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Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Hello - My wife and I are expecting our first child next year. We live in AU park and both work full time. We're trying to figure out childcare and I'm wondering - how much does hiring a nanny cost? I don't really have any idea...
First call all the daycares in your neighborhood or near your offices. Take their prices down, that is your ballpark.
Then decide how much more you would pay a nanny than that. We started ours at $15/ hour for year 1, one child, 45 hours a week.
No, a nanny is the most expensive type of childcare, unless you have more than 3 kids.
A daycare near me charges $350/week for an infant, $300/week for a toddler, and $250/week for a preschooler - so at $900/week, you are close to nanny wages ($16.36/hour and $24.54/hour OT) for a 50 hour week caring for 3 kids.
You cannot, however, expect to find decent nanny care for an infant for $350/week. $6.36/hour gets you nowhere.
OP, if you ask nanny to use her car to transport your kids, you need to do the following:
-Pay IRS rate mileage reimbursement for every mile driven.
-Toss in a full detailing every 6 - 12 months.
-Allow nanny to set the rules for her car.
---If nanny only allows water for kids in her car, the kids will not starve. They can eat when they get to their destination, or before they leave home.
---If nanny has behavior rules, allow her to enforce them.
---If nanny wishes to RF longer then you do, let that happen as long as the car seats can be safely used RF.
-Pay IRS rate mileage reimbursement for every mile driven.
-Toss in a full detailing every 6 - 12 months.
-Allow nanny to set the rules for her car.
---If nanny only allows water for kids in her car, the kids will not starve. They can eat when they get to their destination, or before they leave home.
---If nanny has behavior rules, allow her to enforce them.
---If nanny wishes to RF longer then you do, let that happen as long as the car seats can be safely used RF.
Anonymous wrote:We have had a nanny for two weeks and I am questioning her competence. I have asked her to help with get my 10 week old. We want her on a schedule, for her to drop the night feeds, wake up an hour later, and nap longer. My nanny has been helping with naps but refuses to get the baby on a strict routine. She also told us she can't help break the night feeds or early wake up because she isn't here, but did give suggestions that aren't helpful. I'm very annoyed and don't know how to handle this.
OP, You need to address several things to ensure you can make your baby accept the schedule you prefer her to be on.
First, take her to the Pediatrician and ask if she is healthy enough/weighs enough to be sleep trained. If the answer is yes, then your next step is to determine how much formula/breat milk she needs during a 24 hour period (midnight to midnight). The general formula is 2 - 2.5 oz per pound of body weight, but follow the info your Dr. gives you.
Then, if you want to help baby learn to STTN, you work on dropping night feeds first, then on pushing back her morning wake time. You also need black out curtains and a sound machine.
The first thing you need to do is be willing to accept some crying. Babies cry to communicate, and if you are choosing to postpone meeting baby's needs in order to change her schedule, there will be crying. Some babies cry so hard they vomit. Choose when you expect your baby to wake up in the morning - let's say 7 am as an example.
Night feeds. Look at when baby wakes up to eat for about 1 week. You might see a pattern like feeding around midnight then again at 3:30. Push midnight feed back by 1/2 hour every 3 days or so. Patient people often wait a week before making another change. In addition, push the early am feed back by 30 minute as well. Do this gradual shift until baby is waking only for one feed in the early AM.
Later wake up time. Push back the early am feed until baby is being given her bottle within 30 minutes after her acceptable wake time.
Nighttime schedule:
Baby in bed at 7pm after 6:30 feed. Wakes to feed at midnight and left to cry until 12:30 before feeding. Wakes to feed at 3:30 and left to cry until 4 before feeding - continue for a week.
Week 2, feed at 1 am and 4:30 am, regardless of when baby wakes and is hungry. If baby is left to cry from hunger for more than an hour, you will likely be cleaning up her vomit.
