Received Friday, September 7, 2007-Rant
I met this lady for an interview yesterday and boy was I pissed off. She said, "we don't feel comfortable paying someone when the baby is asleep". Right, does that mean I can leave the house when he's in bed? What is wrong with these people?! Not only that , she offered me a ridiculous rate (something like $5 after taxes for 2 kids, I now get $10 after tax for one girl so..) . She also wanted me to do housework (just like your own home) . I'm not stupid, I have no problems clearing up after the kids, emptying the dishwasher and what not but anything else for that kind of money is a no. She wanted me to mop, vacuum, iron (occupy your time with something) . The most irritating part is I wrote down my expectations , asked her what she'd pay her nanny TWICE so that we wouldn't have to waste any time meeting up if we don't match. She deflected the questions both times and I decided not to meet her but she called me on my cell to meet up tonight. What a waste of time and $10 on a train ticket.
Interviews gone horribly wrong-? Nannies and employers send us your stories of disappointing, irritating or downright odd interviews. We will post all of your stories and responses in a feature later this month.
Ew! What a waste of time! Sorry!
ReplyDeleteI really feel for you - and the poor schmo who works for her - and the poor kids who have a tightfisted mother willing to stiff the children's closest advocate outside the home.
ReplyDeleteSadly, her children will pay, because a good nanny won't take this job. She will end up with one of those park bench nannies we read about on here.
ReplyDeleteIt is a good idea for employers to give a clear job description in a phone interview so they don't waste their own, and the nannies time meeting if it isn't what the nanny is looking for.
Good luck in your search, I hope you find a wonderful work family.
OMG. I am a parent and these stories infuriate me. If you are going to be a parent, and one who chooses to utilize a nanny for whatever the reason, why be so exploitative of another person? These are your CHILDREN. I don't mean to automatically "pay top dollar no matter what" because I personally just left a situation where we overpaid for the level of commitment that we received, but I mean approach the nanny with respect for their professionalism and contribution to the well being and teaching of your children. The expectation by some of these parents for what amounts to indentured servitude is nauseating.
ReplyDeletegood for you...what kind of nannie is she going to get???trash
ReplyDeletewow...if that was the going rate for a nanny that did that much work, even though I am a hard core SAHM, I'd hire one just to help out a bit.
ReplyDeleteI hope you let her know what a joke she was.
Wow, I can't believe people, we don't feel comfortable paying someone when the baby is sleeping. What kind of statement was that. So while the baby is sleeping she didn't want to pay you, but wanted you to work for free and clean her house. Stupid mother. Some people are unbelievable. She isn't going to find anyone, or if she does it will not last.
ReplyDeleteNot to get off the subject...I am not really looking for a full time nanny job. But I did register with an online agency. I just received an email from someone looking to hire. They have one infant and want someone to work about 47 hours a week. Listen to what they offer: We are looking to pay as close to 300/week as possible. Unbelievable!!
ReplyDeleteoh yeah forgot to mention only when she has time she could do some minor cleaning.
ReplyDeletethey live in a brand new built large home as well...come on people
ReplyDeleteThat is outrageous! What kind of people do they think they will get with that?
ReplyDelete3:16 here
ReplyDeleteI am not the OP I didn't write the original post. I just put my two comments about what happened to me today thought I would share it with you guys. Something similiar with what happenend to the O.P>
my comments are 3:16 3:19 and 3:22
Sorry if I confused anyone!!
Don't sweat it. People here are easily confused, not to mention distracted, anyway.
ReplyDeleteWhere do you live? I can't imagine how anyone could live off that amount a week. I'm a nanny in Austin and I make 3 times as much for the same hours and one child.You should have told her she can't afford a nanny and that maybe a daycare would be more in her price range.
