Is this an attractive offer?

[Anonymous]

I need a nanny for my two middle school-aged children.

Responsibilities include:
-Picking children up from school bus stop (approximately 2 blocks from house)
-Wash, dry, fold & put away family laundry & bed sheets
-Load/unload dishwasher
-Feed dog and let her in/out
- Feed cat and change his water bowl and litter
-Drive kids to various after school activities (karate, tutoring, kumon, instrument lessons, school sports)
- Cook dinner for family & clean up after (nanny is welcome to eat with us)
- Occasional grocery shopping and errands
- Keep track of what is in fridge/freezer and toss expired goods
-Keep kitchen neat and organized (cupboards, cabinets, pantry, drawers, fridge, freezer)
-Ensure kids are doing their homework (only brief, 15 minute break after school)
- Enforce our family rule of both kids exercising for 30 minutes a day and practicing their instrument for 20 minutes/day
- Take out trash/recycling
- Responsible for signing for deliveries and bringing mail inside

The package offers $17/hr (on the books) and 2 weeks paid vacation of nanny's choosing, with major federal holidays paid off. Although the nanny will get 2 weeks paid vacation, our family typically vacations 5-6 weeks per year. She will get paid for these extra weeks if she agrees to come in and feed the cat, water the plants, check on the house, wash the sheets, bring in the mail/paper while we're away. She will also be required to drive us to/from airport (we live about 30 minutes away from airport) in our family vehicle to avoid overnight parking charges at airport. Aside from the time that we're away and she's checking on the house, there are no guaranteed hours.

This is a part time position. Since my sons are in 8th grade, the hours will likely be monday-thursday 3-7

Is this an attractive offer?

[Anonymous]

I think it sounds pretty good, and the hours would work for a student or someone working two jobs. The only thing I don't like is that even when you and nanny are ''on vacation'', she if still required to come in to help with the pets, mail, etc., so she is not truly on vacation. She can't go away for the week because she still has responsibilities. If you find someone good who you wish to keep I would hire a petsitter on the side.

[Anonymous]

No its not. What you're looking for is a butler/house manager (average yearly salary $40-$80K) not a nanny, and its going to cost more than $17/hour to find someone willing to do all of those things. A nanny would do the school pickup, homework supervising, drive to activities, and the children's laundry. For extra compensation she might make dinner, do the entire family laundry, grocery shop, clean out the fridge, etc. Very few women who call themselves nannies are willing to do ALL those things.

[Anonymous]

Meh. Personally, I wouldn't take it. I don't mind doing driving to and from activities and homework help. Children's laundry seems fair (but in eighth grade, they can't walk two blocks from the bus by themselves or do their laundry? Come on!), letting a dog in and out seems like no big deal. But cooking for your entire family and cleaning up on my own after, cleaning cat poop (absolutely disgusting. Don't get pets if you don't want to clean up after them), and doing family sheets and laundry? No way. Like a pp said, you want a butler/household manager.

You either need to drop some chores (or most; still thinking about your cat poo) or pay accordingly for them. And $17 ain't it, honey.

[Anonymous]

Why aren't your middle school aged children capable of pet care?

[Anonymous]

For what you are requiring, sixteen hours is not enough time to do all those things. You should look at 12-7 and hire a family assistant/housekeeper. Most nannies will not do many of those things you listed. And if you want to pay $17 an hour, you are not going to get high caliber people for that position.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why aren't your middle school aged children capable of pet care?

+1 and learning how to do laundry

[Anonymous]

You lost me at the litter box...your sons will be able to drive in 2 years, surely they can clean up the cat poop.
The internet can not truly convey the level of head shake/eye roll that is needed here. I was babysitting for OTHER kids at that age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No its not. What you're looking for is a butler/house manager (average yearly salary $40-$80K) not a nanny, and its going to cost more than $17/hour to find someone willing to do all of those things. A nanny would do the school pickup, homework supervising, drive to activities, and the children's laundry. For extra compensation she might make dinner, do the entire family laundry, grocery shop, clean out the fridge, etc. Very few women who call themselves nannies are willing to do ALL those things.

Very few women who call themselves nannies would do ANY of this for 13-14 year old children!

[Anonymous]

OP doesn't want/need a nanny for her half grown kids. She wants one for herself. What exactly do you do for yourself, OP?

[Anonymous]

this made me laugh......

[Anonymous]

I don't even ask my cleaning lady to clean the cat litter! My pets, my responsibility. Also your kids are not babies, they should be able to do their own Laundry by age 12 and take care of the dog. I also don't understand why they can't walk two blocks home? Do you live in a bad area?
It's like you want to hire a nanny/ housekeeper/chauffeur/cook all in one for less than $300 a week, you need a reality check lady.
You need to offer more money, hours and list as housekeeper /Chauffeur.

[Anonymous]

Double the hours (unless you think someone can do laundry, cook, scoop poop, AND drive your kids places all at the same time), guarantee pay 52 weeks a year (hire a pet sitter/house sitter when you go

[Anonymous]

(cont.) on vacation, and up the pay to $20/hour and you can likely find someone to be your house manger/teen wrangler.

You should also ask your hm/tw to show your kids how to care for their pets, do laundry, and cook. For $800/week that is quite within reasonable expectations.

And I'd also suggest doing the job as outlined yourself in just 20 hours a week if you still feel your proposed job is reasonable.

[Anonymous]

No this is not an attractive offer. You aren't looking for a nanny. You are looking for a household manager and typically they work full time and want guarenteed hours. $17 is way too low for all of your expectations. Why are your children not capable of having chores, such as cleaning up after their pets and helping set the dinner table, clean dishes, etc? For a position like this, I would expect to be paid 52 weeks a year and would charge $20-22 an hour minimum.