What is a fair wage to charge this family per hour?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So I have a question....I would like to know how much a should charge the following family for my services. A little background info: I've been with them for 6 years, went from full-time to part-time, work in Westchester, NY, they have 4 children, ages: twins 6, 8, 10. I do understand they're in school now full-time, and I do not work during school hours, except for running errands/grocery shopping for the whole family. I'm there Monday- Thursday, 2pm -8pm, plus couple extra hours on Monday for errands.
The mother started using me as a personal assistant as well...So this is what I do on a daily basis:
- make 5 beds
- tidy up the house
- cook dinner for the whole family (mother expects me to make plates for parents as well), expected to cook mealtoaf, ribs (stuff that takes at least 1/2 hour to prepare), plus salads (mostly for parents)
- drive the kids around
- laundry for all 4 kids, i try to do it on mondays and thursdays
- wash and fold sheets for 5 beds
- run family errands/grocery shopping (not just kids)
- load/unload dishwasher
- prepare lunch boxes for kids the night before
- clean and fill up their school water bottles for the next day
- do all the dishes after I cook
- do homework with the kids
- spend a big amount of time reading with 2 of the younger children one-on-one
- preparing children for after-school activities

My biggest annoyance:
I'm there for only 4-6 hours after school, the kids don't always behave, it's a madhouse. the mom is at home most of the time, she helps nothing.
she constantly texts me "can you do this...and that...." stuff that doesn't relate too much to childcare.
examples: leaves silverware from holiday out, I have to put it away and sort it, I have to take care of 300+ christmas cards of the kids, pack them into envelopes, address stamps, stamps,
she leaves a big basket every day in the kitchen where she throws things in, and I'm expected to clean that out. she overall uses me to do stupid little things.
In the summer I am expected to take the kids to the pools, and sometimes set up huge bounce houses in the yard. one of them has a slide, so it takes a lot of time to clean it out after use.

What do you think I should charge? They used to pay me $16/hour, I asked to be adjusted to $22/hour, as that's what my area charges. They came back at $19/hour.
I just don't feel like this is a fair wage for all the work I am doing, including having to take care of 4 kids. Thank you!

Now that you know you're being grossly taken advantage of, OP, what have you decided to do about it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Doesn't seem like anything has changed since the last time you posted. No one on here is going to have a magical solution, save for your MB being on here and recognising herself in your post and seeing the error of her ways.

$19 is not enough for you, and even if it were, you still can't do all the jobs she's asking you to do, and the kids annoy you. There is nothing left but quit. So either suck it up and let your MB continue to walk all over you and be miserable, or quit. January is a good time to look for a job. You can probably get a position that pays at least the same or more, with more hours, with more kid things and fewer errnands and with nicer parents.

If you just can't talk to them about quitting, the reason to give would be that you need more hours and more money to pay bills, and so unless they want to give you that, you have to quit.

I am not really understanding you so good luck whatever you doing !

Okay, so I have a typo in 'errands'. What in my post didn't you understand?

[Anonymous]

Heeeeyyyyyyu guys! I'm the one who started this thread. Yes, I posted a similar one a couple days ago. Thank you for all your thoughts, I truly appreciate it. First of all, a couple of comments, I think by one person, are kind of offending. The question was: How Much Would You Charge For These Duties??? The other thread I asked about quitting.
I'm a great nanny, hands on 100%, never use the TV. But when u work around a mother, who gives kids lollipops and ice cream after I punish them or instead of punishing them, then there's a big problem. Same thing with snack...I give them fruit, she gives them goldfish, chips. I'm a Nursing Student, over 10 years of experience in child care. My family is not close and I'm working on finishing school, Nursing school, which is very demanding. I just came to realize how badly I need to quit, only cause I took a semester off to relax. I also started looking for new jobs 2 months ago since I have the extra time now.
And I'm so happy to say that I found a part time job, been there for over a month, and the family lives me and I really like them too! Today I spoke to her and she says she's guaranteeing me full time hours in January. At this point right now I'm going to take whatever, just to get away here. They're also paying way more for less kids, and I learned that if they ask for more work, I'll tell them MORE money upfront. Every nanny learns eventually, I screwed myself lol.
I will either quit tomorrow or early next week with notice till the end of this month. I'm so excited about the new job right now that I can't even talk haha.
Good luck with everything! Thank you SO much!!!

