Nanny + School Question

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Before you get too caught up in the idea that you are paying for so much time that you aren't using, do some math:
52 weeks per year

12 weeks of summer
2 weeks winter break
1 week spring break
2 weeks' worth of miscellanious holidays (teacher work days, columbus day, etc.)
1 week worth of sick days

52-18=34

So there will only be 34 weeks per year that you are actually not using those hours directly for childcare.

Now let's talk about how you can use those hours indirectly: many nannies are open to some non-child-specific tasks, like grocery shopping, dry-cleaning pick-up, and starting dinner. Let's say your nanny wants to stick with kid-related tasks only: staying on top of DC's laundry, packing lunches, prepping healthy breakfasts or afterschool snacks, rotating DC's wardrobe and buying things like clothes, shoes, gear needed for each season, researching and prepping for afterschool activities, etc. I would say between all that and drive time to-and-from, your nanny could easily fill up half of her empty time just doing kid-related tasks only.

So let's say you came up with only a short list of tasks and you feel that she will still have half the time (2 hours per day) free. We are looking at 34 weeks X 10 hours per week that nanny is paid for "nothing." So 340 hours per year (and this is really a maximum). But if you let nanny go or resuce her to afternoons only, you will still need care those 18 weeks per year when school is out or you kid is sick. On thise occasions, instead of paying your nanny her standard rate, you will have to cobble together backup care from a variety of sources, many of which will cost more than a standard nanny hourly rate.

Very true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you want your nanny to be available for those four hours when your child has a holiday or is sick (which will be all the time when she starts school), then you happily pay her.

Exactly. The cost is worth it to high-income parents with demanding jobs who can't stay home all the time.

[Anonymous]

See if she's willing to run child related errands (shopping) or going to grocery store for you doing those hours since you are still paying her. On days off from school or if your hold gets sick it's good to have a full time nanny. Sit down with her see what type of chores she would be willing to take in during those hours to keep her useful.

[Anonymous]

We have 2 kids, ages 7 and 4. Our nanny works ~36 hours a week and we pay her for the hours that our 4 year old is in morning preschool (9:30-12:30). Her rate does not vary whether she has 1 child or 2 to care for, or for the hours that both kids are away.

If the school runs from 9-1 then it's really not a full 4 hours unless the school is next door. With the extended drop-off that's pretty typical of preschool, and the time it takes her to get back for pick-up, it's probably about 3.5 hours or less.

This sort of rankled my DH in the beginning but our nanny does help us out with light housekeeping (takes out the trash, empties the dishwasher, wipes down kitchen counters). If we need a gallon of milk, she picks it up. But if she winds up sitting around and watching TV for an hour, I have zero problem with her getting a paid break.

I also view the money we pay for those hours as an insurance policy. She watches our kids when one is sick and we would pay through the nose for emergency care if we didn't have her.

[Anonymous]

I had a similar experience with the very last family I worked for. When they enrolled him in school, they wanted me home to do all type of chores which I was happy to do and then MB mom came over for six months and put all sort of crazy stories in her head about my days at home when the baby is at school. They decided it wouldn't work out despite the fact that she was 4 months pregnant. Now they are changing nannies every 6 months….they had me for a year and half.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, I'd work on figuring out if you want another kid. If yes, I'd keep her and work on getting pregnant. If no, I'd see if she were willing to stay part-time and try to find her morning hours elsewhere. Unless you both want her to pick up food shopping, meal prep, laundry, housecleaning, etc. I could definitely fill 20 hours!

[Anonymous]

I had a job like this, and yes i was bored, but honestly as long as I was paid, i didnt mind. because there always days when you will need a nanny during that timeframe.

[Anonymous]

She's on call. You have to pay her and no, she won't be bored. She'll have time to do all her chores and - gasp - relax and take a lunch break. If you don't pay her for the hours the kid is in school, and the kid ends up getting hurt, you're risking her saying "sorry, since I wasn't on call I went to do XYZ and won't be able to get back until it's pick up time". If she doesn't do laundry or run errands for the family, you can always add that.