Thursday

...."she will live free, it's a trade off"

how much2
What's the going rate for a Nanny or Au Pair? Ours lived with us last summer (College student majoring in early elementary) and we were told by everyone that we overpaid. So without telling you what we paid, what is the rate? She will only "nanny" for us 15 hours/week since that's all I work. She can get another job MWF and on weekends. We have two kiddo's, 2 1/2 and 5. And this summer our 5 year old will be in camp nearly every week of the summer that she'll live with us (June and July) from 9-12 or 9-1, and then when she's home our younger DD will be napping, so it's less work this summer than last. I am also there working some remotely during her "nanny" time, so I'm there in an emergency. She will live for free and eat our food that we buy. We don't need a live in Nanny, she asks us to live here because it's near her friends and Church. She goes to college in another city.

Let me have it, what is the rate per week or per month? I've gotten anywhere from $345/week to nothing she will live free, it's a trade off. I truly don't know. For the record, I'm in a nice area of Austin, TX.

44 comments:

slb3334 said...

No, you can't expect her to work for nothing. that is called slavery.

Laura said...

If she is only working 15 hours a week, I would pay hourly - $10-$12 per hour. In that case, though, she should have set hours - especially if you are thinking that she may be getting another job during her time off. There should be an agreed-upon rate for any hours she works beyond her usually scheduled hours, and a specific amount of advance notice you need to provide her with (also, if hours aren't set in her contract, you should not assume she will be available for them - even if you ask in advance). Also she should be payed for the agreed-upon amount of hours even if something unexpected happens (e.g., you take a week off or decide to give her off for a holiday).

I do not think the housing should be considered part of her compensation. If you do not want a live-in nanny, you should tell her that you will hire her but she will be responsible for her own housing and food. Honestly, working as a live-in nanny - even with a clear contract - you always end up working more and helping out with the kids when you're "off" duty.

elsie said...

Who told you for free had to be one of your friends in to slavery. An au pair is from another country and lives with you as family. That is the trade off. You don't pay as much for a nanny but you take care of her otherwise. usually this means she uses your car. When you go on a trip, you take her with you. You pay for her travel. You pay for her meals. All of them. You should also be going through an au pair program. Even if you want to cheapskate in and score an au pair, PRETEND you are interested in an au pair and talk to an agency. And by the way, having you home-working remotely is no picnic for the au pair.
The absolute MINIMUM you should pay is $1200 per month.

another nanny said...

I don't see how you could pay her less than you paid her last year...who wants to take a pay cut?

But if you are truly hiring a live in sitter ONLY to accommodate her, then I think you can take it into consideration. However, that means paying a slightly reduced rate, not nothing at all.

alex said...

I definitely think she will need some money because what about bills she may have? But if she is living with you then maybe pay her hourly at a reduced rate of what you would normally pay her?

nanny consultant said...

For 2 children $15/hour sounds reasonable to me, which equals to about $255/week. However, if you expect her to help out here and there outside of the 15 hours/week then you should add more $ for a cushion. $345 may sound high, but could be seen as valuing her.

But I agree with some other posters, is she willing to take a pay cut?

AMom said...

Of course you have to pay her! People have other bills, tuition, cell phone, medical bills, clothes, whatever. I can't believe some people say not to pay a live in because they have no rent, ugh! Anyway, here in NY, $15 an hour is pretty standard, if not on the low end, for taking care of two children.

Night Nanny said...

$15/hr is pretty typical in my area for a LIVE OUT. I would think it should be adjusted down a bit since she will be living in your home & eating your food. There are rate finder tools, that you could check by putting in your zip code. I know Sittercity.com has one. Plz keep us posted. I LOVE when an OP lets us know what happened.

Jersey said...

What country is she from? You do realize an au pair is someone who comes to live with and be a part of your family as a cultural exchange? They share their culture with you and you theirs and yes this includes taking them places!
An au pair is not a homeless nanny or a low paid Americana!

