Message
OP, how many years has it been since she worked for you? What was her hourly rate then? One way to approach the pay issue is to offer her the same amount or slightly more than she made for you in the past, which would take into account a small "discount" for LI based on what she would be making if she still worked for you. I hope that makes sense?
For example, if she made $15/hour her last year with you as a LO, and she has been gone 3 years, assuming you give a $1 raise each year, she would be at $18 now if she had stayed with you. Therefore you would pay her $15 - $15.50 as a LI now.
One other thing is that I would simplify the hours issue by making nanny's hours 6/6:30 - 5/5:30 2 days and 8:30 - 5:30 3 days year round. That eliminates the need to constantly count hours, gives nanny a steady income, and insures that you'll have care for the inevitable sick days, as well as days when there is no school. It also allows nanny to manage her tasks most effectively, since she sounds like a self-starter who is a pro at house management from your description.
So with the minor change to hours, (22 + 27 = 49) it sounds like a good package. Hope it works out for you!
For example, if she made $15/hour her last year with you as a LO, and she has been gone 3 years, assuming you give a $1 raise each year, she would be at $18 now if she had stayed with you. Therefore you would pay her $15 - $15.50 as a LI now.
One other thing is that I would simplify the hours issue by making nanny's hours 6/6:30 - 5/5:30 2 days and 8:30 - 5:30 3 days year round. That eliminates the need to constantly count hours, gives nanny a steady income, and insures that you'll have care for the inevitable sick days, as well as days when there is no school. It also allows nanny to manage her tasks most effectively, since she sounds like a self-starter who is a pro at house management from your description.
So with the minor change to hours, (22 + 27 = 49) it sounds like a good package. Hope it works out for you!
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:They constantly want the nanny to play and interact with the children. Then wonder why they're so tired the two days they have to watch their kids, that they can't wait for nanny to arrive on a Monday morning, so they can get a break. I think that a nanny should do her job and not have bosses try to get every single minute of her monies worth because if you want your child constantly entertained, how are we suppose to teach them to occupy themselves and entertain themselves.
Such nonsense. When you aren't interacting with the kids you should still be watching them or doing another child-related chore. Yours is such a ridiculous excuse to be on your phone when you are working.
Too many silly little girls out there pretending to be nannies. Work means work. You text, call and chat on your own time - like everyone else in the working world.
Sadly, "my own time" is before 7 am and after 7 pm. Odd how many calls to businesses can NOT be made then, so I do it during work hours. No complaints yet, likely because I keep the calls as short as possible, and don't shut myself away from the kids when on the phone.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:If this is part-time work, they most likely are not depending on your salary in order to survive. They may just be making a bit of pocket money.
Also, since you work from home, they probably assume that since you are home, it won't be much of a hardship for you if they leave you high and dry.
No good. During your future interviews, I would stress to them that their presence is vital to you doing your job.
I don't know why nannies assume that. Could you explain?
OP has sitters, not nannies. Her sitters are college-educated professionals (both of them public school employees), and obviously are not making much of their HHI from this babysitting job.
I would guess that most actual nannies don't make these sort of assumptions. I know I don't.
I have no idea why you WOULDN'T replace her ASAP. Yes, the search is hard, but you need to tell your share partners what she asked you, and brainstorm with them about how to handle replacing her.
In your shoes, I would reach out to temp nanny agencies and find someone who knows basic safety rules to work until you find a new nanny who posesess actual common sense and intelligence.
In your shoes, I would reach out to temp nanny agencies and find someone who knows basic safety rules to work until you find a new nanny who posesess actual common sense and intelligence.
OP, what sort of car does your nanny drive? If she drives a small sedan that won't safely seat 4 kids in the back, then that is your reason for saying no:
"Neighbor, I would be willing to ask nanny if she is able to do that for you, but her car only seats 2 kids comfortably in the back seat, and I am not willing to ask her to seat kids in the front."
Or, if the car excuse won't work, tell the neighbor that the cost for pick-up and babysitting is $25/hour, minimum charge $100. Or use whatever insane number will scare them off.
"Neighbor, I would be willing to ask nanny if she is able to do that for you, but her car only seats 2 kids comfortably in the back seat, and I am not willing to ask her to seat kids in the front."
