Fair Rate?

[Anonymous]

How much should I expect to pay a nanny to do the following?

Hours: 8 am- 5:30. Three kids. Aged 6 months, 2.5 years, 4 years.

The nanny would take care of our infant full time. She would drop our 4 year old off at preK (walking distance) at 8:45. Pick up 2 year old from preschool (also walking distance) at noon (we'll drop her off on the way to work). Pick up 4 year old at 3:15 pm.

So, responsible for infant from 8-5:30. Two year old plus infant from 12-3:15. Infant, two year old and 4 year old from 3:15-5:30.

Would also expect nanny to prepare lunches/pack preK's school lunch daily.

[Anonymous]

You seem very focussed on the fact that she doesn't have all of the kids all the time. My advice is to let go of this thinking and understand that you're going to need an experienced nanny to be able to handle all of the running about you're asking for, and that your young kids will have frequent sick days and school closings that require them to be at home. You will need to pay a rate appropriate for 3 kids (all under 5!) to attract someone with the skills to manage all of this. Probably in the $18-$20/hour range.

[Anonymous]

$20-$25/hour plus a health insurance stipend.

[Anonymous]

Daily schedule:
8-8.45: pack 4 year old's lunch, get infant and 4 year old ready to go, walk infant and 4 year old to preK
8.45: 4 year old drop off
8.45-12 walk back to the house, feed/change/play with infant, infant nap (possibly nanny lunch?), get infant ready to go, make 2 year old lunch, walk infant to preK
12: 2 year old pick up
12-3.15: walk back to the house, feed/change/play with infant, infant nap (possibly nanny lunch if it overlaps with 2 year old nap?), feed 2 year old lunch, 2 year old nap (does she still nap?), play with/supervise 2 year old playing or doing a craft, prep 2 and 4 year old snack, clean up after 2 year old, get infant and 2 year old ready to go, walk infant and 2 year old to preK
3.15: pick up 4 year old
3.15-5.30: walk back to the house, feed/change/play with infant, infant nap (depends on how young infant is), feed 2 and 4 year old snack, play with/supervise 2 and 4 year olds playing or doing a craft, make sure that everything is tidy before a parent gets back

You have 3 kids, there will be times when she has 2 or 3 kids all day. As it is, she has (estimate) .75 hours with 2, 3.25 hours with 1, 3.25 hours with 2 and 2.25 hours with 3. That adds up to 3.25 hours with 1, 4 hours with 2, 2.25 hours with 3. Given that the kids will get sick and there will be school closures, be prepared to pay for care for all three children all day, not just one or two.

Unless the preK is 5 minutes away (toddler speed or 2 year old rides in the stroller), your nanny is going to spend a lot of time getting kids bundled up, walking, waiting, walking and unbundling if she's walking back and forth to preK all winter. If you have a double stroller, is it side by side or one behind? I highly recommend a double stroller (preference for side by side, that way the 2 year old doesn't kick the infant's seat), that way the 2 year old can't dawdle or slip and fall.

Is she responsible for feeding breakfast to the 2 or 4 year old? Is she responsible for cleaning bottles, washing dishes that she and the kids use, (un)loading the dishwasher? Is she warming up food, doing easy prep (10 minutes or less) for snack and lunch or spending longer cooking? Is she responsible for washing the kids' clothes? Is the 2 year old potty trained or can she do it asap before the infant is scooting/crawling/walking everywhere? Is she cooking dinner for the kids or the family? Is she going to make baby food?

The way you have this structured, during the winter there may not be time for the nanny to pack the 4 year old's lunch if the walk to preK takes 20+ minutes. Depending on how much the infant naps and how long it takes to feed the infant, there may be time to do several tasks between dropping off the 4 year old and picking up the 2 year old. If your 2 year old naps on a schedule and can be counted on to do it reliably (and the infant's nap overlaps), she may have time to do several things during that time. Please keep in mind that it will be easier for her to take a breath and eat her own lunch while it's quiet and kids don't need her (naptime), so don't plan on too many tasks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Daily schedule:
8-8.45: pack 4 year old's lunch, get infant and 4 year old ready to go, walk infant and 4 year old to preK
8.45: 4 year old drop off
8.45-12 walk back to the house, feed/change/play with infant, infant nap (possibly nanny lunch?), get infant ready to go, make 2 year old lunch, walk infant to preK
12: 2 year old pick up
12-3.15: walk back to the house, feed/change/play with infant, infant nap (possibly nanny lunch if it overlaps with 2 year old nap?), feed 2 year old lunch, 2 year old nap (does she still nap?), play with/supervise 2 year old playing or doing a craft, prep 2 and 4 year old snack, clean up after 2 year old, get infant and 2 year old ready to go, walk infant and 2 year old to preK
3.15: pick up 4 year old
3.15-5.30: walk back to the house, feed/change/play with infant, infant nap (depends on how young infant is), feed 2 and 4 year old snack, play with/supervise 2 and 4 year olds playing or doing a craft, make sure that everything is tidy before a parent gets back

