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OP, to best answer your question, I need to know what your former nanny said about the injury to your baby.
1) "I am sorry, I scratched baby badly today while dressing her. I washed the wound, and called the pediatrician to see if I could use antibiotic cream...blah de blah."
2) "I scratched the baby today. It looks worse than it is. Probably."
3) "The baby would not stop wiggling when I was dressing her, and I had to hold her down. I didn't really mean to scratch her, but if she can't be still she'll get hurt."
3? - Call the new employers.
2? - Be happy she is gone, and don't call.
1? - Consider that you might have overreacted, and don't call and screw your former nanny over.
1) "I am sorry, I scratched baby badly today while dressing her. I washed the wound, and called the pediatrician to see if I could use antibiotic cream...blah de blah."
2) "I scratched the baby today. It looks worse than it is. Probably."
3) "The baby would not stop wiggling when I was dressing her, and I had to hold her down. I didn't really mean to scratch her, but if she can't be still she'll get hurt."
3? - Call the new employers.
2? - Be happy she is gone, and don't call.
1? - Consider that you might have overreacted, and don't call and screw your former nanny over.
OP, it sounds like what you need is a "Stand-In-Parent" to run the house and care for the kids as you would if you were home. Advertise the job on the sitter matching sites, give a thorough job description, and consider being open to hiring women who are old enough to no longer have kids at home and want some extra income. A Granny Nanny, you might say.
Yeah, I had a 4 yo boy who was treated like a little prince by his parents. He would drop his sippy cup, walk away, then demand "Bring me my cup, NOW!"
I think I may have been the first person to ever tell that kid "No."
I think I may have been the first person to ever tell that kid "No."
Anonymous wrote:1). Yesterday morning, Monday I received a text from our nanny. Apparently there had been a water main break on her street and the water was shut off when she woke up. She told me she couldn't come in because she couldn't take a shower first. I told her it was okay, she could shower at our home, but she politely declined saying she wouldn't feel comfortable doing so.
I work from home, yet I had a lot of work to catch up on from last week and this put me out. Sure, she could have lied and told me she was sick, at least she was being honest. Still...I find this a flimsy excuse.
I watched the news and indeed her street had a pipe burst, however the news said water service was restored by 11AM. (She was due to start work @7:30AM).
We have employed her for about eight mos., this is her first time cancelling on us.
2). This is totally unrelated and probably is nothing, but over the weekend she Facebook friend requested my husband, and not me. I am positive nothing is going on between them, yet I find it a little odd that she would friend him and not me as well. FYI, I am listed in his friend list so she could have looked for me and found me.
Advice?
As a nanny, I think a lot of times nannies need a "mental health break" day, but feel REALLY uncomfortable asking for one, and that's where the this sort of issue comes from. We try to tough it out until we just cannot face work one day, and we call out last minute. That is actually a LOT more of an issue for our employers than our just taking some PTO!
I would talk with nanny and ask her to simply come in "as is" if another water line issue takes place, and emphasize that you truly need her to work when scheduled, unless she is ill. Then ask her if she would like to schedule a long weekend soon, and remind her of how much notice she needs to give you to use some of her PTO.
Facebook - I think being friends with employers/employees on FB is a HUGE mistake. It opens too many doors that should stay shut in order to maintain a professional working relationship. I highly doubt your nanny is carrying on with your DH, but I would ask your DH to "unfriend" nanny and let nanny know that your policy is to respect her privacy while she works for you.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The issues not working I don't mind working the issue is not seeing money that I'm working for. It doesn't make sense to work an additional 10 hours for my regular pay per hour plus a dollar
This doesn't make sense to me. Are they offering you time and a half for these additional hours? What are they doing with taxes that you only see an extra dollar per hour?
When I called payroll to find out the exactly how much would be withheld I got this..
Overtime rate at 22.50$ an hour
10 hours of overtime is 225$ before taxes
After taxes it's 168$ take home pay
Divide the 168$ by 5 days gives you $33.60 per day
So an additional 33.60 per day divided by the 2 hours is a grand total of only taking home the $16.80 after taxes.. I make 15$ hourly allready so with overtime I'm working more for 1.80 for each hour over. So I don't and won't see the money
OP, I am not sure what your thought process is, but I see your situation differently.
Decide whether you want to work 10 extra hours a week, or whether you want to decline and risk losing your job. To help yourself make that decision, look at the financial benefits of a 50 hour week vs. a 40 hour week.
1) You currently make $600/gross (so about $450/net?) a week for 40 hours. Does that pay your bills, give you some "fun money" and allow you to put money into savings and invest in an IRA? If the answer to that question is no, it would be wise to grab the chance to take home an additional $168/week.
