To be a nanny and to like money

[OhReallyDear]

Ok, the title is a bit provocative but I am a little bit shocked sometimes by the things some employers say to me.

There are the people who don't want to pay taxes, of course. But I also have been told many times "Well, I wish I was paid to sit down and watch TV too" or "I wish I was paid that much to play with Lego all day" Well do it, love, what stops you?

I recently worked as a temp nanny. The mother told me that it would be a lot to pay. It maybe is, but I had worked those hours, I sure deserve to be paid.
I felt guilty and thought that maybe, I should ask less.

The worst is the paid holidays... Most of the people don't even imagine that a nanny deserves paid holidays. And lord know I need them when I am working 50 to 60 hours a week.

I understand it can be frustrating to pay someone to stay with your child, but I don't force them, do I?

AIBU to think that Nanny is a real job, that I should not be ashamed to be paid every hour, to ask to be paid the going rate, to be paid even for babysitting or to have paid holidays?

ChippingInLatteLover Sun 19-Oct-14 02:26:54
Asleep I do feel a slight sense of envy towards our nanny sometimes though, although would never express it to her. My reason is that she gets to see the best of DS and spend lovely, quality time with him, without having to do the boring household chores that I would be trying to do if I were at home. But I choose to do different work

How can you 'envy' your nanny for spending time with your son, when you have chosen not to? You wouldn't have to be doing any other chores than your nanny does, you would be choosing to do them in that time - you would still have the option of doing them whenever they get done now.

Because she said if she takes time out of work now, she wont be able to return later (If it weren't for the fact that a long career break makes it difficult to get back into medicine, it really wouldn't be worth working. )

Scarlet Did you see my second post, in reply to Asleep?

Also, Asleep is a teacher, not in medicine and where does she say that if she took out time now she wouldn't be able to return later? Sorry, I can't see where you have read that.

sorry i obvs got my posters mixed up.....
I quoted: GreenFizzyWater, whereas you quoted: Asleep

In a lot of places, once you take time off from work you are out of the loop - i cant count on one hand the amount of mums who have had high flying careers/uni educated who are now working as TAs (if they are lucky) THIS IS NOT MEANT TO OFFEND OR BELITTLE TAs

I used to get this when I was a childminder. As if looking after their children was my hobby or something

Unfortunately I think that's how many do see it. When they work, be it as a lawyer, architect, engineer etc they do expect/hope that the love and care they put into their work will be reflected in their compensation. When it comes to looking after their children though, their mindset switches and it's thought that the joy of caring for little ones ought to be reward enough and any money you do earn should be seen as pin money, perhaps only barely enough to cover costs.

Then they wonder why it's so hard to attract and retain people in the .... business. That is what it is but it's seen as harsh to describe it as that. Kid's smiles aren't going to pay the bills.