ReplyDeleteOH I never met this person the one that wants to pay around $300 a week for 47 hours plus lite housecleaning. It was sent via an email from one of those online nanny agencies. I live in NJ no one works for that!! I started laughing when I read the email they sent me
ReplyDeleteWell, I started laughing when I read your comment! I actually the Psh sound
ReplyDeleteAs a parent, I am just completely horrified by such lack of respect for a caregiver--that is just completely ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteI am actually interviewing nanny's right now for my baby. One woman who called me wouldn't even speak to me before I gave her a $ figure--not even any pleasantries or rapport, etc. I know it is a job, but jeez. She hung up on me actually after I said that I would get to that later in the conversation, but I wanted to tell her about the position first. Too bad for her, as I do believe in paying well.
I am nanny, and have been for 7 years, and I will not meet someone until I tell them my salary expectations. They don't need to tell me my exact salary over the phone, but they do need to be able to meet my minimum. Of course, I am always nice about it, and do talk about other things. But, bottom line, this is a job for us, this is how we make a living, these people need to pay us what we are worth!
ReplyDeleteOP, I am sorry you wasted your time and money to go meet such a crazy family! But, at least you found out what a horrible employer she was on the interview instead AFTER you started! Good luck interviwing for a new job! May I suggest finding a high end nanny agency to help find you some work too?
And, to 3:16, may I suggest the same thing? Don't just go with just any agency! Make sure they have a standard minimum wage before signing with them. Remember you are interviewing these agencies and families too ladies! Let's not forget that we need to look out for ourselves once and a while!
so, she didn't want to pay you while the baby was sleeping.....when were you supposed to do all the chores she listed out? while the baby was awake? what about actually caring for the child?
ReplyDeletedamn, she's got some twisted, extremely unrealistic ideas.
Hi Nanny Lexy
ReplyDeleteThanks for the response this is 3:16. You are right, to be upfront, from the beginning.
Thanks again
I am a parent and I appreciate Nanny Lexy's approach. I will not discuss an exact salary on a phone interview (the number I offer is based on experience, other benefits requested, and fit). I know the range I will pay and I believe I pay well, but I am not wealthy, and if a nanny is looking for well north of my range, there is no point in continuing the conversation in person. For example, the last nanny search we did I spoke to an AMAZING highly experienced woman that I would have loved to be able to hire for my children, but she was looking to net $950/week. When you calculate out the taxes, that's more than a $1550 a week cost not counting her commuting costs (which she wanted us to pay) and workers comp insurance. It was best not to waste both our time on an interview. I don't know how people who pay $10/hour find anyone, even a bad nanny to work for them. And to expect a nanny to be a housekeeper is absolutely ridiculous. Who's looking after the kids while she's cleaning?
ReplyDeleteOP, I am speechless with horror. WTF???? So she either wanted you to clean the house for free while the baby was sleeping or ignore the baby's needs while they were awake so you could finish the housecleaning? What did she expect, that a nanny would write down the times the baby fell asleep and woke up so she would know when to stop and start the meter? Did you find out if she had managed to interview anyone else yet? Most people I bet would outright laugh in her face for that and thank her for her time! If I were you I'd describe the experience to the agency you're working with so they can not send any more nannies to waste their time w/this family. Unbelievable!
ReplyDeleteThis didn't happen in Northern California, did it?
I CAN and do believe it, Everyone wants something for nothing. You ALWAYS get what you pay for. You pay 10 an hour...you better expect to get what you pay for...10 with taxes is nothing...I wish the families could get our paychecks for a month! They'd shit! I just interviewed with an amazing family in Columbus, although I would have loved the job, they couldn't compete with anybody...million dollar house, range rover, twins and a 3 year old...and 650 pretax???thats about 500 a week for 50 hours AND not to mention that in that area and surrounding nothing...not even shacks go for less than 800 month..not including utitlies PLUS I had to use my car which seats 3 because I purchased it for that...but when you aquire a car to seat 3 (in giant britax roundabouts -no less) then your looking at 400 month for a car...You have to expect to pay what your nanny can live on for the area...some employers don't get it...