2) Look at that 10 hours of OT as a 37% net pay raise. You would literally be bringing home 37% more money per week! Forget the hourly math you are doing. You are earning $120/gross ( ~$90/net) a day. With the OT, you would be earning $165/gross (~$123.60/net) per day. 2 additional hours a day to raise your pay by almost 40%/week? Hell yes!
3) You currently earn $31,200/gross per year. Adding 10 hours a week of work (25% additional work) would allow you to earn $42,900/gross a year. 520 more work hours for $11,700 more pay? Again, HELL yes! using the net increase in earnings of $168/week, you bring home ~$450/net now, but with OT you would bring home $618/net.
Unless you have a huge number of personal obligations that cannot be moved to different times, or you have physical limits on how many hours you can work, turning this down would be kind of crazy, IMO. What could you do with an extra $8,736 take home pay per year?
https://www.care.com/homepay/nanny-paycheck-calculator
This will let your potential nanny figure out approximately what she needs to earn to net $15/hour.
That said, I think you should tell this nanny "Thanks, but no thanks.", and find someone else. And in your ad, make sure you indicate taxes will be TAKEN OUT of the gross pay of $X/hour.
This will let your potential nanny figure out approximately what she needs to earn to net $15/hour.
That said, I think you should tell this nanny "Thanks, but no thanks.", and find someone else. And in your ad, make sure you indicate taxes will be TAKEN OUT of the gross pay of $X/hour.
MB here - I've been on day care wait lists since I was 6 weeks pregnant and it's frankly none of my nanny's business. Why? Because I've turned the spots I've been offered away since I'm so happy with our current childcare situation. However, children get older and needs chance - a preschool or whatnot might be more appropriate for some kids. Some nanny's become unreliable, so staying on daycare lists is an insurance policy. It's not deceit unless the nanny is given no notice on purpose. some parents want the flexibility after a while of picking a child up later so they can go to the gym, or work a few extra hours. Having a nanny with a set schedule can be difficult for some parents if their jobs require flexibility. So you never know.
So you know of day cares that are MORE flexible than nanny care? That's amazing. In my personal experience, as a nanny, if my employers want to build time into their day to hit the gym, work a little extra, etc., they either ask me to work additional hours on an occasional basis, and we work out mutually agreeable times, or they ask me to add X hours to my work week. Of course, they then pay me for that additional time.
My impression of day cares is that they open at X time and close at Y time. There is no room for negotiation, and if you decide to hit the gym after work and show up an hour after closing time, you'll be facing a hefty penalty and possibly getting asked to leave the facility permanently. Day cares don't put up with late parents for very long at all, and they aren't what most people would call flexible.
OTOH, if an employer treats her nanny well, and asks for additional hours without demanding or being sullen if the answer is no, generally things can be worked out. And if nanny doesn't want more hours, she can always suggest her employers have a list of sitters to call.
Anonymous wrote:I have never hired a nanny before and will be needing one in a few months, so I am just trying to understand what is realistic to expect. My son will be 18 months old when I return to work full time. I would really welcome opinions on the following:
1. As far as hours go, is a 55 hour work week too much? I am thinking from 9am to 8pm. Most days, my husband will arrive home by 6pm, but he sometimes has after work obligations, so I would want a nanny who is prepared to work potentially until 8pm. Are those hours too long?
Many nannies work 55 hours, so as long as you make sure you follow the law regarding overtime pay after 40 hours, you should be fine. I would suggest having your Dh let nanny go early if possible, since an 8 pm end time makes it harder to work out and so forth after work.
2. We live in a one bedroom apartment. We will expect the nanny to clean up after our son (wash his dishes after feeding him, put his toys back in his box, clean up messes he makes, do his laundry etc). We have a washer/dryer in our apartment. Is it realistic or fair to expect her to do additional chores? We would not want to risk losing her by overburdening her. At the same time, we do not plan to nickel and dime her, so we want our money's worth too.
I would not request household chores/housekeeping outside of things specifically related to your DS. IMO, that means adults take care of their dishes and clean up their messes, and are mindful that nanny and child must play all day in a small space, so keeping unsafe items stored is necessary. However, asking nanny to sweep/vacuum/mop living areas as needed would not be a deal breaker for me, personally, in such a small home.
3. I am nervous about a nanny taking my son around town. We live near a body of water and I just don't want my son out and about with someone I don't know well. I imagine I might be more comfortable after a few months of demonstrated responsibility on her part, but for now, I don't envision having her leave the apartment with him. Is it unrealistic or unkind to expect her to take care of him in the apartment without going outside? We don't have any friends who are parents (we are the first in our group to have kids), so I don't envision play dates for a long time.
