Anonymous wrote:OP, I'm and MB in Kensington. You can find good, experienced care for your baby for $700/week with 50 hours.

I did it. I had several candidates at that price range (actually I had candidates below and above that price range but hired someone who has been with us for 3 years now. ) Our position is 8-6, M-F.

You will likely need to think about what you can be flexible on - are you ok w/ someone for whom english is a second language? Do you require someone who is able to drive and/or who has their own transportation? Are you someone who really wants significant ongoing intellectual stimulation from your nanny for the child (when beyond infancy)? Will you be keeping the nanny until your baby (or other babies) are 3+ or will you transition to preschool? What level of experience do you hope to find? Etc...

I will tell you that the person we hired is fantastic - I trust her absolutely and completely with my kids and all of our possessions. She is solid gold, and she has 20 years of experience (including with multiples which was important for us as we have twins). She has been with us since the babies were 4 mths old. The rate she quoted us was on the very low end of what we were prepared to pay. She is a citizen, drives, has a minivan and a pristine driving record. She is incredibly reliable. She does 80% of the cooking and cleaning for the kids and leaves my kitchen spotless almost always.

I thank my lucky stars we found her (through a neighborhood referral).

If for some reason I had to replace her I would consider a more expensive nanny to offer the following (now that the kids are older):
- more training and focus on educational and intellectual development
- more focus on kids versus infants (there is no one better with infants than our nanny, but a nanny whose true love is preschool age kids would offer some things we don't currently have)
- a native english speaker who would be more confident/adept in taking kids to/from classes, preschool, etc...
- someone who draws more definitely boundaries between work and home life. (We have a nanny who really relies on us personally - which is fine because we care about her and the care/consideration is mutual. But if I were to rehire and to spend in the $18-22 range I would look for someone with a more professional mindset.)

So think about your must haves versus your critical needs.

I disagree that you should cut every single penny available. I think you should hire at a level that doesn't create financial stress for you (and maybe that means looking into a nanny share - though I think hiring in your range is possible). I also think you should hire at a level that allows you to give raises, bonuses, generous benefits, etc... Hopefully you'll find someone who can be with you for an extended period of time and being able to recognize/reward good performance is important.

Also, give thought to the benefit package you can offer. We added healthcare cost reimbursement in our nanny's second year, and bumped that amount in her third year. That's a benefit that is real cash/value to the nanny but that isn't taxed (on either side) as income - so it's a little cheaper way for you to give a benefit with additional tax burdens and it can definitely increase the perceived value of your package.

And, while this is less tangible it is pretty important, think about how you can be a good employer. Experienced nannies have seen a pretty wide range of parental behavior and I know that for our nanny choosing a family she thought would treat her decently was a critical factor.

Good luck. I absolutely think you can find safe, loving care for your baby at the rate you're framing. (Sorry to go on so long!)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I'm and MB in Kensington. You can find good, experienced care for your baby for $700/week with 50 hours.

I did it. I had several candidates at that price range (actually I had candidates below and above that price range but hired someone who has been with us for 3 years now. ) Our position is 8-6, M-F.

You will likely need to think about what you can be flexible on - are you ok w/ someone for whom english is a second language? Do you require someone who is able to drive and/or who has their own transportation? Are you someone who really wants significant ongoing intellectual stimulation from your nanny for the child (when beyond infancy)? Will you be keeping the nanny until your baby (or other babies) are 3+ or will you transition to preschool? What level of experience do you hope to find? Etc...

I will tell you that the person we hired is fantastic - I trust her absolutely and completely with my kids and all of our possessions. She is solid gold, and she has 20 years of experience (including with multiples which was important for us as we have twins). She has been with us since the babies were 4 mths old. The rate she quoted us was on the very low end of what we were prepared to pay. She is a citizen, drives, has a minivan and a pristine driving record. She is incredibly reliable. She does 80% of the cooking and cleaning for the kids and leaves my kitchen spotless almost always.

I thank my lucky stars we found her (through a neighborhood referral).

If for some reason I had to replace her I would consider a more expensive nanny to offer the following (now that the kids are older):
- more training and focus on educational and intellectual development
- more focus on kids versus infants (there is no one better with infants than our nanny, but a nanny whose true love is preschool age kids would offer some things we don't currently have)
- a native english speaker who would be more confident/adept in taking kids to/from classes, preschool, etc...
- someone who draws more definitely boundaries between work and home life. (We have a nanny who really relies on us personally - which is fine because we care about her and the care/consideration is mutual. But if I were to rehire and to spend in the $18-22 range I would look for someone with a more professional mindset.)