ReplyDeleteThis is the OP. Sorry, I meant to say that the lady wanted me to clean whilst the baby slept. Most families (because they pay around $10 which is at the lower end) only ask for cleaning up after the kids and at most vacumning one or two rooms so it's not something I do for that hourly rate!
ReplyDeleteThis is just too much.
ReplyDeleteHousekeepers don't ever work for $20. Mostly they make $20 an hour.
And this idiot wants a nanny and a housekeeper for $10?
What a sack of shit.
I never do any cleaning, and all nannies should refuse.
ReplyDeleteAlso, why are you guys accepting 10 an hour? pre or post tax?
Seriously, if noone accepts it then employers will know to pay more- not to mention if you live out...how are you to pay your bills?
Ofcourse I don't thik live in's should make any less- it's a sacrifice to live in someone's home and not your own- thye have to pay me for that inconvenience.
Let them clean their own houses.
Most nannies don't mind helping out, but it's inconsiderate employers that make it bad for others- I'm afraid to help out because it then somehow becomes my job.
I actually wait before helping out so they understand that that's rxactly what it is..
I don't help out to gain favor. My job has it's own merit and therefore speaks for itself!
It was pretty obvious to me, when I read the original posting carefully, that the mother was not saying she didn't want to pay the employee for the time that the children are sleeping, as the original posting stated. Instead she wanted the employee to work and occupy her time doing helping, instead of having leisure time/free time during naps. Now that everyone has presumably read the OP's recent posting at 5:09am, please go back and read the original post with this knowledge. Although the mother clearly is offering a low salary, the rest of the post is not unreasonable at all. There is nothing wrong with having your employee do things in the home while the children are sleeping. The mother seems to have said that is what she, as the mother, does when the children are sleeping, and that is what she expects from the employee. This is very reasonable.
ReplyDeleteI would not hire an employee who was adamant that anytime the children slept, she would get free time. (That is not to say that I personally would require heavy cleaning, but everyone has their own situation & preferences.) Employees should be there to work, and should be eager to help out, and eager to work. There is no way that the employee should think it's okay to sleep on the couch every day for the two hours that the children are napping. Employees should be busy doing whatever tasks may need doing: not only picking up after children, but generally taking care of things.
That being said, when I first scanned through the post without reading it very carefully, I thought the mother sounded like someone on my street!!
That should say "occupy her time helping" instead of "occupy her time doing helping." Oops.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, the cleaning lady on this job where I am makes 45 an hour. Go figure- pity i mind cleaning up after people.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes on to salaries, I usually say over the phone what I am making- obviously I would not leave my job and accept less money- economically that's stupid- unless I''m being paid an obscene amount and the difference in Salary though lower is neglible
I am the OP again. The baby does not sleep for half the day . I am not lazy but again if an employer wants more, they have to pay more. If you want a nanny who takes active care of your children and occupies her time with tidying, you would have to pay more. That's the way it is- you get what you pay for. I am educated, speak 4 languages and I'm a great nanny. I like children and can command top dollar but at the moment, I am not in the best position (foreign country,foreign language, small town)so I'm willing to lower my fees.
ReplyDelete2ndly when the mother asked me what I expected for 2 kids, I said $12 (as said this is a legal position so she would only have to pay maybe 50% out of her own pocket). She then said wow, if you work 10 hours a day, that's $120 so you'd get $2400 a month!?! I think she forgot that that's $2400 a month ($2400 isn't even much) for 50 hours a week, no social security ,Christmas bonus, vacation money (yes, people here really get this!) and all the other benefits provided for employees here (I'm in The Netherlands by the way). It was just very offensive the way she said it.
Just to clarify, I'm happy with the position I have now and the parents are great . However, it's only for 3 days a week (in The Netherlands, if you have a babysitter/childminder/nanny for more than 3 days, you have to pay a lot of taxes, social security and all that). This is why I'm interviewing (I am looking for a 2-day position).