Week 3, feed at 1:30 and 5
Week 4, feed at 2 and 5:30
Week 5, feed at 2:30 and 6 - back in bed after 6am feed until 7, then feed at 7:30
Week 6, feed at 3 and 6:30 - back in bed until 7:30, skip that feed and feed by 9:30, then 1, then 4.
Week 7, feed at 3:30 and then get baby to start the day at 7, feed at 7:30, 10:30, 1:30, 4, and 6:30
Week 8, feed at 4
Week 9, feed at 4:30
Week 10, feed at 5
Week 11, feed at 5:30
Week 12, feed at 6
Week 13, feed at 6:30
Week 14, feed at 7:30
And that's how you make sure your baby does what you want and allows you to get the sleep you need. Of course, if you choose to hurry the solution, change times every 3 days and it will take just 6 weeks to make baby realize that she will not be responded to when she cries from hunger until YOU, the parent, choose to allow her to eat.
The other solutions are to hire a night nanny or NCS and let them do the night feeds, or to do some reading and realize that your baby is not a tiny doll who only has needs when you want to play with her. Parenting sucks on occasion, and newborn care is HARD. But that phase does end, and baby will STTN. Your choice is whether to force the issue and cope with baby wailing and vomiting, or to rise to the challenge and work to gently help your baby learn good sleep habits that will last her for a lifetime.
Good luck to your baby.
P.S. A 15 week old is 50% OLDER than your baby. That's like expecting a 4 year old and a 6 year old to be on the exact same developmental track. It's not going to happen.
Anonymous wrote:nannydebsays wrote:Anonymous wrote:New nanny has nine hours of her 40 hour work week without kids (three hours three days a week). During her first week, she was proactive and rearranged some toys and straightened up a bookshelf. Before she started, we discussed that she would use the time for family meal prep, errands as needed, and helping with light housekeeping: vacuuming and dusting of main level and kids rooms (no bathrooms, no scrubbing floors - just vacuum, help dust). Like I said, week one was fine. By week two, she was using her "free" time to run her own errands and apparently accomplish little no nothing at our house - not even keeping up with kids' laundry, something that has never been a problem in the nine years we've employed nannies, despite there being at least one child home all the time. This is the first year when there are hours with no children at all.
Help me hit the reset button with this nanny, without coming down on her like a ton of bricks. If I had nine hours of kid free time during the week, holy smokes would I be organized, clean, and on top of the short list of tasks she has. I think part of the problem is that we are a mismatch on what we consider "clean". For her, chunks of bread on the floor and carrot sticks under the counter (literally) aren't a big deal. I sweep after every meal. She thinks our house is immaculate when it is apparent to even my husband - someone who will NEVER be accused of being a clean freak - that the house needed a good cleaning (we have been cleaning ourselves but I skipped the last weekend knowing we'd have someone coming on Friday).
I would appreciate any advice from BTDT parents. This is honestly the first nanny I've had that seems to have a significantly lower housekeeping standard than I do, and a much lower work ethic as well. She seems to think she is a hard worker, yet is not completing the same work that other nannies have managed just fine with kids around, never mind the tasks she's supposed to be doing during her "free" hours.
To be clear, we don't leave a disaster to be cleaned up. We've done kids laundry this weekend, our kitchen is scrubbed, our fridge is stocked. Help me politely light a fire under this woman so she figures out that part of her job is DOING HER JOB.
I think you need to meet with her ASAP and review the contract duties she agreed to perform. Make the discussion a "poop sandwich", by complimenting her on something, then discussing your expectations, then offering praise of some kind. I would ask her, during the expectations discussion, if she is someone who is internally motivated, and just needs to know what has to be done each week and each month and will manage her time wisely and get that stuff done, or if she needs more external motivation, such as a check list for the week that she can create based on her job description.
Then schedule a second meeting for 4 weeks from now and review how things have gone. If there is no appreciable improvement, put her on probation, start your search for someone new, and let her go if she doesn't shape up within 2 weeks.
