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Anonymous wrote:OP here, the just the clarify but the best part of the advice that I liked what the information about the pool with so many kids and the no play dates at the house.
I think those are related to safety and do not think make me entitled.
I absolutely agree that no pool time is a safety issue, but playdates? Upper elementary kids should be able to manage playdates with minimal adult interference, and even preschoolers shouldn't need constant management. Perhaps limiting playdates to those friends the kids know well and are able to get along with fairly easily would be a good idea?
If the older kids are no longer used to "quiet time" then it's going to backfire on you if you insist on imposing that - a much better idea would be to do all you can to make your child's nap schedule "match" the schedule of their youngest child (because it might be assumed that the parents will want that child to get a decent nap), and just accept that your kid is going to have to play second fiddle. You will, essentially, be adding a 5th child to the family. That means ALL the young kids will go to activities planned for the older kids after school.
To make this work, you will have to focus on fitting your child into your employer's children's dynamics and schedule. You will be an employee. Telling your employer what to do and how you will be running your day so that you can have the optimal schedule for you and your child wouldn't go over well in any work environment.
If you feel that you need to run your own show, make your own schedule, and be "the boss", you'd be better off looking into opening a small home daycare - there, hyou set the schedule, you make the decisions, and you "fire" clients who aren't willing to work within your parameters.
The IRS states that a nanny is ALWAYS an employee and ALWAYS gets a W2.
Is it a law? IDK, but it's the legal way to pay a household employee.
Is it a law? IDK, but it's the legal way to pay a household employee.
I like to charge rude, entitled adults who have no curfew and very few manners double time after their ETA so that they never bother to call me to sit for their poor kids again.
Rude PP: We're leaving now for drinks, dinner and the 10:00 movie.
Me: OK, so you'll be home around 12:30?
Rude PP: I have no idea when we'll come home. I don't have a curfew!
Me: I do need to tell you then that I'll be charging double time after 1 am, and that I will calculate your total owed based on 1/4 hour increments. Have a great night, and stay out as late as you can afford to stay out!
Rude PP: We're leaving now for drinks, dinner and the 10:00 movie.
Me: OK, so you'll be home around 12:30?
Rude PP: I have no idea when we'll come home. I don't have a curfew!
Me: I do need to tell you then that I'll be charging double time after 1 am, and that I will calculate your total owed based on 1/4 hour increments. Have a great night, and stay out as late as you can afford to stay out!
PP, usually PT work pays more, especially if the job makes it difficult for a nanny to find additional work. And 3 infants might be too many, or might be fine - that depends on the caregiver.
For a 2 child share, around $10/hour per family. For a 3 child share, around $8/hour per family.
For a 2 child share, around $10/hour per family. For a 3 child share, around $8/hour per family.
OP, do you pay her so much per hour because she **can't** find another PT job that slots in nicely with your needs? or do you pay that rate because she **won't** find another PT job?
If you haven't got a contract, and she has no PTO specified anywhere, I would say that she should only be paid if she works. Or, you and she can sit down and set up a contract, offering PTO (most FT nannies get 15 days, so I would offer her 7 or 7.5) and even guaranteed pay.
I am not sure I understand the idea of working JUST to pay the nanny, but...
If you haven't got a contract, and she has no PTO specified anywhere, I would say that she should only be paid if she works. Or, you and she can sit down and set up a contract, offering PTO (most FT nannies get 15 days, so I would offer her 7 or 7.5) and even guaranteed pay.
I am not sure I understand the idea of working JUST to pay the nanny, but...
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I bet they are paying you like $800+ a week so hence all the additional crap they do. What's it pay.
Not even close. I get paid $500 bi weekly for 40-45hrs.
That is a ridiculously illegal rate of pay if you work in the US. Minimum wage (federal) is $7.25, and even if you're a LI getting no OT, you should still make minimum wage for every hour worked. And the rate may be higher where you are, and you may be working where LI nannies get OT as well.
Minimum wage for 80 hours over two weeks is $580.
Find something else and leave as fast as you can!
Daycare Pros
More respect from friends and family. If you work in the 2s room or with older kids you get the title teacher or assistant teacher. People respect this far more than telling people you are a nanny. Pro
No housework or domestic tasks. Pro
Sometimes better benefits if its a center in a large company. Sometimes benefits are terrible. Pro/Con
Calling out sick is less of a concern. Pro
You get a real lunch break. Pro
More security. Unless you are late or call out all the time, you can keep your position year after year. Nannies jobs come to end anywhere from 1-4 years. Pro
More encouragement to get certifications and education. They want their staff to have child development and child care certifications, CPR, and some will pay, provide or even require that you continue your education. As a nanny it only makes a difference when searching for a new job. Pro.
Access to lots of materials, toys, art supplies. Pro.
