Spring break pay - toddler home from preschool

[Anonymous]

Hi,

For the past 4 days, our toddler has been home from preschool with our nanny and baby b/c of spring break (usually she watches just the baby until toddler's school ends @ 3:15). What have others done in this situation? Upped the pay for those days or considered it included in the the existing salary? I ask b/c there will obviously be other days when the toddler is home (e.g., if he gets sick, teacher work days, etc.) and I'm not sure how to approach. Appreciate any input!

[Anonymous]

I have two in ES, and two at home. The advice I got here was to advertise and pay for all four kids. So, no, I don't pay any differently if they are home for break.
I have sat down to talk with her about plans for school breaks and how she plans to actively manage all the kids, what kinds of activities to do with them, etc. just because I do it a lot more often than she does, and I know the older ones a lot better. Plus we have rules about screen time and such that I want to go over.

[Anonymous]

PP is correct that it is good practice to advertise and pay for the full scope of the job up front. You don't want to hire a nanny for one baby, and find out she can't handle the days where all of your kids are at home.

In your case OP, I would set a rate now for 2 kids that you will pay your nanny when the toddler is home.

[Anonymous]

You need to renegotiate your agreement to a pay increase that covers both children whenever you might need it.

[Anonymous]

Nanny here. I have the older children for all breaks, including summer, so that was factored into my pay.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Helpful feedback. Thanks, everyone!

[Anonymous]

Unless you're the crazy op from a few months ago who only wanted to pay for one kid when she had two, I think you're ok. Crazy op wouldn't pay the nanny for the extra child because she insisted she'd never watch the preschooler. Most nannies assume the pay is for all kids, unless you're crazy op.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unless you're the crazy op from a few months ago who only wanted to pay for one kid when she had two, I think you're ok. Crazy op wouldn't pay the nanny for the extra child because she insisted she'd never watch the preschooler. Most nannies assume the pay is for all kids, unless you're crazy op.

You can't assume anything, silly. Why would you do that? When parents say x/hr for one child, that's what it is.

Two siblings = additional $5/hr in my book.

[Anonymous]

If I was hired to take care of just the baby, then I would expect a higher hourly rate for the days when I cared for an extra child.

[Anonymous]

When I'm hired by a family, we agree to a rate. If the family has another child live there permanently and adds the child to my job description, I negotiate for $1-2 more per hour, depending on current compensation. If the family has multiple children, some of whom I'm not responsible for on a daily basis, and they want to pay a lower rate because I'm not caring for as many children, I'm fine with that. BUT! Any days that I have all kids, I earn $10 more per hour or 1.5 times my normal rate, whichever is higher (live-in nanny, who negotiates for weekly salary, so it's usually my weekly rate divided by the number of days worked that week, multiplied by 1.5 for each day with at least one extra child all day).

[Anonymous]

That has to be one large family if you're charging $10/ hour more for all kids.

[Anonymous]

We have 3 children, 2 who are in preschool and we negotiated her rate as if she was always caring for all 3 children. There have been many days when 1 or both were sick, school vacations, etc so it's just simpler to already have that factored in.

[Anonymous]

We pay the two kid rate even tho the toddler is at school 4 hours a day five days a week.
If our nanny complained about spring or summer break I would remind her of how overpaid she was 180 days.

[Anonymous]

I would most definitely pay her extra for the extra labor/responsibility/stress of an extra child.

As a parent how could I not....??!

[Anonymous]

Most nannies charge per family, not per child so I don't see the need to pay her an increased rate for times your toddler is home. If you'd like to do something sweet since your toddler has been home all week a gift card to Starbucks or something similar is a kind gesture.