I have one baby and two different nannies (one Mon-Wed and the other Thu and Fri). They both actually sleep with my baby. It works and I encourage it. He's now 15 mos but has been walking since 9 and hasn't stopped. He's always on fire and they should take the break. He's maybe good for 1 nap/day and sometimes not even 1 hr. I have a housekeeper who cleans up. My nannies clean up after the baby, that's it. I want all their attention on the kid. Period. And if they get to take a break when the baby sleeps, good. They haven't had a lunch in peace since they started working.
ReplyDeleteSome jobs are clearly defined as nanny/housekeeper, and that is fine, although the nanny will have a lot less time for activities with the children.
ReplyDeleteWhat upsets me is when employers assume a nanny is a general servant, and should do cleaning, errands etc. that have nothing to do with child care.
Cleaning women are paid more than nannies. More power to them, but what does that say about the employers values? So nannies, the next time prospective employers say they want you to clean at nap time, tell them you charge cleaning woman rates for that time, $20-25 and hour.
Nannies command a salary, but should be treated like family.
ReplyDeleteI would never expect a nanny to do any of the domestic chores. She has enough taking care of the kids.
The happier the nanny is the better off the kids will be.
9:01 AM, you're an idiot.
ReplyDeleteNannies should get breaks when the kids sleep. It's a job like any other, and when the child sleeps that is the only time they can take breaks.
You're one of those people I would never work for, because you see nannies as lower than you. I bet you don't work all day on your days off, even when your child is asleep.
9:01..
ReplyDeleteDo you have physical job where you don't sit for 8 hours? Lets be reasonable.
Nannies take care of kids and should be able to have some down time when they are napping. If the child takes longer naps.. like 2 1/2 -3 hours..then I could understand the parent wanting the nanny to do something to maybe occupy some of that time.. maybe an hour of it..however, the rest of the time the nanny should be resting. If the child takes shorter naps..like an hour or so..then the nanny should be resting the whole time. Its very unreasonable to have your nanny running around doing other crap the entire time the kids are sleeping and then except them to be able to run around with the kids for the remainder of the day.
Its insane.
Most nannies work more hours than most typical jobs. An office worker for the most part works 8-9 hours but usually gets one or two fifteen minute breaks, and either a half or hour lunch. If a nanny is working for full-time working parents more likely she is employed 10 hours or eleven hours. Depends on where their employeers have to commute for their jobs.
ReplyDeleteSo I don't see anything wrong with a nanny taking a break, and getting some rest if the children are resting too. Spending ten hours a day taking care of someones child can be exhausting.
9:01, you are obviously the bitch mom OP wrote about.
ReplyDeleteA FT employee in most industries is REQQUIRED to take 2 10-minute breaks and a half hour to one hour meal break, and MUST be paid time and a half for any hours longer than 10 hours/day or 40 hours/week. And is not required to take their work into the bathroom with them whenever they need to use the toilet. So 9:01 and other bitch moms better be paying their nannies according to those rules or they could be fined by the Dept. of Labor for violations.
ReplyDeleteIt's 9:01 here, and guess what: I don't have a nanny and do not want one! (I am a SAHM who takes care of her own kids all day!) I have an occasional part time babysitter (local high school student who is starting college) who usually comes a few hours a week (varies based on her school schedule, etc.). We pay her generously, a lot more than the $10 per hour that she asks for, plus cash bonuses, specially selected gifts, etc. If the kids are occupied with a nap or something, she usually folds laundry if there is some.
ReplyDeleteShe is eager to help out and always asks me if there are things she can do for us. She is great with our children and loves to work here. She feels like it is coming over to play and hang out, rather than a job, and it doesn't even feel like work.
We treat her like family and believe in people as equals. We would never treat her as a lower being. She helps us and we all love her. We are very thankful for her and the way she helps and benefits our family's well being. We thank her all the time, and show her how much we appreicate her.
