Wages for non English speaking nannies

[Anonymous]

OP, I feel your pain. It's difficult to find good childcare. I too was born and raised in Russia, so we are committed to raising our son bilingual and providing childcare that supports this choice.

Your dilemma boils down to this: your nanny is a very nice person and she fits SOME but not ALL of your childcare needs. In addition, you are paying an above-market rate for a below-market service.

Some nannies come with a shelf life for their services. When my son was an infant, he had an excellent nanny who was kind, affectionate and skilled in infant care. That was all good until he reached about 14 months, and at that point he needed more than that particular nanny was able to provide. So we switched. Such is life. You are now at a point where your older child will have needs that this particular nanny cannot meet.

Here is what I would contemplate in your situation. If protecting heritage language is important for you (as it is for me), I would put my older child in a Russian-language full-day preschool, which are plentiful in MD, much more plentiful vs. VA, where we live (we just lucked into ours). You obviously care enough about your nanny, so consider keeping her as an infant nanny for your soon-to-be born second child. From what you explained, it seems she will be able to cover the baby's needs and babies don't need to be driven or fixed up with playdates. Have her do household duties and cooking for both children, basically fill up her day with things for which she does not need to speak English.

Now the tardiness part is important and here she must shape up to work with you. Explain to her that even though it's inconvenient, you love her and would like to keep her, but the condition of this is that she MUST be on time. Give her the bus schedule, anything, but make her understand that timeliness is important.

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Good for you. But I am not talking about college kids here, who are typically thrilled to get out of their parents house, and even share a bedroom with a few girls. I'm talking about adults here.

What might her $15/hr monthly budget look like?

You are being ridiculous. For your reference, entry-level salaries for employees of international non-profit organization are around $40K, and they are expected to have MA degrees and some international experience. Lots of office support staff lives on $40K a year. It's not a rich life but there's plenty of people who make that and somehow don't go to bankruptcy.

There is no entitlement to living alone. If you can't afford your own place, you move into a cheaper area or get roommates. What makes you think this choice is somehow unique to nannies?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
One must acknowledge the obvious correlation of most (not all) MBs on this forum who say they pay about $15./hr. vs. the majority of MBs who have endless complaints and problems with their bargain nannies. It has also been pointed out that presumably the MBs who can afford to pay $25./hr. have little spare time to be on this forum. They are most likely earning those $$$. They are the happier MBs with not much to bitch about. Hence, they get the superior service they pay for.

Your problem is that you confuse two populations:

a. MBs who pay $15/hr, and
b. MBs who complain.

You have no evidence that one pool overlaps with the other, much less copies it. It's OK, they don't teach stats until grad school. One day.

Also, the "it has been pointed out" has been pointed out by you. Even in academic circle, you can cite yourself for a limited number of times before you begin to look silly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
One must acknowledge the obvious correlation of most (not all) MBs on this forum who say they pay about $15./hr. vs. the majority of MBs who have endless complaints and problems with their bargain nannies. It has also been pointed out that presumably the MBs who can afford to pay $25./hr. have little spare time to be on this forum. They are most likely earning those $$$. They are the happier MBs with not much to bitch about. Hence, they get the superior service they pay for.

Your problem is that you confuse two populations:

a. MBs who pay $15/hr, and
b. MBs who complain.

You have no evidence that one pool overlaps with the other, much less copies it. It's OK, they don't teach stats until grad school. One day.

Also, the "it has been pointed out" has been pointed out by you. Even in academic circle, you can cite yourself for a limited number of times before you begin to look silly.

Your problem is that you can't even imagine living on $15/hr, much less offer a plausible snapshot of a monthly budget.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Also, the "it has been pointed out" has been pointed out by you. Even in academic circle, you can cite yourself for a limited number of times before you begin to look silly.

Your problem is that you can't even imagine living on $15/hr, much less offer a plausible snapshot of a monthly budget. f
YOUR problem is that you make assumptions about me based on nothing but your own ignorance. But I'll break it down for you.

My first job out of grad school, I made $32K. I was 28 at the time.

A year later, got a raise to $36K.

Another year later, another raise to $40K.

