Ok, ignoring how obnoxious OP comes across and the people arguing....
I currently have an amazing nanny NOT in Chicago (though I do love Chicago).

for one child, offering $18-$19 an hour before taxes is fine assuming you then pay for insurance (or provide a good bit towards it). We currently provide a good bit for insurance because it's tax free.
I'm confused about the parking spot - will the nanny have the drive your child places? If so, why not just let her use your car? Then you can ignore the parking spot issue.
Also, avoid giving the vacation days and just offer guaranteed wages. You should offer 2 weeks, one her choosing, for now. If you're away for more, just consider it a reward for a job well done - it's why you guarantee her hours. We routinely give our nanny a day or afternoon off and don't even count them any more. If she needs a day off, we work it out. After a year, you can add time to the time of her choosing.

Assuming the nanny isn't cleaning your home as well (just cleaning related to the child), I think that's a perfectly reasonable offer and it gives you room to provide for raises and bonuses.

I just don't know if parking is worth it - if it's really bad out, it wouldn't be ideal for her to drive your child anywhere, either (unsafe conditions). You could offer her your car, unless you own a space and your spouse uses the car all day so that space is open? In which case it's not an extra expense.

We offered transportation to ours, but she wanted health care instead.

Haven't read through responses but I would clarify if paid vacation is of weeks of your choosing or weeks of nanny's choosing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I have never been to Chicago (would love to!) and was actually trying to compare with NYC on the parking situation. Maybe Chicago doesn't have a good rail system and so you are mostly dependant on cars?

Troll. No one actually believes this, even if you've never been there.

I'm the quoted pp and some of you NEEEEED to stop calling troll every time something doesn't make sense to YOU! I am not American and truly couldn't understand the appeal of "a paid parking spot" where, if it was like NYC - where parking is limited but subway is a darn great alternative & takes you anywhere, I would prefer not to drive anyway. So no. I am not a troll and also can't understand why you would, of all the posts in this thread, call mine a troll. Get a life!!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Honest question.... "free parking spot" ???

(assuming you are so wealthy, you probably live in a nice house with.... a driveway? I just don't understand the parking spot "offering". Is this going to lure good nannies? is this a Chicago thing?????)


Our parking spot in Marlboro st in Boston cost $75k. Ever try to park in a real city where you must have a spot or residential sticker or you're driving around for hours looking for a spot. there are no driveways, maybe an alley if you're lucky.

I find it hard to believe you have a parking spot on a street you can't even spell correctly. It's Marlborough St and if you lived there, you'd know that.

You would also know there are alleys behind every street in the Back Bay.

Yes I did know that and my iPhone auto-correct did not. Parking spots there cost more nowadays, here in DC they are $25k (cap hill) to 50k (dupont), that's to buy, receive a deed and pay property tax on.
Alley parking may have a deed or be associated with an HOA unit, you cannot just pull up in someone's alley, park and not get towed.
Nannies who drive can command a premium, and may not outgrow their charges as quickly as ones who don't drive. Depends on if the kids do any extracurriculars and how far away they are.

Anonymous wrote:
Honest question.... "free parking spot" ???

(assuming you are so wealthy, you probably live in a nice house with.... a driveway? I just don't understand the parking spot "offering". Is this going to lure good nannies? is this a Chicago thing?????)


Our parking spot in Marlboro st in Boston cost $75k. Ever try to park in a real city where you must have a spot or residential sticker or you're driving around for hours looking for a spot. there are no driveways, maybe an alley if you're lucky.

I find it hard to believe you have a parking spot on a street you can't even spell correctly. It's Marlborough St and if you lived there, you'd know that.

You would also know there are alleys behind every street in the Back Bay.

Anonymous wrote: I have never been to Chicago (would love to!) and was actually trying to compare with NYC on the parking situation. Maybe Chicago doesn't have a good rail system and so you are mostly dependant on cars?

Troll. No one actually believes this, even if you've never been there.

Your rate is too high for Chicago.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honest question.... "free parking spot" ???

(assuming you are so wealthy, you probably live in a nice house with.... a driveway? I just don't understand the parking spot "offering". Is this going to lure good nannies? is this a Chicago thing?????)

Our parking spot in Marlboro st in Boston cost $75k. Ever try to park in a real city where you must have a spot or residential sticker or you're driving around for hours looking for a spot. there are no driveways, maybe an alley if you're lucky.

$75k? $75k/year or $75k as long as you own your place? Jee no I didn't know that's how much a spot could be. I am in CT but often go to NYC and I know parking is a nightmare but for instance, if I take a nanny job in Manhattan, a parking spot "offer" would not make any difference to me as I would take MetroNorth to get to the city and then get around town by subway (which is what everybody does). I have never been to Chicago (would love to!) and was actually trying to compare with NYC on the parking situation. Maybe Chicago doesn't have a good rail system and so you are mostly dependant on cars?

I'm OP. Chicago happens to have one of the best public transportation systems in America. The problem is that not all nannies want to take public transportation, hence why parking would come in to play. Plus Chicago winter is brutal and would rather my child not be dragged on the CTA during this time.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honest question.... "free parking spot" ???

(assuming you are so wealthy, you probably live in a nice house with.... a driveway? I just don't understand the parking spot "offering". Is this going to lure good nannies? is this a Chicago thing?????)

Our parking spot in Marlboro st in Boston cost $75k. Ever try to park in a real city where you must have a spot or residential sticker or you're driving around for hours looking for a spot. there are no driveways, maybe an alley if you're lucky.

$75k? $75k/year or $75k as long as you own your place? Jee no I didn't know that's how much a spot could be. I am in CT but often go to NYC and I know parking is a nightmare but for instance, if I take a nanny job in Manhattan, a parking spot "offer" would not make any difference to me as I would take MetroNorth to get to the city and then get around town by subway (which is what everybody does). I have never been to Chicago (would love to!) and was actually trying to compare with NYC on the parking situation. Maybe Chicago doesn't have a good rail system and so you are mostly dependant on cars?

Anonymous wrote:Honest question.... "free parking spot" ???

(assuming you are so wealthy, you probably live in a nice house with.... a driveway? I just don't understand the parking spot "offering". Is this going to lure good nannies? is this a Chicago thing?????)

Our parking spot in Marlboro st in Boston cost $75k. Ever try to park in a real city where you must have a spot or residential sticker or you're driving around for hours looking for a spot. there are no driveways, maybe an alley if you're lucky.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you mean $16 net or gross?

The money has declined because we will be paying healthcare and parking spot. It will be $16-18 net pay. My husband prefers we not go too high initially.

Well I don't know the market in Chicago, but sounds like a good deal to me. Its definitely a job I consider.

It's funny it went from a good sound job with a couple things missing to a horrible job. She gutted the pay to include some other crap. I'm a nanny in DC with 100% covered health and dental, zone parking sticker, and much better vacation and still make $25 an hour net.

For as wealthy as you make yourself out to be you sure aren't very generous to people raising your children.