Even after a couple of people's rude comments (isn't that always the case on this site), it still stands that I would not hire someone who said at the interview that they refused to do anything during nap time. This type of attitude would not bode well for the future. Even if I wasn't requiring someone to do cleaning, etc., like she was requiring, I still would not hire a person who was adamant about this from the start. It is just not a nice attitude.
As I said in my earlier post, while the woman was clearly way off base with very low pay, the OP clarified in her second post that, as I thought, she was not saying she was not going to pay you during naps. Instead she was saying, approximately, that she expected the OP to do things around the house that she normally does, and that she does not sleep or lie around during nap time, saying she did not want to pay someone for doing nothing.
Again, while the pay was too low, it is quite a common arrangement to have a person who helps out during naptime, at least in the NYC area and surrounding suburbs.
Should such a person be called a nanny? housekeeper? mother's helper? sitter? Well all these words have different connotations. I think it would be helpful if these terms could be clarified.
Nanny: I think of a nanny as someone who takes care of the children and their needs, and works for parents who work or who do not take care of their kids, or works for parents who have so many kids that it takes more than one person to watch them all. As the children get older and go to school for long periods, and is no longer needed to take care of the children as much as before, the "nanny" may morph into a more general helper if the family and nanny agree.
Housekeeper: This is different than a cleaning lady. A housekeeper helps with all the tasks related to the house such as heavy cleaning, ironing, cooking, cleaning up, tidying, and may have some duties pertaining to the children, but spend more of their time just helping out generally. The housekeeper works for a family with a stay at home parent, or a family with older kids who don't need as much direct contact but still need rides to school, etc.
Mother's helper: A mother's helper plays with and watches the kids, and helps out generally, kind of like a housekeeper, except she usually wouldn't be doing much heavy cleaning unless there was a special mess that needed cleaning. A mother's helper would not usually be the only adult there for really long stretches like 8 hours. A mother's helper is someone who comes and helps pitch in to take care of the kids and the household tasks and babysits for shorter periods.
I think the mother the OP describes is ridiculous, but I would not be happy if my nanny slept on the job--that implies she is not awake/aware enough to tend to the children immediately if needed. I want my nanny to have some downtime during the day when she can read, have a cup of tea or lunch with some semblance of privacy daily. Everyone needs moments of peace during the day to regroup and think, but sleeping on the job implies checking out entirely. As she should, my nanny insures she has downtime by scheduling playdates with other families in the neighborhood (which of course she reciprocates) and being fairly strict on naptime, but I know she is still on duty and is alert and ready to respond to the children immediately if needed. She is a rare gift for our family--she is a fantastic caregiver and friend to the kids and on those days where she does get unexpected extended downtime (either because of naps or playdates), she looks around and does things that benefit our family--like better organizing the playroom or art supplies, sorting out clothes that are getting tight for me to send to storage, or preparing a special dinner or treat for the kids. I do not ask or expect her to do these things-they are rare surprises (because it is rare the kids give her a large chunk of downtime), but she is a hard worker and she would never sit around for several hours doing nothing. If I am ever unfortunate enough to lose her, I would want someone with the same work ethic.
ReplyDeleteHi 9:01
ReplyDeleteThis is my opinion, I am going to state. I am a SAHM as well. I don't have anyone helping me because basically we can't afford it right now. If I had to hire a full-time nanny, I know she would be so busy with my son that I wouldn't expect her to clean. If hes sleeping, I would hope she would just straighten up the stuff they did for the day. Example: put his and her dishes in the disherwasher, and straighten up the room where they played. I know if the person was working from morning to evening they would be tired, so I wouldn't care if they rested. Now if I hired someone maybe four hours a day two or three days a week, I may ask them to do a little more if hes sleeping. Because if you are only working a couple of hours your not going to be tired out like a full-time nanny. So I would ask them to empty the dishwasher, maybe throw a load of laundry in and fold it, etc.
