Message
Anonymous wrote:I still have the same question and I think there was a lot of confusion as to the duties, hours etc... so I'm reposting my questions for the nannies out there about the current market rate for nannies taking care of 2 infants in a share.
As far as the laundry and cleaning goes there is nothing above and beyond expectd. We are talking about cleaning the baby bottles, simple meal prep (introducing new foods) and laundry once a week doing the baby's laundry for the baby where the share is located (if something from the other child is dirty she can throw it in with the load of laundry but the other parents are not bringing over their laundry for the nanny to do). The share is at one home so there is no "hassle" of going back and forth. We expect the nanny to change diapers, play with the kids, read, sing, put them down for naps, take them to the park, story time and keep a simple log. The hours are guarenteed so we plan to pay a base rate plus OT for anyting over 8 hours a day (in this case 5 OT hours per week). Benefits are standard. We are not looking for a someone with a college degree or master's or specialty in child development but would like someone who has been a nanny before and has more than 5 years expereience. My question is what is the market rate for the base pay? Is $20 or $10 per family too low ($20 for the first 8 hours and $30 for the additional hour) or is that reasonable? Is $24 or $12 per family per hour for base pay ($24 for the first 8 hours and $36 for the additional OT hour too high?) or is that really the going rate. We are willing to pay fairly but we don't feel like we should overpay just becasue we are not expereinced in employing a nanny. It seems like in past posts people say that a share should cost $18 - $20 and hour for the base rate but most nannies seem to be asking for much more. Is this a negotiationg tool? Are the posts on this board artificaly low or old? I really need help -- this post is not meant to start an argument or troll. Thanks.
OP, the best way to judge if your pay scale is going to get you the type of nanny you want is to place an ad with a detailed job description offering the lower rate and a few specific questions for the responders to answer, such as "How much experience do you have caring for multiple infants?" "Tell me what sort of outings you would take the babies on at 4 months old/8 months old." "Why have you chosen to work as a nanny for more than 5 years?"
Then you start screening responses. You toss any replies that fail to answer the 3 questions you asked, you toss replies from people who don't meet your base minimum standards, and you then pick 3 - 5 people to screen over the phone. If, after talking to your chosen candidates on the phone you are satisfied with the quality of nannies you have found, you schedule in-person interviews, narrow your selection down, check references, and ask your top 2 to work a trial day. Then you make your choice, make an offer contingent on passing a background check, and work together to write up an work agreement.
OTOH, if your lower rate (say $20/hour for sake of argument) doesn't yield any decent candidates, you re-post the ad with a higher hourly rate and see what type of candidates respond, then follow the steps above.
Why? Because there is no hard and fast rule about nanny wages. Every family has a different childcare budget, every nanny has a different bottom line rate they must make to live comfortably, and the trick is to find a nanny you love who wants to work for you and who will be making a bit more than her bottom rate when she works for you.
Good luck!
I don't buy for my employers, but I do for my charges. I spend around $25, and I get good stuff, not plastic noisy crap.
I love to give my charges presents, although I would move toward an outing instead if an employer insisted.
I love to give my charges presents, although I would move toward an outing instead if an employer insisted.
PP, when nannies say reading doesn't matter with babies because "they don't pay attention", I wonder how the nanny plans to TEACH the child to pay attention to books. If you read it (even for just a minute) they will come to love books!
If this is for real, you have hired a barely competent babysitter. She sounds horrid, and you could surely do better.
I do think when you hire your new nanny you should absolutely let her take baby on BABY FOCUSED outings. Babies learn by experiencing the world around them, and by having loving, interactive caregivers. I am not sure "the mall" is a good choice, but a music class, a library, a playground or the zoo would be good places to go.
Just for reference, here's a typical day with a 7 month old in my care:
Firstly, I talk to my charges. I narrate our day, ask questions and wait for "answers", sing and read books
-Wake up, bottle, food
-I clean up, baby plays briefly in exersaucer.
-Check to see if laundry needs to be done while carrying baby with me
-Floor time with music playing. NO SCREENS. Use toys to encourage baby to creep/crawl
-Nap. I transfer laundry or do other quick chores, prep lunch, and check my phone/make calls
-Wake up, bottle, food
-I clean up, baby does independent play on a nearby blanket with some toys
-Outside for fresh air or an activity
-Nap
-Bottle
-Books and music, more outside time, etc.
-Catnap if needed
-Welcome parent home.
I do think when you hire your new nanny you should absolutely let her take baby on BABY FOCUSED outings. Babies learn by experiencing the world around them, and by having loving, interactive caregivers. I am not sure "the mall" is a good choice, but a music class, a library, a playground or the zoo would be good places to go.
Just for reference, here's a typical day with a 7 month old in my care:
Firstly, I talk to my charges. I narrate our day, ask questions and wait for "answers", sing and read books
-Wake up, bottle, food
-I clean up, baby plays briefly in exersaucer.
