Are these parents nuts?
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Anonymous
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I got an email from a family on sittercity. They started off by saying how they loved my profile and impressive qualifications. Then they whet into how they have high expectations for their new nanny. Apparently their old nanny was an " angel". In addition to caring for their infant and his cleaning, she did their laundry, made their beds, cooked them dinner, and picked up their dry cleaning. She also shoveled snow when her charge was napping. I am more than happy to go the extra mile and help out but I think some of this is over the top. They are giving a flat rate of $18 per hour.
Would you apply for this job? |
Anonymous
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Nope.
Because the previous nanny has obviously set the bar very high and even with stilts on, you may never quite measure up. However if the pay increased to $50/Hr, I would re-consider. Sort of. |
Anonymous
| For $200/hr. |
Anonymous
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Well, this is all a negotation. There is no reason you need to sign on for all of those additional tasks. You can always say "that sounds like some tough shoes to fill. Do you have a job description that spells out the scope of work you envision?"
That might start the conversation in a way you'd be interested in pursuing. My first question would be why the position is vacant if the former nanny was so perfect. |
Anonymous
Because the "fomer perfect" nanny was a figment of their imagination. |
Anonymous
+1 Do they only have one child? You mention they have an infant, so if they have only one child and he/she is an infant then that "angel" nanny must have stayed only a short time. This reminds me A LOT of a family I interviewed with a few months back that had nine month old twins. They had advertised on sittercity that the pay was $12-18/hr, and included "light housekeeping." When I interviewed with them they first gave me a list of all chores I would be responsible for during nap time (which included, among other things, washing windows, vacuuming, and sanitizing MBs breast pumping equipment!), then they proceeded to sing their old nanny's praises to the high heavens. She worked with them for five months, was never once late or called out sick, she did all chores while kids napped, prepared their baby food, etc. They asked my rate and I told them, for the job as described, I'd need $20/hr. They told me their previous "perfect" nanny only charged $14/hr! I asked why she left and they told me she "had some health issues, couldn't continue to work full time, and moved in with her mom." But there is not a single doubt in my mind that she left for a better paying job with less work. I told them again that my asking rate for this position was $20/hr and they said the max they were prepared to pay was $18/hr but they would think it over and let me know. And for the record, I might have been comfortable working with infant twins for $18/hr if the light housekeeping required was just dishes, general tidiness and baby laundry, but for all the chores they wanted PLUS the fact that MB and DB seemed like giant pain-in-the-ass employers (who both worked from home 1-3 days per week also), I wouldn't have considered it for less than $20/hr. Anyway, they called me back two days later, saying they'd met with all applicants but liked me the best, and said "we've looked over our finances and at this time the absolute most we can offer is $18.50/hr but we are also willing to do a review with the opportunity for a raise after six months." But I declined because by then I already had two other offers from families with higher pay and less work. THEN, a few weeks later at a friends BBQ, I met another nanny, and coincidentally, she had interviewed with that family a week or two after I turned them down, and she was working with them. However, she (a younger, less experienced nanny than myself) had accepted the job at only $15/hr! But, I have since found out from a mutual friend, that that nanny only worked with that family for two months and then quit (allegedly to pursue a baking career). So, now this family has gone through TWO nannies in less than eight months! I saw them repost their job AGAIN a couple weeks ago on sittercity, and this time the pay is listed at $14-18/hr, but they are still maxing out at $18/hr! I don't think they will ever learn! (I do understand that financially they might not be able to afford more than that, but they should then perhaps consider other options like daycare instead of a nanny). Sorry for the lengthy story, but the point is, if a family has a good experience with one nanny who "seemed fine" with the rate of pay but then suddenly left, the family thinks that any good nanny is A) going to be fine with the same rate of pay and B) going to deliver the same or better performance. They never once sit there and think "gee, our nanny did leave pretty quickly, I wonder if it was because we asked too much of her or didn't pay her enough?" No. They pat themselves on the back for being great nanny employers, and expect to be able to cheap out on the nanny and still get great care. Unless you're truly desperate, you're better off working with a different family. |
Anonymous
| No, OP, I would never work for employers with those ridiculous expectations. I am a nanny and not a housekeeper. I gladly do anything and everything for the child/children but certainly not general cleaning or cooking for the parents! And I would not have the time even if I wanted to. I am engaging my charges not shoveling the driveway! |
Anonymous
Of course you would have the time. With jobs like this unfortunately childcare gets put on the back burner and housework comes first. Babies are placed in cribs, toddlers entertain themselves. As long as the kids are safe and the housework gets done. |
Anonymous
| Do you have to respond? If you respond does that then leave them the option of providing negative feedback? If so, I wouldn't reply. If that isn't a concern, I would probably respond and say it sounded like they struck gold with their first nanny. I'd ask why she left. I'd ask if their priority was going to remain housekeeping or, as the child gets older, will they want someone who can provide enriching experiences. I doubt you'd ever want to work for them (who reaches out to a potential new employee by gushing about the person she'll be replacing?? They sound clueless.) but if you wanted to respond I'd start by putting questions back at them. |
Anonymous
| No thanks. |
Anonymous
| Yeah....you won't catch me outside shoveling snow. Next!!! |