So think about your must haves versus your critical needs.

I disagree that you should cut every single penny available. I think you should hire at a level that doesn't create financial stress for you (and maybe that means looking into a nanny share - though I think hiring in your range is possible). I also think you should hire at a level that allows you to give raises, bonuses, generous benefits, etc... Hopefully you'll find someone who can be with you for an extended period of time and being able to recognize/reward good performance is important.

Also, give thought to the benefit package you can offer. We added healthcare cost reimbursement in our nanny's second year, and bumped that amount in her third year. That's a benefit that is real cash/value to the nanny but that isn't taxed (on either side) as income - so it's a little cheaper way for you to give a benefit with additional tax burdens and it can definitely increase the perceived value of your package.

And, while this is less tangible it is pretty important, think about how you can be a good employer. Experienced nannies have seen a pretty wide range of parental behavior and I know that for our nanny choosing a family she thought would treat her decently was a critical factor.

Good luck. I absolutely think you can find safe, loving care for your baby at the rate you're framing. (Sorry to go on so long!)

So basically for $700 per week OP can find a nanny who doesn't drive, has no education or knowledge of how to socially/intellectually stimulate a child and can't speak a word of English....but she cleans your house and cooks 80% of your dinners.
Score!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I'm and MB in Kensington. You can find good, experienced care for your baby for $700/week with 50 hours.

I did it. I had several candidates at that price range (actually I had candidates below and above that price range but hired someone who has been with us for 3 years now. ) Our position is 8-6, M-F.

You will likely need to think about what you can be flexible on - are you ok w/ someone for whom english is a second language? Do you require someone who is able to drive and/or who has their own transportation? Are you someone who really wants significant ongoing intellectual stimulation from your nanny for the child (when beyond infancy)? Will you be keeping the nanny until your baby (or other babies) are 3+ or will you transition to preschool? What level of experience do you hope to find? Etc...

I will tell you that the person we hired is fantastic - I trust her absolutely and completely with my kids and all of our possessions. She is solid gold, and she has 20 years of experience (including with multiples which was important for us as we have twins). She has been with us since the babies were 4 mths old. The rate she quoted us was on the very low end of what we were prepared to pay. She is a citizen, drives, has a minivan and a pristine driving record. She is incredibly reliable. She does 80% of the cooking and cleaning for the kids and leaves my kitchen spotless almost always.

I thank my lucky stars we found her (through a neighborhood referral).

If for some reason I had to replace her I would consider a more expensive nanny to offer the following (now that the kids are older):
- more training and focus on educational and intellectual development
- more focus on kids versus infants (there is no one better with infants than our nanny, but a nanny whose true love is preschool age kids would offer some things we don't currently have)
- a native english speaker who would be more confident/adept in taking kids to/from classes, preschool, etc...
- someone who draws more definitely boundaries between work and home life. (We have a nanny who really relies on us personally - which is fine because we care about her and the care/consideration is mutual. But if I were to rehire and to spend in the $18-22 range I would look for someone with a more professional mindset.)

So think about your must haves versus your critical needs.

I disagree that you should cut every single penny available. I think you should hire at a level that doesn't create financial stress for you (and maybe that means looking into a nanny share - though I think hiring in your range is possible). I also think you should hire at a level that allows you to give raises, bonuses, generous benefits, etc... Hopefully you'll find someone who can be with you for an extended period of time and being able to recognize/reward good performance is important.

Also, give thought to the benefit package you can offer. We added healthcare cost reimbursement in our nanny's second year, and bumped that amount in her third year. That's a benefit that is real cash/value to the nanny but that isn't taxed (on either side) as income - so it's a little cheaper way for you to give a benefit with additional tax burdens and it can definitely increase the perceived value of your package.

And, while this is less tangible it is pretty important, think about how you can be a good employer. Experienced nannies have seen a pretty wide range of parental behavior and I know that for our nanny choosing a family she thought would treat her decently was a critical factor.

Good luck. I absolutely think you can find safe, loving care for your baby at the rate you're framing. (Sorry to go on so long!)

So basically for $700 per week OP can find a nanny who doesn't drive, has no education or knowledge of how to socially/intellectually stimulate a child and can't speak a word of English....but she cleans your house and cooks 80% of your dinners.
Score!