Nanny Pros
Better pay and you get paid when you don't work. In daycare, hourly means hourly. No leaving early and getting paid. Daycare won't take an extra week off and give you pay. Pro
Lots of downtime and time to run your own errands. The less housework you negotiate the longer you get to do whatever you want. Huge Pro
Run your own errands. Pro
Meet up with other nannies that you choose. In daycare you are stuck socializing with your co-workers only. Pro
Free food. Most families will provide you with food for breakfast, lunch and snack. Saves a lot on groceries. Pro
Much less work. In daycare, you are working all day other than your scheduled lunch and breaks. 1-2 kids is a breeze after working in a daycare. Pro.
Freedom. As a nanny you get to do what you want to do. If you don't like being cold, the kids stay inside. If you like to walk around malls, the kids go to a mall. If you like music,the kids dance to music. Huge Pro.
If you get luck and find a family that takes lots of vacation and does guaranteed pay you get weeks and weeks of paid time off.
So basically what you think is that as a nanny you can try to do as little work as possible, get as much PTO as possible, and do whatever you want to do, including running your own errands and making daily plans around YOUR needs and desires.
Please, please stick to working in daycare. You seem to need the supervision, and no child deserves a "nanny" like you. You sound very self-centered and incapable of planning a day as a nanny that is focused on the needs and desires of the children entrusted to you.
P.S. Yes, working in a day care is hard. But so is working as a nanny if you do it correctly and responsibly.
Anonymous wrote:Myself and the other family in our nanny share are first time parents trying to figure out the logistics of being employers. Is it customary to pay the full rate on days that she will not watch our kid, say when relatives are in town and want to keep him for the day? Or is it ok to pay her the difference of what she normally charges for watching one kid? She charges $22 for 2 kids and $16 for 1, so that would be paying her $5 an hour instead of $11. Or should we not pay her at all for those days?
Thoughts??
You guarantee FULL pay 52 weeks per year. You offer her 15 days of PTO to use as she sees fit. If there is a specific week that you and the other family will be out of town, it wouldn't be out of line to designate that as 5 days of PTO for her.
If she uses up all her PTO, then you choose whether to be generous and offer her some leniency or whether to stick strictly to the contract if she needs more time off. (If she's performed her job admirably, and you can manage it, give her a little extra.)
If YOU choose not to use her services during a time she has reserved for you, then you pay her anyway. That means if relatives visit, if you take extra vacation time, if you just choose to not work one day and stay home with your kid, whatever.
If you go a different direction on this, you'll be cycling through nannies like tissues.
Anonymous wrote:nannydebsays wrote:OP, does your sister have any experience working with kids? If so, is she a night time sitter or a full day 7a - 6p sitter?
And does she enjoy spending time with infants and up? Does she understand what 8+ hours a day with an infant entails?
These seem like the most relevant questions, and I don't think you answered them above.
You seem to have a chip on your shoulder. Just sayin.
Nope, I just know exactly how hard it is to provide excellent care for small people 10+ hours a day, and if the 18 year old sister isn't interested in doing a good job and doesn't like being around kids all that much, nobody is going to be happy, and the baby will be the one suffering from lack of quality attention. Frankly, given the choice between an uninterested and potentially apathetic 18 year old alone with my child in my home VS. my child cared for in a decent quality daycare, I would go with daycare hands down every time.
Caring FT for children may not be intricate brain surgery, but it surely isn't all bon-bons, soap operas, hearts, flowers and joy. Those people who dismiss the work of a nanny by saying it's easy or unimportant have obviously never spent long hours with a child not their own and been fully responsible for that child's health and well-being. Heck, the loudest critics may have never spent much time with ANY child, including their own!
Since no one is ever going to convince everybody that they are correct about whether minimum wage applies to both families total wages or to each family's wages individually, let's take this in a different direction.
If you interview for a nanny share, how do you price the job? Do you ask each family to pay half your normal/average rate? Do you give each family a discount off your normal/average rate? And would you ever willingly choose to work in a nanny share paying only $14/hour on average? If you did take a nanny share position paying an average hourly rate of $14/hour (or lower), would you then continue to look for other jobs?
MB's, how do you come up with an average hourly rate for a nanny you employ in a share? Have you had good luck finding long-term nannies for less than $14/hour average total in a share, where you and the other employer are each paying $7/hour or less on average?
I price nanny share jobs (let's assume 2 infants to start) at anywhere from 65% - 75% of my average rate for a single family PER EMPLOYER. So if my normal average rate is $20/hour, I would charge EACH FAMILY between $13 and $15/hour as my average rate.
If I were forced out of desperation to take a nanny share job where each employer chose to pay less than minimum wage, I would absolutely keep looking for a better job.
If you interview for a nanny share, how do you price the job? Do you ask each family to pay half your normal/average rate? Do you give each family a discount off your normal/average rate? And would you ever willingly choose to work in a nanny share paying only $14/hour on average? If you did take a nanny share position paying an average hourly rate of $14/hour (or lower), would you then continue to look for other jobs?