Or, if the car excuse won't work, tell the neighbor that the cost for pick-up and babysitting is $25/hour, minimum charge $100. Or use whatever insane number will scare them off.
"MB, I wanted to speak with you about the decision you made to have 6yo no longer take quiet time in her room. As you know, I try to focus my attention on your kids when they are physically with me. That means I have been cleaning the kitchen while they both rest. I have also been taking about 30 minutes during rest time to eat my lunch and relax briefly, I have found in all my past jobs that a short break helps me stay cheerful and focused during my 11+ hour days.
I would like to have 6yo continue to have solo play time in the XXX room while I do chores and take my own short rest time. Then 6yo and I can work on school skills until 4yo wakes up and we have snack time. What do you think of that plan?"
And if/when she rejects that plan, ask her how she would like to manage your need for 30 minutes to rest and eat and recharge. If her answer is that you just have to deal with not getting a break, start looking for a new job asap.
I would like to have 6yo continue to have solo play time in the XXX room while I do chores and take my own short rest time. Then 6yo and I can work on school skills until 4yo wakes up and we have snack time. What do you think of that plan?"
And if/when she rejects that plan, ask her how she would like to manage your need for 30 minutes to rest and eat and recharge. If her answer is that you just have to deal with not getting a break, start looking for a new job asap.
Anonymous wrote:Hi,
I am not currently employing a nanny but was hoping I could get some advice from all of you who are working with nannies who might be able to help me figure out next steps.
I am pregnant with a singleton and my office is offering a hoteling program (basically work at home). As a result of this flexibility I think the best idea/most cost effective plan is to hire a part time nanny. I am thinking it will be from 10am-3pm M-F and want to pay around $15 an hour. Some questions I've had, sorry if some seem stupid, we're brand new to this:
- I am open to paying for some vacation days/sick days but wondering if there is a legal max/min for a PT worker versus a FT worker
- Are these hours reasonable? Would I find someone willing to do that?
- Is this price reasonable if I expect no housework/food prep from the nanny?
- Are there PT nanny shares? Or is this an arrangement that is really only for FT people
- How far in advance of start date should I start advertising?
- Any other questions you think I should be thinking about but haven't asked?
I am due in October and planning on taking approximately 3/4 months of leave so will be
OP, do you anticipate being able to get 100% of your work done during nanny's work hours? If so, then a PT nanny might work out well for you. However, if you anticipate having last minute phone calls 5 minutes before nanny HAS to leave, you may be working while juggling your unhappy infant.
PT nannies who work 2+ jobs to make FT pay will not be able to be flexible with their schedule for any of their families. They may have jobs at 8 -1, 1:30 - 5, and 6:30 - 9 and have no wiggle room.
That said,
- I am open to paying for some vacation days/sick days but wondering if there is a legal max/min for a PT worker versus a FT worker
****There are no legal requirements, but PTO is a benefit that will make your job more appealing. Most people offer 15 "days" of PTO, with 5 of those "days" being taken when you take your vacation. You might also consider offering guaranteed hours, paying nanny 52 weeks a year and having her attend to small child related duties at your home during any "extra" vacation time you take.
- Are these hours reasonable? Would I find someone willing to do that?
****It's possible, especially if you can flex your hours to work with other jobs the nanny already has.
- Is this price reasonable if I expect no housework/food prep from the nanny?
****Without knowing your location, and what sort of nanny you are seeking, I can't say. I will say that PT jobs tend to offer slightly higher wages to offset the lack of OT and the need to add other jobs to make a secure living. You might also consider if having nanny do baby laundry and deal with bottles she uses would be worth a bit more money.
- Are there PT nanny shares? Or is this an arrangement that is really only for FT people
****You might find a family seeking FT care (with an infant of similar age) that would like to pair with you to cut their costs slightly. The main issue would be that you would have to take your child to that family's home, which would either add hours to the job, or cut your available work hours . The savings *might* be $5 per hour, likely a bit less than that.
- How far in advance of start date should I start advertising?
****3 months, simply because I think PT positions are harder to fill. Plus, you want to make sure your new nanny can give proper notice to her current employers.
- Any other questions you think I should be thinking about but haven't asked?