I can see this now in the headlines when a child is injured, "the babysitter claims she was not "on" at the time and received no compensation for her work. She lives in a closet off the kitchen and was allowed one can of campbell's chicken noodle soup per day".

exchanges.state.gov/jexchanges/programs/aupair.html

ChiNanny said...

Since she's not an au pair, she's a college student in the US and living with you, but only working 15 hours a week, I think 15 hours of work is fair for room and board. She can get another job and make money for other bills.

I'd find a different nanny, though.

For those saying $15/hour, you're saying the nanny should make $225 a week plus room and board for 15 hours worth of work? That outrageous, really.

Tales from the (Nanny)Hood said...

Well, you need to pay her the going rate for a nanny in your area, taking into account her education and experience. So...$15 per hour or more? And honestly, I would round that up, since it's virtually impossible to LI and NOT pitch in during your "off hours". Why? Because if you don't pitch in, your employers will get pissy.

Yes, it's true. Even if you don't think you'd be that way, you will. Picture dinner time, nanny is off the clock, both kids are whining, you are feeling harried, your DH is late getting home, and nanny is reading a magazine, waiting for you to get her dinner ready. Are you likely to ask her to give you a hand? Are you likely to simmer with resentment if she doesn't say yes, or just jump up unasked to help?

As far as the concept of her finding another job for other days/times, she might not wish to work 7 days a week. Also, she might have a difficult time finding another family that needs exactly the hours you DON'T need. Retail? That is nearly impossible, especially if you go in saying you can only work certain days or times.

And I am not clear as to whether this is the same person who worked for you last year. If so, trying to pay her less this year might not go over too well. If it's not the same person, you still need to consider whether she will be able to pay her bills (tuition, car payment, insurance, personal items, fum money, and so on) on what you are offering. If your offered salary is inadequate for people's bills, they won't agree to work for you.

And I believe this was mentioned above, but you need to guarantee her the pay for 15 hours, and pay extra if you ask her to work more and she agrees. If she will be driving her car on the job, you need to pay her IRS mileage rate.

confused nanny said...

Since she asked to live there, is she a friend of the family? It seems odd that someone only working 15 hours a week wants to live in.

Could you hire her but tell her that living with you isn't an option this summer?

ChiNanny said...

Tales - you don't think someone could find a second job when they have 5 available days to choose from? No one is saying she needs to work 7 days a week, but only working two days a week, getting free room and board, and $225 salary seems a little much to me.

slb3334 said...

Chi, would you work for nothing?

Tales from the (Nanny)Hood said...

ChiNanny, it's hardly outrageous to pay a person for the work they do. If the nanny was LO, she'd get paid, yes? So why is it different for a LI? Even Au Pairs get paid (minimum wage, yes, but still paid).

If OP wishes to deduct for room/board, that's her choice, but IMO if one is searching for PT childcare, one needs to accept that the hourly cost will be high, since committing to specific hours makes it harder to find other work, as I said in my previous post.

Tales from the (Nanny)Hood said...

ChiNanny, she **might** be able to find other work, but I am pretty sure that with the high rate of unemployment people seeking workers have a lot of folks to choose from, and why would a retailer/daycare/etc. decide to hire someone whose schedule they have to work around vs. someone with completely open availability?

And as far as that goes, is OP completely certain she won't ever ask the nanny to work extra? Maybe I've just got too much experience in this arena, but in OP's shoes, if she is going to be counting on this person in order to work, she needs to pay well.

And if OP doesn't want the nanny to LI, then all she has to do is say that a LI situation won't work for her this year. Then nanny can either find other work, or find other lodging and take the job as a LO.

ChiNanny said...

slb - She wouldn't be working for nothing. She'd be working for room and board. She's only working 15 hours a week. At $15/hour that's $900 a month. She wouldn't be able to pay room and board on her own at that rate, right? I could see paying her a little, maybe, but not $15 an hour.