Thanks
Hi 10:38,
ReplyDeleteIt's 9:01 here. I think you might be talking as though I would disagree with you. (Although I could be getting paranoid due to strangers getting obnoxious toward me on this board!) In fact I agree with you and would be in a similar situation. It even sounds to me like my part time sitter might do less than what you would require of a part time sitter. So, I am not all bad! :)
While I would NOT require a full time nanny to do things like the described employer, I would still NOT hire a person who STATED they wouldn't do anything during naps because it is not a nice attitude to proclaim this.
A person who has a helping attitude is going to be more generous with the children. A person who tells you at the interview that they expect/demand downtime during the day would make me wonder. There is often no downtime with children. A caregiver should give it their all and not demand a break.
If they get a break, that is great, and they certainly deserve it! All the better! But if they come in at the interview process stating that they are not going to do anything during naps, this is not a good sign and would make me wonder.
OP, you mentioned working in the Netherlands & "no social security." That reminded me of a friend from many years ago who nannied a couple summers overseas, figuring she'd get a European vacation while saving up for college. Back home, she waitressed while taking classes. In her jr. yr. of college, she worked at a restaurant where IRS workers often ate lunch. They seemed friendly & after a few months, they had gotten to know quite a bit about her, such as her experience working overseas. Next thing she knew, she was called in for an audit, & was told she owed thousands in back taxes for that work -- the IRS had the legal right to claim it. She had to pay into Social Security, too (back then, it wasn't separate from Medicare taxes). Her waitressing wages were garnished until those taxes & penalties were paid off. Needless to say, she wasn't able to return to college until she'd paid up & could start saving again. She only had 3yrs before the college credits she had already earned expired, & if she didn't return to school within that time, she'd have to start those classes all over again. It was a nightmare for her - she ended up giving her entire paycheck to the IRS, & lived off her parents, so that she wouldn't lose all the money she'd already spent on college. I don't know what the current tax laws are about income earned overseas, but I hope you're making sure to be prepared to pay whatever they say you owe. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteWhere do you get off paying someone $10/hr? I have my own nanny / exotic housekeeping service and bring in over $125 an hour. A little smile and a small outfit will make sure single dads have a positive female influence in the house. Plus I can get away with doing an "okay" job on the housework if I put up with the father's pathetic flirting. As for my nanny service, I dress more conservatively when around my charge, yet once asleep I can dress in a French maid's outfit and do light housework. I consider myself to be courteous, reliable, well endowed and good with kids. Being that I am doing this to put myself through medical school it will help me to reach my goal of becoming a podiatrist. Everyone's got feet!
ReplyDeleteSo when in the Midtown area and needing a nice little housecleaning be sure to think big...real big.
XOXOXO
9:01,
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree that TELLING a potential employer that you will do NOTHING during naps is foolish, you might have a bit of a skewed view of things as a SAHM with PT help.
A PT sitter is not a nanny. Nannies often work 10+ hours a day straight. So to expect your PT sitter to not take a break is fine. To expect the same of a FT nanny is silly, when she works 50+ hours per week.
As you pointed out, kids often don't allow any down time. So doesn't it make sense to encourage a nanny to take down time when she can? If a nanny doesn't feel she can even sit down for a few minutes and catch her breath, she won't stay at that job long.
I have never had employers who demanded I work every minute I was on the clock. Because they understood how demanding my job was, they encouraged me to relax when I could. And because they encouraged me to take breaks, I always made sure I had done what needed doing (food prep, laundry, toy clean-up) BEFORE I sat down to relax.
Maybe that mutual understanding is why the shortest time I've stayed with a family was 4 years, and why all 5 former employers would hire me back in a heartbeat.
