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I would start your search 3 months out, because some nannies actually respect the notice clauses in their contracts, and if you find a nanny in March who has to give 6 weeks notice, you'll be cutting things close by the time you've made an offer and signed a contract.
As far as your pay is concerned, 50 hours including OT at $15 - 17/hour is $825 - 935/week gross. Whether that's average, good, or great depends on where you live and what kind of nanny you are looking to hire.
I would offer 15 days PTO though to cover vacation, sick leave, etc. You can require that one of nanny's weeks off matches one of yours.
And guaranteed hours (same pay 52 weeks a year) have become more of an expectation than an extra, IMO.
As far as your pay is concerned, 50 hours including OT at $15 - 17/hour is $825 - 935/week gross. Whether that's average, good, or great depends on where you live and what kind of nanny you are looking to hire.
I would offer 15 days PTO though to cover vacation, sick leave, etc. You can require that one of nanny's weeks off matches one of yours.
And guaranteed hours (same pay 52 weeks a year) have become more of an expectation than an extra, IMO.
There may be casual or more formally organized nanny groups where you live - facebook is a good place to search if you don't want to mention location here.
Isolation is an issue for some nannies, and the fact that you recognize that is a huge plus.
Since your child will also need to be around other kids, whatever classes (music, gym, art, storytime, etc.) that are available are good places to meet friends for nanny and your kiddo.
Isolation is an issue for some nannies, and the fact that you recognize that is a huge plus.
Since your child will also need to be around other kids, whatever classes (music, gym, art, storytime, etc.) that are available are good places to meet friends for nanny and your kiddo.
PP, this isn't a live-in position. And that's the issue with the pay.
Anonymous wrote:I'll start by saying I live in a lower cost of living area than DC, but not the middle of nowhere. Still you can actually buy decent houses for 200k. We'd like to offer $600 per week guaranteed 52 weeks per year. 3 weeks vacation (1 of our choosing & 2 of nanny's choosing), 5 paid sick days (if needed), 10 paid holidays, plus week between Christmas and New Years as paid holiday.
Nanny will be caring for 1 year old and 3 year old. Both will attend preschool twice a week. Nanny would walk or use our car for drop off/ pick up and other outings. Nanny would only be responsible for housekeeping/ food prep related to the kids. Hours would be 8 am to 6 pm, M-F. In the summer, nanny would often have off Friday or early dismissal.
We are a pretty laid back family and would like to give nanny freedom to plan outings/activities that she likes. We have a house with a nice backyard and walkable neighborhood.
Would this be an attractive position for a nanny? Ideally we'd find someone with a few years experience but wouldn't necessarily need college degree.
OP, I have no idea if any of the other responses claiming to be you are sock puppets, so...
The PTO offer is great.
The money isn't as great. Assuming you are talking $600 gross, your nanny will get around $450 take home after taxes. And yes, you need to CYA and pay legally. You get to take the child care credit on your taxes, and you avoid any issues if things end badly and nanny decides to come after you when she can't get unemployment or prove her income for big purchases, etc.
The $$ break down goes like this: 40 hours straight time + 10 hours OT (10 *1.5) = 55 hours. 600/55 = $10.91/ hour and $16.37 OT. You need this outlined in your work agreement.
As far as nanny having "free" hours when your kids are in school 5 hours a week - those hours count. Unless you guarantee that 52 weeks a year nanny will not need to ever be available to care for your kids those hours, and can go home, get a mani/pedi, etc, your nanny is on duty those hours. She could use that time to do kid laundry or food prep. Or on the multiple sick/vacation/in-service/summer days there is no school, nanny can take care of your kids.
The idea that nanny will get to leave early in the summer on Fridays is great. That is YOUR CHOICE to not use her services, so claiming that "cuts her hours" is illogical. Nanny will still reserve her time for you on Fridays.That's how guaranteed hours work. You guarantee 50 hours of pay, nanny guarantees to be available those specific 50 hours. If your nanny told you on a summer Friday when you actually needed her all 10 hours that she was going to leave at 2 to go babysit elsewhere, you'd be furious, right? Guaranteed hours eliminate that possibility because you pay for availability, whether you use it or not.
Another point on pay. It's great that people can buy good houses for 200K. Do you know what "good" apartments rent for? What about condos or townhouses? That info helps set a living wage, because if you aren't paying nanny enough for her to afford good housing ON HER OWN using about 30% of her net pay, you aren't paying a living wage. And here are the numbers:
$450 net x 52 = $23,400 x 30% = $7020/12 = $585 per month for housing.
See if that will cover good housing for your nanny. If not, adjust wages as needed.
Or if that method doesn't appeal, advertise the job at $600 and see what quality candidates you get. Not the type of people you want around your kids? Up the hourly rate and see what happens. More and better candidates? You are now offering an appealing wage.
OP, I think that what you are describing is either a "Mother's Helper" job, or a great job for a novice nanny, who is new to the field and needs experience in order to eventually sign on with agencies.
In your shoes, I would look for candidates at nearby colleges, especially in the psychology, nursing, education, and similar departments, as well as advertising that you would be happy to hire someone with a background in the daycare/preschool field.