Please don't recommend the "sandwich" approach. It makes any thinking person wonder if the "sandwich-speaker" thinks the listener is a complete moron to not recognize the tactic, and it dilutes the value of the praise because it seems as if it's just being given because you had to come up with some "bread".
Having re-read the OP, it's not clear how "new" this nanny is, (OP? 3 weeks? more or less?) so it might be best to just be blunt, as you apparently would do. However, I do think if SOME sort of compliment can be honestly given, even if it's just "I really appreciated how proactive you were your first week here." it might help.
"Nanny, you have been leaving before your contracted end time of X pm. We currently pay you to be available to work from Y am - X pm. Has something in your life changed that means you need to leave as soon as I get home? If so, we can change our contract and pay you only for the hours you are here and working instead of guaranteeing you are paid for Z hours 52 weeks a year. What would you prefer?"
And if she says she wants to go hourly, then you need to tell her explicitly each day whether she can leave or approximately when she will be done when you come home.
And if she says she wants to go hourly, then you need to tell her explicitly each day whether she can leave or approximately when she will be done when you come home.
Anonymous wrote:New nanny has nine hours of her 40 hour work week without kids (three hours three days a week). During her first week, she was proactive and rearranged some toys and straightened up a bookshelf. Before she started, we discussed that she would use the time for family meal prep, errands as needed, and helping with light housekeeping: vacuuming and dusting of main level and kids rooms (no bathrooms, no scrubbing floors - just vacuum, help dust). Like I said, week one was fine. By week two, she was using her "free" time to run her own errands and apparently accomplish little no nothing at our house - not even keeping up with kids' laundry, something that has never been a problem in the nine years we've employed nannies, despite there being at least one child home all the time. This is the first year when there are hours with no children at all.
Help me hit the reset button with this nanny, without coming down on her like a ton of bricks. If I had nine hours of kid free time during the week, holy smokes would I be organized, clean, and on top of the short list of tasks she has. I think part of the problem is that we are a mismatch on what we consider "clean". For her, chunks of bread on the floor and carrot sticks under the counter (literally) aren't a big deal. I sweep after every meal. She thinks our house is immaculate when it is apparent to even my husband - someone who will NEVER be accused of being a clean freak - that the house needed a good cleaning (we have been cleaning ourselves but I skipped the last weekend knowing we'd have someone coming on Friday).
I would appreciate any advice from BTDT parents. This is honestly the first nanny I've had that seems to have a significantly lower housekeeping standard than I do, and a much lower work ethic as well. She seems to think she is a hard worker, yet is not completing the same work that other nannies have managed just fine with kids around, never mind the tasks she's supposed to be doing during her "free" hours.
To be clear, we don't leave a disaster to be cleaned up. We've done kids laundry this weekend, our kitchen is scrubbed, our fridge is stocked. Help me politely light a fire under this woman so she figures out that part of her job is DOING HER JOB.
I think you need to meet with her ASAP and review the contract duties she agreed to perform. Make the discussion a "poop sandwich", by complimenting her on something, then discussing your expectations, then offering praise of some kind. I would ask her, during the expectations discussion, if she is someone who is internally motivated, and just needs to know what has to be done each week and each month and will manage her time wisely and get that stuff done, or if she needs more external motivation, such as a check list for the week that she can create based on her job description.
Then schedule a second meeting for 4 weeks from now and review how things have gone. If there is no appreciable improvement, put her on probation, start your search for someone new, and let her go if she doesn't shape up within 2 weeks.
OP, not to get way off track here, but are you taking a longer than usual maternity leave? I was counting backwards on my fingers, and if you plan to take a 12 week leave you are about 4- 6 weeks pregnant. I think it's great you are looking ahead, but 10 months out from the potential start date is a lot!
That said, if you know friends who know people looking to help their nanny find a new position, it never hurts to network through neighborhood listserves and so on. A nanny whose charges are headed to FT school who doesn't want to be the housekeeper/nanny might be interested in making a change.
