[Seeking Guidance] Rate for Care of 3 Children, 1 of Which is in School

[Anonymous]

A bit of necessary background information:

My wife and I have emplyed our current nanny for ~3.5 years. She started at the beginning of 2019, caring for our 1st child. Her initial hourly rate was $20/hour.

In mid-2020, my wife and I had our 2nd child, and our nanny requested $25/hour for the care of two children. We consented to this rate and gave her a raise one year later (mid-2021) to $26/hour. This is her current rate.

Our 1st child, began preschool (3days/week) in September 2021 and will start a kindergarten program (5days/week) in September of this year. Our 2nd child will start a 3day/week preschool program in September 2023.

My wife and I are expecting our 3rd child in November of this year. Due to maternity leave, our nanny would not be expected to care for her until ~April 2023.

We have an annual review in October of every year in which raises are assessed.

Given the information above, my wife and I are trying to determine a reasonable rate that we can offer to our nanny during our next annual assessment in October. She will have to care for the same amount of children (two) from October 2022 - April 2023, albeit with my 1st child attending school everyday. Thus, the majority of her time would be spent caring for a single child until my wife heads back to work. My initial thought was to offer $27.50/hr at the next annual review. Does this seem reasonable and in line with childcare for similarly-situated families? I'm afraid she's going to request $30+/hr, which may be a bridge too far!

[Anonymous]

First, please know that one child in school doesn’t make the nanny job easier if nanny has to do drop-off and/or pick up. And the school child still has laundry and dishes to be washed as well as toys to be picked up.

Second, your school aged son will have countless sick days and school holidays where he’ll be home with nanny.

Third, current inflation is killing hourly workers.

Minimum $30 an hour. Sorry, OP.

[Anonymous]

Have an open conversation with her about it. The truth is that she’ll be a nanny to 3 kids in a year and even when your wife is on maternity leave, the nanny will still be washing baby clothes, bottles, pump parts, etc as well as tending the baby when your wife engages your older kids.

And, as stated, having an older child in school is often harder than the kid being home.

So I would sit down and talk to your nanny. Give her your position and salary ceiling. But my guess would be $30 an hour including the new baby. $30 for 3 kids is fair to low in this market.

[Anonymous]

OP here.

If $30/hr seems to be the target rate for nannying 3 children, but the baby won't need care until April-May 2023 (my wife and I will genuinely be responsible for 99% of the baby's care prior to this date), does a $27.50/hr offer during this year's October assessment sound reasonable with a verbal commitment to bump it up at the next year's assessment?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A bit of necessary background information:

My wife and I have emplyed our current nanny for ~3.5 years. She started at the beginning of 2019, caring for our 1st child. Her initial hourly rate was $20/hour.

In mid-2020, my wife and I had our 2nd child, and our nanny requested $25/hour for the care of two children. We consented to this rate and gave her a raise one year later (mid-2021) to $26/hour. This is her current rate.

Our 1st child, began preschool (3days/week) in September 2021 and will start a kindergarten program (5days/week) in September of this year. Our 2nd child will start a 3day/week preschool program in September 2023.

My wife and I are expecting our 3rd child in November of this year. Due to maternity leave, our nanny would not be expected to care for her until ~April 2023.

We have an annual review in October of every year in which raises are assessed.

Given the information above, my wife and I are trying to determine a reasonable rate that we can offer to our nanny during our next annual assessment in October. She will have to care for the same amount of children (two) from October 2022 - April 2023, albeit with my 1st child attending school everyday. Thus, the majority of her time would be spent caring for a single child until my wife heads back to work. My initial thought was to offer $27.50/hr at the next annual review. Does this seem reasonable and in line with childcare for similarly-situated families? I'm afraid she's going to request $30+/hr, which may be a bridge too far!

Does she have to do anything for the child in school? If the answer is yes, then she is taking care of three children. If she just asks for $30/hr, jump at it because $35/40 is what she should be making. Give up Starbucks and beer so you can pay her. If you have a nanny that you like and your children love her, you find the money. $27.50 is an Insult. She will start looking for a new job and it's a nanny market. Smart people do not cheap out for childcare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here.