To be honest, if I was OP, I'd find a live out PT nanny and not hire this girl for the summer.

slb3334 said...

Ok, Chi, you go work for the woman for room and board. Forget your cell phone bill and any other bills you have. With the unemployment rate the way it is, good luck finding another job.

I agree that LO is probably better, but better be ready to pay good money for it.

heidi said...

By "nice" area of Austin- what do you mean? Your people tell you that you overpaid? For an American NANNNY who is an education major?

You hit the jackpot.

a mom too said...

$15 an hour plus free room and board is overpaying if the going rate for a live out sitter is that much in your area. Her hourly rate should be LESS than the going hourly rate in your area, considering she doesn't have any food or lodging expenses. She is working for you PART TIME but living with you FULL TIME. An AuPair makes $200 a week plus free room and board, but as someone employing an AuPair, you end up paying about $350 a week (if you include agency fees, car insurance, her cell phone, cable box in her room, the classes she has to take, plus food).

Bostonnanny said...

Figure out what the going rate for a live out nanny for two children in your area and then deduct $2-5 dollars from that.
If she works extra hours or late nights you should pay her as if she is live out. And her 15 hours must be paid even if she works less.

Being a live in from what I hear can be challenging since you can't just do whatever you want and you have to deal with the family's issues even when they have nothing to do with you. There is also a since of guilt that overcomes you when your home and off the clock.

You can't offer her just room and board.

lmurph said...

It's interesting, because I've seen all these craigslist wtf ads offering free/reduced rent in exchange for child care and not realized that that's not totally illegal. I'm living in Ontario (Canada) and people hiring live-in caregivers here are legally allowed to deduct a maximum of $370/month for room and board - less if the nanny doesn't eat three daily meals at the house.

Ignoring that, however, since it's totally different in the States. Figure out how much you think is reasonable for room and board, figure out how much you would pay a part time nanny who isn't living with you (yes, a live-in will likely end up doing some extras, but as long as you're reasonable wrt the room and board charge, she's still getting a good deal considering all the expenses involved in living out), and then deduct room and board from the wage. Just my two cents.

Mom-of-1 said...

Very few people could actually fully support themselves working just 15 hours per week. Because this job is less than half time, I don't see why OP should have to be the nanny's sole source of income. Summer should actually be an easy time to find part time work, with all the kids out of school.
That having been said, for an education major who has good rapport with your kids, it makes sense to pay well. I think $150 per week would be reasonable.

Raquel said...

I think since you are going to be working from home on some days, you should offer her a higher salary than what is the "going rate." Why?? Nannies who must work along with parents who telecommute must deal w/the added pressures of a parent around to advise/criticize, etc..them as well as endure being watched or at least feel as if they are being watched the whole time. It is a lot more stress to deal with vs. working on your own, with 100% autonomy. Also, don't assume that just because your child will be napping, her job will be "easy." I see this on CL all the time, people claim that since you will be watching a sleeping child, then you should get paid less for it. Bogus. Responsibility is responsibility...NO EXCEPTIONS!!!! How does the parent know the child won't wake up for a drink..or because he or she had a nightmare or heard a loud noise outside??! Also, if there were an emergency such as a natural disaster or an intruder broke in, the caregiver is still and always will be 100% liable regardless.
I wish parents would stop charging less for overnights and nap time. It is my biggest pet peeve in the nanny profession. I charge the same rate for sleeping times as I do for awake times. Overnights are NEVER reduced 50% just because the child will be asleep the whole time. My God...children are so unpredictable..how can anyone guarantee they will be knocked out the whole night? Some children even sleep worse when they know the parents are not in the home.
That being said, if you live in a nice area then you can probably afford to offer your nanny an above average salary. Plus, remember you should offer her more $$ to compensate for only offering her 15 hours a week. As a nanny, I usually charge more for people who don't offer me many hours. For example, one family once only needed me 10 hours per wk. I charged them #$15/Hr. Another family offered me 35-40 hrs per wk and I charged them only $12/Hr.
As for room and board, you are free to deduct within reason, but I think you should think about what your post said. It said people are telling you that you overpaid your nanny.
To have a person that can love your children while you cannot, to take care of their physical as well as emotional needs and one who your children love as well..well that is truly priceless. If you can work each day w/out worrying for one minute that your kids are in good hands, then no amount of money can truly buy you that peace of mind.
Remember: Us nannies have a high level of physical manual labor, the ultimate amount of liability and an extreme amount of patience to do the job we do.
You can low ball your car salesman, your appliance salesman..and even the flea market vendor.
But NEVER EVER lowball a nanny.