As a nanny, I would be willing to meet a family up to 3 months before they would need me to start, and IF they were willing to prepare and sign a contract AND to pay a significant retainer, I might even sign on as much as 8 weeks in advance of the start date.
More than 8 weeks out though, for me, is too much time for people to change their minds on all sorts of things, including whether mom is actually going to go back to work.
Good luck with your search next summer!
That said, if you know friends who know people looking to help their nanny find a new position, it never hurts to network through neighborhood listserves and so on. A nanny whose charges are headed to FT school who doesn't want to be the housekeeper/nanny might be interested in making a change.
As a nanny, I would be willing to meet a family up to 3 months before they would need me to start, and IF they were willing to prepare and sign a contract AND to pay a significant retainer, I might even sign on as much as 8 weeks in advance of the start date.
More than 8 weeks out though, for me, is too much time for people to change their minds on all sorts of things, including whether mom is actually going to go back to work.
Good luck with your search next summer!
Well, I would say 90% of the time it's an issue with the parents - their management style, their ever increasing expectations that don't involve actual childcare, or just a "poor fit" between personalities.
Some of these issues can be prevented or fixed with excellent interviewing (finding a nanny who fills your wishes re: happy to be managed vs. preferring to be given basic direction and left to do her job).
Other problems can be fixed or avoided with astute management of your needs vs. your nanny's needs. You may need to have all of your laundry done each week - YOUR laundry, not children's laundry. Nanny may need to feel full job satisfaction by focusing on child related tasks and on providing excellent child care. In that situation, nanny will leave because she is unhappy with her job. Note that this issue usually develops over time as parents add tasks to nanny's plate.
A poor fit is harder to fix, and sometimes both parties need to accept that they would be more successful with other partners in their nanny/parent partnership.
Maybe 10% of the time it's a child related issue, such as challenging behaviors that are accepted by parents and rejected by nanny. There are also ages that tend to be more difficult - I find 4 year old girls to be...interesting creatures, and would not choose to start a job with a girl who is 4. If I have been with a child since the newborn stage, the 4 yog stage is much less insane, IMO.
Just as a note, the only job I ever left because of a child involved a 3 yo boy who was so horribly spoiled that he would literally drop his sippy cup on the ground and then yell for me to pick it up and give it back to him WHILE he stood next to said cup. His parents catered to him 100% of the time, never made him obey or do anything he didn't want to do, and as a nanny, I don't play that mess.
Some of these issues can be prevented or fixed with excellent interviewing (finding a nanny who fills your wishes re: happy to be managed vs. preferring to be given basic direction and left to do her job).
Other problems can be fixed or avoided with astute management of your needs vs. your nanny's needs. You may need to have all of your laundry done each week - YOUR laundry, not children's laundry. Nanny may need to feel full job satisfaction by focusing on child related tasks and on providing excellent child care. In that situation, nanny will leave because she is unhappy with her job. Note that this issue usually develops over time as parents add tasks to nanny's plate.
A poor fit is harder to fix, and sometimes both parties need to accept that they would be more successful with other partners in their nanny/parent partnership.
Maybe 10% of the time it's a child related issue, such as challenging behaviors that are accepted by parents and rejected by nanny. There are also ages that tend to be more difficult - I find 4 year old girls to be...interesting creatures, and would not choose to start a job with a girl who is 4. If I have been with a child since the newborn stage, the 4 yog stage is much less insane, IMO.
Just as a note, the only job I ever left because of a child involved a 3 yo boy who was so horribly spoiled that he would literally drop his sippy cup on the ground and then yell for me to pick it up and give it back to him WHILE he stood next to said cup. His parents catered to him 100% of the time, never made him obey or do anything he didn't want to do, and as a nanny, I don't play that mess.
