Anonymous wrote:Glad she made the decision easy for you OP! I hope you have much better luck with your next hire.

FWIW, I have twins also and we live in lower MoCo. We have had 3 nannies over the past 6 years and all have been paid in the $15-18 range (base rate, with substantial overtime paid at time and a half.) It works out to an annual salary ranging between $46-53k. It's not extravagant but it's a salary I think someone can live on. (It's also comparable to starting salaries in the business world I work in.)

The rate you are paying is fine - you should be able to get very qualified applicants. Pay more and you may get more, but there isn't necessarily a direct correlation.

You're changing nannies every year or two, yet you think your pay rate is fine? Are you hiring nannies with no experience? Why are you comparing it to starting salaries?

OP, your pay rate was low given you aren't paying OT. It sounds like you didn't offer benefits because she didn't ask for them. Get your job package together (pay a market rate for the skills and experience required, and offer the usual benefits) and don't be such a pushover when you see that the person you're paying isn't doing their job. You won't have these problems if you pay enough to hire a decent nanny. If you can't afford to hire one, you will continue to have these problems, switching nannies every couple of years, or you will need to send your kids to daycare.

Glad she made the decision easy for you OP! I hope you have much better luck with your next hire.

FWIW, I have twins also and we live in lower MoCo. We have had 3 nannies over the past 6 years and all have been paid in the $15-18 range (base rate, with substantial overtime paid at time and a half.) It works out to an annual salary ranging between $46-53k. It's not extravagant but it's a salary I think someone can live on. (It's also comparable to starting salaries in the business world I work in.)

The rate you are paying is fine - you should be able to get very qualified applicants. Pay more and you may get more, but there isn't necessarily a direct correlation.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$20/he gross for twins is low

Maybe. I don't know if twins cost more than two children who are not the same age. If they do, then, ok, but this is not the kind of salary that means you can't pay your rent or the insurance on your car. This is almost 50K a year.

we paid $18/hour for our twin's nanny. She is nw 4 years in and up to $21/hour and the kids are easier to manage.

OP, your nanny sounds like a disaster. Cut the cord immediately. Her personal budget, her poor financial judgement, her risk-taking on insurance items -- all not issue but is causing UNRELIABLE and SUBPAR CHILDCARE.

This is a disaster waiting to happen fire her right now! Right this minute! You will never forgive your self , this is your kids your leaving your babies with, not potted plants dear.

Oh my goodness, OP! Maybe you need to go through an agency next time since you are terrible at hiring nannies.

I am a nanny to 15mo twin boys, and have been with them since birth. I have never been more than 10 min late, I have used one sick day ever, I have my own car and car seats and certainly my own insurance and cell phone! I not only keep them on schedule but I am the one who established the schedule. I occasionally take phone calls during naptime but I pretty much never use it when they are awake other than texting photos to the parents. I also cook all of their (babies') food and handle all of their laundry. And I make $19 for 50 hours per week.

Anonymous wrote:I want to thank everyone for the great advice, but the situation actually worked out on it's own. I had planned to talk with her today when she arrived for work, but she called me an hour before her shift and told me that she wanted to give me notice that she was quitting immediately and had to leave town. She came over 15 minutes later to pick up her final paycheck and give me back the cell phone. This was definitely a learning experience for the next nanny!

Best possible outcome. For you, I mean. This woman has a lot of problems, and being unemployed isn't going to fix them, but at least they aren't your problems anymore!

I want to thank everyone for the great advice, but the situation actually worked out on it's own. I had planned to talk with her today when she arrived for work, but she called me an hour before her shift and told me that she wanted to give me notice that she was quitting immediately and had to leave town. She came over 15 minutes later to pick up her final paycheck and give me back the cell phone. This was definitely a learning experience for the next nanny!

Anonymous wrote:We pay our nanny considerably more for one baby and she is fantastic. She is great with my daughter and respects me as the mother. She is calm and has a calm life -- no drama ever. She has never once been late and only has taken one sick day at my insistence.

Our nanny is also older. I do think that makes a huge difference. She isn't addicted to her phone and is simply a grown up.

+1. Always go for older and settled.

It would be a challenge to find a replacement nanny this time of year. I would set Feb. 1 as her end date. But don't let her know that is her end date until about Jan. 20. That gives you time to find someone new. Give her two weeks severance.

The drama in her life is not your responsibility. Her personal drama is having a domino affect of negatively affecting your family and your babies in numerous ways.

Also, buy her a tracfone of off HSN as a Christmas gift so you can get her off your own family plan. Since, you know, she will be gone by February.

BTW, I am a nanny.

Lol where in the world do u manage to find these people?

No car insurance? No cell phone? On phone for hours while working?......I can even. I am a nanny but find this quiet disrespectful. Please fire her.

We pay our nanny considerably more for one baby and she is fantastic. She is great with my daughter and respects me as the mother. She is calm and has a calm life -- no drama ever. She has never once been late and only has taken one sick day at my insistence.

Our nanny is also older. I do think that makes a huge difference. She isn't addicted to her phone and is simply a grown up.

Anonymous wrote:$20/he gross for twins is low

Maybe. I don't know if twins cost more than two children who are not the same age. If they do, then, ok, but this is not the kind of salary that means you can't pay your rent or the insurance on your car. This is almost 50K a year.

$20/he gross for twins is low

What do you pay your nanny? Sounds like she can't even afford basic necessities on your salary! Glad I don't work for you.