I am currently a nanny for two children aged 4 and 6 and have been for a year. The 6 year old attends school which the 4 year old will be attending in september, for 7/8 hours a day, which greatly reduces the family's need for me. It takes my weekly hours from 65 hours a week down to about 20. I also do one night a week babysitting. MB has offered me the same wage to do school pick up and drop off, be on hand for sick days and do full days during school holidays, but I must also take over for the cleaning lady who comes twice a week for 4 hours each time she comes, and cook a family dinner every night. The only problem with this is that when my job first started a year ago she wanted me to cook every night, but let's just say that when she sampled my cooking she stopped asking me to cook! I'm fine with the offer that she has presented (minus the cooking.) My question is, we are going to go over the logistics of the deal on sunday, so what sort of questions should I ask?
I was in the same position-
ReplyDeleteYou need to use a family car!! Not your own! And they are responsible for gas and maintenance!! To and from 2+ schools twice a day is lots of added wear n tear on your car! So if you can't use theirs, make sure you have a WRITTEN agreement for great reimbursement (IRS says 55.5cents/mile).
As for the cleaning, I didn't and wouldn't agree to that extra duty. But it seems to me that you need a raise for these added extra duties! I would say $3/hr more.
BUT if your MB is anything like mine, then they won't see the logic in getting a raise. They think the kids are gone for the day so now nanny can be at their beck and call (not!) The justification for not giving a pay increase: in their opinion,) I'm not multi tasking so didn't require as much skill (uhh what?!)
Another recommended duty to cover hours: Grocery shopping, personal to do's, errands, etc. (another reason to use their vehicle) I'm not sure if you do this already, but I much prefer it to house cleaning! It's nice to go out and about without kids sometimes and purchasing things I know the kids will like! And all of your preferred cooking ingredients.
As for your cooking duties.. Ask MB to provide a couple cookbooks for you where she tabs her preferred meals to be prepared. (That way you're not just blindly cooking and guessing the families likes).
If you want to be a nanny, Id find a nanny gig. This sounds like a cooking & cleaning gig, with a little child care on the side. I don't think you'll be happy. Eight hours of cleaning is grueling. I own a small cleaning business & have cleaned this one house for three hours, over sixty times. I also get paid $25 an hour to clean. You're just trying to hang on but it sounds like its time to find a gig with younger children. Gl
ReplyDeleteSo how did it go, OP?
ReplyDeleteIt was awful! MB wanted me to do a ton of other things for her, errands, ironing, MB and DB's laundry, she said she wanted me to do more cleaning then what the cleaner at the moment does. I had assumed I would do a few hours cleaning, dinner prep and the rest of the day would be mine, but she said that she would find things for me to do every hour of the day. I tried to say I wasn't comftable doing the cooking and she said that because I'm not cooking a family meal I am just a babysitter. She said there is a part time option, which will just be looking after the children, she is going to get back to me with the wage for that. I think I will probably take the part time and then start looking for a new job ASAP
ReplyDeleteIf you are a nanny, stick to nanny duties. Move on, find a new job
ReplyDelete