Then two years on a part-time job of $18/month and evening hostessing.

Then two years in an international development firm at $42K for two years.

So I know all there is to know about making do on $40K a year. I don't need to imagine it. And I was single.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Good for you. But I am not talking about college kids here, who are typically thrilled to get out of their parents house, and even share a bedroom with a few girls. I'm talking about adults here.

What might her $15/hr monthly budget look like?

You are being ridiculous. For your reference, entry-level salaries for employees of international non-profit organization are around $40K, and they are expected to have MA degrees and some international experience. Lots of office support staff lives on $40K a year. It's not a rich life but there's plenty of people who make that and somehow don't go to bankruptcy.

There is no entitlement to living alone. If you can't afford your own place, you move into a cheaper area or get roommates. What makes you think this choice is somehow unique to nannies?

Exactly. How many 30 or 40 yr olds do you know sharing her bedroom? Please.
No sample budget?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Good for you. But I am not talking about college kids here, who are typically thrilled to get out of their parents house, and even share a bedroom with a few girls. I'm talking about adults here.

What might her $15/hr monthly budget look like?

You are being ridiculous. For your reference, entry-level salaries for employees of international non-profit organization are around $40K, and they are expected to have MA degrees and some international experience. Lots of office support staff lives on $40K a year. It's not a rich life but there's plenty of people who make that and somehow don't go to bankruptcy.

There is no entitlement to living alone. If you can't afford your own place, you move into a cheaper area or get roommates. What makes you think this choice is somehow unique to nannies?

Exactly. How many 30 or 40 yr olds do you know sharing her bedroom? Please.
No sample budget?

Plenty of 30 and 40-year olds share bedrooms, with their husbands, thus saving on housing and utilities.

And I never shared a bedroom with anyone.

I don't have any inclination to do a budget for you. I know that it's possible. I've done it for years, and lots of entry-level staffers with graduate degrees are doing this, in DC, right this moment.

[Anonymous]

14:19, no one is interested in doing your budget for you. Grown ups do their own budgets.

We all had to learn to budget when we made $40k/ year. We believe you can do it, too! Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:14:19, no one is interested in doing your budget for you. Grown ups do their own budgets.

We all had to learn to budget when we made $40k/ year. We believe you can do it, too! Good luck!

No one asked anyone to do their budget for them. You are not reading clearly. I did ask what might a 15/hr monthly budget look like, as I marvel at the ability to support one's self on that in the DC area. For instance, is it enough not to have to share your bedroom?

Funny how one poster said she shares her bedroom with her husband to save money. I hope that's not the only reason she married him!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:14:19, no one is interested in doing your budget for you. Grown ups do their own budgets.

We all had to learn to budget when we made $40k/ year. We believe you can do it, too! Good luck!

No one asked anyone to do their budget for them. You are not reading clearly. I did ask what might a 15/hr monthly budget look like, as I marvel at the ability to support one's self on that in the DC area. For instance, is it enough not to have to share your bedroom?

Funny how one poster said she shares her bedroom with her husband to save money. I hope that's not the only reason she married him!

Now you're the one who isn't reading clearly. You asked about 30- and 40 year old sharing a bedroom to save money (I should note that sharing bedrooms is not acceptable for roommates in this culture - might you be confusing this with sharing apartments?). I told you that plenty of 30- and 40-year olds share bedrooms with their boyfriends and husbands, which definitely saves money.

Several people told you that $40K annually, while not lush, is a typical salary paid to entry-level employees. Lots of people live on that. You could, too, if you wanted to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:14:19, no one is interested in doing your budget for you. Grown ups do their own budgets.

We all had to learn to budget when we made $40k/ year. We believe you can do it, too! Good luck!

No one asked anyone to do their budget for them. You are not reading clearly. I did ask what might a 15/hr monthly budget look like, as I marvel at the ability to support one's self on that in the DC area. For instance, is it enough not to have to share your bedroom?

Funny how one poster said she shares her bedroom with her husband to save money. I hope that's not the only reason she married him!

