IMHO some people have gone completley batty

Message withdrawn

what a bizarre thread.

ps. spacing and constant smileys, are a bit annoying IMO

I must go earn my money now.... ta ta.

As I said on the other thread - market rates. It's not how much value you place on something, it's the going rate. Cleaners here cost 10 euros an hour, nannies (qualified or experienced) get about 7. Babysitter through the commune of an evening will set you back 2 euros an hour, private babysitter, back to 6-7 euros an hour.

People pay for the best they can afford re childcare - if an excellent live-in euronanny will work for GBP 12K a year and an excellent live-in Britnanny is asking GBP 25K a year, more people will be able to afford the euronanny. I don't think people cut corners (well some will, obviously, there will always be someone who earns megabucks who wants to pay as little as possible - that's the not very nice side of life).

NDP, I did not say all that, nor was it intended. Is RTK a SAHM? I didn't consider that part of the equation at all. No offense meant to SAHMs. Hard job. Totally agree there.

"Apologies to any childminders who thought I was belittling there job. I didn't mean that at all. It just appears that RTK can work as she please, but that the money isn't really needed to pay the bills."

Uwila, I'm not a childminder or professional childcarer in any sense, but I am a SAHM. So by your definition I sit on my arse all day pleasing myself ! In fact, your statement implies that just because I'm at home, not earning, the income I might bring in is not required by our household. This is absolutely not true, it is merely that we are not entitled to any sort of financial help from the gov (DH's salary is 'too high'), and I am only qualified to do fairly low-earning jobs. If I did go to work outside the home then all my income would be swallowed up by childcare, and the school holidays would leave us in the negative cash-flow wise, as we'd have to cover care for 3 children.

BTW, 20% related our joint gross income to her net. So, really the figure is higher. I can't be bothere to calculate it now.

Oh, and don't worry about finding what you posted on that earlier thread because RTK is quite good at going and pulling it out and posting it here on your behalf.

It's you RTK that I am annoyed with. You. You. You. I thought that was lready clear.

Yes, RTK, I think this thread is directed at me, especially since the timing of it follows last night's thread.

we spent a lot more than that on childcare - I can't quite remember (did work it out for a thread once) but as a proportion of my income, would say that it was 80% (and I was an auditor then so not paid badly). So my personal opinion is that 20% is nothing really (but then again, uwila has a live-in, we always had live-out childcare which is vastly more expensive).

But I don't think it matters and I can't see how this thread had any other attention than having a go at people!

Her mindee is not there, and she said earlier that it is a part time job, so I was referring to the other part of her time.

Apologies to any childminders who thought I was belittling there job. I didn't mean that at all. It just appears that RTK can work as she please, but that the money isn't really needed to pay the bills.

I'm willing to bet the average nanny's car is nicer than mone.

Would also like to show my shock at uwilas claim of RTK staying at home doing what ever she pleases. She is a childminder also, HOW DARE YOU BELITTLE HER WORK LIKE THAT (AND MINE)

One of my mindees parents pays her cleaner more an hour than she pays me. Not that i'm saying that cleaners should get a bad wage but that same parent tries to save herself any of the money she pays me as she possible can. I'm also sure she would say she has nothing left at the end of the month but her and her DH both drive top of the range brand new cars. That to me doesn't make sense

"Perhaps if you needed to work instead of sitting at home doing as you please all day, then you would have a more realistic view of the value of the £." &

Sorry, typo below. I can not afford to go see me family, most of whom I have not see in almost two years now.

Perhaps if you needed to work instead of sitting at home doing as you please all day, then you would have a more realistic view of the value of the £.

I think you have, RTK. You copied the figure into the thread that was supposed to be about telly last night, and said that it was evidence that I was contradicting myself. You did this while you were diverting the subject of the thread away from telly (which I still think was rude). And now you have chosen the figure of 20% to use again. Coincidence? I doubt it. You started this thread to get a rise out of people like me (or perhaps me specifically). And others are right, putting loads of smiley faces and grins into your posts does not make the words any kinder.

And, why do you care what I pay my nanny anyway? You obviously thinkI can afford more, but in fact I can't. There is nothing left at the end of the month. I have only managed a whopping 12 weeks of maternity leave because current nanny is leaving (she resigned, as you know). I can not afford a mortgage, so I funnel huge sums of money into rent every month, my children have very little savings and I currently can not afford to contribute, I can afford to go see my family (who live in the US) any time soon. So, I fail to see how I could or should be paying more money so Ican go to work, so I can pay these bills, and so on...