than $15 and generally pay $12 and I never have a problem finding AU sitters. Don't play their game!

Same here. A couple of students have asked for more after responding to my (very clear) postings, but I don't really have trouble finding students for $12-$15. I have one older child, and offer the lower end of the range when I have a few days lead time and the higher end when it's short notice.

FWIW, I'm a recent graduate with an MA myself and earn $12/ hour for a job in my recession-decimated field that I feel really lucky to have. Things are tough all over, but it's important to remember that most of these 19 year-olds are effectively offering unskilled labor.

My bigger concern about the site is that a couple of times I've received responses from people who admitted they were not students (or recent graduates).

[Anonymous]

You have money to go out but not to pay a sitter? Maybe you need to do some babysitting yourself and raise some money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am an educated (UVA) nanny here in DC. I make $20/hr for any weekend/weeknight jobs.

Please do not compare me to the other nannies you have met!

Op, pay what you feel is right. I am sure you will find someone!

Why not? You seem like a classic underachiever.

[Anonymous]

I charge $15/hr and require a 4 hour minimum.

But, I have 10+ years of FT nanny experience and a ton of great references.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We pay $10 an hour for Marymount students. $17 is insane - most nannies start at $10-$13.

I think your logic is flawed. Most college students are better educated and smarter than most nannies, at least the severly under-educated nannies you find working in many homes in the area. I definitely expect to pay a college student (from a good school like AU or Georgetown) than most "nannies" in the area.

That's ridiculous. Acing your SATs does not make you a better babysitter. Most of these under-educated nannies have 10x the childcare experience compared to your typical AU or Georgetown student. I know DCUM posters love to think their degree(s) make them a better caregiver, but get real.

Better educated caregivers are more likely to know about children's developmental stages, positive approaches to discipline, have a more varied vocabulary, model and encourage more confidence in academics (through both confident homework help and general knowledge) - basically, they represent the education level of a younger version of their employers. This is important and valuable to some families who do indeed feel this makes them a better caregiver.

NP here. Your general idea makes sense, but the fact is that being a college student is a very poor proxy for being a good childcare provider. There are so many way more meaningful bases on which to make this determination. If the student is an early education major, that's one thing, but I'd take an experienced nanny over a random 19-year-old English or business major any day of the week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am an educated (UVA) nanny here in DC. I make $20/hr for any weekend/weeknight jobs.

Please do not compare me to the other nannies you have met!

Op, pay what you feel is right. I am sure you will find someone!

Why not? You seem like a classic underachiever.

????This makes no sense at all (unless the old adage "it takes one to know one" applies in this case).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We pay $10 an hour for Marymount students. $17 is insane - most nannies start at $10-$13.

I think your logic is flawed. Most college students are better educated and smarter than most nannies, at least the severly under-educated nannies you find working in many homes in the area. I definitely expect to pay a college student (from a good school like AU or Georgetown) than most "nannies" in the area.

That's ridiculous. Acing your SATs does not make you a better babysitter. Most of these under-educated nannies have 10x the childcare experience compared to your typical AU or Georgetown student. I know DCUM posters love to think their degree(s) make them a better caregiver, but get real.

Better educated caregivers are more likely to know about children's developmental stages, positive approaches to discipline, have a more varied vocabulary, model and encourage more confidence in academics (through both confident homework help and general knowledge) - basically, they represent the education level of a younger version of their employers. This is important and valuable to some families who do indeed feel this makes them a better caregiver.

Once again, nonsense. Half of the posters here don't even trust their (highly) educated husbands to watch their own children for 4 hours. Having the ability to calculate the area under a curve does not mean one is a better caregiver.

[Anonymous]

Insane, I pay $10 per hour.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am an educated (UVA) nanny here in DC. I make $20/hr for any weekend/weeknight jobs.

Please do not compare me to the other nannies you have met!

Op, pay what you feel is right. I am sure you will find someone!

Why not? You seem like a classic underachiever.

????This makes no sense at all (unless the old adage "it takes one to know one" applies in this case).

Of course it doesn't make sense. It was a cruel and mean-spirited attempt to make nannies feel less than. It is obvious who the loser is in this scenario.

[Anonymous]

I pay my HS sitters $12/hr, and judging from what I have heard through a local mom's group, many others pay $8-10. For my college sitters (who are now only home in the summer) I pay $15. For both categories, they have worked for me for a number of years, and started at a lower rate. I am in NOVA so I think that would lower the rate a bit. Incidentally, I worked as a nanny for 6 summers during college and grad school. That started 20 years ago (damn I feel old), and I remember I was paid $10/hr. So, to me $20/hr for a college aged nanny/sitter does not seem that far off. I was an education major, if that matters.

[Anonymous]

Wow, I am WAY overpaying my Georgetown babysitters!

Twenty bucks an hour seems to be the going rate for two children. I'm going to post an ad for $12-15.

I do love my student babysitters, and I know for certain that they do way more than my friends' nannies. They are 100 percent engaged with my children and play with them. They've taught them to ride bikes, play checkers, climb across the monkey bars (not an easy job - I failed at it), catch a football, play a few simple card games, and swim and dive.

I will say that my babysitters are better dressed than me. A few years ago, they all wore Tory Burch; now they're all wearing $500 boots.

[Anonymous]

I pay between $15 - $16 for twin potty-trained three year olds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We pay $10 an hour for Marymount students. $17 is insane - most nannies start at $10-$13.

I think your logic is flawed. Most college students are better educated and smarter than most nannies, at least the severly under-educated nannies you find working in many homes in the area. I definitely expect to pay a college student (from a good school like AU or Georgetown) than most "nannies" in the area.

That's ridiculous. Acing your SATs does not make you a better babysitter. Most of these under-educated nannies have 10x the childcare experience compared to your typical AU or Georgetown student. I know DCUM posters love to think their degree(s) make them a better caregiver, but get real.

Most of the nannies in my neighborhood can't even speak English properly. For babies, it's important to be experienced, but as children get older, they need more than someone who knows how to heat up a bottle. They need some INTERACTION. And that's what the majority of children with nannies simply don't get.

[Anonymous]

I pay AU sitters $13 for 3 kids (2 six year olds and a 3 year old). All are generally asleep or getting there when I leave them.

I also do a nanny share during the day while I work part time. We pay $18 for a 3 year old (mine) and a 2 year old (the other family's).