Clearly you can't read.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I'm and MB in Kensington. You can find good, experienced care for your baby for $700/week with 50 hours.

I did it. I had several candidates at that price range (actually I had candidates below and above that price range but hired someone who has been with us for 3 years now. ) Our position is 8-6, M-F.

You will likely need to think about what you can be flexible on - are you ok w/ someone for whom english is a second language? Do you require someone who is able to drive and/or who has their own transportation? Are you someone who really wants significant ongoing intellectual stimulation from your nanny for the child (when beyond infancy)? Will you be keeping the nanny until your baby (or other babies) are 3+ or will you transition to preschool? What level of experience do you hope to find? Etc...

I will tell you that the person we hired is fantastic - I trust her absolutely and completely with my kids and all of our possessions. She is solid gold, and she has 20 years of experience (including with multiples which was important for us as we have twins). She has been with us since the babies were 4 mths old. The rate she quoted us was on the very low end of what we were prepared to pay. She is a citizen, drives, has a minivan and a pristine driving record. She is incredibly reliable. She does 80% of the cooking and cleaning for the kids and leaves my kitchen spotless almost always.

I thank my lucky stars we found her (through a neighborhood referral).

If for some reason I had to replace her I would consider a more expensive nanny to offer the following (now that the kids are older):
- more training and focus on educational and intellectual development
- more focus on kids versus infants (there is no one better with infants than our nanny, but a nanny whose true love is preschool age kids would offer some things we don't currently have)
- a native english speaker who would be more confident/adept in taking kids to/from classes, preschool, etc...
- someone who draws more definitely boundaries between work and home life. (We have a nanny who really relies on us personally - which is fine because we care about her and the care/consideration is mutual. But if I were to rehire and to spend in the $18-22 range I would look for someone with a more professional mindset.)

So think about your must haves versus your critical needs.

I disagree that you should cut every single penny available. I think you should hire at a level that doesn't create financial stress for you (and maybe that means looking into a nanny share - though I think hiring in your range is possible). I also think you should hire at a level that allows you to give raises, bonuses, generous benefits, etc... Hopefully you'll find someone who can be with you for an extended period of time and being able to recognize/reward good performance is important.

Also, give thought to the benefit package you can offer. We added healthcare cost reimbursement in our nanny's second year, and bumped that amount in her third year. That's a benefit that is real cash/value to the nanny but that isn't taxed (on either side) as income - so it's a little cheaper way for you to give a benefit with additional tax burdens and it can definitely increase the perceived value of your package.

And, while this is less tangible it is pretty important, think about how you can be a good employer. Experienced nannies have seen a pretty wide range of parental behavior and I know that for our nanny choosing a family she thought would treat her decently was a critical factor.

Good luck. I absolutely think you can find safe, loving care for your baby at the rate you're framing. (Sorry to go on so long!)

So basically for $700 per week OP can find a nanny who doesn't drive, has no education or knowledge of how to socially/intellectually stimulate a child and can't speak a word of English....but she cleans your house and cooks 80% of your dinners.
Score!

Clearly you can't read.

You sure told me. Hopefully I recover from that stinger.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I'm and MB in Kensington. You can find good, experienced care for your baby for $700/week with 50 hours.

I did it. I had several candidates at that price range (actually I had candidates below and above that price range but hired someone who has been with us for 3 years now. ) Our position is 8-6, M-F.

You will likely need to think about what you can be flexible on - are you ok w/ someone for whom english is a second language? Do you require someone who is able to drive and/or who has their own transportation? Are you someone who really wants significant ongoing intellectual stimulation from your nanny for the child (when beyond infancy)? Will you be keeping the nanny until your baby (or other babies) are 3+ or will you transition to preschool? What level of experience do you hope to find? Etc...

I will tell you that the person we hired is fantastic - I trust her absolutely and completely with my kids and all of our possessions. She is solid gold, and she has 20 years of experience (including with multiples which was important for us as we have twins). She has been with us since the babies were 4 mths old. The rate she quoted us was on the very low end of what we were prepared to pay. She is a citizen, drives, has a minivan and a pristine driving record. She is incredibly reliable. She does 80% of the cooking and cleaning for the kids and leaves my kitchen spotless almost always.

I thank my lucky stars we found her (through a neighborhood referral).

