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OP, I think that wanting a nanny to help keep you company is not really the best idea. Many more experienced nannies (who would have the skill set to help you learn the baby care basics) would shy away from what you want because it would be very hard to maintain any sort of boundaries and keep the employer/nanny relationship professional.
I would suggest that you look into seeking out friends through local MeetUp groups (sewing, knitting, book club, new moms, expectant moms, almost anything that piques your interest) and through networking in your OB's office and other places where you meet other new moms or moms-to-be.
Maybe you will even meet a mom who is also returning to work PT after her baby is born and is interested in a nanny share with you!
I would suggest that you look into seeking out friends through local MeetUp groups (sewing, knitting, book club, new moms, expectant moms, almost anything that piques your interest) and through networking in your OB's office and other places where you meet other new moms or moms-to-be.
Maybe you will even meet a mom who is also returning to work PT after her baby is born and is interested in a nanny share with you!
Anonymous wrote:Hi, I'm new to this forum & hope I'm posting on the right board. What do you pay your nanny when you have her travel w/child. I have one daughter who is going to visit her paternal grandmother (my ex's mom). I would like to send our nanny with my eight year old daughter. It will be a low stress trip as dd's cousins her age will be there. However, due to an incident that happened last summer I want dd accompanied by her nanny. I pay the nanny $20/hour.
What do you pay your nanny per day when she travels overnight with your child(ren).
Thanks in advance.
How long will your nanny be staying with your DD at your ex-MIL's home? I ask because unless you have unlimited funds, an extended stay will become very costly very quickly. And is your ex-MIL fine with having an additional house guest? Are you offering your ex-MIL a food stipend for nanny, or how will that work?
If your nanny will be sharing a room with your DD, you need to pay a relatively higher overnight rate. If your ex-MIL is less than thrilled at having nanny along for the visit (meaning nanny will be coping with backlash stress, you need to pay a slightly higher rate overall.
General guideline:
Regular hourly rate (and OT) for all waking hours nanny is working, i.e., responsible for DD and unable to go do whatever nanny wants to do.
1/2 hourly rate for sleeping hours if nanny is NOT sharing a room, 20% more than that if nanny is sharing a room.
Bonus of 10 - 20% of total if there are issues with ex-MIL over this visit, to thank nanny for coping.
$20/hour from 7a - 9p, plus OT is (20 x 8) + (30 x 6) = $340 + 100 - 120 for sleeping hours = $440 - $460 plus 20% difficulty bonus = $532 - $552 per 24 hour period
So if all is happy and peaceful and joyous, you'll pay $440 per 24 hour period. If not, you'll pay up to $552/24 hour period.
That...is a lot of money.
Good luck!
I believe it is legal. But unless you live in a very low COL area and your nanny has NO prior experience other than babysitting, and your kids are very very low maintenance, you are underpaying.
Although many MB's here will argue otherwise, a nanny share rate is not fiscally equal to daycare rates. Most knowledgeable nannies will happily give each family a discount off her regular rate when considering a share, but will not "split the difference" on her regular rate for a share.
IOW, if nanny can make $15/hour working for a single family, she might offer a discount to $12/hour PER FAMILY in a nanny share.
So if your potential hire can make say...$10/hour working for one family, she'd likely set her nanny share rate at $8 per family per hour, with OT kicking in after 40 hours, bringing each family's rate to $12/hour. Which means that instead of both families paying $337.5/week, you would each be paying $380/week
So, yes, you can pay her that wage and be prepared to lose her when she finds a better paying job.
Although many MB's here will argue otherwise, a nanny share rate is not fiscally equal to daycare rates. Most knowledgeable nannies will happily give each family a discount off her regular rate when considering a share, but will not "split the difference" on her regular rate for a share.
IOW, if nanny can make $15/hour working for a single family, she might offer a discount to $12/hour PER FAMILY in a nanny share.
So if your potential hire can make say...$10/hour working for one family, she'd likely set her nanny share rate at $8 per family per hour, with OT kicking in after 40 hours, bringing each family's rate to $12/hour. Which means that instead of both families paying $337.5/week, you would each be paying $380/week
So, yes, you can pay her that wage and be prepared to lose her when she finds a better paying job.
OP, if you run into anyone calling themselves a "baby nurse" don't even bother interviewing them. As a PP mentioned, that term is incorrect and misleading. You want an NCS who has neonatal knowledge, a Pediatric RN or other nurse who knows babies and is skilled at newborn care.
Ask the NICU nurses, ask your baby's doctors, and ask your OB for recommendations.
Ask the NICU nurses, ask your baby's doctors, and ask your OB for recommendations.
If you only want 2 years experience, then you could try offering $14 - $15 and see what kind of candidates you get. If they are not people you'd want to hire, then you can up your offer from there when you advertise.
One thing I'll suggest is that if you want this person to stay long term (more than a year) you need to leave yourself room for at least a bit of a raise at her yearly review. So if an additional dollar an hour is out of your budget at $17/hour, you should not start with that rate.