I find talking salaries the most difficult thing with potential nannies. It's hard to tell when a nanny is talking gross or net. In fact, nanny is the only position I've ever heard of where the salaries asked for are net figures (may be because so many nannies are paid off the books in cash). The poster says she makes $10/hour NET. In my state, assuming a 50 hour work week, that would be $650 gross. $650 a week is a good midrange nanny salary for my neighborhood, but not the low end. I would expect someone asking that to have some experience and good references. If that is what OP wants and deserves, she SHOULD say she wants a gross salary somwhere north of $650 a week, all on the books while on the phone. That would leave me with a very good impression of the OP as a candidate. When I interviewed for nannies, I've ended conversations because candidates were not clear what they were asking for. Many seem to have, either from their choice or prior employers' choice, have some strange off the books/ partially on the books arrangements. The first few times I ran into this, I spent time explaining to the candidates why they should always demand to be fully on the books, now I don't even bother. If someone wants me to partner with them to defraud the government, I won't consider them. I tell candidates on the phone I only pay completely on the books and I clearly state I am talking GROSS figures when we discuss salary. I feel expecting any prospective employer to calculate what each candidates' tax situation is on the fly is unreasonable. Any working nanny knows what she makes and what she wants. I appreciate candidates who are clear what they want and are worth because it avoids confusion and I wouldn't want a nanny who can't speak openly about such an important subject. What type of communication will you have once she is actually working with your family?
ReplyDeleteThere is a difference between a nanny saying she won't do anything during nap time, and saying she doesn't do non child related chores. Cleaning up the kitchen after the children's lunch, picking up toys, preparing bottles, packing up for the park, setting up an art project all take time, and can be difficult to do when the children are not napping. She is lucky if she still has time to sit and relax, eat lunch and read a little, as most jobs with actual lunch hours allow, although she still won't be able to leave the workplace.
ReplyDeleteUgh, I feel for you! I had a very similar interview a while back, which I obviously turned down as well!
ReplyDeleteThe worst part? I recently saw the same little toddler (that I had interviewed for) at the community pool and the lady watching him seriously looked like a homeless crack addict! It's astonishing what some people will hire to watch their children, just to save a penny!
OP here: I stated my expected hourly rate in my advertisement (partly because I was getting ridiculous offers---> for eg. If you babysit our kids for 3 hours, we'll give you a one-hour Dutch conversation class. Er ,no thanks).
ReplyDeleteI am very particular about the family I work for because I plan to stay for a few years, I despise drama and generally go out of my way once I agree to join a family. I want a family who tells me what they expect and I'll see if that fits with my expectations. If a family expects light household work, that's fine with me BUT I would expect them to list down what is expected (for eg. vacumn twice a week, empty the dishwasher daily, clean kitchen or smth like that) . Anyone who says "general cleaning" or "clean up like you're in your house" often wants a maid. If chores aren't listed clearly, it will always be added (can you tell it's the experience speaking ? haha). Also, I'm very sure that NO Dutch nanny will accept that kind of pay for what is expected (which is why all her previous nannies are grandmothers and from 3rd world countries).
Frankly, with 2 kids (one who is apparently very ,very active), I would only expect to clean up after the kids, empty/load the dishwasher ,laundry and maybe preparing dinner). This is for a $10 (net) hourly rate. All in all, the family only pays maybe $5 as the rest is taken care by the government and employers. I think it's a more than fair deal.
The $5 they offered me.. even au pairs earn more! Au Pairs here get $100 per 30 hour week, get room and board paid for (housing is expensive here. A rented room is 300-400 euro per month), insurance (90 euro a month), air tickets, paid holiday (you only get paid vacation if you nanny for the same family for a minimum of 4 days/week) and all the little extras (presents and holidays with the family).
2:24 AM, I actually thought you were serious the first time I read that. lol.
ReplyDelete9:01, that's exactly the issue... the pay. The OP said it herself. It's not that she considers herself above that kind of work, but she won't do it for that particular amount. Employees show their appreciation for their boss by working hard and going the extra mile on a somewhat regular basis. This employer was telling the potential nanny right from the start that the appreciation that she absolutely expected to be given to her was not going to be returned. She showed that she had a lousy attitude by expecting her employee to work more than 40 hours a week with no breaks whatsoever, even when it would be reasonable and not at harm to the child. She then expected this robot-like service from someone she wanted to pay a lousy salary to. It's an absolutely unreasonable request all around. What a witch!