[Anonymous]

Good news, OP.
When you asked for more money and they lowballed you, they should have seen the writing on the wall.

I also can't get over that you were expected to plate the kids and parents food at dinner. Ha ha ha.

[Anonymous]

The parents are nothing but lazy asses. OP wasted her time with them and got peanuts for her slave labor.

[Anonymous]

Fantastic news, OP! How did they take the news you're quitting?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Heeeeyyyyyyu guys! I'm the one who started this thread. Yes, I posted a similar one a couple days ago. Thank you for all your thoughts, I truly appreciate it. First of all, a couple of comments, I think by one person, are kind of offending. The question was: How Much Would You Charge For These Duties??? The other thread I asked about quitting.
I'm a great nanny, hands on 100%, never use the TV. But when u work around a mother, who gives kids lollipops and ice cream after I punish them or instead of punishing them, then there's a big problem. Same thing with snack...I give them fruit, she gives them goldfish, chips. I'm a Nursing Student, over 10 years of experience in child care. My family is not close and I'm working on finishing school, Nursing school, which is very demanding. I just came to realize how badly I need to quit, only cause I took a semester off to relax. I also started looking for new jobs 2 months ago since I have the extra time now.
And I'm so happy to say that I found a part time job, been there for over a month, and the family lives me and I really like them too! Today I spoke to her and she says she's guaranteeing me full time hours in January. At this point right now I'm going to take whatever, just to get away here. They're also paying way more for less kids, and I learned that if they ask for more work, I'll tell them MORE money upfront. Every nanny learns eventually, I screwed myself lol.
I will either quit tomorrow or early next week with notice till the end of this month. I'm so excited about the new job right now that I can't even talk haha.
Good luck with everything! Thank you SO much!!!

Awesome news! Check back and let us know how you are doing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Heeeeyyyyyyu guys! I'm the one who started this thread. Yes, I posted a similar one a couple days ago. Thank you for all your thoughts, I truly appreciate it. First of all, a couple of comments, I think by one person, are kind of offending. The question was: How Much Would You Charge For These Duties??? The other thread I asked about quitting.
I'm a great nanny, hands on 100%, never use the TV. But when u work around a mother, who gives kids lollipops and ice cream after I punish them or instead of punishing them, then there's a big problem. Same thing with snack...I give them fruit, she gives them goldfish, chips. I'm a Nursing Student, over 10 years of experience in child care. My family is not close and I'm working on finishing school, Nursing school, which is very demanding. I just came to realize how badly I need to quit, only cause I took a semester off to relax. I also started looking for new jobs 2 months ago since I have the extra time now.
And I'm so happy to say that I found a part time job, been there for over a month, and the family lives me and I really like them too! Today I spoke to her and she says she's guaranteeing me full time hours in January. At this point right now I'm going to take whatever, just to get away here. They're also paying way more for less kids, and I learned that if they ask for more work, I'll tell them MORE money upfront. Every nanny learns eventually, I screwed myself lol.
I will either quit tomorrow or early next week with notice till the end of this month. I'm so excited about the new job right now that I can't even talk haha.
Good luck with everything! Thank you SO much!!!

Awesome news! Check back and let us know how you are doing.

BTW, I am an employer who has an afternoon housekeeper/nanny for my older kids. She is great, but we don't ask her to do half the things your family is asking of you. I was going to weigh in with what I pay her until I read your OP and decided you just needed to find a better job. But FWIW, my employee earns $25/hour with full benefits, including health insurance, and guaranteed salary (including over the summer when we take 6-8 weeks of vacation). Your employer sucks, and I am glad you have found something better.

[Anonymous]

OP, you have a typical HOUSEKEEPER job, 2-8pm.
We kept our nanny going at the same weekly wage for the same sort of hours and scope of duties. We gave her 3% raises each year. sHe was a "nanny" for 6 years and housekeeper for 4+ years now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, you have a typical HOUSEKEEPER job, 2-8pm.
We kept our nanny going at the same weekly wage for the same sort of hours and scope of duties. We gave her 3% raises each year. sHe was a "nanny" for 6 years and housekeeper for 4+ years now.

Hourly wages for housekeepers are higher than those for nannies.