****I would advise you to outline the job requirements, write out a description of your "perfect" nanny, and network with fellow moms-to-be at your OB's office, at birthing class, hospital tours, etc, as well as through your neighborhood list-serve to see if you can find a nanny who is seeking work or a family seeking a share.
Do you want the entire house cleaned more than once over the three days, or do you want all rooms cleaned one time? (Ex: Living areas, kitchen and baths M, bedrooms W, kitchen and baths F vs. bathrooms and kitchen M, living areas W, bedrooms F)
And how thorough do you want the cleaning to be? Do you want the full bath done in 15 minutes or in 30?
Do you plan to have the menus planned and needed items on hand or will you want her to shop as well each day or weekly?
Depending on your answers, I can see this being a 15 - 20+ hour a week job, with a higher rate than a FT housekeeper would get because of it being PT, so maybe $20+ per hour, and PTO based on her hourly work time would be a great bonus.
You might also see if any of your neighbors or friends need housekeeping help, because offering FT work, even if it's with 2 - 3 families, would seem to be more appealing than PT, since she would then need to find other work on her own that fits outside of your needs.
And how thorough do you want the cleaning to be? Do you want the full bath done in 15 minutes or in 30?
Do you plan to have the menus planned and needed items on hand or will you want her to shop as well each day or weekly?
Depending on your answers, I can see this being a 15 - 20+ hour a week job, with a higher rate than a FT housekeeper would get because of it being PT, so maybe $20+ per hour, and PTO based on her hourly work time would be a great bonus.
You might also see if any of your neighbors or friends need housekeeping help, because offering FT work, even if it's with 2 - 3 families, would seem to be more appealing than PT, since she would then need to find other work on her own that fits outside of your needs.
OP, unless you are willing to put your kids needs 2nd to the needs of the child you are paid to care for, this arrangement is not destined for success.
If your kids get off the bus at 2:30, and your charge naps from 1:30 - 3:30, who will be taking care of getting your kids off the bus?
If the 2 yo has a class at 10:30 every week, and your kids are off from school for some reason, what will they do while you are engaging the little one in his class?
If your kids have an activity 3x a week at 5:30, but the 2 yo eats dinner at 5:15, who will take your kids to their practices?
Nannies are paid to put the children they care for first, and their own children second. Can you do that?
If your kids get off the bus at 2:30, and your charge naps from 1:30 - 3:30, who will be taking care of getting your kids off the bus?
If the 2 yo has a class at 10:30 every week, and your kids are off from school for some reason, what will they do while you are engaging the little one in his class?
If your kids have an activity 3x a week at 5:30, but the 2 yo eats dinner at 5:15, who will take your kids to their practices?
Nannies are paid to put the children they care for first, and their own children second. Can you do that?
Anonymous wrote:nannydebsays wrote:So unless she moves, she can't have a LI nanny. That means she'll need to pay more to have someone "on-call" for nights and weekends, IMO.
She's likely going to need 2 main nannies working 3.5 days on/off and a list of sitters to call if the nannies take time off for any reason.
I'd only take a job like this if I were paid for all the hours I was expected to work or be on call. So 84 hours, with OT, at about $22/hour...$2332/week per nanny to guarantee availability 24/7.
That's about 300K a year.
Just DAMN!
I'm not following the 84 hour availability per nanny. If each nanny works 3.5 days- that's right about 40 hours. And not tons of overtime. Her work place has backup kiddo care- so we are assuming that would be the first line of defense if a nanny is sick/can't cover.
She's looking at paying 25-30 an hour. By our estimates it would be about 130K a year, once we are out of the newborn phase.
It's a lot- no doubt.
It sounds as if your SIL needs 24/7 availability. That's 168 hours of coverage per week, or 2 nannies each ready to work as soon as needed 84 hours a week.
You indicated that this mom-to-be often has last minute events to attend both at night during the week and at any time on the weekends. If she wants her nannies to be ready to show up last minute or stay late last minute, IMO she needs to reserve their time by paying them for 24/7 availability. That way when she has an event from 7p - 11p on a Wednesday night, she knows her nanny on duty has agreed to stay late as needed, and her nanny knows that she shouldn't schedule anything for the 3.5 days/nights she is required to be available to work. That will save her a LOT of trouble and nanny burn out and hard feelings and turnover. As long as both nannies understand that they are paid to be available to work at the drop of a hat, they can't really fuss if they have to do a 7a - 11p shift instead of their normal 7a - 7p shift.
