How much do I owe??

[TelephoneTree]

My 4 year old DS is going to be looked after by another family's nanny for 3 days over the holidays, while she's looking after the other family's children (they're all friends, play really well together and the other family are happy for this to happen).

Now I asked her how much she charges and she said that she charges £9 per hour but is happy to take less as she's looking after the others anyway. I asked if she charges £9 per child and she said 'per family'.

What is usual in this situation?? I have no experience at all.

I was a nanny a few decades years ago and often had this arrangement in the hols. The parents would split the bill to pay me an increased rate (for the increased responsibility), and they would land up saving as paying approx. 70% of my hourly fee each iyswim. HTH

If my boss told me I would be having an extra child for three days at no extra pay, I would politely point out that I was contracted to care for their children only. Whether my employers paid me extra or the parents of the other child paid wouldn't matter to me, but if I wasn't offered extra I wouldn't do it.

Having three children is no more work than having two? Do you have 3 children? Would you mind being handed 1/3 extra workload with no more pay?

OK, I asked our nanny what she would ask for/expect in this situation. She agreed that she would want some extra cash to reflect the extra work/responsibility, but not £9 per hour more. She thought £6 sounded about right. She pointed out that unlike a long-term nanny share the boss parents house won't be set up for an extra child so there's an element of extra inconvenience there. Finally, she would expect you to provide a 'kitty' for your DS's expenses; she would give you receipts of course.

Hope that helps!

That's a brilliant help thank you so much!

The family's house is set up for 3 easily in that they muddle along together so well and have done for years. If anything it's a bonus for the family and for us as their DC and mine are great great friends. It should make it much easier for the nanny too!

So I wouldn't be out of order to offer £6 per hour then even if she said last £9 per family??

It's just a one off 3 days, not a permanent set up.

£6 per hour sounds fine. Or £200 for 3 days, if you're feeling generous.

I've enabled another family to nanny share with us during the holiday. Our arrangement was that I generally paid our nanny £9 p/h, on days she had the extra child we paid her £14p/h split between the 2 families (£7), so that I paid a little less as my children were no longer getting 100% attention and the other family paid but less than they would have to for a nanny usually. Meanwhile our nanny earned £5p/h extra.

Soes that make any sense at all??? It worked for all of us anyway

OP if she said £9 per family, she means £9 per family - not £6. I really think you need to have a chat with her BEFORE she has your child or she might feel very put out.

Valium,

I don't understand why you think it reasonable for a nanny's pay to go from £9/hour to £18/hour based on looking after 1 extra child, at most 50% more work (although obviously, cooking dinner for 3 is not 50% harder than cooking dinner for 2).

Are you part of a militant nannies' union?!

Of course, the amount has to be agreed in advance with the nanny but you can offer £6.00 extra per hour and see whether she says yes or no.

£9 an hour isn't a rate charged per family, it's how much she is paid by her employer, with tax and NI deducted - she's paid that for all her duties, childcare, cooking, laundry etc. That's quite different to a bit of extra cash in hand money for temporarily babysitting another child.

Oh well, I'm sure the OP will sort it out, my advice would be to sort it out with the Nanny before hand so there is no ill feeling :)

Larry there is no need for rudeness.

I think people get confused - a nanny is not like a childminder. She is an employee of the family.

So if she takes on more responsibility, it is reasonable for her to be paid more, but not twice her usual salary !!!

Thank you everyone. I had another chat with the family and the nanny and all agreed that £6 per hour is fine and if for whatever reason she ends up with DS on his own (if we need an extra hour as an emergency or something), then we pay her £9.

I agree, having listened to you all, it would be a bit strange to pay the full £9 per hour...