One thing I'll suggest is that if you want this person to stay long term (more than a year) you need to leave yourself room for at least a bit of a raise at her yearly review. So if an additional dollar an hour is out of your budget at $17/hour, you should not start with that rate.
Anonymous wrote:But $5 and hour is a perfectly legal rate for a live in.
No. LI (and LO) nannies are legally entitled to be paid the minimum wage of the state where they work. It's in the Fair Labor Standards Act.
http://www.enannysource.com/find-nanny-job/nanny-salary-advice-tips.aspx
http://www.babycenter.com/0_nanny-care-how-much-does-it-cost_6045.bc
http://www.4nannytaxes.com/index.cfm/faq/nannyhousekeeper-faq-list/overtime-calculation/
http://www.4nannytaxes.com/index.cfm/faq/nannyhousekeeper-faq-list/nanny-minimum-wage/
http://nannybizreviews.com/2011/10/legal-side-of-employing-a-nanny/
http://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/is-it-required-by-law-to-pay-live-in-nannies-minim-534281.html ****
****And yes, some parents choose to withhold room and board. They are generally people who feel entitled to a nanny although they can't afford one, or they are simply seeking any and all ways to skimp on childcare costs. They also tend to go through nannies at the rate of one every few months, assuming they allow nanny to leave the house and talk with other nannies who then tell her she's being royally screwed.
Anonymous wrote:Hi - I'm a FTM and some of these questions may be really stupid, but I just don't know the answers.
DH and I would like to find someone to occasionally babysit for our daughter. Not necessarily a set schedule, just a Saturday evening or Sunday afternoon here and there.
When I was a teenager, I used to babysit all the time. But, from talking with people who have teenage daughters, it seems that very few teenagers babysit anymore. We live out in the MD suburbs and our neighborhood doesn't have a listserve.
So, my first question is, how does one go about finding an occasional sitter? Do people still do this? All of my friends just use family members, so they have no one to recommend.
My second, and more bothersome question is, how do you make it work with a young toddler with separation/stranger anxiety? DD just turned one and definitely has separation/stranger anxiety. I can't imagine how we could leave her with someone she only sees once every week or two. How have other navigated this? DH suggested we just have someone come at 9pm, after DD is in bed (she sleeps through the night), and just pay someone to watch TV and make sure the house doesn't burn down around DD. I'm fine with that in theory, but would eventually like to get to the point where we can leave the house while the baby is awake, and have the sitter feed her and put her to bed.
Sorry, I know all that was a bit rambling. But, if anyone has any advice or suggestions, I'd love to hear it! Thanks.
First, don't sneak out. That's a surefire way to guarantee that your DD has severe separation issues for a LONG time, since when she wakes up in the dark (and Murphy's Law says that will happen the first time you sneak off) and sees a complete stranger, she will lose her damn mind and lose all trust that you will be there for her or that someone else she trusts will be there for her.
Hire someone to come play with you and DD for a few hours every weekend (or more often if possible), and remind DD how much fun she had with her sitter through the week. Have sitter do activities with DD that you know DD loves. Over time, spend less time with sitter and DD, and more time out of sight. When out of site, do not swoop back in when DD fusses - let the sitter calm her and distract her. Then do a short trial run - a coffee date with DH? - and see how it goes. Keep going out and stretching out the time. Ask sitter to let you know if there are issues. Basically, you're desensitizing your DD to your absence/to her aversion to care from others.
If you truly feel like giving her another chance, sit her down and have a "come to Jesus" discussion. Tell her that she will be fired on the spot if she ever forgets the epipen again, and that you will be doing surprise "inspections" for the next month to see if she has one in her purse/car/whatever.
In your place, if the allergy is life threatening, I would fire your nanny now. She is not doing the very basic chore of keeping your child safe.
In your place, if the allergy is life threatening, I would fire your nanny now. She is not doing the very basic chore of keeping your child safe.
OP, you might be able to find a Newborn Care Specialist who is new to the field or transitioning from nanny to NCS who would be thrilled with the job you're offering. It would be a great way for them to gain direct NCS experience. Or you might actually want an experienced NCS - it really depends on your budget, since someone newer to the field (although not necessarily new to newborn care!) might charge less.
Do you plan to be directive with the person you hire, or do you want someone who can take over the infants so you can focus on your toddler? IOW, do you want a self-starter or someone who will need directions? If you're OK with a lot of managing, a nanny who is newer to the business might work fine for you. Again, it comes down to cost.
Congrats and good luck!
Do you plan to be directive with the person you hire, or do you want someone who can take over the infants so you can focus on your toddler? IOW, do you want a self-starter or someone who will need directions? If you're OK with a lot of managing, a nanny who is newer to the business might work fine for you. Again, it comes down to cost.
Congrats and good luck!
Anonymous wrote:It I can get quality care for my children at $200-$350 a week salary (plus the cost of car, food, insurnace, etc) then why on earth would I pay +$500???? That is tens of thousands of dollars extra a year that could be saved for college, retirement, private school, etc. Like others have said, these are generally younger women and they do not have the experience to command top dollar. Nor, in my experiance, do they ask for it. My live-ins (2 so far) have been happy with the salary and benefits they have received. I refuse to overpay for nanny care!