Anonymous wrote:Newish nanny arrived an hour early twice this week. She left a couple hours early two days this week because she wanted to get to an appointment. When she got her check, she complained that she hadn't been paid more for the two early hours. Well, seeing as how I gave her about four hours of time off when requested, I thought it reasonable not to pay her above the usual 40 hrs weekly amount for the extra two hours she worked. If my math is correct, 4-2=2, so I still paid her for two hours she DID'T work. She said she would have stayed until her usual end time if I wanted, so it wasn't fair to not pay her the extra hours.
Banging my head against the wall here. So, apparently if she works less than 40 hrs because I don't need her, she gets paid (okay, I get that). But, if she works less than 40 hours because she wants to leave early for appointments, she STILL gets paid. That's the part that makes no sense to me.
Did she come in early on her own, or did you approve that change in hours? If she did it on her own initiative, I don't see a need to pay her. If you asked her to come in, then she gets paid.
Does she have adequate PTO to take time off for appointments? If so, then she used PTO to go to her appointments, and she does get paid for that time.
What she "would have" done (stay until normal end time) is irrelevant IMO - she left early.
I think the obvious solution is to pay her for her full 40, and deduct 2 hours from her total PTO hours. However, if use of PTO wasn't discussed and isn't covered in her contract, you may have to grit your teeth and pay her THIS TIME (If YOU asked her to come in early) to keep your work relationship positive, and go back over your policy.
I am sure somewhere there is an "hour trading law" that is broken when nannies and families do this sort of swapping, but as long as all parties are aware of the agreement, and are happy with it, why not be a little flexible on both ends?
Anonymous wrote:I am been the nanny for a wonderful little boy for the last two years, since his birth. I have been a truly great nanny (even if you don't believe me, please accept this as true for argument sake). Beyond just being a great nanny, I have a bond with my charge and I love him more than I ever thought possible to love a child not my own. And I have sacrificed to stay this child's nanny - passing up far more lucrative positions and even taking a second weekend job just to stay his nanny.
Just a few minutes ago, the parents told me they are putting him in daycare. THis has been in the works - the preparation for daycare for awhile. When they told me, I was stunned. They both said that I was fantastic and that their child would not be the great and smart kid he is had it not been for me.
I lost it. First, all day daycare is a huge mistake for this particular boy at this time in his life. Second, because they just sprung it on me.
I don't know what to do now. I said my peace and told them my truth - that I have never been more disappointed in two people in my entire life. I walked in and kissed my beautiful charge and told him that I loved him. I asked them to send my last paycheck and walked out. Clearly, the parents did not expect me to be done that moment and they have no care for their son until daycare starts. But I don't know what to do.
I cannot see spending the next two weeks (or however long they had in mind) crying every time I look at him. How would I go around to our usual story times, music class, parent & me, etc when everyone knows us and explain that I will no longer be this fantastic and polite little boy's nanny anymore...
What is the right thing to do? I honestly don't know. THis is my first longterm nanny job (although I have been a preschool teacher for twenty years so I am obviously not a kid).
I am sick about this. Please - someone - tell me what to do. I know I got too attached. I know I sacrificed far too much to stay his nanny - but I thought I was appreciated.
BTW, they are only putting him in daycare to save money.
~~~~~~~
OP here and I have a master's degree in Early Childhood Development. According to my employers, no one advised that their child be put in daycare. They are doing it to save for a house and go on vacation (MB's words were that she hasn't been on a vacation this year or bought new clothes as reasons to put her son in daycare).
It is my opinion that daycare is not right for my charge. My educated opinion and knowledge gained from being his nanny.
And I don't know what "SWF with the child" means.
I will grant you that I love him too much. I never should have gotten to attached to him, But I am proud of the work I have done with him and what a smart and polite little guy he is.
I am sorry if you feel I am overreacting. This has come out of the blue and I am simply stunned.
And to the OP who suggested and agency: yes, I am going to go through an agency this time. My weekend position was through an agency and it is a great job and well-paying. I will not make the same mistakes I made with this soon-to-be-former MB/DB.