If you attend a church that has a mother's morning out program, perhaps one of the teachers would like to try something new, or they might know of a candidate for you.
You might also find a mature high school junior or senior who plans to teach or go into another child focused field and would like to gain experience in childcare.
I would offer $15+ per hour, make the framework of the job clear in your ads and in person, and look for an enthusiastic person who you "click" with personally.
And last, I would change the hours you want to cover the "witching hours", between 3 - 9 pm or so. When I think of what time I would least like to be alone with 2 under 2, the end of the day is my instant choice.
Good luck!
In your shoes, I would look for candidates at nearby colleges, especially in the psychology, nursing, education, and similar departments, as well as advertising that you would be happy to hire someone with a background in the daycare/preschool field.
If you attend a church that has a mother's morning out program, perhaps one of the teachers would like to try something new, or they might know of a candidate for you.
You might also find a mature high school junior or senior who plans to teach or go into another child focused field and would like to gain experience in childcare.
I would offer $15+ per hour, make the framework of the job clear in your ads and in person, and look for an enthusiastic person who you "click" with personally.
And last, I would change the hours you want to cover the "witching hours", between 3 - 9 pm or so. When I think of what time I would least like to be alone with 2 under 2, the end of the day is my instant choice.
Good luck!
I am going to give you the benefit of the doubt here, and not assume you are trolling with this outrageous story.
Unless this child has severe special needs, there is NO EXCUSE for his behavior. You are not a toilet, OP.
If the parents accept and/or excuse this behavior, then they can deal with the consequences when you quit.
Find a new position, and give only the notice you are contractually obligated to give. If you haven't got a contract, tell them at the end of the day on a Friday once your check has cleared that you are DONE and will never be back.
And if you find a new job and they want you to start ASAP, screw the contract, and walk away.
If anyone ever questions your decision to leave with little or no notice, say this:
"My older charge started deliberately urinating on me when he was X years old. His parents would not allow me to discipline him in any way when he did this or other unacceptable behaviors. Therefore, I left that position ASAP."
Unless this child has severe special needs, there is NO EXCUSE for his behavior. You are not a toilet, OP.
If the parents accept and/or excuse this behavior, then they can deal with the consequences when you quit.
Find a new position, and give only the notice you are contractually obligated to give. If you haven't got a contract, tell them at the end of the day on a Friday once your check has cleared that you are DONE and will never be back.
And if you find a new job and they want you to start ASAP, screw the contract, and walk away.
If anyone ever questions your decision to leave with little or no notice, say this:
"My older charge started deliberately urinating on me when he was X years old. His parents would not allow me to discipline him in any way when he did this or other unacceptable behaviors. Therefore, I left that position ASAP."
If money is an issue, you could sell one of your smaller cars and use that money to buy a minivan that will be driven by whoever has the children in their care. This will work best if your cars are fairly new and you own a model that is popular and in demand, allowing you to get the most money on the sale.
Then you either carpool with DH or take the metro.
If you and DH both have older, paid off cars, then you keep them and buy a minivan.
Then you either carpool with DH or take the metro.
If you and DH both have older, paid off cars, then you keep them and buy a minivan.
Anonymous wrote:Our nanny just started this week. She's really great- trying very hard to entertain the baby. But he is overly tired and overly hungry when she leaves and the baby becomes inconsolable for hours. We have never had this problem before- he is not a colicky baby. I think it's because of change in caretaker and change in routines. I think he is not sleeping enough during the day due to a change in location of his sleep. nanny doesn't like the RNP which is understandable but that is where he has slept his whole life for naps. I hadn't pushed the idea of using it since he will eventually be transitioning out of the RNP anyway and I thought I should just let the nanny do whatever she wants since she has a lot of experience. But I think he isn't sleeping without it. I don't want to mention the screaming because I don't want to hurt her feelings. Maybe I should just suggest she use the RNP for a little while till he has gotten used to her?
You need to have a sit down with nanny and talk together about how things are going. Reference the log sheets she is keeping (and if she isn't keeping logs, ask why not), and discuss baby's schedule with you before nanny started, tips and tricks for what worked for you, and ask her for her input as well. If you prefer he continue to sleep in the RNP, TELL HER THAT, and ask her to brainstorm with you in a few weeks on how to make the transition to a crib easier. Go over feeding, playtime, routines, sleep - check in about everything, and be honest about the issues you are seeing, as well as about how YOU care for baby. If nanny is taking a completely different direction from you, then of course there will be issues, but she may have some ideas on positive changes that can be made. And you need to share what you are comfortable with vs. what you are willing to change.
If nanny says, "I never feed babies your son's age more than every 4 hours.", and you have been feeding every 3 hours, that is an issue you need to be clear on, telling her to feed on a 3 hour schedule. If her style of play is different from yours, as long as she is playing safely, that can be let go. You get the idea.
Good luck!
Or, you could just have a mature discussion, and set forth your expectations, such as:
Nanny, if you bring your child to work with you, here are some of the things we will need from you.
You provide food for your child.
You provide diapers and clothes for your child.
