Big Law attorney turned.... nanny?

[Anonymous]

I'm currently a big law associate and T14 law graduate. I've been aching to be a SAHM since my first child was born, and we're finally in the financial position to make it a reality. My DD is in school full time and I have an August '16 DS. Money will be fairly tight on just my husband's income (he is a tenure-track professor). Therefore, I'm toying with the idea of trying to find a second baby to nanny in tandem with caring for my son. Basically a nanny share, except the nanny is also the mom to one of the babies.

I would prefer to host, as I have a large home, located close to child-geared amenities, and I already have two of everything (cribs, high chairs, etc.) thanks to my DD. I also have plenty of toys and would have a stocked fridge, etc. (Not to mention, if I'm going to be AH it's nice to be in my own home!) However, I'd also be open to travel, since I know not having to deal with drop-offs is a big advantage of having a nanny.

I have two questions and am looking for insight: (1) what rate do you think I could charge the family (relative to market), and (2) how should I "sell" this set-up when searching for an employer/family (nanny-share, nanny but I bring my child, or very, very small in-home daycare)?

I assume that having my son with me would be viewed as a negative, and my education level as a positive. I'm wondering if they can balance out so that I can charge close to market for a one-on-one setup? But I have no idea if that's reasonable.

For more background - my experience with children consists of caring for my own kids (4 year old and infant), working as a teacher through Teach for America before law school, and working part-time as a nanny/babysitter throughout my teen years. I've read the 5,000,000 books and articles on early childhood development, toddler discipline, baby care, etc. etc. that most educated parents read. I do NOT have a degree in early childhood education or a related field. However, I think my strength as a nanny would be that I have a background similar to MB and therefore my approach and child-rearing style would more closely mirror what the MB would do with her own child. I would treat the second baby the way I treat my own - as much language exposure as possible, outdoor time daily, different sensory activities, outings to the park/library/music class/etc., providing nutrient-rich, organic meals, lots of floor time, etc.

Thanks for your thoughts!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm currently a big law associate and T14 law graduate. I've been aching to be a SAHM since my first child was born, and we're finally in the financial position to make it a reality. My DD is in school full time and I have an August '16 DS. Money will be fairly tight on just my husband's income (he is a tenure-track professor). Therefore, I'm toying with the idea of trying to find a second baby to nanny in tandem with caring for my son. Basically a nanny share, except the nanny is also the mom to one of the babies.

I would prefer to host, as I have a large home, located close to child-geared amenities, and I already have two of everything (cribs, high chairs, etc.) thanks to my DD. I also have plenty of toys and would have a stocked fridge, etc. (Not to mention, if I'm going to be AH it's nice to be in my own home!) However, I'd also be open to travel, since I know not having to deal with drop-offs is a big advantage of having a nanny.

I have two questions and am looking for insight: (1) what rate do you think I could charge the family (relative to market), and (2) how should I "sell" this set-up when searching for an employer/family (nanny-share, nanny but I bring my child, or very, very small in-home daycare)?

I assume that having my son with me would be viewed as a negative, and my education level as a positive. I'm wondering if they can balance out so that I can charge close to market for a one-on-one setup? But I have no idea if that's reasonable.

For more background - my experience with children consists of caring for my own kids (4 year old and infant), working as a teacher through Teach for America before law school, and working part-time as a nanny/babysitter throughout my teen years. I've read the 5,000,000 books and articles on early childhood development, toddler discipline, baby care, etc. etc. that most educated parents read. I do NOT have a degree in early childhood education or a related field. However, I think my strength as a nanny would be that I have a background similar to MB and therefore my approach and child-rearing style would more closely mirror what the MB would do with her own child. I would treat the second baby the way I treat my own - as much language exposure as possible, outdoor time daily, different sensory activities, outings to the park/library/music class/etc., providing nutrient-rich, organic meals, lots of floor time, etc.

Thanks for your thoughts!

Honestly your education wouldn't really be a big positive for me, as I'm not expecting that you will be assisting my baby with any legal issues. It's really irrelevant.

You mention that your older child is in school "full time"--does that mean 7 am-6 pm? She won't ever be around? Because I think adding a third, older child into the mix, even if only for a few hours a day, will also be perceived as a huge negative.

It sounds more like the situation you describe would be a home daycare, and you should price it as such. About $200-300/week, depending on your exact location and the age of the child.

[Anonymous]

Find another biglaw mom who wants to hire you. I give it a month, though, before you start hating being told what to do by the other mom. This is not a job for someone with much of an ego.

Think about what you would expect from a nanny employee or daycare provider. Are you really willing to be in that position? It will.necessarily limit your freedom, too.

[Anonymous]

OP here - I fully accept this may be a bad idea, which is why I'm posting here, and appreciate the feedback.

Keep in mind I'm leaving big law because it's never been a good fit for me. I don't have a BigLaw personality (or too much of ego, but I guess it's hard to judge yourself). I *think* I'd be fine following instructions, because it's not my kid and that's the job.

DD is out of the house from 8:00 to 5:00, and DH does drop off and pick up, so she would around for a very small portion of the day, if at all.