Seattle nanny said...

I am surprised how many people do not actually answer the OP's question... there are many factors taken into account. First, living and food. Figure out how much you would rent out where she lives. I don't know the going rate in Austin so I'll just provide the questions to consider...

Does she have a bedroom across from you and share a bathroom with the kids? Depending on your area that's a much lower end of rent. Does she have her own private guesthouse, or a room with a bathroom away from the family? That's much higher. Figure out that number.

Next, subtract that number, plus your estimated cost of her food from her hourly wages per month.

I would personally not factor in the changes in your child's habits. One of the frustrating parts of being a nanny is when the parents adjust hours/wages according to the kid's schedule changes due to age. Part of providing stability means you might just wait it out if your son is napping while you're working.

Bottom line: So what if you're over-paying her. First, it is unfair to ask her to take a pay cut for no other reason than that, and secondly, it sounds like she is a family friend if she wants to live with you, so if this set up works for her and your family and you're financially secure enough to pay her above the going rate, I don't think it should matter.d

former swiss nanny now trophy wife said...

Please let me know where you can get an au pair for $200 a week, you knucklehead!

Nanny Franny in Atlanty said...

I agree with Raquel that watching children when a parent is in the home is much harder. Like Anon stated, the child always runs to Mommy or Daddy and since they are usually working in an office in some part of the home, they get their work interrupted and it makes the nanny look like she is not doing her job. Nannies who work in these situations should command a higher hourly rate vs. a nanny who has the kids on her own. Many families try to persuade the nanny to accept a lower than market rate by stating,"I will be here the whole time in case you need help." Ha!! Then they get frustrated when the child keeps interrupting their work time. Also, many of these parents tend to interfere with the nannies duties and it can be a huge hassle.
I also agree that nannies should make the same amount whether a child is asleep or awake. I get low balled all the time by parents who try to negotiate a reduced rate for overnights. I say, "NO way!" I work for two nanny agencies and when I tell them that families try to do this to me, they tell me not to do it. Work is work. Do McDonald's workers make double for working the "lunch" rush hour? NO. Legally and ethically, nannies need to be paid the same amount of money whether the child will be asleep or awake. I always have wondered why parents don't get this.

MissMannah said...

If you are having the same nanny working the same amount of time as last year, you have to pay her at least the same wage...if not more. So what if everyone said you overpaid? You have to ask yourself if it was money well spent. If you think it wasn't, maybe consider getting someone different this year so you can pay her less. In my city, if I were in this situation, I'd probably ask for about $75-$100 weekly on top of room and board because you're right, getting a second job would be best. But Austin is more expensive than where I live so maybe $150 would be more reasonable?

Lola said...

$150 a week plus room and board. That is the minimum you should pay. Any less is insulting to the person who you trust with your most precious and important "possessions." You do not want this person to feel that she is not valued. Take care of her!!!

nycmom said...

To former swiss nanny now trophy wife said...

Au pairs are currently paid $195/week for 45hours of childcare. With program fees the cost to the family is $347/week.

There is also an EduCare program available with several agencies where au pairs are paid $146/week for up to 30 hours of childcare. With program fees the cost to the family is $274/week.

There have traditionally been "summer au pair" options also so it is not unreasonable to compare the costs to an au pair since that is essentially what OP is seeking.