-Check to see if laundry needs to be done while carrying baby with me
-Floor time with music playing. NO SCREENS. Use toys to encourage baby to creep/crawl
-Nap. I transfer laundry or do other quick chores, prep lunch, and check my phone/make calls
-Wake up, bottle, food
-I clean up, baby does independent play on a nearby blanket with some toys
-Outside for fresh air or an activity
-Nap
-Bottle
-Books and music, more outside time, etc.
-Catnap if needed
-Welcome parent home.
So if hosting the share doesn't work (and I am kind of feeling sorry for a nanny in a share in a 1 bedroom apartment), why not seek out a share partner who can host? That way, if that host family needs longer hours, it's not an issue.
Good Lord. OP, a bonus is just that, an additional amount of money for doing an exceptional job. As a nanny, nannies who expect bonuses and/or try to play the "I'll leave if my bonus isn't X..." game with their employers PISS ME OFF.
Give your nanny what you can. Many nannies don't get bonuses at all.
And, in all honesty, if you are stretching so much to afford your nanny you might want to seriously look into a FT nanny share.
Give your nanny what you can. Many nannies don't get bonuses at all.
And, in all honesty, if you are stretching so much to afford your nanny you might want to seriously look into a FT nanny share.
PP, that's nice, but OP said she is looking for 40 hours a week. So based on the math above by you and others, 4 - 5 hours a day for $100 is exactly $20 - $25 per hour.
Therefore, OP should expect to pay a nanny manager in the $20/hour or more range.
Therefore, OP should expect to pay a nanny manager in the $20/hour or more range.
Not at all rude, and a good way for her to stay in touch if she wants to do so.
Stop doing anything that isn't listed as your duty in your contract.
Stop agreeing to stay late.
Next time DB comes home, hand him the baby when it is time for you to leave.
Next time either DB or MB are late, do as was suggested above, and be ready to walk out as you tell them you have missed XYZ, and that you cannot keep staying late.
If you have specified hours in your contract, ask for a meeting and explain that you are ONLY able to work those specific hours, and that if you do happen to be able to work additional hours you need to be paid for each hour, including applicable OT.
If you have guaranteed hour language in your contract, let them know that you are not to be docked pay if they choose to let you go early of they choose to give you a day off.
Stop agreeing to stay late.
Next time DB comes home, hand him the baby when it is time for you to leave.
Next time either DB or MB are late, do as was suggested above, and be ready to walk out as you tell them you have missed XYZ, and that you cannot keep staying late.
If you have specified hours in your contract, ask for a meeting and explain that you are ONLY able to work those specific hours, and that if you do happen to be able to work additional hours you need to be paid for each hour, including applicable OT.
If you have guaranteed hour language in your contract, let them know that you are not to be docked pay if they choose to let you go early of they choose to give you a day off.
No one else has raised the issue of your nanny and your housekeeping, so I will. 
When the decision was made that nanny would become your cleaner ("She is responsible for doing the housekeeping (laundry, vaccuming, bathrooms etc.) while the girls are in school. "), was that YOUR choice, or HER choice?
I think many times nanny burnout happens when more and more cleaning duties are added to the list of expectations. And yes, I know she has 2 - 2.5 hours a day each school day to fill, but maybe her attitude is due to feeling less than valued for her childcare skills, and more prized for her cleaning abilities.
I would suggest you talk with nanny and see if you can determine what is causing her dissatisfaction. Then you can decide whether you like her enough to take steps to fix any issues that are causing her attitude to be poor, or whether between the strain on your budget that a higher pay rate will cause and your needs that she isn't happy about fulfilling, it's better to part ways.
If you do want to keep this nanny, and if the housekeeping is what is souring her performance, maybe she can add value to your lives in some other way. Grocery shopping, errand running, organizing, household management, cooking, etc are all possible chores she could take on instead of cleaning.
Good luck!
When the decision was made that nanny would become your cleaner ("She is responsible for doing the housekeeping (laundry, vaccuming, bathrooms etc.) while the girls are in school. "), was that YOUR choice, or HER choice?
I think many times nanny burnout happens when more and more cleaning duties are added to the list of expectations. And yes, I know she has 2 - 2.5 hours a day each school day to fill, but maybe her attitude is due to feeling less than valued for her childcare skills, and more prized for her cleaning abilities.
I would suggest you talk with nanny and see if you can determine what is causing her dissatisfaction. Then you can decide whether you like her enough to take steps to fix any issues that are causing her attitude to be poor, or whether between the strain on your budget that a higher pay rate will cause and your needs that she isn't happy about fulfilling, it's better to part ways.
If you do want to keep this nanny, and if the housekeeping is what is souring her performance, maybe she can add value to your lives in some other way. Grocery shopping, errand running, organizing, household management, cooking, etc are all possible chores she could take on instead of cleaning.
Good luck!
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:If a family actually changes nannies that much, then there must be something fundamentally wrong with the family.
Or they must be rich.
I heard Mariah Carey on a radio show last year state that she does this. And she didn't even bat an eyelash.
Such a diva. Lol.
Or there is something wrong with the nanny, or the nanny had a personal emergency, or people have relocated, or childcare needs change, or a multitude of other reasons why a family might employ more than one nanny in a period of time. Not all situations (and even fewer nannies) are perfect and sometimes a change needs to happen.