Completely unrealistic, and completely unkind. If you feel this is actually feasible, I suggest you take 2 weeks to stay in your apartment from 9a - 8p with your son, as you would want nanny to do. You would also need to limit your phone calls and other adult interactions as you would have nanny do. I would guess your son will be fretful and restless, without any way to get fresh air/sunshine/exercise, and that you would be fairly fretful as well.
You may find that the nanny you hire already has a circle of nanny friends, and that she comes with built-in buddies for your DS. You can also request that she Stay away from the water, and concentrate on activities (music, gym, library, zoo, playgrounds) where you feel your DS would be safer.
4. Food and errands. I have heard of nannies bringing their own food and I have heard of families letting the nanny eat whatever she wants. I am leaning towards letting her raid our pantry because I am inclined to be generous towards someone taking care of the most precious human being in the world to me. Should I adjust her compensation downward if I am letting her eat our food or what is most common?
It's a great benefit to allow nanny reasonable access to your pantry/fridge, but I am not sure how you would lower her pay to compensate. Would you assume she will eat $50/week of food, and then pay her 80 cents less per hour? I don't see a question about errands, but if you are wondering about letting nanny run errands while working, I would personally limit that to things she cannot do during work hours, like bank runs, post office, etc. Doctor visits would be use of PTO, again, IMO.
5. As far as compensation goes, we are thinking of paying a salary, rather than per hour. Of course, we will write it out as a salary in the contract (normal hours + overtime), but the per hour will be structured in such a way as to guarantee her a salary. Is this a good idea and if so, what is a fair salary for the caretaker of an 18 month old?
Salary is illegal. However, Guaranteed Hours are the legal way of paying nanny the same amount each week, which is a benefit most nannies need, since their bills remain the same or increase independent of the hours they work. So, yes, if you wanted to pay nanny 16/hour and $24 for OT, you would phrase it as, "Nanny is guaranteed $1000 a week for 55 hours of work. Nanny will earn $16 for the first 40 hours of work and $24 for the 15 hours of overtime each week. If nanny is available to work, and employers choose not to use her services, nanny will still receive her full $1000/week gross pay.
Thank you all in advance. I am so anxious about this!
Which house has the best set-up for hosting? IOW, who has more useable storage space, a spare bedroom, frig space for baby bottles/food, a dedicated play area, and a generally larger home with more useable square feet?
I would suggest, since no one seems to be passionate about hosting, that you all consider the logistics of switching every month or two. Do all the parents want to be schlepping the double stroller/playpen/high chair/changing items, diapers, clothes, extra exersaucer back and forth each month?
The other option some people do when in a share is decide the host family gets a slightly smaller weekly cost for nanny. If each family would pay $10/hour plus OT for 50 hours, the host family pays $9, and the non-host family pays $11. It's $55/week in savings, which should more than adequately offset host costs.
And for nanny's sake, if soiled clothes are sent home to the non-host family, replace them ASAP, and be sure to keep extra stock of diapers/wipes/food on hand at all times.
I would suggest, since no one seems to be passionate about hosting, that you all consider the logistics of switching every month or two. Do all the parents want to be schlepping the double stroller/playpen/high chair/changing items, diapers, clothes, extra exersaucer back and forth each month?
The other option some people do when in a share is decide the host family gets a slightly smaller weekly cost for nanny. If each family would pay $10/hour plus OT for 50 hours, the host family pays $9, and the non-host family pays $11. It's $55/week in savings, which should more than adequately offset host costs.
And for nanny's sake, if soiled clothes are sent home to the non-host family, replace them ASAP, and be sure to keep extra stock of diapers/wipes/food on hand at all times.
My all time favorite is the couple who interviewed me in their 1000 sq. ft. "office space".
They greeted me, asked if I had any trouble finding the office, and then asked, "Have you accepted the Lord our Savior Jesus Christ as your personal redeemer?"
Whatever I mumbled must have been satisfactory, because then they showed me the 10 x 10 room where I would be caring for their typically active 18 month old.
Then I managed to keep from laughing hysterically, completed the interview as fast as I could, and ran away like the hounds of hell (<<<See what I did there?) were chasing me.
They greeted me, asked if I had any trouble finding the office, and then asked, "Have you accepted the Lord our Savior Jesus Christ as your personal redeemer?"
Whatever I mumbled must have been satisfactory, because then they showed me the 10 x 10 room where I would be caring for their typically active 18 month old.
