To read Part II of 2011's Holiday Bonus Feature, click here.
PART I
Bonus this year (2011): $1500Weekly salary: $804 gross
Supplementary gifts: Received a new BlackBerry Bold from my two oldest charges, a pair of SpongeBob house shoes from the baby, a $50 Amazon gift card from the children’s uncle, and $100 cash from the grandparents.
Length of time I have worked for family: 5 months as a full time live-in.
Location: Dallas, Texas
Comments: I also received $450 in miscellaneous gift cards from two previous employers and five neighborhood families whose children I babysit occasionally throughout the year. Additionally, I received a free breakfast at a nice restaurant and $200 cash from a third previous employer.
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Bonus this year (2011): 2 extra weeks of paid vacation.
Weekly salary: $700/wk - 40 hours, plus overtime. 1 preschooler, 1 school aged child.
Supplementary gifts: ipad, gifts when they go on vacation, a christmas tree, house warming gift when I moved into my new apartment, they leave me money to go out to breakfast/lunch/dinner and get treats with my charges, magazine subscription to my favorite magazine, Roku, some extra cash when I go on vacation so I can spoil myself a bit, and help with healthcare coverage.
Length of time I have worked for family: 4 years.
Comments: I am so grateful for the amazing family I work for. The respect, thoughtfulness and kindness they show me is extraordinary and the sweet and thoughtful gifts they have given me are the icing on the cake. I try to show my gratitude by taking awesome care of their children. I feel so lucky to always love going to work!
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Bonus this year (2011): $500.00
Weekly salary: $330.00 after taxes.
Supplementary gifts: Likely, but not until closer to Christmas, bonus was given Dec. 1st.
Length of time I have worked for family: 1+ year.
Location: Columbus, Ohio
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Bonus this year (2011): $0
Weekly salary: $150.00
Supplementary gifts: Probably not.
Length of time I have worked for family: Since July 2011.
Location: San Diego, California
Comments: I work for my sister, I watch my nephew full time. 40-50 hours a week. She cant afford much. I really do it as a favor to her and I get to spend time with the best baby ever! I also watch a former charge when he is off school. Not sure if I will get anything this year from them.
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Bonus last year (2010): $1000.00 & 15 paid days off during the holiday season... I am expecting around the same this year, days off have already been alotted.
Weekly salary: $700.00 approx/week for one child.
Supplementary gifts: paid days off.
Length of time I have worked for family: 2 years (+)
Location: ONT, Canada
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Bonus this year (2011): It's usually 1 weeks pay, around $1,600 - $1,800.
Weekly salary: $1,600 - $1,800.
Supplementary gifts: This year I will be getting a gas card since MB doesn't want us using the T too often, the kids both make me something, plus buy me a box of Lorna Doones!
Length of time I have worked for family: 7 years.
Location: I live in Natick MA, US. I work in Needham MA
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Bonus this year (2011): $575
Weekly salary: $575 for 42-55 hrs week (so I got a bonus check basically)
Supplementary gifts: No other gifts/bonus.
Length of time I have worked for family: I've worked for them 5 months caring for a 2 yo and a 7 yo.
Comments: Been in the childcare biz for 3 yrs (including 1 yr as a PreK teacher).
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Bonus this year (2011): $1,000
Weekly salary: I work 9-5 M-Thu for 2 girls (3 & 1). My take home pay is
$500 not including the taxes & gas stipend of $40 dollars a week.
Supplementary gifts: A gold Coach purse, a $100 Starbucks card, a 20 lb Jennie-O Premium turkey for my family Christmas dinner & the family ornament. (A very prominent family in my city and they make ornaments to give out to all their workers).
Length of time I have worked for family: 3 years & 3 months.
Location: San Antonio, Tx USA
Comments: This is my 4th Christmas with the family and every year I never expect anything cause I'm very well taken care of during the year. A week before the 1 year olds birthday my MB broke her ankle and my hours and responsibilities changed considerably. Its been about 4 months of early mornings, late evenings & happily driving MB and the 2 girls to activities and work. I am not complaining and was happy to help as needed and will really miss my new routine in the new year when my old routine comes back. I'm very privileged and loved by this family and I love them too.
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Bonus this year (2011): $550
Weekly salary: $13/hr comes to about $525/week.
Supplementary gifts: a tin of homemade fudge!
Length of time I have worked for family: about 2 years.
Location: Texas
Comments: This is my second Christmas with them, and my bonus is $50 more than last year. I don't get a lot of benefits or flashy gifts, but they have been very supportive - and they also gave me $250 for my birthday a few months ago! I spent about $150 on the whole family, and will have the first week of January off.
