Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I see his point because aside from the coverage you don’t seem to be getting a lot of value for your money. That said, it seems like you really do need the coverage.

I would switch to a different caregiver that takes on more of a family manager role. If you are paying for full-time care, I would want someone who unloads the dishwasher and packs lunches and does all the kids’ laundry and picks up drycleaning and goes grocery shopping...etc.

Sweet heaven.

She has THREE CHILDREN. There is ALWAYS
one child sick or getting over being sick who has to stay home
a teacher professional dev. day
snow day
holiday from school - yom kippur, veteran's day, memorial day, columbus day, MLK day, presidents day, a week off in spring (TWO if you lived in DC), about 8 or 9 days for winter break, then all summer
getting 3 kids out the door by 7am BY HERSELF.
summer - 3 kids in camp is a LOT of money.

Keep your nanny. Pay her what you need to, and have the preschooler go 3 mornings/week. Many children do it, and the benefit to your entire family will be huge. Or at least to YOU, personally, and since YOU do all the extra kid/household stuff then it matters to YOU. You get 5 votes, your husband gets 1 vote.

I agree that the coverage is important, but if they have a nanny who doesn’t do anything other than child care, then even with all of the above, she is still being paid during school hours at least 1/3 of the time just for availability not for anything else. There are plenty of nannies out there who are experienced at the family manager/household manager role and could provide excellent care when the children are around while also using their time without children to benefit the family. If her current nanny is not willing or able to transition to that role then they need to find someone new.

And for context let me add that I am a nanny. Currently my youngest charge is in half-day preschool five mornings a week. He and his brother our home with me for all of the random holidays, and teacher workdays and vacation days and all through summer and winter and spring breaks. but I also do all the shopping for the family, run random errands such as buying a present for an upcoming birthday party, doing the dry cleaning, taking the car into the shop, scheduling the kids dentist and doctor check ups. While I am home with a sick kid I am folding laundry, cooking dinner, and keeping the house tidy during times when the sick kid is resting. even though I have 15 hours a week with no kids, my bosses are not in the position of paying me for hours where I twiddle my thumbs.