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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]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?
[i]If you guarantee 9am to 6pm and add a proviso that there may be times that the nanny could need to stay til 8, you might have better luck.  So you're guaranteeing 45 hours, maximum of 55.[/i]

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]Expecting the nanny to clean up after the toddler is one thing, and any professional nanny won't have an issue with putting child's dishes in the dishwasher, picking up after him or doing his laundry.  Having the nanny vacuum, do your laundry or anything else depends on the nanny, salary and whether you are willing to pay for additional housekeeping during naps.[/i]

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.
[i]Taking your child outside is a requirement, there are too many issues that a toddler would develop by being kept inside a one bedroom apartment for 45-55 hours each week with no socialization.  At the least, the nanny needs to be able to take the child to a park or playground; because he is an only child, he also needs to socialize with other children, learn to share and take turns.  It's also unreasonable to require an adult to stay in a tiny apartment all day.[/i]

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?
[i]Talk to the nanny candidates.  Some prefer to bring their own food, some require that the nanny and child eat the same things once the child is eating anything other than formula/breastmilk and purees.  Be aware that most nannies would not be amenable to a decreased rate simply due to food, so if that is your intention, I would suggest asking during the interview which the nanny would prefer, then giving a salary based on that answer, and leaving out how you arrived at the number.[/i]

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?

If you can get someone find someone you like at $15/hr, these are your numbers:  40*15+15*1.5*15=$937.50 pre-tax (55 hours); 40*15+5*1.5*15=712.50 (45 hours)
For the high end (college, lots of expereince, etc.), I ran $20/hr. to start, but you also need to consider whether you will be able to keep up with yearly raises and a raise if you have another child.
40*20+15*1.5*20=$1250 (55 hours); 40*20+5*1.5*20=$950 (45 hours)

I wouldn't go beneath $15/hr and over $20/hr to start could be very hard to keep up with raises.

Thank you all in advance. I am so anxious about this![/quote][/quote]

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