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Bonus this year (2011): $500 cash.
Supplementary gifts: coco chanel purse.
Location: Maryland
Comments: nanny for three year old and eighteen month old twins.
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Bonus this year (2011): $500
Our Nanny's weekly salary: Our nanny's weekly salary is $300 net after room and board.
Supplementary gifts: $130 hair salon gift certificate (enough for a cut and colour), Crabtree & Evelyn travel toiletries set.
Length of time our Nanny has worked for family: four months.
Location: Toronto, Canada
Comments: Our nanny has not been with us long but she quickly became one of the family and was particularly helpful when my husband was ill recently. We are so grateful to have such a wonderful person looking after our children and sharing our home!
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Bonus this year (2011): $0
Weekly salary: $560 before taxes, $480 after.
Supplementary gifts: 5 bags of Teavana tea, my favorite store and my favorite kind! A really sweet gesture, shows mom was really listening to me :). Also got some homemade Christmas cookies and a family photo card.
Length of time I have worked for family: 2 1/2 weeks.
Location: Boulder, Colorado
Comments: The family I work for is so so sweet and they really go above and beyond for me. I definitely was not expecting a bonus after 2.5 weeks and the tea was such a nice present!
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Bonus this year (2011): nothing.
Weekly salary: $910.00 full time nanny share.
Supplementary gifts: $100 gift card to amazon from family #1, $100 cash and photo of baby from family #2.
Length of time I have worked for family: Family #1: 2.7 years, Family #2: 1 year.
Location: Boston, MA
Comments: Never expected a bonus from either family especially family #1 since they have never offered me one in the past.
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Bonus this year (2011): Family A (work around 20hrs/week) - $200 Family B (work 4-8hrs/week) - $100
Weekly salary: Family A - $13/hr. Family B - $13/hr.
Supplementary gifts: Family A - I got a cocktail shaker off my wedding registry. Family B - A box of Sees chocolates.
Length of time I have worked for family: Family A - 2 years. Family B - 1 year.
Location: Orange County, CA
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Bonus this year (2011): $250
Weekly salary: $250 (part time, live-out)
Supplementary gifts: a $100 gift card to a Salon and Spa and some lotion.
Length of time I have worked for family: 4.5 months.
Location: Seattle, WA
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Bonus this year (2011): $150
Weekly salary: $10.00 an hour, 35-40 hours a week.
Supplementary gifts: I received a hand-written heart-felt card telling me how wonderful they thought I was and how much I was appreciated. I got a nice card from my charges - ages: 2yrs and 6mths.
Length of time I have worked for family: Exactly 2 months.
Location: Commerce, Michigan
Comments: I have only been with this family for a short time. But they are wonderful, caring people. We get along great and my charges couldn't been any sweeter. I am very lucky to FINALLY find a loving family. I know I will be there for years to come.
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Bonus this year (2011): $150
Weekly salary: $490 after taxes, 32 hours/wk.
Supplementary gifts: A Kindle Fire, Christmas Ornament from the kids.
Length of time I have worked for family: 6 months.
Location: Birmingham, Michigan, US
Comments: Loved the present! They were very thoughtful and i'm so happy to be working with them!
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Bonus this year (2011): $100
Weekly salary: $500
Supplementary gifts: candle set, macy's gift card.
Length of time I have worked for family: 10mo.
Location: N.C.
Comments: 2 kids, I work so hard and had kind of expected more of a bonus but they're a nice family.
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Bonus this year (2011): $1700
Our Nanny's weekly salary: $850
Supplementary gifts: small $10-20 gifts from all 3 kids and about $50 gift from us.
Length of time our Nanny has worked for family: Our nanny has been with us for four years.
Location: Manhattan
Comments: As an aside, we are moving so our nanny is also ending her employment with us during this holiday season. We are giving 4 weeks salary (one week per year of employment) as severance. We also gave our nanny 4-6 weeks notice which is as much as we had. I also posted for her in several places, including the $75 for babybitesnyc and have helped her find a new job.
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Bonus this year (2011): $2000
Weekly salary: $700 (FT)
Supplementary gifts: 2 tops from my favorite store, giftcard for the movies (not sure of the amount)
Length of time I have worked for family: almost 2 years.
Location: Los Angeles
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Bonus this year (2011): No cash bonus
Weekly salary: $250 - 15 hour work week.
Length of time I have worked for family: 4 years and 4 months.
