How do people's nannies "live alone?"

[Anonymous]

I keep reading advice to hire a nanny that "lives alone" to decrease the risk of Covid exposure. With the price of housing around here, how do nannies afford it? Are their employers paying them extremely well? Or are the nannies lying about their living situation?
I just don't see how a nanny who only works for one family for 40 hours/week at $18/hr can afford an apartment, without a roommate or a second job.

[Anonymous]

Well, I can only speak for myself as a nanny who lives alone: I earn $30 an hour and have a small pension coming in monthly from my first career.

But you’re right, I am not like most nannies and most cannot afford to live alone.

[Anonymous]

People will ignore the advice and just hope their nanny, who is making at most $25/hr (and that would be for multiple kids), doesn't get sick. It's not ideal, but if you don't have the space to have the nanny live with you or the option of a family caregiver, I'm not sure this is any worse than sending kids to daycare. What is your other option? Telling your nanny they must find another living arrangement? It's just not realistic.

[Anonymous]

I could not find a nanny who lived alone and I am paying a pretty reasonable rate and interviewed a LOT of nannies hoping to find one. I eventually went with someone who had previously worked for a friend, and who she felt was taking COVID very seriously. It's really hard to figure this out but I asked about social distancing during the interview and sometimes could tell who wasn't taking it seriously based on the answers.

[Anonymous]

First, I don’t know anyone paying just $18 an hour.

Second, we pay our nanny $25 an hour (one baby) and she lives alone in a small guesthouse. The owners wanted a quiet single woman more than a high rent, I suppose.

But you’re right, OP. A nanny living alone is not common around here.

[Anonymous]

The nannies live in one-person convents.

[Anonymous]

People are lying to themselves and then to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People will ignore the advice and just hope their nanny, who is making at most $25/hr (and that would be for multiple kids), doesn't get sick. It's not ideal, but if you don't have the space to have the nanny live with you or the option of a family caregiver, I'm not sure this is any worse than sending kids to daycare. What is your other option? Telling your nanny they must find another living arrangement? It's just not realistic.

Sending your child to daycare exposes them to their teachers (who don’t live alone) and the parents of the other children (who obviously don’t live alone) and the other kids! How does that even compare to one nanny and her possible husband or roommate?!

And in case you didn’t notice, daycares suddenly shut down last March and will do so again if there is an outbreak.

Daycare is not a choice I would make if I had any option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People are lying to themselves and then to you.

Huh? People are lying to themselves about living alone? What could that possibly do for them?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I keep reading advice to hire a nanny that "lives alone" to decrease the risk of Covid exposure. With the price of housing around here, how do nannies afford it? Are their employers paying them extremely well? Or are the nannies lying about their living situation?
I just don't see how a nanny who only works for one family for 40 hours/week at $18/hr can afford an apartment, without a roommate or a second job.

A nanny who lives alone would obviously be preferable during this virus but preferable isn’t always possible.

Look for the next best scenario: maybe a married nanny with a husband who works from home or a responsible nanny who is living with another responsible nanny.


And you can pretty much give up the dream of the $18 an hour nanny, OP.

[Anonymous]

I bought my first Condo as a single Nanny. It was they a first time homebuyer program in Loudoun County. I think the base price at the time it was built was 130k and I paid 90k. My mortgage was around $600 a month and the condo fees were $175. I did babysit on the weekends for extra money but had a cheap car so no car payment, didn’t pay for cable, and lived frugally. It was lovely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People are lying to themselves and then to you.

Huh? People are lying to themselves about living alone? What could that possibly do for them?

The people go home and pretend their husbands are figments of their imaginations!! They keep repeating, “You’re not here! I live alone!” like a mantra!

[Anonymous]

My last two nannies lived alone. The current one lives in a townhouse in the outer suburbs -- she is an older woman, widow, empty nester. The one before was in her thirties, single in a long-distance relationship, lived in a basement apartment in chevy chase DC. We paid between 20-25/hour and I think they are both generally frugal people.

But having had a number of nannies over the years, I think people are living in dreamland that they are going to be able to find childcare providers that meet all the requirements that have invented. The easiest way to find good care is to be extremely flexible in what you are looking for. My only criteria were someone who would show up most of the time mostly on time and who wouldn't physically or emotional abuse my kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People are lying to themselves and then to you.

Huh? People are lying to themselves about living alone? What could that possibly do for them?

DP.

I think people are lying to themselves that their nanny lives alone and then telling you that well aware it’s a lie.

[Anonymous]

I am nanny. I am 29 years old and I live alone in a studio apartment. I make $24/hour but I am single and I do not have kids. So I can definitely afford it. My car is pay off. I do not have debts at all. so it is possible!