That's why I suggested LI at first, because then there wouldn't be any time lag if your SIL got called out to a meeting or event suddenly. With a LO nanny, she'll have to factor in travel time if nanny is not already at her apartment, which makes the "last minute" events more challenging to attend in some cases.
I also stated a low rate of pay because her nannies may be paid to be available, but not work. That, to me, means you accept a lower rate because sometimes you will simply be "on call", limiting your activities so that you can get to work asap when called in.
If she offered $18/hour with OT (translating to 106 straight time hours), she'd be paying each nanny around 2K per week. For $16/hour each nanny would earn about $1700/week. That rate of pay would keep many nannies quite happy to have to be on call with very little personal freedom 3.5 days a week.
Good luck to her as she makes her decisions!
So unless she moves, she can't have a LI nanny. That means she'll need to pay more to have someone "on-call" for nights and weekends, IMO.
She's likely going to need 2 main nannies working 3.5 days on/off and a list of sitters to call if the nannies take time off for any reason.
I'd only take a job like this if I were paid for all the hours I was expected to work or be on call. So 84 hours, with OT, at about $22/hour...$2332/week per nanny to guarantee availability 24/7.
That's about 300K a year.
Just DAMN!
She's likely going to need 2 main nannies working 3.5 days on/off and a list of sitters to call if the nannies take time off for any reason.
I'd only take a job like this if I were paid for all the hours I was expected to work or be on call. So 84 hours, with OT, at about $22/hour...$2332/week per nanny to guarantee availability 24/7.
That's about 300K a year.
Just DAMN!
Anonymous wrote:New to the forum, but I've searched around and couldn't really find relevant discussion.
Live in DC. I have a incredibly nice 2 BR garage apartment (850 SF, separate entrance, lots of windows looking over back yard in a leafy neighborhood) that I've been renting out for $2500/month here in DC. We are about to have a child and would prefer a live in Nanny situation, both as a convenience to ourselves but also as a perk to the Nanny. We were looking for 50 hours a week, weekends off, no house chores (cooking, cleaning etc) involved. We are of course offering 3 weeks of PTO and health insurance.
Now granted, we just started our search and only interviewed two prospective nannies who are looking for a live in situation, but both were still demanding anywhere from $18-20/hr on top of the free apartment and that just seems pretty high to me considering we are covering her largest life expense and giving her a separate roof valued at $2,500 a month. Spread over the 50 hours we are wanting, that "perk" as I see it is already worth about $50 an hour (or costing me $50 an hour to give it to a Nanny). All in the free apt, the hourly pay, vacation and etc would total out to about ~$80/hr.
Yeah, yeah...think of the kids. I get it, you don't want some unqualified hack taking care of your kids, but for an all in cost of ~$80 an hour, I would think I could get Mary Poppins...magic umbrella and all.
Is this what the DC market demands? Is this truly what a good nanny costs or am I getting the "NW DC" price quote?
First, your math is way off on the "value" of the apartment. $2500 x 12 months a year = $30,000 and 50 hours a week x 52 weeks a year = 2600 hours a year That means if you want to assign an hourly value to the housing, you are looking at $11.54/hour, not $50/hour.
That said, I would think you have 2 options. First, accept that no one you'd want to hire is going to take $11.50/hour off their rate. Then consider whether the bonus of having a LI who may NEVER be willing to work additional hours for you spur of the moment just because she lives right next to you is worth the loss on the rent you currently get. I think the absolute most a good, smart, savvy nanny might accept as a housing deduction would be $4/hour MAX. That still leaves you paying $14 or so an hour, or ~$700/week. So you lose 30K in rental income and add 37 - 38K in nanny wages plus your employer costs...I'm not an accountant, but I think that means you'd be 70K or more in the red each year because you have a LI nanny who may never be willing to be a "convenience" to you.
