Can a nanny watch a newborn AND a toddler?
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Anonymous
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I have a 22 month old, very sweet boy but he does throw the usual tantrums and other age-appropriate struggles. I also have a brand new baby. Is this something a nanny could be expected to handle alone? Meaning is it possible to hire one person to watch both of them at the same time? I would be leaving pumped breastmilk for the baby, and I would be very near by.
Thanks! |
Anonymous
| Yes. it's possible. |
Anonymous
| Yes there are people who watch wait for it a toddler and set of newborn twins. I managed just fine when I did it. |
Anonymous
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Yes.
Look for a nanny with newborn experience and experience handling a toddler and infant. |
Anonymous
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OP here. Thanks for the replies. I know the question might sound strange, as obviously any mother of children close in age handles this, but I wasn't sure if it was fair to ask it of a nanny until the baby was a little older.
I have a great nanny who watches my son. I am guessing I need to up her pay in this case - is that the norm? If so, how much additional should I pay her? |
Anonymous
| Yes absolutely, but let her choose a sling or carrier for the baby that she thinks is comfortable - it will make all the difference! |
Anonymous
| Definitely possible. Encourage baby wearing. In general, toddlers throw more tantrums with their parents than with other caregivers. |
Anonymous
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Definitely possible.
And yes, a raise will be expected for a new baby. |
Anonymous
| OP, I think an increase of $2-3/hr would be fair. |
Anonymous
| Our nanny has our 2 year old and our 7 week old (this is her second week with both kids). We gave her a $3 per hour raise when the baby was born. We also told her that we totally understand if she needs to do an episode or two of Barney during the day for the toddler while dealing with the baby, despite our previous "no tv" rule! But, I would only do this with a nanny who has experience with two kids in these age ranges. (Our nanny has 2 grown kids who were about 2 years apart as well.) |
Anonymous
| Better than I can as the MB! I suppose not all nannies could do it but the right one is a whiz at it. |
Anonymous
Of course! Can you as a mother watch them both at the same time? I am a nanny to 4 children. Of course some days are hard, but there are people who have more expertise with bigger families. And yes for the raise. It is fair, and you want her to feel like her time and effort are appreciated. I agree with the $3 (depending on what current pay is) but that is all relevant to location ect. Hope it all works out for you 
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Anonymous
| I watched a newborn and toddler who were 14 months apart. It was a lot of work and a lot of fun. The days went really fast. The parents were very understanding that they sometimes came home to a messier house than when there was only one kid. I had to be much more schedule-oriented just to make sure everyone got fed and changed and napped. And I lost a lot of weight during that job! |
Anonymous
You are asking her to take care of another child. Yes, you increase her pay. Whydo you even need to ask? |
Anonymous
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Why do I have to ask? Well, I pay her $19/hour to watch one kid, which I know is already at the high end of the pay range for where I live. I said I was guessing it would be upped even from there. I don't have the nanny handbook, sorry, just wanted to make sure I was being fair.
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