I get the law degree is not relevant. I come from this perspective:I considered hiring a nanny after baby 2 was born, and interviewed several. I would have viewed someone with a BA as a huge plus. That may just be me though.

[Anonymous]

Why would your 4 year old remain in school 8 hours a day if you are at home? That's a huge red flag!

[Anonymous]

OP here - Ideally she wouldn't. This would be next year when she's in kindergarten. School ends for her at 2:30. If I'm not doing this nanny idea, I would pick her up then and be with her the rest of the day. Otherwise she can be in extended day until 4:30 (gets home around 5).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here - Ideally she wouldn't. This would be next year when she's in kindergarten. School ends for her at 2:30. If I'm not doing this nanny idea, I would pick her up then and be with her the rest of the day. Otherwise she can be in extended day until 4:30 (gets home around 5).

Why would you sacrifice your daughter's time with you and her sibling over a few hundred dollars a week? Do some boring law consulting for $25/hr for 20 hours a week if you need to bring in cash. Or teach for an online university (this is what I do). These are also low-stress, part-time, relatively low-pay gigs that let you be an actual SAHM.

[Anonymous]

Also, where is your husband on faculty? Find out if they ever hire adjuncts, and do that. If you're in DC, EVERYONE hires adjuncts. Again, the pay is abysmal, but as an adjunct who isn't doing it as a career, you can make the course load as easy as you need it to be.

I used to teach at CUA. We had loads of adjuncts.

[Anonymous]

I definitely would NOT do this if it's for 200-300/week. I was thinking closer to $15/hour ($3000/mo for full time). That would be enough extra cash to continue finish paying down my student loans and have some breathing room in our budget.

I can look into the adjunct thing. I really don't want to do legal work on the side.

My ideal would be to find someone who has an older child who goes to my DD's school and a baby who needs care, so that they'd be on the same schedule as us and live/commute to our area.

[Anonymous]

I still don't understand why you want a full time job. Dedicate yourself instead to saving money (no daycare, no dry cleaning, food made at home, that sort of thing).

I think you're going to have a hard time finding someone to pay $15/hr for a nanny share. The whole point of a share is to be cheaper than nanny care, and not just by a couple of dollars.

Maybe let it be known that you could take drop-in kids, or after-school kids for a flat rate?

[Anonymous]

Why not get a license to do childcare in your home? The income can be amazing if you're good.

[Anonymous]

OP here -

That's definitely the plan (to be as frugal as possible).

I came up with the nanny idea because, if I can host at my house, it would be a fairly easy transition to have another baby around. I'm already going to be home all day, doing baby-geared things. A second baby would be more work than one, but it would also make the day more challenging (in a good way) and more fun. I LOVE babies. It seems like a great way to bring in cash doing exactly what I would already be doing all day. Maybe it's because DS is my second child, or because I'm used to being a WM, but I don't view sharing my time with two babies as a detriment to my son. It's a playpal for him! The only big downside is not having that extra time with DD, but she loves her school and she's starting to get into after school activities naturally. She also stays up later so I could still have quality time with her in the evenings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why not get a license to do childcare in your home? The income can be amazing if you're good.

If I like the nanny-at-home gig, that may be the next step. But I think it'd be a lot more work to get off the ground (getting a license, hiring employees) so I'd rather start out small for now.

I thought of this idea because I was lamenting that there aren't better daycares in our neighborhood. I think there would definitely be a need.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here -

That's definitely the plan (to be as frugal as possible).

I came up with the nanny idea because, if I can host at my house, it would be a fairly easy transition to have another baby around. I'm already going to be home all day, doing baby-geared things. A second baby would be more work than one, but it would also make the day more challenging (in a good way) and more fun. I LOVE babies. It seems like a great way to bring in cash doing exactly what I would already be doing all day. Maybe it's because DS is my second child, or because I'm used to being a WM, but I don't view sharing my time with two babies as a detriment to my son. It's a playpal for him! The only big downside is not having that extra time with DD, but she loves her school and she's starting to get into after school activities naturally. She also stays up later so I could still have quality time with her in the evenings.

So would you consider getting a license? Depending on where you live, you might need to, anyways.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here -

That's definitely the plan (to be as frugal as possible).

I came up with the nanny idea because, if I can host at my house, it would be a fairly easy transition to have another baby around. I'm already going to be home all day, doing baby-geared things. A second baby would be more work than one, but it would also make the day more challenging (in a good way) and more fun. I LOVE babies. It seems like a great way to bring in cash doing exactly what I would already be doing all day. Maybe it's because DS is my second child, or because I'm used to being a WM, but I don't view sharing my time with two babies as a detriment to my son. It's a playpal for him! The only big downside is not having that extra time with DD, but she loves her school and she's starting to get into after school activities naturally. She also stays up later so I could still have quality time with her in the evenings.

So would you consider getting a license? Depending on where you live, you might need to, anyways.

If it became a bigger thing where I watch multiple kids (besides my own), yes. I would think (hope) I don't need a license to watch a single child. Definitely something I need to confirm (as well as general liability/insurance issues).