I hear you OP, some people have such outrageous expectations. I part-timed every other saturday (6pm-2am) for a party-hopping couple with really nice kids. One night they got home around 2am and insisted on NOT paying me for the time that the kids were asleep (the kids slept around 8pm). I said NO WAY! so they paid me in full, and they never heard from me again.
ReplyDeleteKelly, geez...If they were going to be like that then one could ask them why they thought they needed a babysitter at all. I mean, if the kids are sound asleep, they should be fine, so no reason for a babysitter to hang around doing nothing, right? *eye roll*
ReplyDeleteHi Cali Mom :)
ReplyDeleteThe idea of six free hour really creeped me out. I think my nanny experiences have helped me have a good relationship with my part-time (sometime) nanny. I adore her, and the kids love her. She is in college, so I tell her to let me know when she has a few hours to spare, or just needs a bit of extra cash. The kids are always happy to see her, so when I am out at the store, community meeting, or doctor's appt, I know that all is well. When she has to go, my kids wont let her leave, and insist on playing one more game. I am her #1 fan and I treat her with alot of respect.
Who's the major jack ass on the blog? Not remotely funny and dumb as a dishrag? zzzzzzzzzzzz
ReplyDeleteI'm not dumb. I'm just love this website!
ReplyDeleteYour stupid comments on every post suggest more of a loathing and less of a like. If you do not like the blog, don't visit the blog.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
You are pretty transparent with the same 7 year old them in your comments.
I hope you are surfing from a proxy.
You're not smart enough to piss anyone off. You're tired and pathetic with the mentality of a seven year old. Tragic, really.
ReplyDeleteWe'll be listing your IP here soon:
http://dirtyscoop.blogspot.com
so others can hunt you down and have fun with you.
Yes! Thank you. And thanks JD for clearing off all of the shiteous comments left by the juvenille!
ReplyDeletewho cares.......
ReplyDeletehoney,
ReplyDeleteas a fellow blogger, i have to tell you that the SITE METER button tells a blogger where you are posting from, city and state and IP address and whether you are using AOL or firefox or whatever.
So just like when you posted those naughty pics of Craigslist, the comments you left here are going to come back on you to embarass you. And you know how hard it was for you to recover from your naught craigs list ads.
Biyatch........
what naughty pictures??
ReplyDeleteawww, I don't care. I am writing these comments just to relieve stress...no harm
ReplyDeleteYou guys are too sensitive...did I personally attack anyone?? Give me a break
Sensitive?
ReplyDeleteYour comments are idiotic. Beyond idiotic. Go run some laps around the track. Find another blog to pester with your inane juvenille ramblings. The harm is this site is set up to draw attention to children that are being abused or mistreated and you are peppering every post with lame elementary school potty talk. Go away.
There is a whole wide world of blogs out there. Go visit
pissedoffhousewife.com
LOL..this is too funny
ReplyDeletethanks for the advice 10:57
ReplyDeletehey someone has to do something. This website is boring.
ReplyDeleteThen go somewhere else. Nobody is asking you to stick around. Much of the blogging tends to happen during the week. Check back tommorow, you might find something really fun :)
ReplyDeleteHmm, I guess I missed all the dumb potty posts. Oh well, plenty of those on the web whether you're looking for them or not1
ReplyDeleteI love pissedoffhousewife.com. Isn't that the site where they have The Dick List? Very entertaining!
cali mom,
ReplyDeleteyou are not missing anything. they aren't funny, shocking, snarky or remotely interesting. Just lame. And as more than one of us have deduced- likely the ramblings of a an angry 12 year old.
forgot 2 things-
ReplyDeletebest of all they get deleted because they are totally nonsensical.
and pissedoffhousewife is awesome.