Would a nanny be interested in this job, working alongside a SAHM?

[Anonymous]

I'm a SAHM and I have a toddler and a baby on the way. My husband works 70 hour weeks, works weekends, and we have no local family to help out. I would like to hire a part-time nanny to help me take care of both kids once the new baby arrives. We would like to hire someone for one year, part-time, with hours such as noon-5 pm each day. We were going to pay $20 per hour. However, this person would be working alongside me, a SAHM, for the entire time each day, taking care of one or occasionally both kids. I would be cleaning the house or preparing food while the nanny would be taking care of both kids. Would a nanny be interested in this job? Or not because she would be working alongside a SAHM? Is the pay rate fair? Thank you for your input!

[Anonymous]

It all depends on the person. I wouldn't care for your position although your pay is good. Not enough hours and I do better on my own with my charges. But, of course, you may find someone who is good, dedicated and happy to work with you for such short hours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a SAHM and I have a toddler and a baby on the way. My husband works 70 hour weeks, works weekends, and we have no local family to help out. I would like to hire a part-time nanny to help me take care of both kids once the new baby arrives. We would like to hire someone for one year, part-time, with hours such as noon-5 pm each day. We were going to pay $20 per hour. However, this person would be working alongside me, a SAHM, for the entire time each day, taking care of one or occasionally both kids. I would be cleaning the house or preparing food while the nanny would be taking care of both kids. Would a nanny be interested in this job? Or not because she would be working alongside a SAHM? Is the pay rate fair? Thank you for your input!

Pay is fine, OP. Some don't like working with a SAHP, some don't mind it. You need to be clear whether this is a Mon-Fri position, all 7 days, or something else, and that might also affect who you get. As long as you are clear that this is childcare, not housekeeping, you'll be fine. The issues most nannies have with working with a SAHP is that the parent really wants a cheap housekeeper who will take a fussing baby for 15 minutes before going back to cleaning.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks for your comments. Ideally how many hours would a nanny want for a part-time position? We are flexible on hours. Ideally we would like one weekend day, and maybe 4 weekday days. I was thinking a total of around 30 hours per week. Would appreciate feedback as to what number of hours might be best for a position like this. I'm not expecting the nanny to do any housework. I love to clean and can do all housework.

[Anonymous]

OP, I think you are going to have a REALLY hard time filling this position. First off, asking for four weekdays and one weekend day every week will put off many candidates. Second, the hours and pay are not enough for a nanny to live on. Third, part time hours and pay can be appealing *IF* you are offering a schedule that will allow the nanny to get another part time job with a different family as well. 12-5 five days a week does NOT offer that option (I have been a nanny for many years and have often done two part time jobs with two different families, but it was always either something like two 10 hour days with one family and three 9 hour days with another, OR it was split daily like 8am to 1pm with one family and 2pm to 6:30pm with another). Fourth, nannies (myself included) really hate dealing with SAHPs. Most nannies I know refuse to even work with a WAHP, but in the scenario you're describing you will ALWAYS be up in nanny's business.

Some ways you could make this more workable: If you adjusted your hours so nanny came in the mornings only, that would allow her to also take an after school position, which tend to be plentiful. If you increased the rate of pay, that would help tremendously ($22-25/hr; dealing with a toddler when his mother is present AND a newborn has a level of stress that even nannies of triplets don't deal with regularly). You could try to minimize the time you are present with the nanny, and make this clear up front. For example, you could say something like "I'll be cleaning upstairs and then preparing dinner, so please take both kids to the library, or play in the backyard for an hour so I can do that. After nap, I'll plan to accompany you with the children to the park..." Etc.

Nanny needs to know that she will have some space, and some opportunit to develop her own relationship with the children without you present. You also need to closely pay attention to your own actions, and make sure you are not hovering, micromanaging, or being overbearing.

[Anonymous]

I have four kids and when the two youngest were little, I had a part time nanny from 2-7pm, five days a week. We generally split the childcare into Big Kids vs. Little kids and each day we'd each play a zone. Sometimes he stayed at my house playing with the toddler and taking care of the baby while I ran the two older kids around to their after-school activities. Sometimes he took all three kids so I could get one on one time with them. He also did kid-laundry and would help start dinner. This went on for five years.

It worked well and he's now a family friend.

[Anonymous]

I think you'll have no problem finding someone - I did this before returning to work and had tons of applicants. They were mostly looking specifically part time jobs - most of them were in school at night and needed mornings to study.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Some ways you could make this more workable: If you adjusted your hours so nanny came in the mornings only, that would allow her to also take an after school position, which tend to be plentiful. If you increased the rate of pay, that would help tremendously ($22-25/hr; dealing with a toddler when his mother is present AND a newborn has a level of stress that even nannies of triplets don't deal with regularly). You could try to minimize the time you are present with the nanny, and make this clear up front. For example, you could say something like "I'll be cleaning upstairs and then preparing dinner, so please take both kids to the library, or play in the backyard for an hour so I can do that. After nap, I'll plan to accompany you with the children to the park..." Etc.

OP here. This is very helpful, so thank you PP! Can you suggest an hour range that could work for mornings only (I am flexible). We can increase the rate of pay as well. However, I was not planning on allowing the nanny to drive our kids anywhere by herself. And we do not live in a walkable area (i.e. there is nothing to walk to from our neighborhood), as we live in the distant suburbs. Do you see that as an issue? I would like the nanny to accompany us on many activities/outings each week, but we would all be going together.