Where do you live? Do you pay legally? How many hours? How many kids? How often do you have to replace your inexperienced nannies?
Often novice nannies are thrilled at making minimum wage or less, at least until they see that by using your job as a brief stopover to get experience, they can leave and get better pay almost anywhere else.
And if you prioritize low pay child care now, you may not have much need for big private school and college funds later. After all, many novice nannies/underpaid nannies aren't going to deliver much in the way of daily intellectual nurturing. Google "30 million word gap", or paste the link below for some interesting reading.
http://www.earlyedgecalifornia.org/resources/resource-items/hart-and-risley-the-30.html
Anonymous wrote:Our nanny has been with us for almost 2 years. She's been taking care of our son ( 2.5) on a part time basis (about 20 hrs/week). We've given her benefits as a full time employee (holidays, vacations, etc). Now, she wants to leave as she needs a full time job. I can understand that. So, she's basically quitting. But she said that shed give me a month. I found another alternative for my son but I need to start immediately. Part of me thinks that she quit and I don't need to give her severance, but part of me thinks that I should. I want to be fair. Anyone has faced a similar situation? How did you handle it?
You need to pay her the full 4 weeks. She could have found a new job and then given you less than 24 hours notice that she wasn't coming back ever. Then how would you feel?
She did the right thing, and being punished for doing the right thing really stinks.
BTW, how long has she been doing a not so great job? For less than a month? More than a year? Or just since she gave you proper and polite notice?
Anonymous wrote:You're telling me I shouldn't be able to leave a 14 year old by herself for an hour?
If you are the parent of the 14-year-old, go for it!
If you are the nanny, and the parent(s) have not said specifically, "Nanny, whenever Mykeelyn has homework, she is to stay home and do it when you leave to take little Treela to sports or when you go to run errands.", then you do, indeed, take the 14-year-old you are being paid to supervise with you. Everywhere.
Offering access to your frig and pantry is:
1) A great way to judge if the nanny you've hired is respectful of your home and possessions.****
2) A fairly easy and relatively inexpensive way to make your nanny feel welcome and to show that you are kind and thoughtful.####
****If you offer her access, and she gobbles down the imported chocolates, or eats the last of things (and then doesn't have the grace to add the stuff to the grocery list!), or feeds your kid Kraft easy mac while she eats your salmon steaks, you have chosen a thoughtless and selfish nanny, and should probably reboot and hire someone else.
####Gracious hospitality is not taken for granted by people with good manners and good breeding. A family that bars nanny from touching their food will be seen as stingy, whereas a family who offers to share will be seen as generous, and nanny's feelings about her employers food DO translate into her overall job performance.
1) A great way to judge if the nanny you've hired is respectful of your home and possessions.****
2) A fairly easy and relatively inexpensive way to make your nanny feel welcome and to show that you are kind and thoughtful.####
****If you offer her access, and she gobbles down the imported chocolates, or eats the last of things (and then doesn't have the grace to add the stuff to the grocery list!), or feeds your kid Kraft easy mac while she eats your salmon steaks, you have chosen a thoughtless and selfish nanny, and should probably reboot and hire someone else.
####Gracious hospitality is not taken for granted by people with good manners and good breeding. A family that bars nanny from touching their food will be seen as stingy, whereas a family who offers to share will be seen as generous, and nanny's feelings about her employers food DO translate into her overall job performance.
That must be one really laid back music class, if there's time for a round of musical boobies during class!
And no, say nothing. It's not your business, and the instructor/owner will make their own decision.
And no, say nothing. It's not your business, and the instructor/owner will make their own decision.
Anonymous wrote:We have had our nanny for over 4 years now. When our second child was born (2 years ago), we negotiated her raise. At that time, we asked her what happened when our then 2.5 year old was in school full time. She said that we would not reduce her salary, but instead she would have extra duties. She currently does the children's laundry, bathes them and feeds them dinner, and sweeps once a day. What more would be appropriate to ask her to do? We cannot imagine paying her to care for 2 children when 1 is in school starting in August from 8:30 - 3 without having her do more. Any suggestions would be appreciated. We want to be reasonable, but we feel a bit taken advantage of lately and want to be well informed for the upcoming discussion. Thanks.
OP, what is going on between you and your nanny that has you irritated? IMO, you need to try to resolve whatever issues you currently have before discussing her pay for continuing employment. Is nanny not fulfilling her work agreement? Is nanny no longer performing at a high level? If you are unable or unwilling to get things back on track with your nanny, then making a change to someone new is likely in everyone's best interest.
For anyone to give good advice, letting us know where you live and what you currently pay would be helpful. Have you given her only a single raise over 4 years, or has she gotten yearly raises in addition to the "new baby" raise? What benefits do you offer?
And finally, what do you want nanny's priority to be while your youngest child is with her solo? Do you want a focus on outings, educational play, one-on-one time, and so forth, or do you want the focus to be on chores, errands, and housekeeping? In addition, unless your older child will be attending school year round with minimal vacation time, there will be plenty of days when nanny still has both of your children in her care. Will you be OK with the additional chores going undone on those days?
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