OP, while I do feel sympathy for you and the situation you are in, your reaction to disappointing and sad news was, IMO, way way way over the top. As a seasoned nanny, I have a few suggestions for you:
1) Apologize to the parents. Profusely. Tell them you are embarrassed by your over-reaction, and that you want to work with them as a team to help THEIR child transition to daycare as smoothly as possible. (BTW, You take him the first 3 days for the hour visit, you and parent(s) take him the next 3 days, then the parent(s) take him from then on.)
1)a) Doing the above MIGHT save your reference. If you hope to work with an agency next, having a lukewarm or poor reference from your only nanny job will ensure that agencies never send you on an interview. Ever.
2) Reflect on whether the nanny profession is the right one for you. Nannies MUST accept that their job is to help a family grow OUT of needing their services. Your love will always stay with your charges, even when you do not see them daily. You have to accept this to continue working in this field.
3) Develop a nanny mantra. For you, I would suggest, "I am the nanny, not the parent. The parents are in charge."
4) Find nanny friends in your area. Look for a specific friend who you can talk to confidentially when you need to vent. We all need to roll our eyes sometimes with a fellow nanny who understands the balance we have to seek between over-involvement and disinterest.
5) Do not sacrifice your finances for employers. You have to take responsibility for hard choices, and that means following the money if the higher paying job is better for you overall.
6) You make it through the next weeks by doing your job like a professional adult. Do your best not to exhibit scary emotions at work - you don't really want the toddler to pick up on your vibe of sadness, right? You ask the parents, after your apology has been accepted and they have processed your regrets, if they are willing to allow you to stay in touch through baby sitting, etc. And you accept their decision with grace and dignity, even if they tell you, "Jane, we are not sure that it would be in our best interests to have you babysit. We have tried to move past your reaction to our putting Harrison in day care, but we just can't do that right now."
I do wish you good luck, and hope you can find balance and peace in your next job, whatever it may be.
A resume is a great thing to hand to an employer you would like to work for when you have met and chatted IN PERSON.
If a potential employer met thru care or other sites wanted a "resume" I would explain that I only share identifying information during an in-person meeting, and offer to send them the most utterly sparse info sheet I could create:
First Name, Last initial, job search email
Jobs listed as follows:
Private family, Dates worked, Children's birth year, basic job description and special duties
That's all I'm giving a complete stranger until I have met them and know I would like to work for them.
Parents want nanny cams to keep their kids safe after hiring a "virtual stranger" to be their nanny, yet parents who do their due diligence know WAY more about that nanny than a nanny knows about a potential employer met on-line. Why is it OK for nannies to share all with strangers??
If a potential employer met thru care or other sites wanted a "resume" I would explain that I only share identifying information during an in-person meeting, and offer to send them the most utterly sparse info sheet I could create:
First Name, Last initial, job search email
Jobs listed as follows:
Private family, Dates worked, Children's birth year, basic job description and special duties
That's all I'm giving a complete stranger until I have met them and know I would like to work for them.
Parents want nanny cams to keep their kids safe after hiring a "virtual stranger" to be their nanny, yet parents who do their due diligence know WAY more about that nanny than a nanny knows about a potential employer met on-line. Why is it OK for nannies to share all with strangers??
Anonymous wrote:1. application to ad
Tons of applicants, weed out obvious mismatches, including people that responded with one liners and/or didn't read the ad.
2. phone screen, and be prepared for the nanny to ask questions to determine if you have all of *her* deal breakers, just like you are doing for her
Weed out any deal breakers, compile a list of questions that you feel would show you each candidate's philosophies and methods without tipping them to what your philosophies and methods are, choose the top 5-15 who match.
3. phone interview, ask for emailed resume, though some have contact info in the resume and so hold onto it until in-person interview
You want to give a scenario and see what they think the ideal response would be. Then, give them some more information to make it more challenging, and see what they think they might do. Granted, it's not what they might actually do, but how they would respond can be very telling. Example: Four kids running in the backyard, they split up. Kid 1 runs towards the playset, kid 2 runs towards the side of the house, kid 3 runs towards the gate to the pool, kid 4 runs towards the garage. Extra information: pool gate might be open or child can climb, garage door might be open, child is young enough that climbing on the playset without adult to catch for a fall might mean a break, or there's an open gate at the side of the house. Decent nannies will immediately say that they would run after the kid going towards the pool, but upon receiving more information, what they choose and how they explain can be very telling.