Location: Houston, TX USA
Comments: My employers took me out for lunch (never did that before), and gave me a card with basketball tickets! I am a sports fan but have never gone to a professional game so it was a super sweet surprise! I also received 2 weeks off paid holiday as I have the past four years. I work for an absolutely wonderful family. I have never been given bonuses, but they have been generous in so many ways that make me appreciate how fortunate I am. For example, I never ever have to worry that I will not be paid 52 weeks a year, and have received time off paid between 6-12 weeks each year. I also received 3 gift cards and makeup from a couple of other families who I sit for as needed. Overall, I am truly just appreciative and feel very blessed to work with very wonderful people :)
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Bonus this year (2011): $0
Weekly salary: $375
Supplementary gifts: A $50 gift card to a local movie theater. Oh, and you know those bath sets everyone gets for Christmas and no one actually likes? MB got one from a neighbor, left it on the kitchen counter for a week, and then gave me one of the lotions with my gift card. . . . Yay.
Length of time I have worked for family: Only since mid-July.
Location: Winston Salem, NC
Comments: I don't want to sound bratty. I know I've only been with this particular family since the middle of the summer. I wasn't expecting anywhere near my normal bonus (which has always been a full weeks pay in the past 5.5 years I've been a professional Nanny). I definitely thought I'd get about a hundred bucks though. Especially when MB kept emailing me links to $300 doll houses when she was trying to decide on what to get her 3 year old. I hate that I sound so bratty, but I work long hours, I'm underpaid,** never** paid on time, and even though I'm told weekly how much they appreciate me it's moments like this when I feel completely unappreciated.
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Bonus this year (2011): $0
Weekly salary: $25-40 a week.
Supplementary gifts: none.
Length of time I have worked for family: 3 months.
Location: Sun Prairie, WI
Comments: Technically I am not a nanny, but a babysitter, although I consider myself a nanny, not a babysitter. I did expect a little something, but I am OK with not getting anything. If I worked FT or more hours as a nanny, and didn't get anything, I may have a different view. I also work in a childcare center and received very nice gifts from some of the children in my after school program: Victoria' Secret gift set, a keepsake ornament, Target gift card, a homemade bird feeder, Bath and Body works lotion, vodka, and Peanuts collectible figurine. (I am obsessed with Snoopy.) Although I didn't get the gifts other nannies received (thinking back to past holiday surveys where nannies got cars, gas cards, a wallet full of gift cards, furniture for a new apartment and generous cash bonuses) I am grateful for A and her family. Mom is great and we get along very well. Other teachers at my childcare center may have received more gifts, but I am OK with that. I feel blessed to have my job because my boss is amazing and has gone out of her way for me numerous times in the three years I have been there. The children in the center, along with those in the after-school program are amazing, as are their families. They mean the world to me and the best gift I could get is what I receive year round: the love of the children and the appreciation expressed throughout the year.
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Bonus this year (2011): $350, which I truly did not expect and am incredibly grateful for.
Weekly salary: $675 for less than 40 hours a week.
Supplementary gifts: substantial gift cards to Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, and Bloomingdale's. I also got socks and slippers from the cats and a beautiful photo of my little baby girls.
Length of time I have worked for family: a little over a month.
Comments: As an educated, experienced, "top notch" career nanny I was very much used to getting the best of everything including crazy gifts (laptops, vacations) and insane bonuses (up to $5,000) but last year I left my job and it took until last month to filter out the psychos (surviving on temp. and short time nanny gigs) and finally find a family that worked for me. As I just started the job and the economy is in the toilet I expected very little. I used to make $2000 per week but I am SO grateful for the job, the stability, and the money. I needed to suffer in order to be humble, and I did, and I am a different person. Kinder, wiser. Not so entitled. I would have been appalled at the "lack" of money from this bonus a few years ago, but now I think it is SO GENEROUS and I am SO GRATEFUL to have such generous, caring bosses who share so much. I am blessed.
29 comments:
Interesting that there were no "over the top" gifts this year. Do you think maybe parents are still hurting from the economy? But there were still some great bonuses and congratulations to all the hard-working nannies who got them! I'm sure yall deserved them.
To the nanny who works for her sister: Are you freaking kidding me?? You don't expect any gifts from her? That strikes me as beyond weird. My sister gave me a gift that her dog had chewed on this year and our mom chewed her out for that one!
Loved hearing about the family who gave their nanny a Christmas tree and a bunch of housewarming gifts. That was adorable and you are really lucky to find a family who cares that much. A few years ago when I moved, it was hard enough just to get the parents to change my address for tax purposes!