If for some reason I had to replace her I would consider a more expensive nanny to offer the following (now that the kids are older):
- more training and focus on educational and intellectual development
- more focus on kids versus infants (there is no one better with infants than our nanny, but a nanny whose true love is preschool age kids would offer some things we don't currently have)
- a native english speaker who would be more confident/adept in taking kids to/from classes, preschool, etc...
- someone who draws more definitely boundaries between work and home life. (We have a nanny who really relies on us personally - which is fine because we care about her and the care/consideration is mutual. But if I were to rehire and to spend in the $18-22 range I would look for someone with a more professional mindset.)

So think about your must haves versus your critical needs.

I disagree that you should cut every single penny available. I think you should hire at a level that doesn't create financial stress for you (and maybe that means looking into a nanny share - though I think hiring in your range is possible). I also think you should hire at a level that allows you to give raises, bonuses, generous benefits, etc... Hopefully you'll find someone who can be with you for an extended period of time and being able to recognize/reward good performance is important.

Also, give thought to the benefit package you can offer. We added healthcare cost reimbursement in our nanny's second year, and bumped that amount in her third year. That's a benefit that is real cash/value to the nanny but that isn't taxed (on either side) as income - so it's a little cheaper way for you to give a benefit with additional tax burdens and it can definitely increase the perceived value of your package.

And, while this is less tangible it is pretty important, think about how you can be a good employer. Experienced nannies have seen a pretty wide range of parental behavior and I know that for our nanny choosing a family she thought would treat her decently was a critical factor.

Good luck. I absolutely think you can find safe, loving care for your baby at the rate you're framing. (Sorry to go on so long!)

So basically for $700 per week OP can find a nanny who doesn't drive, has no education or knowledge of how to socially/intellectually stimulate a child and can't speak a word of English....but she cleans your house and cooks 80% of your dinners.
Score!

Clearly you can't read.

You sure told me. Hopefully I recover from that stinger.

I wasn't trying to "sting you". I don't care. You just can't read, that's all.

Anonymous wrote:

nannydebsays wrote:OP, if you have to cut other expenses to afford a nanny with more experience, you would be better off investigating a nanny share. You could stay within budget and still find a nanny with more experience. $1200/week for 50 hours in a share should get you good candidates.

Please share whatever you're smoking. That is an ABSURD rate for a share. Absolutely laughable.

nannydebsays wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

nannydebsays wrote:OP, if you have to cut other expenses to afford a nanny with more experience, you would be better off investigating a nanny share. You could stay within budget and still find a nanny with more experience. $1200/week for 50 hours in a share should get you good candidates.

Please share whatever you're smoking. That is an ABSURD rate for a share. Absolutely laughable.

Didn't say it was realistic, just that $1200 weekly would attract good -> excellent candidates. Actually, it's not all that absurd though. 1200/55 hours (so you can calculate OT) is $21.82/hour. High, but not insane, IMO.

It all really depends on what the OP wants. If she wants a nanny with years of experience and stellar references, $700/week in the DC area won't cut it. But if she's willing to accept less experience, possibly no actual nanny experience, she can likely get that for $600/week and leave herself room to offer raises and bonuses.

Anonymous wrote:

nannydebsays wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

nannydebsays wrote:OP, if you have to cut other expenses to afford a nanny with more experience, you would be better off investigating a nanny share. You could stay within budget and still find a nanny with more experience. $1200/week for 50 hours in a share should get you good candidates.

Please share whatever you're smoking. That is an ABSURD rate for a share. Absolutely laughable.

Didn't say it was realistic, just that $1200 weekly would attract good -> excellent candidates. Actually, it's not all that absurd though. 1200/55 hours (so you can calculate OT) is $21.82/hour. High, but not insane, IMO.

It all really depends on what the OP wants. If she wants a nanny with years of experience and stellar references, $700/week in the DC area won't cut it. But if she's willing to accept less experience, possibly no actual nanny experience, she can likely get that for $600/week and leave herself room to offer raises and bonuses.

for a nanny share it is completely absurd. 1200$ x 4 weeks x 2 kids in the share =$9600 per month. Thanks for the laugh

Anonymous wrote:OP - this is why this forum is of limited value, and may scare you more than inform you.

I'm a local MB (montgomery county) who has a nanny we love, and who has been with us for several years. She is experienced, legal, totally honest, great w/ our kids, etc...

We love her and hope to keep her for years. She loves us too (loves our kids but also really appreciates the job and the way she's treated.)

We hired in your budget range. 9:59 (the MB above who got slammed) is totally right.