4. in-person interview, expect to be handed reference list if contact info was not in the resume
You want to get an idea of how well they present themselves, but be aware that you are also setting up the dynamic of a working relationship. If you don't dress in business attire, the nanny may assume that you want someone who will talk about her personal life and be less formal. On the other hand, if you do wear business attire, the nanny may assume that all personal details are inappropriate, and that the working relationship will remain just that, and you risk getting someone who will view it as simply a job and a paycheck, rather than loving the child(ren). There has to be a balance, imo, so that there are boundaries and no job creep, but so that the nanny will feel valued and secure loving her charge(s).
Most nannies won't hand out contact info until they meet you in person. They have a finite number of references, and excessive calls can wear out the goodwill a family had when the nanny moved on. Overall, most of the information that a family will provide is positive, which is why the nanny is willing to use them as a reference. Ask for information about her professionalism, punctuality, examples of what she did in her off hours to prepare for their child, etc. Ime, the most useful are the examples of what the nanny did in her off hours. A nanny who doesn't do anything for her charge over the weekend is not as interested in the child and her position as a nanny who researched a new activity at the park or a new craft. Yes, some nannies do all of that research during nap time, but the best nannies are usually the ones who go above and beyond.
I think you can do a LOT of screening and eliminating based on their application. That means, to me, that you talk on the phone one time, figuring out if you MAY be a good fit, and then call back only to schedule an in-person interview. Talking in person is the best way to interview, simply because you can see body language. If a person says something that sounds amazing, but won't meet your eyes while she speaks, that may be a red flag.
And the bolded...Being a nanny is, at the core, a job just like any other job. If a nanny doesn't spend time planning out activities and such on her days off, that doesn't mean she doesn't care or that she will not go above and beyond. A nanny who keeps her personal time to herself is a smart nanny who knows that self-care allows her to be the best possible nanny she can be.
Plus, do you want a nanny who is excellent at time management, and able to do her work during her actual work hours, or a nanny who is constantly having to play catch up on the weekends?
Of course, if you prefer a nanny who spends her personal time planning her work week, you also need to be prepared to pay a higher hourly rate. If I took a job in which I was told (or figured out a few weeks in) that the expectation was that I plan out my weeks with the kid(s) on my off hours, I would figure an additional 5 hours of OT into my hourly rate calculations so that I got paid for the work I was doing at home.
The issue here is that virtually ANYTHING can be called "child related duties" - need the whole house vacuumed and dusted? Yep, because any dust in any room could cause issues for the child, so that work is child related. Need the tub and toilet cleaned? Yep, because if the child touches a dirty tub/toilet is could make them sick -voila, child related!
I would avoid any vague statements - if your new nanny is experienced and savvy, she will politely refuse to sign a contract that sets her up for job creep, and if she isn't experienced and you start loading her with "child related duties", she'll be pretty likely to leave once her year is up.
Think of what you would like to have removed from your "plate" of child care duties: Laundry? Toy sorting/cleaning/rotation? Clothes sorting and storage?
Dishwasher duty daily (ok as long as YOU put your stuff in the dishwasher, and don't leave the sink full of gross dishes for nanny to load), meaning run the dishwasher after lunch and put the dishes away daily or every other day.
Keep child's room and play space tidy? A totally legit request as long as you define what "tidy" means.
I would avoid any vague statements - if your new nanny is experienced and savvy, she will politely refuse to sign a contract that sets her up for job creep, and if she isn't experienced and you start loading her with "child related duties", she'll be pretty likely to leave once her year is up.