These numbers are pretty much exactly what "A mom too" said in her original post.

N is for Nanny said...

I have a friend in Austin who nannied part-time when she was in school - also in Austin. She charged $15/hr for two kids. Since your nanny wants to live in, I think it's fair to lower the rate a bit. I'd suggest $10/hr or $150/wk. That's enough to cover any incidentals she has, along with a little bit of fun money. If she wants to make more, well, she has five other days that she can work.

You might consider paying her a slightly higher rate ($12-15/hr) for additional hours because she can make that elsewhere.

I would worry less about what other people say about how much you are compensating your nanny and more about what they say about how your nanny treats your children - assuming you want to listen to other people. I've found that nannies who are treated better tend to be happier and feel more respected, which trickles down to the kids.

Cali from Cali said...

Who really cares if someone thinks you are "overpaying" your nanny? Trust me, there is no such thing as overpaying a nanny.

I am a parent who employs a wonderful nanny full-time, live-in. She is a wonderful tenant as well. She is clean, quiet, and lives a drama-free life. She is great with my sons. She interacts w/them, takes them on fun outings, and teaches them ABC's, Nursery Rhymes and how to make crafts. She always picks up the toys, washes any dishes used and even loads/unloads the dishwasher periodically for the family.

I know a nanny like this is a blessing. I NEVER would take her for granted. EVER. She is a gem and I want her to be compensated properly for what she is worth to my family.
I live in San Diego, CA and the going rate for a live-out nanny currently runs about $15 p/h whether on or off the books. This rate applies to one child, for two the rate would perhaps be $17-18 p/h. Again, these are live-out rates. Well since I want my nanny to be paid well, I pay her $23 p/h along with rental expenses paid, utilities paid, all food paid as well as all toiletries provided. I provide her with her own cell phone with unlimited text messaging and I also pay 1/2 her car insurance since she uses the car to transport my sons. My husband and I are considering purchasing her a new car, but are still on the fence about it as we are not sure which type of car would be best for her.

I once had a nanny who I thought I was getting a "great deal" with and Boy, did I ever learn my lesson. She was a live-out and I only paid her $13 p/h for my two sons, an infant and a toddler. I thought I was the lucky one, to get such a great deal. Ha!! I had a nanny who didn't show up half the time, was late 3/4 time and didn't pick up the toys or sweep the crumbs off the kitchen floor.

I learned the hard way that the cliche, "You get what you paid for.." really is right on.
When someone is working for you and they are not happy about the pay, your children will suffer the most. I guarantee it. As a mother, I have had to sacrifice a lot to pay my nanny what I do. However, if I ever underpaid my nanny, she probably wouldn't care how well she treated my kids. Why would any parent put their children in such a position????

When I read the bad nanny sightings on this blog, I am pretty sure the parents are underpaying the nannies. Blame them. Not the nannies.

nycmom said...

I very much disagree with "you get what you pay for" when it comes to nannies/sitters. Of course, if you are paying a ridiculously low number, then yes, you are clueless. However, if you are paying market rates locally with good raises, bonuses, and respect I do not think offering more for the initial salary results in better care in any reliable way. I have actually found the worst childcare to be from the sitters who have asked me for the most money. These are usually new college grads, with a very overblown sense of their skills/worth in the childcare market. I have tried hiring these young women several times, falling for the concept that "you get what you pay for." Nope. No relationship (again, within normal range). I actually think true professional, experienced nannies know the market salary well and don't ask for excessively high starting salaries. They ask for competitive rates, do a great job, and earn the higher salaries quickly. It's usually people desperate for cash, entitled, or clueless who think they can ask for rates well-above the norm. I found this was then followed by various other forms of entitlement: coming late (some bus or train was *always* behind), wanting to leave early, excessive sick days for things like a "headache," refusal to do basic tasks like cleanup after the kids, little knowledge of healthy food prep for kids, and lots of texting/phone/computer.

