What would you offer for second child?

[Anonymous]

We are in NW DC and have a wonderful nanny though she has no special qualifications / education etc. When she started with us 1.5 years ago we offered her $22 for our one child, matching what she had been making with a family for their 2 children. We pay 1.5x for overtime and guarantee 50 hours a week though she generally works 45. At her one year mark we increased her pay to $23/hr.

We are now expecting our second child and I was wondering what you'd offer in terms of a raise when she takes over care for that child in about 6 months. Her 2 year anniversary won't be long after that, would you still increase by another $1 then?

I'm conflicted, a second child is obviously more work but if her pay goes from the lower 20s to upper 20s I'm not sure she'd be the optimal choice versus someone that has specific childhood development education and home-based activity planning skills which I understand generally comes at an upper $20s rate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are in NW DC and have a wonderful nanny though she has no special qualifications / education etc. When she started with us 1.5 years ago we offered her $22 for our one child, matching what she had been making with a family for their 2 children. We pay 1.5x for overtime and guarantee 50 hours a week though she generally works 45. At her one year mark we increased her pay to $23/hr.

We are now expecting our second child and I was wondering what you'd offer in terms of a raise when she takes over care for that child in about 6 months. Her 2 year anniversary won't be long after that, would you still increase by another $1 then?

I'm conflicted, a second child is obviously more work but if her pay goes from the lower 20s to upper 20s I'm not sure she'd be the optimal choice versus someone that has specific childhood development education and home-based activity planning skills which I understand generally comes at an upper $20s rate.

OP here - we also provide 4 weeks paid vacation (one week of her choosing) and end up giving her off more than that due to family visiting and other events. Just additional factor for consideration of her overall package

[Anonymous]

Offer her $27. Stability is priceless, especially as you add a new baby to your family. Would she stay for $27? Ask her.

[Anonymous]

You’re already on the high end.
Contribute towards health insurance? Additional time off? Although you’re on the high end for that too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Offer her $27. Stability is priceless, especially as you add a new baby to your family. Would she stay for $27? Ask her.

I honestly think she'd stay for no increase but I want to be fair. $4 increase seems very high though (and translates to $6/hr increase for the 10 overtime hours). The older kid will be in preschool 3 hours in the morning so she won't have 2 all day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You’re already on the high end.
Contribute towards health insurance? Additional time off? Although you’re on the high end for that too.

+1

Or I would pay $25 for 2 kids and keep benefits as is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You’re already on the high end.
Contribute towards health insurance? Additional time off? Although you’re on the high end for that too.

+1

Or I would pay $25 for 2 kids and keep benefits as is.

I am a career nanny, and while my schooling was not in child development, I am an excellent nanny and much better than some who do have degrees in child development, just an FYI in terms of pricing. I would say that offering her a $2-3 increase inclusive of both the new baby and the annual raise is sufficient. Additionally, you will not need to offer a $1 increase annually of that is not in your budget. It is expected after the first year (at minimum) but it annually for a long term position.

[Anonymous]

For additional new baby care, I would expect a $5/hr increase.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You’re already on the high end.
Contribute towards health insurance? Additional time off? Although you’re on the high end for that too.

+1

Or I would pay $25 for 2 kids and keep benefits as is.

I am a career nanny, and while my schooling was not in child development, I am an excellent nanny and much better than some who do have degrees in child development, just an FYI in terms of pricing. I would say that offering her a $2-3 increase inclusive of both the new baby and the annual raise is sufficient. Additionally, you will not need to offer a $1 increase annually of that is not in your budget. It is expected after the first year (at minimum) but it annually for a long term position.

+1. You are going to be overpaying this woman very soon, which, if you can afford it and you're happy with her, will probably make her a very happy nanny. But, you are correct, for $27/hr to start + OT and the benefits you list, you could ask for pretty much any kind of qualifications you want.

[Anonymous]

OP, you are already paying an extremely high rate and paying for extra hours you rarely use (which of course is fine, and fair in your situation, but an extra perk for her). And you have excellent benefits. At most, I would give her a small raise at either the 2 year anniversary or the birth of child #2--$1/hour maybe. How old is your older child and will he/she be going to preschool soon? That is something else to consider as the nanny's duties may increase but then drop. I would also try to think long term, as you may hit your ceiling of pay while she will continue to expect raises despite a very high starting wage. We have overpaid nannies in the past and found that it does not improve performance, quite the opposite.

[Anonymous]

We pay our nanny $27 an hour for one child plus her healthcare insurance and got her a leased car for one child. I really don’t understand when people think that $25 is on the high end for two kids! Preschool is nothing - generally more of a hassle than a help with drop offs and pick ups.

I would definitely offer your nanny and additional $3 an hour since she will not have any downtime when working. And all the additional laundry. And the responsibility.

[Anonymous]

I'd offer $25-26 plus maybe health contributions. You are already above market at $23 for one, which makes it tough. At the end of the day, though, she will be deciding on your offer versus what else is out there--and there aren't a huge number of jobs paying that much for two kids without early childhood education qualifications or other specific skills.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd offer $25-26 plus maybe health contributions. You are already above market at $23 for one, which makes it tough. At the end of the day, though, she will be deciding on your offer versus what else is out there--and there aren't a huge number of jobs paying that much for two kids without early childhood education qualifications or other specific skills.

Op is most definitely not already paying "above market". So far, no one has any real evidence what market value is in OP's geographical area. You need to see actual pay stubs or taxes, not random nannies or parents making unsubstantiated claims.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd offer $25-26 plus maybe health contributions. You are already above market at $23 for one, which makes it tough. At the end of the day, though, she will be deciding on your offer versus what else is out there--and there aren't a huge number of jobs paying that much for two kids without early childhood education qualifications or other specific skills.

Op is most definitely not already paying "above market". So far, no one has any real evidence what market value is in OP's geographical area. You need to see actual pay stubs or taxes, not random nannies or parents making unsubstantiated claims.

Huh? OP said in the first post that she lives in NW DC. $23 plus the benefits offered for one toddler is above what the vast majority of nannies in NW are making in that situation, which why it is "above market." You don't need pay stubs for that--you just need to post the job and look at the applicant pool. I guarantee you that you would have your pick of many highly qualified nannies at that rate, at least in DC. YMMV if you live elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd offer $25-26 plus maybe health contributions. You are already above market at $23 for one, which makes it tough. At the end of the day, though, she will be deciding on your offer versus what else is out there--and there aren't a huge number of jobs paying that much for two kids without early childhood education qualifications or other specific skills.

Op is most definitely not already paying "above market". So far, no one has any real evidence what market value is in OP's geographical area. You need to see actual pay stubs or taxes, not random nannies or parents making unsubstantiated claims.

Huh? OP said in the first post that she lives in NW DC. $23 plus the benefits offered for one toddler is above what the vast majority of nannies in NW are making in that situation, which why it is "above market." You don't need pay stubs for that--you just need to post the job and look at the applicant pool. I guarantee you that you would have your pick of many highly qualified nannies at that rate, at least in DC. YMMV if you live elsewhere.

Do you visit the NW parks and libraries? I doubt it. The majority of what I see are NOT "highly qualified nannies". Check yourself.