Please stop trying to artificially deflate wages

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, some of you posters are wrong and some are right. I feel there are many nannies who take this job seriously and can earn $20 and more. Now, what I'd like to know is, if your making $20 an hr for 1 child, what exactly are your duties. I'm in the DC area (Capitol Hill) and there are nannies here that make $22+ (primarily in a share), so they say. The funny thing is, I honestly believe this rate is reasonable in a share, but, when I ask them what types of things they do with the children, it's not much. I bring my own supplies for arts and crafts, mad a small rice box to bring to work, download lesson plans for learning letters, numbers, colors, trips on metro, things such as that. Not just take kids to the playground, play dates or to the library!

I think those of you who judge that a nanny should only make this amount or say what someone is paying is too much, need to mind their on damn business. It should be based on what the nanny is bringing to your family. Parents should never be discussing the salary they pay their nanny with any other parent, because every nannies duties, hours and level of experience is different!

Our nanny is paid $20 an hour. She has a college degree and graduate school work in Early Childhood Development as well as years of experience as a preschool teacher. For us, who believe in engagement, reading to and narrating for an infant as the building blocks to learning and language skills, our nanny is work her weight it gold.

Nanny makes homemade baby food for DC now and does his laundry. No other chores are required. We want her to spend her energy taking DC out for lots of walks and functions where he sees other children as well as reading and narrating when she is at home with him.

[Anonymous]

I have seen nannies in the library and parks who are actively engaging their charges and nannies who barely speak English and are on their cell phones constantly ignoring their charges.

You can guess which is the $20 an hour nanny and which is the $12 an hour nanny who will also wash your car.

[Anonymous]

9:49. Thank you!!! This is what I like to hear, all the other negative stuff just pisses me off!

Sounds as if you have an awesome nanny, and she's blessed with awesome employers whom respect and appreciate her ????

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have seen nannies in the library and parks who are actively engaging their charges and nannies who barely speak English and are on their cell phones constantly ignoring their charges.

You can guess which is the $20 an hour nanny and which is the $12 an hour nanny who will also wash your car.

You would think so, right? At least this is the way it *should* be. But based on interview, you will find that it is not really the case. A lot of English speaking nannies are naïve and got good about negotiating. The older, less fluent nannies are doing it for their families and the money and are more aggressive about negotiating. This is what I found after interviewing for several nanny searches.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have seen nannies in the library and parks who are actively engaging their charges and nannies who barely speak English and are on their cell phones constantly ignoring their charges.

You can guess which is the $20 an hour nanny and which is the $12 an hour nanny who will also wash your car.

And the sad thing is the non English soeakiny nannies constantly on their phones make 20 per hr. I am interviewing currently for a new nanny position and I was just offered 8 per hr. I have 15 years experience and a masters degree in ece. It makes me so sad when I see the foreign nannies on their phones constantly. But families seem to love them and pay them the best.

[Anonymous]

The cheap parents are often too stupid to understand the difference between a custodial caregiver vs. an early childhood educator, in spite of their doctor and lawyer status.

[Anonymous]

"Nanny makes homemade baby food for DC now and does his laundry. No other chores are required."

So if I don't need homemade baby food, does that free up time for other chores?

[Anonymous]

12:54

What do you mean free up time for other chores? They were just giving an example. Whatever chores your looking for should be discussed during time of interview and written in contract. A nanny's main responsibility is the child/children!!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:12:54

What do you mean free up time for other chores? They were just giving an example. Whatever chores your looking for should be discussed during time of interview and written in contract. A nanny's main responsibility is the child/children!!!!

The ignorance of some parents here, is shameful.

[Anonymous]

Love how you people claim that being a nanny isn't highly skilled. Just because your childcare skills aren't up to par with really excellent nanny skills...

[Anonymous]

The rate I paid my nanny was inversely proportional to how satisfied I was with that nanny, after years of evaluation. Now, I always try to pay the lower end. This way, I attract nannies who are in it for the love of kids.

The higher paid nannies think they know better (did CIO without telling me when I expressly told her not to), have a entitled attitude, jaded about the job, constantly measuring job creep instead of trying to be a team member of the household. I'm just sick of the "professional nanny" types.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The rate I paid my nanny was inversely proportional to how satisfied I was with that nanny, after years of evaluation. Now, I always try to pay the lower end. This way, I attract nannies who are in it for the love of kids.

The higher paid nannies think they know better (did CIO without telling me when I expressly told her not to), have a entitled attitude, jaded about the job, constantly measuring job creep instead of trying to be a team member of the household. I'm just sick of the "professional nanny" types.

This.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The rate I paid my nanny was inversely proportional to how satisfied I was with that nanny, after years of evaluation. Now, I always try to pay the lower end. This way, I attract nannies who are in it for the love of kids.

The higher paid nannies think they know better (did CIO without telling me when I expressly told her not to), have a entitled attitude, jaded about the job, constantly measuring job creep instead of trying to be a team member of the household. I'm just sick of the "professional nanny" types.

The obedient sitters are a dime a dozen for your type.

[Anonymous]

Our highest paid nannies (and our current one makes 1000 a week plus health insurance) have been the worst of the lot. Maybe just bad draws on our part, but as the PP said they seem to have the most entitled attitude and be least willing to follow instructions, including to follow our own express, agreed statement of her duties and responsibilities, which are laid out in the nanny contract.

[Anonymous]

I'm so mad when one parents asked me will I take $6 to care for their 3 month old baby. Gosh I lost my words!