Cali Cali, glad if you found someone great and I absolutely think you should pay her as much as you can comfortably afford. However, I think the concept that paying well above market rates results in better care, simply because you pay more, is false. Any nanny that would take a job with bad pay, then take her resentment out on the kids was never a nanny who was going to do a good job anyway! Come on - who would employ someone they lived in fear would mistreat their kids if they weren't paid enough? That is not a healthy dynamic.

Boston Parent said...

nycmom- the phrase, "You Get What You Pay For" must have some merit or else it wouldn't have stuck for so long. This phrase is basic common sense that applies to everything in life. Not just the nanny profession.

After reading your post, I think the error in your ways is that you seem to be hiring young women to care for your children. I am an older nanny, in my early 40's and cannot fathom how any parent could hire someone under 25 to care for their children. If someone hired me at that tender age, I would have agreed that they were indeed nuts. The younger generation has self-entitlement issues that us older folks never had. Also, when you are that young, you probably don't have any of your own children yet and thus no real childcare experience to bring to the table. Sure, perhaps you watched someone else's children, but until you have your own, you will never really "get it" on how to properly care for any child. It's the 20 somethings that will call the parent at work saying, "Help!! I don't know what to do!!" A person who is already a parent has the knowledge and experience to deal with JUST ABOUT ANYTHING that happens in caring for a child.

When I was in my early 20's, I was too immature, had no real hands-on, real life childcare experience or work ethic to properly care for any child. Now as a mother who has already raised my own children and have lots of life experience to boot, I can offer way more than any young 20 something can.

I think nycmom, you should consider an older nanny. Preferably a parent. So what if these 20 somethings have a college degree? A college degree means squat in the nanny world. What does mean something is someone who will be on time, not call in sick often (have an excellent work ethic), be mature, patient, compassionate and a great communicator. Even if someone had a Ph.D, but possessed none of these traits, I would not consider them as a childcare provider. The nanny profession is nothing like the corporate world.

MissMannah said...

Boston Parent, I find your assessment of younger people to be very insulting. A younger person has no "real" childcare experience because she doesn't have her own children? What about a middle-aged woman who never had children but has been working in childcare for 20 years? Does she have any "real" experience?

I started working in daycares when I was 18 and took my first nanny job when I was 22. (I'm sure you're already appalled.) My boss at the time told me I was the best nanny she'd ever employed, she'd had one aged late-20s and one aged early-40s. She said I had a better way with children and knew what I was doing better. Oh, and she was in her mid-40s and wasn't the least bit embarrassed to ask for parenting advice from me.

Nanny Franny in Atlanty said...

@MissMannah: I have to say I agree that employing an older nanny is better. I have used college girls in their 20's and middle-aged woman and the college girls all possessed similar traits. During the interview, they told me up front what their rate was which was usually at the highest market rate in our area at the time. Rate was usually discussed first and after I agreed on their rate, they didn't seem too interested in the rest of the interview. It was kinda like, "Whatever...!" after that. What did they think my child was..a cash cow?? Plus, these younger girls were typically late and called in sick often. Some even had boyfriend issues they brought to work and some even snuck their friends into my home on occasion. These younger girls also would have their cell phones practically glued to them the whole day and would always sneak in to check their Facebook multiple times during their shift.

I now employ a 43 yr old nanny and she is a breath of fresh air. She has a much better work ethic indeed and never acts like she is entitled to anything just because someone told her she is. She takes her job seriously and treats it just like any other job..not simply babysitting. She has the most important childcare experience one can have..she has raised 5 children and they are all very successful which speaks for itself on what type of care my own child will receive.

Sure younger girls are more energetic and for an older child, could play a "big sister" type role in a child's life. But for a younger child, i.e., infant, toddler, pre-school, etc...I would go for an experienced mother any day. Come on..how many twenty somethings have ever really potty trained someone on a full-time basis??? No, little brother and sisters don't count.

