My expectation (OP) is not that they would always be available but that they usually would with a few days notice. I think the advice to find a few willing folks and spot the pattern of who is generally available is very good.

Anonymous wrote:I am a great nanny with over 20 years of experience, a masters in Early Childhood Development, certified in newborn care and teach CPR for the Red Cross. I am now earning $29 an hour in my full time job. If you lived near ( and you don't since I am in Los Angeles) I would absolutely make myself available to you for $200 cash every couple of weeks!!!

So yes, OP, you will find someone great for that!

You would:

never take a class
never take a vacation without clearing it with these occasional people
never stay late at your current job for OT pay
never accept another babysitting job
cancel dates, visits to family, whatever, even if they were longstanding because you'd be willing to be available every night?

I am a great nanny with over 20 years of experience, a masters in Early Childhood Development, certified in newborn care and teach CPR for the Red Cross. I am now earning $29 an hour in my full time job. If you lived near ( and you don't since I am in Los Angeles) I would absolutely make myself available to you for $200 cash every couple of weeks!!!

So yes, OP, you will find someone great for that!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's quite good if she wants the person to commit long term. I would pass up a lot of other jobs just to keep this one even it only twice a week.

But what if it weren't? It sounds like it's going to be occasional, and not scheduled far in advance. So you'd have to leave every night free always.

I don't think she needs to pay so much. I think, instead, she needs to find a bunch of people willing to do it if they are available, pay more like $25/hr, and prepare to call around.

+1

Anonymous wrote:I think it's quite good if she wants the person to commit long term. I would pass up a lot of other jobs just to keep this one even it only twice a week.

But what if it weren't? It sounds like it's going to be occasional, and not scheduled far in advance. So you'd have to leave every night free always.

I don't think she needs to pay so much. I think, instead, she needs to find a bunch of people willing to do it if they are available, pay more like $25/hr, and prepare to call around.

I think it's quite good if she wants the person to commit long term. I would pass up a lot of other jobs just to keep this one even it only twice a week.

I think the $40-50/HR rate is really astronomical.

That is A LOT to offer for such a small shift.

I'd love to do this and be able commit in a really long term sort of way. Please leave your email for me to reach out to you. Thank you.

Anonymous wrote:OP here - we would likely know a few days ahead, but the days themselves would vary. Good idea about speaking with daycare folks as well!

I think you will find plenty of people willing to do it, but not to guarantee availability. My suggestion would be to talk to the nannies and the daycare people, and then prepare a list to call each time. You'll figure out pretty quickly who is usually available, and then you'll be able to order your list accordingly.

OP here - we would likely know a few days ahead, but the days themselves would vary. Good idea about speaking with daycare folks as well!

Another option would be to ask at the daycare if there's a teacher there who might be interested, or several people. Then, if it's a last-minute thing, you'd only have to make one phone call to see who's available.

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I would say it was realistic and very possible to find someone good.

It probably depends on how regular the days are. If it's every Wednesday, say, then this should be easy. If it's the kind of thing where you wouldn't know until the last minute, or even if the day(s) shift every week that will be more difficult.

The other huge peice is the regularity and notice. I bet you can find someone great for half that rate (about $100/night) if you give a lot of notice and are dependable. If this is a last minute thing, it will be hard to manage even at a very high price. The other advantage to paying a little lower is you might gone into below the tax threshold and be able to pay in cash.

Yes, I would say it was realistic and very possible to find someone good.

We have a four month old who will be starting daycare within a short walk of our neighborhood. Daycare closes at 6 and occasionally (a few times a month) we will need someone to pick up the kid at daycare between 5 and 6 and get her through her bedtime routine. Our neighborhood has many full time nannies and I was thinking it might be possible to find someone who is here working as a nanny during the day who would want to pick up that extra shift. We would pay well in the hope of keeping one person--maybe something like $40-$50/hour ($200-ish per evening)

Am I crazy to think that could work?