Nanny schedule while both kids are in preschool

[Anonymous]

Both of my children (2.5&4) will be in preschool next fall from 9:00am-1:00pm everyday. My mother is currently helping out until this summer so we will need a new nanny after she leaves. My former nanny would care for my younger child while the older child was at school and worked approximately 40 hours a week. Now that both kids will be in school is it unreasonable to ask a nanny to work for a few hours in the morning and then again after school? I'm struggling with having to pay them for the four hours while both kids are at school. How has anyone else handled a similar situation?

[Anonymous]

Au pair, if you can swing it.

[Anonymous]

This seems to be one of the leading reasons that parents choose au pairs. Could that work for you?

[Anonymous]

If you can't or don't want an au pair, and finances are the main issue with hiring a nanny full time, I'd recommend trying to find two different part time nannies, one for mornings and one for afternoons. I do think your best bet is either hiring a full time nanny who is willing to do housework, errands and chores during school hours or getting an au pair though.

[Anonymous]

Keep in mind, OP, that you may need the nanny during the regular pre-school hours if there is a snow day, teacher work day, or your child is mildly sick.
If you have your nanny scheduled mornings, then back in the afternoon, she may find something else to occupy those hours (class, part time work for another family, etc.) and you can't expect her to drop those on days you need her.

[nannydebsays]

What the PP said. It's not at all unreasonable to have a nanny work doing things like laundry, grocery shopping, light tidying type housework, etc. when all the kids are in school. That ensures you have nanny there for you in case a child doesn't go to school, and you need care.

[Anonymous]

Our nanny, cooks dinner for the family, mops the floors and also tidy's up. It's worth it for us to keep her for after school rather than do a part time.

[Anonymous]

Hiring 2 part time people would be the same or more than hiring the same person full time.

[Anonymous]

I cannot imagine that you would find anyone who would work for a few hours - then drive home - and come back when your kids are out of school.

[Anonymous]

Nanny needs to turn to more household manager with the rate to match her work load. She may go for it or you may have to find someone new.
First, try to do early drop offs for the kids so you are cutting the AM out.
Second, pay a nanny xyz per day to do 2-3 hours of household stuff plus the 4-5 us of pickup and childcare.
Eg. She gets to your house at 11 or noon, starts laundry or cleaning, Meal prep, grocery shopping, etc, then picks up kids, nap time or play, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you can't or don't want an au pair, and finances are the main issue with hiring a nanny full time, I'd recommend trying to find two different part time nannies, one for mornings and one for afternoons. I do think your best bet is either hiring a full time nanny who is willing to do housework, errands and chores during school hours or getting an au pair though.

We actually did this -- had one nanny come for 1.5 hours in the morning, and a different nanny come from 12-6. It worked pretty well for a few years. But both ladies charged a very high hourly rate -- $23/hour. Now that our youngest is in kindergarten, we're shifting to an au pair. I'm learning that one of the main advantages of an au pair is that they can work a split schedule.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you can't or don't want an au pair, and finances are the main issue with hiring a nanny full time, I'd recommend trying to find two different part time nannies, one for mornings and one for afternoons. I do think your best bet is either hiring a full time nanny who is willing to do housework, errands and chores during school hours or getting an au pair though.

We actually did this -- had one nanny come for 1.5 hours in the morning, and a different nanny come from 12-6. It worked pretty well for a few years. But both ladies charged a very high hourly rate -- $23/hour. Now that our youngest is in kindergarten, we're shifting to an au pair. I'm learning that one of the main advantages of an au pair is that they can work a split schedule.

Good luck!

This was actually cheaper than hiring a FT nanny who was willing to accept a lower hourly rate for less than 5 hours of work a day? I would think someone would take a guaranteed salary for say $15 -$17/ hr for 9 hrs/day rather than you having to pay $23 for 7.5 hrs/day.

[Anonymous]

How did you handles taxes and payroll with 2 nannies? I can imagine that would be a total nightmare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our nanny, cooks dinner for the family, mops the floors and also tidy's up. It's worth it for us to keep her for after school rather than do a part time.

She's illegal. No legal nanny would be stupid enough to be your slave.

[Anonymous]

I was a nanny and that is it. I am there to take care of your children not to clean your house. The last family I was with, I suggested a housekeeper. Because they have two kids and the parents. And they were messy people. I did put dishes in dishwasher, sometimes go to the store with the kids, through kids laundry in but that's it.

Driving the kids around for activities and being with them every afternoon was enough. I am not a housekeeper. I charge $20 per hour which includes gas. I have 22 years of experiences. So my rate is high for that reason.