You have 3 kids, there will be times when she has 2 or 3 kids all day. As it is, she has (estimate) .75 hours with 2, 3.25 hours with 1, 3.25 hours with 2 and 2.25 hours with 3. That adds up to 3.25 hours with 1, 4 hours with 2, 2.25 hours with 3. Given that the kids will get sick and there will be school closures, be prepared to pay for care for all three children all day, not just one or two.

Unless the preK is 5 minutes away (toddler speed or 2 year old rides in the stroller), your nanny is going to spend a lot of time getting kids bundled up, walking, waiting, walking and unbundling if she's walking back and forth to preK all winter. If you have a double stroller, is it side by side or one behind? I highly recommend a double stroller (preference for side by side, that way the 2 year old doesn't kick the infant's seat), that way the 2 year old can't dawdle or slip and fall.

Is she responsible for feeding breakfast to the 2 or 4 year old? Is she responsible for cleaning bottles, washing dishes that she and the kids use, (un)loading the dishwasher? Is she warming up food, doing easy prep (10 minutes or less) for snack and lunch or spending longer cooking? Is she responsible for washing the kids' clothes? Is the 2 year old potty trained or can she do it asap before the infant is scooting/crawling/walking everywhere? Is she cooking dinner for the kids or the family? Is she going to make baby food?

The way you have this structured, during the winter there may not be time for the nanny to pack the 4 year old's lunch if the walk to preK takes 20+ minutes. Depending on how much the infant naps and how long it takes to feed the infant, there may be time to do several tasks between dropping off the 4 year old and picking up the 2 year old. If your 2 year old naps on a schedule and can be counted on to do it reliably (and the infant's nap overlaps), she may have time to do several things during that time. Please keep in mind that it will be easier for her to take a breath and eat her own lunch while it's quiet and kids don't need her (naptime), so don't plan on too many tasks.

Shoot, I forgot to address pay. If you want someone who will agree to taxes, speak English fluently, be able to prove her ability to work, have experience with multiple children and a somewhat chaotic schedule, you need to compensate well. $18 is the start for 2 kids in a share, most nannies start at $18 or $20 per hour for 3, certainly it they're under 5. With as much as you want, I would aim for $20 to start, but remember to build in $1/hour raise per year, and if that's a stretch, see what you can offer for other benefits.

[Anonymous]

Thanks! Just the input I needed.

[Anonymous]

Well if she is to be "on-call" while the older two are in school, meaning she is to be available for contact if the children fall ill or suffer an injury, etc., then I think she should be paid for three children.

If for the hours that the older ones are in school, you will notify the school to call you or your husband, then I would only pay her for the hours she is actually responsible for said child.

It is difficult for me to recommend a fair wage since that depends on many other factors. I.e., location, benefits, her education/experience, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well if she is to be "on-call" while the older two are in school, meaning she is to be available for contact if the children fall ill or suffer an injury, etc., then I think she should be paid for three children.

If for the hours that the older ones are in school, you will notify the school to call you or your husband, then I would only pay her for the hours she is actually responsible for said child.

It is difficult for me to recommend a fair wage since that depends on many other factors. I.e., location, benefits, her education/experience, etc.

OP isn't going to be able to stay home just because the older two kids don't have school (vacation, sick, etc), so it's best if OP pays the nanny for 3 with the understanding that she is responsible for picking up a sick child from school, keeping a sick child home and entertaining all three when there's no school. My concern would be that OP would allow both children to stay home when any one of the three kids is sick, that way the sick child isn't drug around.