If a family reports that they have had 8 nannies in 3 years, then the FAMILY is the common denominator and the problem stems from their behavior. Maybe they just can't screen well, or their hiring practices stink, or they start job creep upon hire, or they are hard to work for because MB/DB act out their personal issues in front of nanny, or they talked a lot about how they discipline and then nanny discovers it was all a load of baloney and they let their kids rule the house, or...
Yes, nannies can also be the issue, but most families might have a SINGLE problem nanny before they fix whatever led them to hire poorly and get on a better track.
And Mariah has said she switches nannies all the time so her kids don't get attached. Lovely parenting tactics there.
Rather than expecting OP/Nanny to read his mind, her DB should have said, "Hey, I'd like some one-on-one time with Junior. Can you spend some time with just <other baby> for about 30 minutes? Feel free to take her on a walk or in a different room."
Still a little rude, but much less so than what the DB actually did. And the other child (presumably) is comfortable with the DB and maybe even happy to see him, therefore the following. DB doesn't get that, or doesn't care, fine.
Nannies care for children. We get paid extra if we're required to read adult employer's minds.
Still a little rude, but much less so than what the DB actually did. And the other child (presumably) is comfortable with the DB and maybe even happy to see him, therefore the following. DB doesn't get that, or doesn't care, fine.
Nannies care for children. We get paid extra if we're required to read adult employer's minds.
I wish I could just tell you hire X over Y because this and that, but I can't. It truly comes down to who is a good "fit" and that's hard to dissect when I know nothing more than you posted.
That said, I think there are several considerations here:
Do you want a nanny who can also be a "parenting coach" as you transition from a couple to parents?
Do you want a nanny who is capable of self-management, or do you want to be more of a hands-on manager who calls all the shots?
Which nanny do you feel has a childcare philosophy that matches yours at this time?
Which nanny do you think will be more willing to flex her childcare practices to fit your preferences as they evolve?
Which nanny do you feel will stay as long as she is needed?
Which nanny can wait to start working for you after your baby is born/after your maternity leave ends? You are asking someone to wait 4 - 6+ months to start. who can survive that wait without seeking a job that starts sooner?
Who do you feel most comfortable with? Who can you picture in your mind welcoming you home with your baby in her arms in 8/12/18 months?
So whichever nanny best fits your answers to these questions may be the best nanny for your family. Best of luck!
That said, I think there are several considerations here:
Do you want a nanny who can also be a "parenting coach" as you transition from a couple to parents?
Do you want a nanny who is capable of self-management, or do you want to be more of a hands-on manager who calls all the shots?
Which nanny do you feel has a childcare philosophy that matches yours at this time?
Which nanny do you think will be more willing to flex her childcare practices to fit your preferences as they evolve?
Which nanny do you feel will stay as long as she is needed?
Which nanny can wait to start working for you after your baby is born/after your maternity leave ends? You are asking someone to wait 4 - 6+ months to start. who can survive that wait without seeking a job that starts sooner?
Who do you feel most comfortable with? Who can you picture in your mind welcoming you home with your baby in her arms in 8/12/18 months?
So whichever nanny best fits your answers to these questions may be the best nanny for your family. Best of luck!
Anonymous wrote:OP here, thanks everyone. How much do you end up spending annually on your nanny (incl. taxes, etc)? This is one of my big worries.
OP, you need to come up with a list of "must have" "would be nice" and "not important" qualities your perfect nanny would have. If an early childhood education degree is a must have, you'll pay more. If it's not important you'll likely pay less.
Then you need to determine your childcare budget. If you want to keep a nanny for several years, be sure to start with an hourly rate low enough to allow for COL and performance raises each year. Nanny taxes for employers usually add about 10% to the nanny's yearly pay, so factor that in as well.
Let's say you can afford 32K per year for nanny care. That means you MUST have a share partner. You decide to leave room for raises/bonuses, and that means your max $$ toward nanny's wages is now 26K. Your tax obligations will be about $2600, leaving about $3400 for raises and bonuses through the year.
{If your budget is less than 24K, or 18K per year to nanny, that equals an hourly rate of $6.25 per share family. $12.50/hour for a share is not going to get you really good experienced candidates.}
Say you need a nanny 50 hours a week. That means you will be paying 10 hours of OT each week, since nannies are hourly workers. Your budget is $500/week, meaning you are able to afford $9/hour or less. With a share partner whose hourly needs match yours, you can find a nanny for $16 - $18/hour.
Then you advertise the job and evaluate the candidates you are getting. Are the best candidates checking off all of your "must have" items? Then you are able to afford a nanny of the quality you want. If candidates you see are NOT adequate, that means you will need to bump the hourly rate up a bit and see if quality improves.
You are off-off. You started your "paid to not work" days the first work day after they left town, and you will continue to have "paid to not work" days until the day they return, when you will spend less than 4 hours actually working in exchange for 2 weeks pay.
if you feel this resentful, say no next time and live with the consequences.
if you feel this resentful, say no next time and live with the consequences.
|