If I ever have to look for another nanny, I will most definitely only consider hiring someone no younger than 27. But this is simply my opinion based on my own personal experiences. These experiences are where I derive my perspective from. If I had had different experiences, I am sure my perspective would be different just like yours is MissMannah. :)

Anita said...

I am a mother who has hired nannies in the past (my own children are older now) and I agree that the younger nannies I hired were very immature at the time. My two, no make that three biggest challenges with him were reliability, punctuality and talking on the phone. My children didn't get much interaction with these girls, they were put in front of the T.V. a lot while the Nanny read a magazine, did her homework or talked and talked on the phone. My last Nanny was in her late 30's and was very responsible. Her work ethic was so much more than the young girls. She was a great cook, always tried to do a great job for me and truly cared for my child like it was her own.

I advise everyone to try an older Nanny if you can. Ideally one not older than a Sr. Citizen of course. Ha!!!!

underappreciated nanny said...

Anonymous said...
I would factor in how much rent you would charge for the room she's staying in including utilities, then tack in a little extra to that amount for food.

Then, decide on a fair hourly wage. This wage shouldn't be changed depending on how many of your kids she's watching etc. (though if you ask her to babysit other people's kids/friends at the same time you should pay overtime) because the fact is she has no control how many kids are there, and sometimes watching one kid can be more trouble/intensive than watching two because two kids entertain each other, while when it's one kid the babysitter is put in the spot of constant entertainer...Also, definitely DO NOT charge less just because you're there with her. Babysitting is infinitely HARDER when a parent is present because it makes babysitting into a Big Brother situation, impossible to discipline the kids because whenever there's a problem the kid will always run to mom or dad first rather than the babysitter, and this always makes the babysitter look bad because she can't keep the kids away from mom and dad while they're busy working...

Anyway, long story short decide on a wage (I'd say no less than $12/hr for babysitting two kids in Austin) and at the end of the week or month calculate how much you would owe her. Subtract rent from price and give her whatever is left over.

Remember that while she is asking to live with you, this is also a babysitter you trust, the kids like, and she knows your family well. And she wouldn't have to be put in the situtaion of asking to live with you if you didn't want her to work for you in the first place, so taking that into account I'd be generous with the wage. It's a surefire way to show her how much she's appreciated. This coming from an EXTREMELY underappreciated nanny.

Mar 12, 2011 5:11:00 PM

repost for anonymous

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Gee's it is really simply and fair. Just figure out how much your rooms fair market value is worth and deduct it from the nanny's salary. If you are paying them $15 X 20 hours = $300 x 4 weeks = $1200 a month.

And your rooms worth is $700 and amenities is another $125 totals $825 a month - $1200 = $375 is what you should pay them monthly.

Its fair because you are paying for their service. They are paying you for your amenities, board and rent. Just like they would have to do if they did not live with you.

Anonymous said...

If you babysit 3 kids.cook and clean..in exchange for room to pay rent..50 hrs a week..eat 5x a week..shower..dont get one really..so no money..at all..and cant pay a 56.00 dollar phone bill..is this fair..no money for candy or cokes or wash my clothes..never leave the house..what do u think is fair..and this is my son and his wife..i was a nanny in 2013 for them..no money then either..im an idiot..or im really praying for Gods accountability..

Unknown said...

I think this is a great idea for parents that who work and need a babysitter, not a nanny. I think there is a distinction in the level of work a nanny is expected to do vs a babysitter. I'm really not understanding why a babysitter should be paid $15/hr. How can that be a reasonable rate when you work at Walmart and your income is only $15/hr? How can someone be expected to pay a sitter more money than they receive? If you work a full 40 hrs/week you are expected to pay your sitter $600 per/week? Thats so ridiculous. I don't know how babysitting rates became so inflated. These are unlicensed and licensed child care providers wanting to receive the same pay? Just craziness

Unknown said...

This makes the most sense to me.