They asked about different rates for one verses 2 children

[Anonymous]

I have done only a phone interview with a family that I thought would be a good fit. They have a 10 month old and a 5 year old. They asked would I accept a different rate when it’s only the 10 month old with me verses when I have both children with me. I have never been asked this before. Is this something families commonly ask about and I just haven’t been asked until now?

[Anonymous]

Yes, everything is negotiable. Feel free to say “no.”

[Anonymous]

I'd want more information. Are they asking about in the Fall, if school is back to normal? Or is it a situation where they'll be working from home and trying to nickle and dime you?

[Anonymous]

Way too much nickel and dime-ing, OP. It’s one hourly rate regardless of which child is where when. Plus, if you do cooking, clean up and laundry for the children, it’s for two.

[Anonymous]

Pass, OP. They are first time nanny-employers and will be nothing but a headache. Absolutely no rate change.

[Anonymous]

I also never do this. It's important to me to have consistent income. I'm spending the same amount of time regardless of which child/children the family decides will need care that day. If you accept this and later the family decides to enroll one child in after school/before school activities, you won't have control over your schedule. Some parents think that one child means less work than two, but that also is not always the case.

[Anonymous]

I have only seen this in a nanny share - so what is the rate when it is just one child / family compared to both or if one needs extra time. I have also seen it when there a plan for very limited contact with one kid. So rate is 18/hour to care for the baby. The older child is in school and does sports at school. He will only ever be home on teacher work days / sick. On those days, they will pay 20/ hour. So they are budgeting for only one kid in care and then paying a premium when two kids are there, rather than paying for two kids all the time but only having one home.

If you like the family and think they meet other needs you have (commute, time off, health plan), dig deeper into the hours they plan to have one v. Two kids. If they have very structured plan, it might work. If it is loose - some days will be one some both, that would make me nervous.

[Anonymous]

My response is that I try to always put forth my whole effort regardless of the number of kids. So if there are two, my effort and energy go towards juggling the needs of both while trying to maintain a basic standard of cleanliness in the house during my shift and create appropriate learning opportunities for each. If there is just one, I work just as hard but apply myself in different ways (such as making sure kids’ laundry is fully done during my shift vs. just being able to keep things moving along, making all the kids’ food and maybe family dinner a few nights a week vs. having to use more prepared foods, having more in-depth activities and opportunities for the child at home that I would otherwise be capable of, etc.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My response is that I try to always put forth my whole effort regardless of the number of kids. So if there are two, my effort and energy go towards juggling the needs of both while trying to maintain a basic standard of cleanliness in the house during my shift and create appropriate learning opportunities for each. If there is just one, I work just as hard but apply myself in different ways (such as making sure kids’ laundry is fully done during my shift vs. just being able to keep things moving along, making all the kids’ food and maybe family dinner a few nights a week vs. having to use more prepared foods, having more in-depth activities and opportunities for the child at home that I would otherwise be capable of, etc.)

I feel exactly the same way. I’m at 100% regardless of one or two (or more) children. I know this is controversial but I didn’t want a raise when my employers had a new baby. I’ve always gotten significant yearly raises and extremely generous bonuses.

[Anonymous]

This is OP. Thank you for the responses. Right now with it being summer time I would have both kids so the rate would be for both. In the fall with the potential of school maybe being in the classroom and not at home then I would have one child all day and the other one just for a couple hours after school. The parents were asking would I charge less for one child if the other was in school most of the day. I have never had any parents ask me this before.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is OP. Thank you for the responses. Right now with it being summer time I would have both kids so the rate would be for both. In the fall with the potential of school maybe being in the classroom and not at home then I would have one child all day and the other one just for a couple hours after school. The parents were asking would I charge less for one child if the other was in school most of the day. I have never had any parents ask me this before.

Think about it this way you have one child for full-time care and doing after care for a second child. So you could set a separate rate for the older child when they are in your care like school aftercare might do. But you are also just one person taking care of infant and may not have activities, homework help et. for after care so you arrive at a rate that you think is fair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is OP. Thank you for the responses. Right now with it being summer time I would have both kids so the rate would be for both. In the fall with the potential of school maybe being in the classroom and not at home then I would have one child all day and the other one just for a couple hours after school. The parents were asking would I charge less for one child if the other was in school most of the day. I have never had any parents ask me this before.

Your answer is no. No you do not charge less for one child.

[Anonymous]

Our nanny requested a different rate for two kids. This was a couple years ago. She was looking after the baby at home full time but asked for a higher rate if the preschooler was home for any reason: school closure, kid home for mild sniffles etc. We went along with it and the oldest was home only a handful of times. And no I couldn't afford the 2kid rate with her full time with overtime long term.

[Anonymous]

NP here.

My company does not pay differently for slow days versus hectic days.

OP: No way. You need and want a consistent income. This is probably not the family for you. They really cannot afford a nanny.

[Anonymous]

Nope. Its still a 2 kid job. Even if the 5yo is gone, they still leave messes behind, have laundry, need a packed lunch, are included in dinner prep. Not to mention sick days, no school days, holiday breaks and summer. It's way too much nickle and diming.