[Anonymous]

PP you quoted here. For morning times anything that would allow her to be off by 2pm so she could be somewhere by 3pm. 8am-2pm five days per week would preserve the 30 hours per week. Since you have the flexibility, it gives you an advantage as well because you can advertise it as such (say you are looking for 24-32 hours of help per week or whatever numbers make sense for you, then say something like times are on a set schedule and negotiable, between 7am and 4pm (or whatever times work for you)). If you still want weekend hours I think you can certainly ask that, but you might consider saying every other week or three weekend days per month (instead of every weekend).

As far as not letting Nanny drive and living in a non walkable neighborhood, this will be considerably easIer/better if your home has many options for play areas. I've been in some Nanny family homes that had a big finished basement, a living room to play in, and an extra play area upstairs plus a lovely big backyard, where it was easy to spend the entire day at home and keep the kids happy. Other nanny families had homes with a tiny sad little backyard, no basement, and only one little play area in the living room. If your home is like that you'll likely have more issues keeping kids and nanny happy at home most of the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Some ways you could make this more workable: If you adjusted your hours so nanny came in the mornings only, that would allow her to also take an after school position, which tend to be plentiful. If you increased the rate of pay, that would help tremendously ($22-25/hr; dealing with a toddler when his mother is present AND a newborn has a level of stress that even nannies of triplets don't deal with regularly). You could try to minimize the time you are present with the nanny, and make this clear up front. For example, you could say something like "I'll be cleaning upstairs and then preparing dinner, so please take both kids to the library, or play in the backyard for an hour so I can do that. After nap, I'll plan to accompany you with the children to the park..." Etc.

OP here. This is very helpful, so thank you PP! Can you suggest an hour range that could work for mornings only (I am flexible). We can increase the rate of pay as well. However, I was not planning on allowing the nanny to drive our kids anywhere by herself. And we do not live in a walkable area (i.e. there is nothing to walk to from our neighborhood), as we live in the distant suburbs. Do you see that as an issue? I would like the nanny to accompany us on many activities/outings each week, but we would all be going together.

Your rate of pay is fine as is, OP, especially if the nanny is only focussed on child care and no other duties and you live in the distant suburbs. I do think changing your hours might make your job more attractive to more applicants. I think 8am-2pm gives her the option of taking another after school job, which is very good for someone working two jobs. GL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP you quoted here. For morning times anything that would allow her to be off by 2pm so she could be somewhere by 3pm. 8am-2pm five days per week would preserve the 30 hours per week. Since you have the flexibility, it gives you an advantage as well because you can advertise it as such (say you are looking for 24-32 hours of help per week or whatever numbers make sense for you, then say something like times are on a set schedule and negotiable, between 7am and 4pm (or whatever times work for you)). If you still want weekend hours I think you can certainly ask that, but you might consider saying every other week or three weekend days per month (instead of every weekend).

As far as not letting Nanny drive and living in a non walkable neighborhood, this will be considerably easIer/better if your home has many options for play areas. I've been in some Nanny family homes that had a big finished basement, a living room to play in, and an extra play area upstairs plus a lovely big backyard, where it was easy to spend the entire day at home and keep the kids happy. Other nanny families had homes with a tiny sad little backyard, no basement, and only one little play area in the living room. If your home is like that you'll likely have more issues keeping kids and nanny happy at home most of the time.

Thanks for all the suggestions. This is very helpful. Something like 8 am - 2 pm would work fine for me. Weekend hours would be a bonus, but every other weekend would be just fine (my husband works some weekends so help on those weekends would be helpful). Thank you for everyone who responded. I know the job won't be appealing to many because they are working with a stay at home mom, but hopefully with increasing the pay range that I will get a few people who are interested.

Where do you think I should advertise--care.com mainly?

[Anonymous]

You do not work and you need a nanny for two kids for 5 hours a day? Now I understand why SAHMs are looked at with no respect.

[Anonymous]

If you're flexible with the hours, i think you'll find someone. You may find a student who has classes until noon and wants to work 1-5, or you may find a mom who needs to get kids off to school and be home for them in the afternoon and wants to work 9-2 or something like that. Are you willing to work around your candidates schedule? If so, put that in your ad.

I also agree that you need to make sure the nanny has the opportunity to be with the kids w/o you hanging around. Kids are SO MUCH easier to manage w/o the parents around. They behave differently (usually better) for the nanny and it tends to go downhill when the parents come home. Make sure she gets time to go to the park/library/cafe/music class/whatever w/o you so they can develop a relationship together. I think that's the key to your position being successful.

[Anonymous]

OP, you have gotten some great advice here. To add to that, I think you will have better luck advertising for a "mother's helper". That makes it clear that you will always be around and just want a pair of helping hands. Make sure you state upfront that she will not be able to drive or take the children on outings by herself. This is a major issue for a lot of nannies, so you want to make sure they know what they are getting into.

[Anonymous]

OP, I'm a fan of sitter city personally (as opposed to care.com). Care isn't awful, but I like sitter city better. If you have a neighborhood listserv that is supposed to be a good way to find a nanny, too.