Think of what you would like to have removed from your "plate" of child care duties: Laundry? Toy sorting/cleaning/rotation? Clothes sorting and storage?
Dishwasher duty daily (ok as long as YOU put your stuff in the dishwasher, and don't leave the sink full of gross dishes for nanny to load), meaning run the dishwasher after lunch and put the dishes away daily or every other day.
Keep child's room and play space tidy? A totally legit request as long as you define what "tidy" means.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:This is all very simple. I pay my nanny a flat rate of 550/wk, 52 weeks a year, which is a guaranteed 50 hrs a week at $10/hr. I have school aged children. During the school year she works a split schedule around 17hrs a week max and snow days and teacher work days. During the summer, depending on their camp schedule she works 20-50 hrs a week (maybe 3 weeks are at 50). I'm not sure what she averages over the year, but if I could take a stab at it I'd say 30hrs.
She knows what she is getting and I know what I'm paying. She also has picked up babysitting jobs during the school year when she feels like it, essentially double dipping.
? So why not pay her guaranteed hours and do the whole thing legally? Honestly, I do not understand the draw to a flat salary when guaranteed hours has the same result and is legal.
The hours are guaranteed. 50 guarantees at $10/hr.
What are you missing?
That no legal nanny in her right mind takes a split shift job for $10 an hour.
Well, if that legal nanny knew beyond any doubt that her actual work week most weeks would total **SEVENTEEN HOURS** and she would still be paid **AS IF she worked 50 hours** she'd be nuts not to take the job.
I am sure the math I am about to do is way beyond you, but I have to try.
PP's Nanny is paid $550/week guaranteed 52 weeks a year, for no more than 50 hours a week. Let's say that PP's kids attend school 36 weeks a year, and attend camps 10 weeks a year total. That means Nanny works before and after school/camp, about 17 hours a week, and is paid $550/week.
The other 6 weeks of the year: let's pretend Nanny has to work 50 hours those weeks, and is still paid her guaranteed wages of $550/week.
Now here is where it gets a bit complex. Let's also assume that at least once every 17 hour week (46 weeks a year) nanny winds up caring for an ill child or there is a school holiday. So we will add 7 hours a week to the weekly hours for 46 weeks a year. And I doubt this is true, I am trying to make a pointy. Bear with me!
So we have Nanny working (17+7) 24 hours 46 weeks of the year, and 50 hours 6 weeks of the year. That means Nanny's total yearly work hours are (24 x 46) + (50 x 6) = 1,404/year.
Nanny earns $550/week for up to 50 hours/week 52 weeks a year. That means Nanny earns 550 x 52 = $28,600/year.
So if we divide Nanny's yearly earnings by her yearly hours - $28,600/1404 = $20.37/hour.
Yep, this nanny is totally taken advantage of, especially since her employers is fine with her taking on sitting jobs while kids are in school and making MORE money. How horrible!!!
So legally, Nanny works up to 50 hours a week for a guaranteed wage of $10/hour or $550/week. The reality is that nanny rarely works all 50 hours, and most often doesn't even work half of the hours she has promised to her employer.
Is the concept clearer to you now?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:This is all very simple. I pay my nanny a flat rate of 550/wk, 52 weeks a year, which is a guaranteed 50 hrs a week at $10/hr. I have school aged children. During the school year she works a split schedule around 17hrs a week max and snow days and teacher work days. During the summer, depending on their camp schedule she works 20-50 hrs a week (maybe 3 weeks are at 50). I'm not sure what she averages over the year, but if I could take a stab at it I'd say 30hrs.
She knows what she is getting and I know what I'm paying. She also has picked up babysitting jobs during the school year when she feels like it, essentially double dipping.
So why not pay her guaranteed hours and do the whole thing legally? Honestly, I do not understand the draw to a flat salary when guaranteed hours has the same result and is legal.
The PP does guarantee hours and pay, 50 hours/week at $10/hour for 52 weeks a year. PP chooses not to use all of the hours her nanny reserves for her every week. This isn't complex.
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