MB's, how do you come up with an average hourly rate for a nanny you employ in a share? Have you had good luck finding long-term nannies for less than $14/hour average total in a share, where you and the other employer are each paying $7/hour or less on average?
I price nanny share jobs (let's assume 2 infants to start) at anywhere from 65% - 75% of my average rate for a single family PER EMPLOYER. So if my normal average rate is $20/hour, I would charge EACH FAMILY between $13 and $15/hour as my average rate.
If I were forced out of desperation to take a nanny share job where each employer chose to pay less than minimum wage, I would absolutely keep looking for a better job.
OP, does your sister have any experience working with kids? If so, is she a night time sitter or a full day 7a - 6p sitter?
And does she enjoy spending time with infants and up? Does she understand what 8+ hours a day with an infant entails?
These seem like the most relevant questions, and I don't think you answered them above.
And does she enjoy spending time with infants and up? Does she understand what 8+ hours a day with an infant entails?
These seem like the most relevant questions, and I don't think you answered them above.
Anonymous wrote:Even so-called nannies walk out on you, so that's no guanrantee. I'd rather entrust a known relative than a total stranger off the street.
Absolutely. But would you rather trust an uninterested and potentially incompetent young relative, risking long-term damage to the relationship and who knows what sort of slow start for your growing infant, or a "stranger" who you interviewed 2 times, with verifiable references, experience, and maybe even a college degree in a field related to child development?
Me? I'd take a stranger over a relative any day.
Anonymous wrote:I can't imagine setting up a share the way the previous poster describes, with two separate agreements, checks, etc.. I always thought that if I did a share, the other parents and I would set it up together so that we were jointly the one employer, and the onus for collecting the money, taxes, etc. would fall on us. Having two separate bosses seems absurd. So one family could just leave the share with impunity, and the other family wouldn't be on the hook to pay you more?
How do 2 different families, at different addresses, become a single employer? Do they form an LLC or something? If so, whose legal address goes on those documents, and on all the employer tax documents? How do 2 families as a single entity use the childcare tax credits? I'm not trying to be snarky, I am just trying to get folks to look at this logically.
If I worked in a nanny share, I would have 3 different contracts: one for family A, in which their pay obligations/hours/etc. would be outlined, one for family B, same details, and one Share Contract, covering everyone's expectations and obligations, including a section on what happens if she share ends. That would include how much notice must be given, how long one family must pay nanny's full salary (I would have a 6 week notice, an obligation on all 3 parties to seek a new share partner, and 2 weeks obligation for the remaining family to pay the full nanny salary.), and every other tiny detail that makes a complex situation with 2 employers and a single employee work smoothly.
Does your sister like kids? Does she like toddlers and babies? Does she (or has she in the past) babysit regularly for other people?
Those are the essential questions to ask yourself before asking your sister to be your "nanny". If she isn't into kids, and has no idea of how boring/frustrating/heartwarming/boring/isolating/amazing childcare can be, then I think hiring her is an awful idea.
However, if she loves kids, babysits frequently, and has some idea of what she's agreeing to do, ask her if she'd be interested.
Unless she is 110% committed, I would have a back-up plan in place - it would deeply suck for you to have been back at work for a month, your sister walks out, and you have to find something ASAP.
Those are the essential questions to ask yourself before asking your sister to be your "nanny". If she isn't into kids, and has no idea of how boring/frustrating/heartwarming/boring/isolating/amazing childcare can be, then I think hiring her is an awful idea.
However, if she loves kids, babysits frequently, and has some idea of what she's agreeing to do, ask her if she'd be interested.
Unless she is 110% committed, I would have a back-up plan in place - it would deeply suck for you to have been back at work for a month, your sister walks out, and you have to find something ASAP.
Anonymous wrote:I do pay her full OT rate if I am late. Other family has 1 kid vs our 2 so the contract specifies a slightly lower rate for OT for them but it is based on a specified 1 child rate. OT applies for anything worked over normal joint share schedule even if one family was out of town for part of the week.
She has 1 job since the hours overlap 99 pct of the time for her employers. This would make total sense in a nanny split but not in a share since her rate for a given hour would be double min wage.
She has ONE job, and TWO employers.
EACH employer must pay her at least minimum wage if they are going to pay legally.
It's not rocket science.
It's going to make LEGALLY PAID nanny shares less cost effective, because the TWO employers will eventually be paying $12.50 EACH, which kind of defeats the purpose of a nanny share, i.e., saving money.
So nanny shares will dissolve and parents will choose daycare if that's all they can afford, or nanny share employers will offer illegally low wages, or each nanny share employer will choose to hire their own NEW nanny and will pay minimum wage or close to it. That means parents will be struggling to find affordable childcare, and more nannies will be struggling to find work that pays a living wage.