Then I managed to keep from laughing hysterically, completed the interview as fast as I could, and ran away like the hounds of hell (<<<See what I did there?) were chasing me.
PP, I do not see working a full weekend for $300 as "normal" either. I would expect my typical hourly rate, and if all kids slept through the night from, say, 9p - 7a, I would accept a fixed rate for the hours of 10p - 6a.
If kids still woke at night, I would charge hourly a round the clock.
The only way I would accept such a low rate is if I were doing a HUGE favor for a former family or for friends.
If kids still woke at night, I would charge hourly a round the clock.
The only way I would accept such a low rate is if I were doing a HUGE favor for a former family or for friends.
You can absolutely find someone, as long as you are very specific in your ad about what you want. For example, I would suggest you say something like:
Our ideal nanny is familiar with the Positive Discipline approach that Jane Nelson writes about, and is willing to work with us to continue to implement that childcare philosophy.
And yes, it may extend your search and cost you a little more, but if this is your top requirement, you can find your ideal nanny.
Our ideal nanny is familiar with the Positive Discipline approach that Jane Nelson writes about, and is willing to work with us to continue to implement that childcare philosophy.
And yes, it may extend your search and cost you a little more, but if this is your top requirement, you can find your ideal nanny.
Anonymous wrote:nannydebsays wrote:Anonymous wrote:OP here. I think this has gone a bit off the rails. I'm not asking my nanny to babysit. I hire a family friend, a young professional with extensive child care experience who likes to make a little extra cash,when I need a sitter for a few hours in the evening, most of which is spent with the kids sleeping. My nanny asked me to hire her instead of my regular sitter. At her regular rate, it would cost me significantly more to hire my nanny. I'm not trying to take advantage of her. She's basically asking me to do her a favor by hiring her instead of someone else. I just wanted to know how others have handled this situation.
"Nanny, we would love to have you babysit occasionally. We budget $XX/hour for babysitting. Is that rate one you would be willing to accept? If not, no hard feelings!"
Nannydeb, I am surprised at you. You know as well as any of us that the nanny could sue for overtime after leaving employment. And she would clearly win.
A household employee is a household employee. You cannot claim various hours fall under various job titles. So, if I had a nanny/housekeeper who cleaned for 30 hours and took care of kids for 20, you think I could pretend that they were two different jobs and not pay overtime?
Bull.
If you read back through the OP does not want her nanny to babysit because the nanny would cost too much, presumably with the OT pay as the issue.
Therefore, OP wants something to say to discourage her nanny from continuing to ask to babysit. And in response to the need for a polite brush off, I offered the suggestion that OP offer a low rate, assuming that nanny would say "No thanks!"
Making babysitting something that nanny is not looking to do because it is not worth her while is a great way to avoid having to say, "Nanny, we will not ask you to babysit because we do not want to spend that much on a sitter at night."
A second option would be for OP to express concern that her nanny will burn-out working X hours each week then more hours on the weekend, but that is riskier, since nanny might simply reply that she is not going to burn out.
And yes, of course, legally any hourly employee is due OT for hours worked over 40 per week. Not arguing that at all.
Anonymous wrote:OP here. I think this has gone a bit off the rails. I'm not asking my nanny to babysit. I hire a family friend, a young professional with extensive child care experience who likes to make a little extra cash,when I need a sitter for a few hours in the evening, most of which is spent with the kids sleeping. My nanny asked me to hire her instead of my regular sitter. At her regular rate, it would cost me significantly more to hire my nanny. I'm not trying to take advantage of her. She's basically asking me to do her a favor by hiring her instead of someone else. I just wanted to know how others have handled this situation.
"Nanny, we would love to have you babysit occasionally. We budget $XX/hour for babysitting. Is that rate one you would be willing to accept? If not, no hard feelings!"
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Don't over think. I would love to receive a card. A few cupcakes would make it even better. May be put some cash in the card for good measure.
OP careful about providing things like cupcakes and other unhealthy foods for nanny. If you value her health and physical activity with your child I would help her watch her weight. We have all heard the horror stories of overweight nannies on this board.
Listen to the PP (aka our s#!+ stirring troll) OP, and definitely skip the cupcakes. Can you glue a candle to a celery stick instead? Oh, and make her run 2 miles while you dangle her card in front of her, then refuse to allow her to open the card if she takes more than 10 minutes to do her on-demand exercising. Gotta keep those nannies on their toes so they stay skinny! After all, what baby or child doesn't love to snuggle up to their nanny's ribs and clavicles???
In all seriousness OP, a card with a heartfelt message, a small GC to a place she has mentioned she likes, and a cupcake or 2 makes a terrific gift.
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