Your second option is to hire a LO nanny, pay her $18/hour plus OT, and find 2 responsible college students or young college graduates who can afford a reduced rent in exchange for being available for 5 hours each a week of short notice babysitting. You'd want to be sure to either give them 24 - 48 hours notice of your need for a sitter or actually pay them a small stipend if you literally cal and ask them to be over to babysit in 10 minutes. The sitting time would be "use it or lose it", and you'd likely still be in the red, but not 70 worth. 1K to nanny, $150 for employer costs each week, 2K in rent plus 40+ hours of sitting each month - about 40K in the red.
Anonymous wrote:Ok, so here in the deal.
I am former nanny and I am trying to help my SIL plan out her kiddo care needs. I know that she will need a ton of help- and that its too much for 1 nanny. Just wanting to know how many folks she should be looking to hire.
Here is the situation. She has a high profile job in DC (easily pulls 12 hour days) and often has to go to events at night. She also wants almost around the clock care on the weekends. She will not be gone all weekend- but she often has work situations pop up that have to be dealt with immediately. She is going to be a single mom.
She is honestly wanting 12-13 hours a day of care, 7 days a week.
Please no snark about how she should have a kid if she can't care for it... The situation is what it is.
Is her budget pretty large? if so, i would suggest the following:
From birth - 4 months old or so - Newborn Care Specialist to work 24/7 the first 3 - 4 weeks, then 15 hour overnights the next 9+ weeks. Bring in a REALLY experienced full-charge nanny at 3 - 4 weeks to work the 9 hour daytime shift. This nanny will live in, and will transition to full charge nanny/nanny manager when NCS is finished. Have the nanny manager and the NCS assist with hiring of 2 additional nannies who will join the team the week before NCS leaves. COST - NCS likely $300+/day for full days, $250+ for 15 hour shifts. Nanny Manager likely $18+/hour for first weeks, then $80K+ when she transitions.
4 months forward - Nanny Manager will live in and will take on the tasks of caring for baby from 7p - 7a and managing schedules/clothes and food purchases, etc for baby as he grows. She needs to be a nanny who has been full-charge for high profile HNW families before, who is comfortable living in and taking on all the child related tasks a SAHM would usually deal with. NM will schedule and manage the other 2 nannies. Those nannies will either work a 4/3 split or 3.5 days each per week, 12 hours a day from 7a - 7p. They will likely be paid $16+/hour, and need to be experienced in a staffed home, willing to work for the good of baby and mom, and not prone to shoving unpleasant tasks onto others. No one loves to to laundry, but everyone has to pitch in, just as an example.
I would have the daytime split shift look like this:
Nanny Jane works W/Th/F/Sa from 7a - 7p and Nanny Anne works Sa 7p - 7a and Su/M/Tu from 7a - 7p. Every 4 weeks they switch schedules if desired, so that they can each have "lighter" work weeks and not have one continually working the 24 hour Saturday 7p - Sunday 7p shift. Each will work 48 hours/week, grossing $850 - 900 each weekly.
Nanny Manager will live in and work 7p - 7a Sunday - Friday, will put in up to 20 additional hours as needed M - F during the day (running errands for baby, lesson planning, scheduling other nannies and checking in with them, etc.), working 92 hours per week, although much of that time will be overnights.
With 3 nannies, they can cover each other's vacations without working ridiculous OT, and your SIL will have the 24/7 coverage she needs to do her job. The Nanny Manager also will be simply "on call" when your SIL is home and ready to take on caretaker duties.
If he bites, pull him off, say "NO BITING" very sternly, then put him down and walk away.
Generally, a crawler's desire to be with his people will outweigh any desire to bite.
And if he's biting when over excited, help him calm down a bit when he starts teetering on the edge, either by playing a calm game, giving him some down time, or whatever helps him unwind.
I think you are right to refuse to follow the mom's way of "stopping" the biting.
Generally, a crawler's desire to be with his people will outweigh any desire to bite.
And if he's biting when over excited, help him calm down a bit when he starts teetering on the edge, either by playing a calm game, giving him some down time, or whatever helps him unwind.
I think you are right to refuse to follow the mom's way of "stopping" the biting.
Doctor visit, if these are accidents. Constipation is often a cause of pee accidents.
Doctor referral to a qualified child therapist if this is deliberate/defiant, as in, he looks you in the eye, smirks, and pees on the furniture.
Doctor referral to a qualified child therapist if this is deliberate/defiant, as in, he looks you in the eye, smirks, and pees on the furniture.
|