You provide a pack and play and you store it on weekends in X closet.
And so forth. Hiring a nanny with child doesn't mean that you have to pay for all the food/activities/supplies. It means you have to set boundaries and stick to them.
Nanny, if you bring your child to work with you, here are some of the things we will need from you.
You provide food for your child.
You provide diapers and clothes for your child.
You provide a pack and play and you store it on weekends in X closet.
And so forth. Hiring a nanny with child doesn't mean that you have to pay for all the food/activities/supplies. It means you have to set boundaries and stick to them.
There are endless arguments about this in the archives. Generally the answers range from:
-No pay reduction, because nothing about the care for NK will change. (Rebuttal, of course nanny will always care for her kid better and ignore NK unless there is spurting blood - it's MATERNAL INSTINCT!)
to
-Half of what you'd pay a nanny without a child, since it's a nanny share. (Rebuttal, if it's a share, nanny gets to make half the decisions, be an equal partner in every way, etc.)
-No pay reduction, because nothing about the care for NK will change. (Rebuttal, of course nanny will always care for her kid better and ignore NK unless there is spurting blood - it's MATERNAL INSTINCT!)
to
-Half of what you'd pay a nanny without a child, since it's a nanny share. (Rebuttal, if it's a share, nanny gets to make half the decisions, be an equal partner in every way, etc.)
Op, my understanding of guaranteed hours is as follows:
Employers are free to take however much vacation they choose to take. Nanny is paid full wages 52 weeks a year. Nanny remains willing to come to work when employers are on "extra" vacation time to do chores related to her job description that would be harder to accomplish when the children are with her.
Their extra vacation is not YOUR vacation. The only thing I would suggest you offer to your employers is this: "Are there chores related to Max that you would like me to do while you are gone? Here are some things I thought of: going through and organizing/ cleaning all his toys, going through his clothes and storing things that he has outgrown, etc."
My employers recently took a week vacation. I spent about 25 hours cleaning equipment their newborn will need after birth, doing 10 loads of laundry, running an emergency errand, and grocery shopping on Friday.
Employers are free to take however much vacation they choose to take. Nanny is paid full wages 52 weeks a year. Nanny remains willing to come to work when employers are on "extra" vacation time to do chores related to her job description that would be harder to accomplish when the children are with her.
Their extra vacation is not YOUR vacation. The only thing I would suggest you offer to your employers is this: "Are there chores related to Max that you would like me to do while you are gone? Here are some things I thought of: going through and organizing/ cleaning all his toys, going through his clothes and storing things that he has outgrown, etc."
My employers recently took a week vacation. I spent about 25 hours cleaning equipment their newborn will need after birth, doing 10 loads of laundry, running an emergency errand, and grocery shopping on Friday.
Maybe when she is being rude you could try thinking, "Wow, it's so sad for someone with such a terrific kid to be so constantly miserable. I do feel sorry for my MB."
I've heard garbage men make a really really good wage. Likely more than new lawyers or doctors make, and probably more than some nannies.
Of course, they make good money because it's such a denigrated job, as OP points out. So my question for OP is: What the hell would you do if all the garbage men, cleaning people, fast food workers, nannies, and other "blue collar" workers decided to stop working and go back to college to prepare to earn $100,000/year?
<crickets>
Of course, they make good money because it's such a denigrated job, as OP points out. So my question for OP is: What the hell would you do if all the garbage men, cleaning people, fast food workers, nannies, and other "blue collar" workers decided to stop working and go back to college to prepare to earn $100,000/year?
<crickets>
From what I hear, most parents are flooded with responses, and they just give up after getting 300 messages about their job posting.
So using the points above to stand out may help, and applying ASAP may also give you an edge.
So using the points above to stand out may help, and applying ASAP may also give you an edge.
Have you not experienced "Monday Madness" before in your time as a teacher and as a nanny, OP? It's a job issue most nannies have most of the time. 
That said, you can talk to her about how YOU rely on scheduling to keep NK on a good track during the week next time she complains. Take the tone that you really are invested in helping MB figure out how to have a happy kiddo during her time with him.
Ask what she does and how he responds. Ask what their days look like on the weekends. Refer to your logbook/journal to show MB your general daily schedule. Ask how she thinks you can help her have a cheerful calm kid on the weekends.
Don't mention how hard Mondays are for you - you want to make the discussions completely about helping her,which will then help you.
And don't be shocked if it takes a while for changes to take place. Parents need to make their own choices and deal with the outcomes while they are figuring out their new 24/7/365 job.
That said, you can talk to her about how YOU rely on scheduling to keep NK on a good track during the week next time she complains. Take the tone that you really are invested in helping MB figure out how to have a happy kiddo during her time with him.
Ask what she does and how he responds. Ask what their days look like on the weekends. Refer to your logbook/journal to show MB your general daily schedule. Ask how she thinks you can help her have a cheerful calm kid on the weekends.
Don't mention how hard Mondays are for you - you want to make the discussions completely about helping her,which will then help you.
And don't be shocked if it takes a while for changes to take place. Parents need to make their own choices and deal with the outcomes while they are figuring out their new 24/7/365 job.
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