Now you're the one who isn't reading clearly. You asked about 30- and 40 year old sharing a bedroom to save money (I should note that sharing bedrooms is not acceptable for roommates in this culture - might you be confusing this with sharing apartments?). I told you that plenty of 30- and 40-year olds share bedrooms with their boyfriends and husbands, which definitely saves money.

Several people told you that $40K annually, while not lush, is a typical salary paid to entry-level employees. Lots of people live on that. You could, too, if you wanted to.

What exactly you do think I am not reading clearly?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Also, the "it has been pointed out" has been pointed out by you. Even in academic circle, you can cite yourself for a limited number of times before you begin to look silly.

Your problem is that you can't even imagine living on $15/hr, much less offer a plausible snapshot of a monthly budget.

f
YOUR problem is that you make assumptions about me based on nothing but your own ignorance. But I'll break it down for you.

My first job out of grad school, I made $32K. I was 28 at the time.

A year later, got a raise to $36K.

Another year later, another raise to $40K.

Then two years on a part-time job of $18/month and evening hostessing.

Then two years in an international development firm at $42K for two years.

So I know all there is to know about making do on $40K a year. I don't need to imagine it. And I was single. Yeah, but that was in 1952.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Also, the "it has been pointed out" has been pointed out by you. Even in academic circle, you can cite yourself for a limited number of times before you begin to look silly.

Your problem is that you can't even imagine living on $15/hr, much less offer a plausible snapshot of a monthly budget.

f
YOUR problem is that you make assumptions about me based on nothing but your own ignorance. But I'll break it down for you.

My first job out of grad school, I made $32K. I was 28 at the time.

A year later, got a raise to $36K.

Another year later, another raise to $40K.

Then two years on a part-time job of $18/month and evening hostessing.

Then two years in an international development firm at $42K for two years.

So I know all there is to know about making do on $40K a year. I don't need to imagine it. And I was single.

Yeah, but that was in 1952.
No, 2001 as a starting point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:14:19, no one is interested in doing your budget for you. Grown ups do their own budgets.

We all had to learn to budget when we made $40k/ year. We believe you can do it, too! Good luck!

No one asked anyone to do their budget for them. You are not reading clearly. I did ask what might a 15/hr monthly budget look like, as I marvel at the ability to support one's self on that in the DC area. For instance, is it enough not to have to share your bedroom?

Funny how one poster said she shares her bedroom with her husband to save money. I hope that's not the only reason she married him!

Now you're the one who isn't reading clearly. You asked about 30- and 40 year old sharing a bedroom to save money (I should note that sharing bedrooms is not acceptable for roommates in this culture - might you be confusing this with sharing apartments?). I told you that plenty of 30- and 40-year olds share bedrooms with their boyfriends and husbands, which definitely saves money.

Several people told you that $40K annually, while not lush, is a typical salary paid to entry-level employees. Lots of people live on that. You could, too, if you wanted to.

What exactly you do think I am not reading clearly?

That the purpose of sharing bedrooms with husbands is to save money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:14:19, no one is interested in doing your budget for you. Grown ups do their own budgets.

We all had to learn to budget when we made $40k/ year. We believe you can do it, too! Good luck!

No one asked anyone to do their budget for them. You are not reading clearly. I did ask what might a 15/hr monthly budget look like, as I marvel at the ability to support one's self on that in the DC area. For instance, is it enough not to have to share your bedroom?

Funny how one poster said she shares her bedroom with her husband to save money. I hope that's not the only reason she married him!

Now you're the one who isn't reading clearly. You asked about 30- and 40 year old sharing a bedroom to save money (I should note that sharing bedrooms is not acceptable for roommates in this culture - might you be confusing this with sharing apartments?). I told you that plenty of 30- and 40-year olds share bedrooms with their boyfriends and husbands, which definitely saves money.

Several people told you that $40K annually, while not lush, is a typical salary paid to entry-level employees. Lots of people live on that. You could, too, if you wanted to.

What exactly you do think I am not reading clearly?

That the purpose of sharing bedrooms with husbands is to save money.

Don't know which post you're referring to, but I did say I hoped that wasn't the only reason that poster married him. It seems like you just want to make a fuss about nothing. Find yourself something better.