Pay Increase for third child if older two are in school 75% of the time?

[Anonymous]

Good morning,

My nanny is due for a raise, which for the past 3 years has been approximately 5% each year. She makes a good living, gets all federal holidays, and benefits, etc., helps prepare meals and with groceries, and is truly priceless and adored by our family.

Although the nanny is due for a raise (which we are happy to give), we have a 3rd child coming this summer. I'm not sure if she'll expect an salary increase in addition to the raise, since our oldest will be in school most of the day and our middle will be in school 5 morning a week. This means she'll be with the baby full time, 3 year old part time (but will do drop off pick up for him), and just an hour or two with the oldest.

We view our nanny as part of the family (although she doesn't live with us), and want to keep her happy, while also ensuring that we don't go totally broke. Any thoughts on whether she should expect raise when third arrives? If so, we might just not go a whole 5% for her raise this year, and keep to a lower increase, as her raises have been FAR more than mine or my husband's in recent years, which have been in the 1-2% range!

I'd greatly appreciate anyone's thoughts on this. I want our nanny to be happy, but want to make sure we can continue to afford her too and that we have a winning situation for everyone. Thanks!

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

You sound like you have a great relationship with your nanny -- so talk to her honestly and ask her what she feels is fair/right.

As a nanny, my current charge is starting preschool around the same time as the new baby is due. My feeling is that I must be available for all school holidays and all of his sick days as well as for getting him to and picking him up from school. He will also have the same amount of laundry and need the same amount of food prepared by me. And his room still won't clean itself just because he is in school. So, since I still see an increase in work and responsibility with my newborn charge, I will be getting a pay increase. BUT I have discussed with MB that I do not expect a COL and annual merit raise this year.

Talk to your nanny.

[Anonymous]

Thanks you! Having an honest conversation with her is definitely something I plan to do, but appreciate this as an opportunity to get a sense of expectations, etc. before we chat. I know she won't be unreasonable, and we can probably adjust if we need to once she's on her own with all three, but it's always better to go in with some sense of what she might think is fair or expect so we aren't taken aback by any of her suggestions. You're correct she'll still be taking care of his laundry, food, and pickup dropoff and any sick days, so maybe there will be a way for us to determine a rate for 'half' an additional child, or something like that?!?

Thanks again!

Welcome any other thoughts or responses too!

[Anonymous]

Like PP, I would expect an hourly increase for an additional child -- no matter how you slice it, it is more work and more responsibility regardless of how often the older kids are in school. And there are more holidays, teacher conference days and sick days then you can imagine.

I would not demand an annual raise under the circumstances however. This is what you should bring up with the nanny. I would think an additional $1 an hour for the newborn. You can also talk to her about the rate of her annual increases in the future. No one wants to price themselves out of the market.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Like PP, I would expect an hourly increase for an additional child -- no matter how you slice it, it is more work and more responsibility regardless of how often the older kids are in school. And there are more holidays, teacher conference days and sick days then you can imagine.

I would not demand an annual raise under the circumstances however. This is what you should bring up with the nanny. I would think an additional $1 an hour for the newborn. You can also talk to her about the rate of her annual increases in the future. No one wants to price themselves out of the market.

That sounds reasonable to me. Thanks for your input. Will $1/hr increase suffice for the additional child? And if she was due an increase in March, is it fair to have her wait until August when baby arrives or perhaps even later than that when I go back to work in October for the increase?

[Anonymous]

Would you truly go broke with the added cost of new baby care? Your nanny would know better than we would. If she sees you're just trying to save a little more for yourselves, while she sacrifices a proper raise, she may be getting a new job.

Don't be penny wise, and pound foolish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Would you truly go broke with the added cost of new baby care? Your nanny would know better than we would. If she sees you're just trying to save a little more for yourselves, while she sacrifices a proper raise, she may be getting a new job.

Don't be penny wise, and pound foolish.