To the "not bratty" nanny: sorry but you're being a brat. You complain about being underpaid but you've only been with this family for 6 months. Obviously you agreed to that salary. And why did you think you were entitled to a $100 bonus? You got a $50 and you do not seem grateful for that...if you don't want it, I'll take it off your hands. I love going to movies.
Finally to the basketball-loving nanny in Houston: the Thunder is playing you guys twice this week and we're going to kick your butts! ;) You are so lucky, I love going to NBA games! I hope you had a blast.
Parents are definitely hurting. My husband's company is in the financial sector and this past year is the worst they've had in 8 years, which means our income will be way down this year since most of it depends on the prior year's profits. We will continue to cut back substantially on household expenses but not our nanny's bonus or salary this year. My husband's colleague just let their full-time nanny go. I am hoping things will improve in 2012.
I can't even read the bonus section this year. I didn't submit mine because I was so hurt. I got an $150 gift card. That in itself isn't offensive, but I know what the rest of the household staff got. All of the other staff got bonuses of $1000 and up. I've tried not to think about it, because being bitter doesn't do me any good, but I'm not sure why exactly I didn't deserve a bonus like everyone else.
I know it's not because I do a bad job, because they tell me constantly how much they appreciate all my hard work, and they just decided to give me a raise without me asking for one (within this past week)
I just don't get it.
I couldn't agree with you more nannyofone! I find mannahs comments to always be rude!
@Miss Mannah: I agree with the above posters that you are always trying to "stir the pot." I think you do it for attention and it is getting kinda old. I think if us other posters just ignore her comments, she will eventually stop.
Anyway, congratulations on the bonuses everyone got. I didn't get a bonus from my great family...however I have a great family who pays me well, pays me on time and treats me so much better than the other families I have had so instead of counting what I don't have, I instead count my blessings which are many.
I would rather have a family who treats me well all year long and gives no bonuses than one who doesn't yet throws cash at me.
Wait...what?? LOL.
What are you guys talking about? I thought I was being perfectly nice! I said the nannies work hard and deserved their good bonuses. The only thing I said that could possibly be construed as mean was telling the nanny who "wasn't being bratty" that she was indeed being bratty. If there's one thing that I can't stand, it is entitled nannies. She got $50 and that wasn't enough for her. Come on guys, you can't tell me that didn't bother you.
PS: How the heck can I do anything for attention on a forum? None of you can see me.
Part two is in the works and will be up in a day or so.
I think you guys will find a few of those "bonuses" very interesting.
... saving the best for last!
Beside the issue at hand, Mannah, it sounds in the "not trying to be bratty" Nannys paragraph like she is working more than what you say she must have "agreed" to. I don't think it's acting "entitled" if she expected a holiday bonus when she is working longer than agreed upon hours (based on what was written). And, personally, I'd feel pretty unappreciated if my MB had so blatantly regifted something to me too.
Oh Mannah, judging from your constant stream of negativity and criticisms on situations you can't (and don't even try to) understand I cant imagine your response to a child who slips up while under your care.
I am actually one of those people who enjoys getting those "bathsets" I can feel like I am spoiling myself, since I really can only afford the cheapest lotions and bodywashes from Walmart. If they are from Bath and Body Works, double bonus for me........
"I cant imagine your response to a child who slips up while under your care."
Uncalled for. You have absolutely no right to judge my care-giving skills.
I understand plenty of situations...I have been doing this job for a long time now. I don't understand why nannies allow themselves to be put upon or taken advantage of. Note I said "allow themselves". They have no one else to blame, which I why I do not coddle people if they have put themselves in the position.
I also don't understand why this thread, which was meant to congratulate nannies for their accomplishments, has turned into a Mannah witch-hunt.
I found nothing wrong with MissMannah's comments either. That poster even acknowledged she sounded bratty. I wouldn't mind a gift card to the movies...but I could also understand disappointment about a lack of bonus. What I don't like is how she mentioned the $300 dollhouse...in this economy, the $300 was probably the "big gift" and it sounded like her mother wanted it to be special. If she is a professional nanny of 5.5 years, I don't understand how she is underpaid and overworked...I would think she had a contract as most professionals do.
I find it hilarious that people are finally calling MissMannah out! Couldn't agree more!