If you're reasonable and flexible and a good boss (and not a micromanager) you can find qualified, great nannies in your price range. If you have a long list of requirements and will be very particular in your parenting approach and demands then your price range is unrealistic.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - this is why this forum is of limited value, and may scare you more than inform you.

I'm a local MB (montgomery county) who has a nanny we love, and who has been with us for several years. She is experienced, legal, totally honest, great w/ our kids, etc...

We love her and hope to keep her for years. She loves us too (loves our kids but also really appreciates the job and the way she's treated.)

We hired in your budget range. 9:59 (the MB above who got slammed) is totally right.

If you're reasonable and flexible and a good boss (and not a micromanager) you can find qualified, great nannies in your price range. If you have a long list of requirements and will be very particular in your parenting approach and demands then your price range is unrealistic.

This is what most posters have said, including nannies. Please stop trying to discount us. Most of you have hire one or two nannies. We have worked with and interviewed with countless families. Who do you honestly think has a better grasp on the market? Some of you have lucked out finding a nanny who undervalues her services, that doesn't mean its realistic. Just as there are some nannies who have lucked out and claim to make $30/hour. Doesn't mean its good advice to tell every nanny she should demand that rate.

I think OPs rate is fine if she has a basic job (she does) and realistic expectations about the kind of nanny she will get at that price point (not highly experienced or qualified). That doesn't mean she won't find a lovely young woman who, with some instruction and guidance can't be a great nanny for her family. At lower price points, as with all things, you simply have to work a bit harder or get lucky to find the quality, and you run the risk of getting precisely what you pay for; low quality.

Anonymous wrote:

nannydebsays wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

nannydebsays wrote:OP, if you have to cut other expenses to afford a nanny with more experience, you would be better off investigating a nanny share. You could stay within budget and still find a nanny with more experience. $1200/week for 50 hours in a share should get you good candidates.

Please share whatever you're smoking. That is an ABSURD rate for a share. Absolutely laughable.

Didn't say it was realistic, just that $1200 weekly would attract good -> excellent candidates. Actually, it's not all that absurd though. 1200/55 hours (so you can calculate OT) is $21.82/hour. High, but not insane, IMO.

It all really depends on what the OP wants. If she wants a nanny with years of experience and stellar references, $700/week in the DC area won't cut it. But if she's willing to accept less experience, possibly no actual nanny experience, she can likely get that for $600/week and leave herself room to offer raises and bonuses.

for a nanny share it is completely absurd. 1200$ x 4 weeks x 2 kids in the share =$9600 per month. Thanks for the laugh

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - this is why this forum is of limited value, and may scare you more than inform you.

I'm a local MB (montgomery county) who has a nanny we love, and who has been with us for several years. She is experienced, legal, totally honest, great w/ our kids, etc...

We love her and hope to keep her for years. She loves us too (loves our kids but also really appreciates the job and the way she's treated.)

We hired in your budget range. 9:59 (the MB above who got slammed) is totally right.

If you're reasonable and flexible and a good boss (and not a micromanager) you can find qualified, great nannies in your price range. If you have a long list of requirements and will be very particular in your parenting approach and demands then your price range is unrealistic.

This is what most posters have said, including nannies. Please stop trying to discount us. Most of you have hire one or two nannies. We have worked with and interviewed with countless families. Who do you honestly think has a better grasp on the market? Some of you have lucked out finding a nanny who undervalues her services, that doesn't mean its realistic. Just as there are some nannies who have lucked out and claim to make $30/hour. Doesn't mean its good advice to tell every nanny she should demand that rate.

I think OPs rate is fine if she has a basic job (she does) and realistic expectations about the kind of nanny she will get at that price point (not highly experienced or qualified). That doesn't mean she won't find a lovely young woman who, with some instruction and guidance can't be a great nanny for her family. At lower price points, as with all things, you simply have to work a bit harder or get lucky to find the quality, and you run the risk of getting precisely what you pay for; low quality.

I'm not trying to discount your opinion - you're certainly entitled. But you haven't hired a nanny. I have. I hired a very experienced nanny, not young. I hired a US citizen. I hired someone who drives, who has nannied w/ 5 prior families with an average tenure of 4 years in those positions. I hired in Montgomery County and I started her at what the OP is suggesting and that same nanny still works for us more than 2 years later.

Experienced, mature, qualified, legal - all for $700/week for 50 hours (plus a competitive benefits package.) The OP does not have to compromise on quality or experience. She won't find all of this for her rate from an agency nanny, but the odds of her having fantastic candidates from family/friend/neighbor referrals is excellent.