I feel like I am being underpaid and need some opinions. I work for a family in NYC. At around 5pm I pick up a 3 year old boy from his daycare. I then take him to the park for about 20 mins of playtime. After that we take the train about 10 mins to his home where I then microwave his dinner and feed it to him. After his dinner, I give him a bath and then clip his nails. His parents reach home about about 7:15 pm and then I leave. They pay me $20 per day and do not reimburse me for train fare to bring their child home and on some pay days they claim they forgot to go to the atm so I have to wait for the next day to be paid. One week they completely forgot to pay me. Please give me your opinion.
Also, the boy is extremely rude to me and tells me he hates me and cries and throws a fit almost every single day before bath time! If he does not get exactly what he wants he throws a fit on the train, on the street or anywhere we are. Sometimes his father is home and hears him yelling at me and he just comes and consoles the little boy and says "ok ok, you'll be alright" - never reprimanding him for being rude to me.
You need to have a chat with the parents and explain that your time is worth AT LEAST minimum wage. As well as ALL out of pocket expenses during your shift should be reimbursed. Since you have already accepted the $20 a day wage, they are unlikely to cooperate. If they refuse...tell them to find a new nanny
ReplyDeleteAs for his behavior...it is unacceptable but it is possible that he has never been taught how to properly respect "the help" (i use that term because since they pay you so little, i doubt that they see you as anything but "the help") If you choose to remain with this job, work on teaching him how to be polite, ask nicely, use kind words etc. Ive found that when I get results when i respond with "i cannot understand what you are saying when you whine/scream/cry, please use your normal voice so i can help you". Make bath time a fun thing to look forward to. Put food coloring in the bath, get bath crayons, give him shaving cream to make a silly beard, let him paint his body with water colors and make it a game to erase the paints with soap.
Why do you work for them? The pay is awful, the parents are cheap, and the child is unhappy. Surely you can find a better way to make $20 a day.
ReplyDeleteLOL! I think this post is fake. Who works in NYC for $20.00
ReplyDeleteJust to have lunch in NY costs about $10-$15
dollars
You are picking him up at 5:00 which is known in the parent/nanny world as the witching hour. He is having melt downs because after a full day of having to follow directions and exercise self control in daycare, he is tired! He may also be hungry.
ReplyDeleteI would meet him with a snack that won't spoil his dinner and give him some energy such as a piece of fruit.
Go straight home and pop into the tub with toys for some relaxing play together. Then have dinner and story time.
I wouldn't say you are being grossly underpaid, but would say you are being underpaid. Esp. w/having to pay the train fare out of your own pocket. WTF??!!
ReplyDeleteAnd you shouldn't have to clip the child's nails...that should be the parent's job.
You could ask for more money, but I wouldn't hold my breath.
The child sounds a bit difficult and that definitely plays a factor in how much $cash money you make. I think the more difficult the child, the more compensation the Nanny should get.
No for this area she is working in she is being grossly underpaid. Most families can't find someone to work two hours especially those sort of hours. Then its not like she is just picking up and dropping off. She is heating up dinner and giving the child a bath.
ReplyDeleteI pick up a third grader that attends the same school as my son. She lives two blocks away. I pull up to the house she comes out. We all go to the school together for drop off and then I pick up in the afternoon and drop at her home. Most of the times though she comes over not because the mom asks. She is such a good kid and she likes hanging out and playing with my six year old as well.
Sorry, got off tract. I get $12.00 a day just for a five minute ride to and from school. No childcare involved.
If you would buy an unlimited metrocard anyway, I don't think it makes sense for them to pay train fare, since you don't have to pay for the child.
ReplyDeleteHowever, you are being underpaid, IMO you should be making at least $35 per day.
As far as the child's behavior, I agree with everything Manhattan Nanny said.
So...you pick him up at 5pm.......play with him for 20 minutes......go home....put food in microwave...give child bath....then leave. That's it. Big freakin' deal, quit if it bothers you so much, you're not even there for 3 hours per day.
ReplyDelete@Shut Up: You make it sound like OP does barely anything. She is quite busy for those couple hours. She is responsible for transporting the child home, feeding the child a warm dinner and bathing the child which are pretty hefty responsibilities in my opinion. She should be making more than $20.
ReplyDeleteChildcare is a huge responsibility people. Don't you get it? Plus, the liability is HUGE.
@Nanny Jenn:
ReplyDeleteOf course I get it. I work 55 hours per week, all of which the child is in my care. I know what hard work is, so don't act like I don't. I guess my point is this: she works for this family for roughly 2 hours a day. If she thinks the pay is so awful, she can find a better way to spend that time.
@Shut up:
ReplyDeleteI am sure OP knows this, however she just needed to vent like we all do sometimes.
$20 a day for over 2 hours of work in NYC? Why did you accept that? People pay babysitters $12 to $15 an hour for one child.
ReplyDeleteAnd, for the person who said to buy an unlimited Metrocard and not complain because she doesn't have to pay for the child, that is ridiculous! She wouldn't have to be on the subway and do that traveling if she didn't have the child with her, so of course the parents should pay!
You should be making $15 a hour or at least $12 in NYC. I worked in Brooklyn and made $20 a hour plus all expenses. Even though the kid I watched rode the train for free, I still paid.
ReplyDeleteShe should be reimbursed for the T, she wouldn't be taking the train otherwise :p
ReplyDeletePersonally I would address his behaviour and tell his parents screaming and crying is unacceptable and that you should come to an agreement on age and development appropriate discipline for it.