If $30/hr seems to be the target rate for nannying 3 children, but the baby won't need care until April-May 2023 (my wife and I will genuinely be responsible for 99% of the baby's care prior to this date), does a $27.50/hr offer during this year's October assessment sound reasonable with a verbal commitment to bump it up at the next year's assessment?

Bull! No, you won't. Are you going to completely ignore your other children? If you plan to pay attention to them then she will be helping with the the new baby plus she has to put up you and your wife making her job far more difficult. Your wife will undoubtedly ask her to do all sorts of little things for new baby. You sound very cheap. Put your kids in daycare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here.

If $30/hr seems to be the target rate for nannying 3 children, but the baby won't need care until April-May 2023 (my wife and I will genuinely be responsible for 99% of the baby's care prior to this date), does a $27.50/hr offer during this year's October assessment sound reasonable with a verbal commitment to bump it up at the next year's assessment?

Do that and see how fast she is gone.

[Anonymous]

Would your wife be willing to stay home and raise her own children for 27.50 an hour? Why not discuss it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here.

If $30/hr seems to be the target rate for nannying 3 children, but the baby won't need care until April-May 2023 (my wife and I will genuinely be responsible for 99% of the baby's care prior to this date), does a $27.50/hr offer during this year's October assessment sound reasonable with a verbal commitment to bump it up at the next year's assessment?

Do that and see how fast she is gone.

I doubt it. She's being offered a raise for watching the same amount of children she is currently, two. If she feels that doesn't meet her expectations, she's free to negotiate upwards.

As I mentioned, there would be an adjustment when the third baby is under her care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Would your wife be willing to stay home and raise her own children for 27.50 an hour? Why not discuss it?

No, she earns far more than that in her current job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here.

If $30/hr seems to be the target rate for nannying 3 children, but the baby won't need care until April-May 2023 (my wife and I will genuinely be responsible for 99% of the baby's care prior to this date), does a $27.50/hr offer during this year's October assessment sound reasonable with a verbal commitment to bump it up at the next year's assessment?

Ask your nanny. But also tell your wife that the baby is 100% her responsibility.

[Anonymous]

It’s always interesting when parents say you’ll never take care of the new baby because I’m on maternity leave ….. That is never the case especially after the father goes back to work ….. I’ve been a nanny for 15 years and I have yet to meet a mom who solely takes care of the newborn some moms still spend time with their older children so I’m in the house with the newborn or drs appointments, hair appointments, starting work out classes again … so many different scenarios on why all of a sudden you end up needing help so my families always end up paying me for every single child not 2 kids one day , then 3 kids the next that is stressful and makes absolutely no sense and if you do that trust your nanny will start resenting you because if that’s the case don’t ask me to wash a newborn bottle, pass you a bottle, make a bottle, get a diaper or anything of that nature….. just my opinion

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s always interesting when parents say you’ll never take care of the new baby because I’m on maternity leave ….. That is never the case especially after the father goes back to work ….. I’ve been a nanny for 15 years and I have yet to meet a mom who solely takes care of the newborn some moms still spend time with their older children so I’m in the house with the newborn or drs appointments, hair appointments, starting work out classes again … so many different scenarios on why all of a sudden you end up needing help so my families always end up paying me for every single child not 2 kids one day , then 3 kids the next that is stressful and makes absolutely no sense and if you do that trust your nanny will start resenting you because if that’s the case don’t ask me to wash a newborn bottle, pass you a bottle, make a bottle, get a diaper or anything of that nature….. just my opinion

It’s never happened (mother in maternity leave who solely care for newborn) either. When the mother has her post-natal doctor’s visit, do they hire another sitter for the newborn? Do they get another babysitter when the mom wants to run out and grab a coffee or get a haircut? Does the nanny just ignore the baby and never bond?

It just doesn’t work the way OP thinks it does.

So to OP: go to $30 when the baby is born.

[Anonymous]

MINIMUM of $30hr when baby is born unless nanny will truly NEVER wash a bottle or pump part, do baby's laundry. No caring for baby while mom showers or runs out or naps.

[Anonymous]

OP, for context (and I am genuinely saying this kindly), the market is BOOMING right now. If your nanny left, she could likely quickly secure a job for $30hr for one baby.