Nope- won't be broke. Want her to be happy and give her every cent she deserves, but not looking to pay far beyond what would be considered reasonable either. No intention of being penny wise, pound foolish here. Our nanny is phenomenal and worth a full six figures as far as I'm concerned- for what she does for our kids and our family. It's pretty amazing what a well matched and skilled nanny can do for a family- I don't know we'd be having a third if she wasn't in our lives!

[Anonymous]

You sound like you have a great relationship with your nanny -- so talk to her honestly and ask her what she feels is fair/right.

As a nanny, my current charge is starting preschool around the same time as the new baby is due. My feeling is that I must be available for all school holidays and all of his sick days as well as for getting him to and picking him up from school. He will also have the same amount of laundry and need the same amount of food prepared by me. And his room still won't clean itself just because he is in school. So, since I still see an increase in work and responsibility with my newborn charge, I will be getting a pay increase. BUT I have discussed with MB that I do not expect a COL and annual merit raise this year.

Talk to your nanny.

This is great advice. I also agree with the other previous poster that the standard $1-2/hr raise for a new baby is a good idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

You sound like you have a great relationship with your nanny -- so talk to her honestly and ask her what she feels is fair/right.

As a nanny, my current charge is starting preschool around the same time as the new baby is due. My feeling is that I must be available for all school holidays and all of his sick days as well as for getting him to and picking him up from school. He will also have the same amount of laundry and need the same amount of food prepared by me. And his room still won't clean itself just because he is in school. So, since I still see an increase in work and responsibility with my newborn charge, I will be getting a pay increase. BUT I have discussed with MB that I do not expect a COL and annual merit raise this year.

Talk to your nanny.

This is great advice. I also agree with the other previous poster that the standard $1-2/hr raise for a new baby is a good idea.

No one with options takes on a newborn for an extra dollar an hour.... except maybe you? OP might want to hire you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

You sound like you have a great relationship with your nanny -- so talk to her honestly and ask her what she feels is fair/right.

As a nanny, my current charge is starting preschool around the same time as the new baby is due. My feeling is that I must be available for all school holidays and all of his sick days as well as for getting him to and picking him up from school. He will also have the same amount of laundry and need the same amount of food prepared by me. And his room still won't clean itself just because he is in school. So, since I still see an increase in work and responsibility with my newborn charge, I will be getting a pay increase. BUT I have discussed with MB that I do not expect a COL and annual merit raise this year.

Talk to your nanny.

This is great advice. I also agree with the other previous poster that the standard $1-2/hr raise for a new baby is a good idea.

No one with options takes on a newborn for an extra dollar an hour.... except maybe you? OP might want to hire you.

Sorry, I am the nanny PP and I would absolutely take $1 for a newborn. I love my charge and have no intention of leaving him -- so when the new baby arrives (MB is talking but not pregnant yet) I will sit down and talk with them as I know they are not wealthy people.

And I have far, far more options and job offers than you could ever imagine! I just happen to be devoted to my charge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

You sound like you have a great relationship with your nanny -- so talk to her honestly and ask her what she feels is fair/right.

As a nanny, my current charge is starting preschool around the same time as the new baby is due. My feeling is that I must be available for all school holidays and all of his sick days as well as for getting him to and picking him up from school. He will also have the same amount of laundry and need the same amount of food prepared by me. And his room still won't clean itself just because he is in school. So, since I still see an increase in work and responsibility with my newborn charge, I will be getting a pay increase. BUT I have discussed with MB that I do not expect a COL and annual merit raise this year.

Talk to your nanny.

This is great advice. I also agree with the other previous poster that the standard $1-2/hr raise for a new baby is a good idea.

No one with options takes on a newborn for an extra dollar an hour.... except maybe you? OP might want to hire you.

If your employers are experiencing worse financial hardship than you are, I can certainly understand your generosity.


Sorry, I am the nanny PP and I would absolutely take $1 for a newborn. I love my charge and have no intention of leaving him -- so when the new baby arrives (MB is talking but not pregnant yet) I will sit down and talk with them as I know they are not wealthy people.

And I have far, far more options and job offers than you could ever imagine! I just happen to be devoted to my charge.