I think everyone is entitled to their own opinion. That being said, Jedd, you are being hypocritical by saying that MissMannah should be able to have her own "straightforward" opinion but you want to barf at the ones that appear phony to you. If you can have your opinion, so can everyone else. Whose to say they are being phony, maybe they are the "glass is half full" types. In any case, I value both the straightforward and nice comments just as equally. Differences are what makes the world go round, people. But I also think there are nicer ways to state opinions when you disagree. Calling people names and telling them they are idiots is not the way to go.
And MissMannah, like I said I value your opinion but I don't think it's fair of you to judge people for being taken advantage of. We are human and sometimes emotions get the better of us. That is how nannies get taken advantage of. If you are strong enough to stand up to people all the time, good for you and I envy that. I am not a nanny anymore but when I was, I used the word "yes" far too often, when I really wanted to say "no." I think this happens to a lot of people and they just want to vent about it. After all, this is a blog for nannies. It's not like they are coming on here complaining about their other problems in life.
I agree that Miss Mannah likes to criticize and call people out a lot. She needs to stop judging everyone so harshly.
It was interesting to read the post from the nanny who got nothing from her employers, but several gifts from parents at her after school programme. I work in a British boarding school, and while my housemaster's gift to me was a bottle of wine and a tin of biscuits which I recognised as re-gifted items - I received some lovely presents from the parents of 'my' boys! And no, most of them did not spend a lot of money - and I wouldn't have expected them to! - but the nature of the gifts showed that real thought had gone into choosing them, and that just meant so much.
Happy New Year to you all!
I don't think I'm a hypocrite, Jedd. I like to read ALL the comments, no matter if they are more straightforward or more on the positive side. While I tend to be somewhere in the middle when writing my opinions, it it helpful to see all sides in a situation since we should try to do that in life. You know, away from the computer. Anyway, my point was that if one person wants to be listened to, he/she should also listen to others, especially if their opinions differ.
I thought ISYN was started to give parents a place to post and read about worrisome nanny sightings, not as a place to unite nannies.
Huh, maybe they didn't give you a bonus because they were giving you a raise. Was the raise for more than $1,000/yr?
Newmama,
You are correct, it was... but somehow ISYN evolved into a place for Nannies to discuss the trials and tribulations of Childcare, which is fine.
But the number one priority of this Blog is and always will be protecting children from abuse and neglect by reporting bad Caregivers.
My problem is that so many of the posts are turning into bashing the OP's language skills instead of what it should be, offering advice.
slb -- if someone cannot use basic, proper grammar and form coherent, intelligent sentences it just says a lot about the state of the world. Punctuation, paragraphs, and understanding the difference between there/their/they're, etc. are BASIC concepts we should all have mastered in grade school. In my opinion, when someone has horrendous spelling and grammar errors when they write it makes them come off as uneducated, lazy, and incompetent, whether they are or not.
It is a huge pet peeve of mine to read something like "i nanny for 3 kids 2 7 9 years old there mom is soo rude to me!!! i dont understand what im doing wrong i do what she says but i think she hates me maybe ill send her email and quit what do u guys think?!?heeelllppp oh and the 2 year old is terible"
And in all of the posts where the grammar/language was criticized I'm almost positive there was solid advice mixed in. I think it's shameful that people are even allowed to graduate high school without knowing how to write a complete sentence.
/rant over!
I am excited to read part 2 of the bonus section! Sounds like some of you got some great gifts this year, congratulations and be thankful for the great families you work for!
Bonus this year (2011): $0
(I've never been given one)
Weekly salary: $494
Supplementary gifts:
$100 Gift Card to Nordstrom.
P.S. I spent the more money on their 3 children for the holidays. Thus, I did not get anything extra. In fact, 109 Dollars I spend on your kids at Toys-R-Us. Thanks again! :(
Length of time I have worked for family: 3 Years
Comments: My wish is to be treated with dignity, class and respect. Please do not employ an educated and experienced nanny if you cannot afford to treat him or her properly.
@thankyouandyrwelcome -- Bonuses are not required to be given by a family to their nanny, it is simply a nice gesture, hence why it is called a bonus. It's just an addition to your normal pay.
A $100 gift card to Nordstrom is a very nice gift, you sound very ungrateful. If you are working 40 hours/week you are making $12.35/hour. That's pretty average for a nanny, depending on where you live and how many charges you have. If you are so experienced and educated and above this family then why have you stuck around for 3 years?
Also, the parents did not ask you to go spend over $100 on their children at Toys-R-Us, that was your decision. I managed to spend less than $40 on Christmas gifts for my 3 charges and they were thrilled to bits with their gifts.
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