Reply to The $15 per hour nanny

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I'm always amazed by this thread, where everyone is shouting into a void.  PP, I am an MB, and I agree with you.  There are professional nannies, and they do have qualifications that are above and beyond.  The reality of your profession, however, is that there is no universally recognized definition of "professional."  So using that title isn't going to make me, as an interviewing MB, think anything more than that you have lots of experience until you tell me so.  I'm a lawyer, so we have licensing and bar exams, and all that crap that is supposed to separate people who are qualified to do my job and people who aren't (we'll leave for a different day whether that actually does the job).  What career nannies who are true professionals need is a governing body that legitimizes what you do.

But because there isn't, even people without your qualifications can be considered professionals, and that means everyone who is not you is not a glorified babysitter.

Also, it's worth mentioning that what I want, is actually, a glorified babysitter.  I get that professional nannies are fantastic, and if my child had special needs, or if I was going to be as hands off with child rearing as the dad in the Sound of Music, maybe I'd pay far more than market rate for a nanny.  But what I really need is someone who speaks English fluently, drives, and will meaningfully entertain my child.  Take him to the park, to play dates, classes, love on him when he bumps his head, make sure he is entertained and healthy and learning all day while I am away, watch for health and safety issues I need to know about, and model good manners, good habits, and good self-care skills so that he can learn.  Maybe that requires training in early childhood education, but I think someone who has good judgment, good organizational skills, and genuinely enjoys working with children also fits the bill.

And that is available in the DC area at $15-18/hour.  If that's what I need, and I can get it at that price (with raises, bonuses, vacation, etc.), I'd be a fool to pay more without some demonstrable benefit above and beyond what I need.  Unless a professional nanny offers that something and I need it, then no point in paying more.

Also, not in response to PP, but this idea that, in hiring an employee, an employer takes on a moral obligation to make sure that said employee can pay their bills on the salary offered, is (mostly) meritless.  I say mostly because there really is no moral obligation, except if the employer chooses to take one on.  I cannot go to my boss and say "please pay me more so that I can pay my rent."  Instead, I have to say "please pay me more because I offer these skills and talents and have taken on these tasks above and beyond what is required for my current salary level."  Nannies don't get a pass from having to demonstrate the same thing.

That said, MBs, the nannies work with our babies.  While my kid is NOT a treasured snowflake in everyone's eyes, he's special to me.  So is my home and so are my belongings.  So, we pay my nanny market rate, but we are kind to her, give her bonuses, treat her well, and if she needed a raise when circumstances changed, we'd consider it.  That's because she does care for my sweet boy all day, and I want her invested in doing so.  I also don't want her feeling like she has to steal my toilet paper, or take my kid to a second job just to get by (not saying all nannies do this, just using examples from the boards here).  So, while you don't have a moral obligation, this idea that we shout every nanny down with the "go to college" mantra when they lament the market rate is just as ridiculous as the nannies who say "don't have children if you can't afford them."

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16:28 here and I really appreciate your post. I take no issue with an MB who acknowledges that she doesn't want the educated experienced uniquely skilled nanny, and pays market rate for the average nanny. What I do take issue with are the MBs who seek to hire the professional educated highly skilled nanny for what she deems to be a market rate (often the low end of market) and then screams entitled when someone suggests she is underpaying. You're absolutely right, there needs to be an across the board licensing, or certification system that will distinguish the real nannies, from those unqualified people looking to make easy money bogging down the market. [/quote]

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