To think nannies are overpaid?

[Fr0thandBubble]

Inspired by another thread about how much people earn. Plenty of nannies earning £50-£60k per year apparently and one on £120k!

Our nanny has just left us (youngest about to start reception, thank goodness) and we were paying her nearly £50k for 8:30am-6:30pm Mon-Fri. She would also pick up quite a bit of extra money babysitting evenings and weekends L. She didn’t even have to do anything from 9-12 each morning while my youngest was at nursery - and then only had my youngest to look after until school pick-up time when she had my eldest too. And nannies these days are very reluctant to help out with any cleaning or ironing so she really was doing nothing much at all in those hours.

She was lovely but has no qualifications and is in her early thirties.

It seems wrong to me that nannies are getting paid more than most teachers when they don’t need any qualifications. What do you think?!

OP unless you're a doctor or something that helps society I don't understand why your stress means you should get a super high salary. I've worked in the corporate bs world for years and most of the stress is manufactured, and along with stress are lots of perks and a high social status.

Have you ever worked a shit low wage job? It can be also extremely stressful and with long hours!

my job justifies a higher wage because it’s something you need to be highly qualified to do and which requires me to work very long and unsociable hours

And hers justifies what you consider to be a high wage because it allows you to do so. See how that works?

I should say though I love my job and wouldnt want to do anything else but still amazed that a nanny earns near enough double.

@Smurf123 Yes, I don’t really think that’s fair. I think teachers (especially SEN teachers) are hugely underpaid.

And in answer to your question, in my experience most nannies in London don’t have qualifications.”

Interesting. In my experience, those acquired through reputable agencies do.

Looking after children is hard work!

I stayed at home with mine until the youngest was 5 and oldest 7. I found it a lot do work.

Now I work ridiculously long hours as does DH. During term time school does wrap around care brilliantly and my two love it. During holidays we use a mixture of the holiday adventure clubs and courses and a nanny.

This
Summer is a nanny full time.

My two are well behaved and play well together.

I still think it's a hard days work and that our nanny works hard. Granted some of the trips and days out are fun but she will still have to look after them and ensure they're ok and fed etc etc.

Our nanny doesn't earn £50k or anywhere near that pro rata. More like half that. We are in the South east within London commuter belt.

I run two businesses but I can be home by 5:30 but need to start working again at 8 when the children go to bed so I do get a few hours every week day.

Certainly don't begrudge what the nanny is paid. My two love her and have so much fun with. It allows DH and I to work without stress (sort of anyway).

£50k does sound quite bit gross cost. However if your nanny does long hours and takes care of laundry and family evening meal then it's quite a big job.

good grief...that is a phenomenal rate.
I wonder what a Norland Nanny costs?
Kindness, intelligence, wit and good sense are what I'd look for in a Nanny.

If you’re underpaying like your friend then the nanny will soon find out from her peers, feel resentful and leave.
She's been there for two years now, and really seems to enjoy the job. She is a qualified and experienced teacher (abroad), but has close to zero English and prefers nannying to other min wage jobs open to her.

if she's there for that amount of time she's basically playing the role of parent. she wil be shaping your child, teaching them, helping them develop and watchin them grow. of course they are well-paid. but if you dont want to pay her that much you could always look after your own child yourself :)

I don’t think the issue is the money you’re paying. That’s fairly standard for a live-out nanny (up to £48k gross). I think you hired the wrong person! Our nanny graduated from Norland College, so has an academic background in childcare, as well as many years of experience. She’s worth her weight in gold, as she’s happy, kind, caring, thoughtful, calm and DC adore her. The playroom, DC bedrooms and kitchen are immaculate at the end of the day, too. I think you could have found someone more qualified for the money you were paying

If you think she asking for too much, find someone cheaper!

It always amazes me that people who think nothing of paying £50 for a bottle of wine baulk at paying a decent wage to the person they are entrusting their most precious part of their lives to!

There are qualified nannies out there - why not employ one of them and get your money's worth? What made you choose this particular one. and why did you offer her such a generous wage if you don't think she's worth it?

"it's not that hard"

Says the woman who hasn't looked after her own kids full time for more than 4 weeks a year.

@ssd we should team up!

I’m in Yorkshire and happy to travel a reasonable distance of anyone needs me 😄

I’m a qualified teacher - I would not work as a nanny, they deserve every bit of what they are paid tbh.

To those that have asked, I wanted a nanny rather than a childminder or nursery as one of my children has special needs (nothing major but I thought a nanny would be better). I wouldn’t have wanted them at a nursery all day when they were very little anyway - and I work very late every night so we needed flexible childcare.

You've answered your own question here. You need the flexibility of a nanny, and value what they can offer over a group childcare setting. That's true of nearly everyone who has a nanny, and it's why they pay the premium for it. There's no point looking for an objective rationale for the price, the market sets it by demand. It's like asking why a house in Kensington costs so much more than one in Hull if they're made of the same bricks - because the person who buys the house in Kensington is willing to pay the premium for it because they want what it comes with and they can afford to.

Yes, they do get paid shedloads compared to other roles that require similar level of qualifications, intelligence etc.

However, the hours are generally very long and full-time nannying is pretty much impossible to juggle with being a parent and not easy for having a work-life balance. That’s probably the main reason why the supply isn’t greater and rates of pay high.

Our London nanny wasn't officially qualified and we paid her £10/hr net. I wouldn't have expected her to do nothing for 3hrs a day home alone. Her main attributes: caring, calm, affectionate

Our out of London nanny earns £13/hr gross. When the children are out of the house she does housekeeping: laundry, cooking, light housework. She's a trained nanny but her main attributes: calm, loving, gives great hugs.

She's incredible, the children love her, I love her being here. Worth every penny.

My child is the my entire world. I sought the best care for her when I had to return to work, I think nannies and childminders have a massive job to do and I'm glad to hear they can earn big!

@HighlandPeach Yes you’re probably right. My nanny is the kindest person ever and really warm and she absolutely loves my children to bits. She’s not very professional to be honest (and yours sounds amazing in that regard!) but I think it’s pretty hard to find someone who is the whole package. Fact is that you don’t need to have the whole package to be demanding very good salaries as a nanny.

There's no intrinsic value based on qualifications. It's supply and demand. This is why surgeons make more than people with a doctorate in medieval literature.

When you earn 25k and trying to budget and pay for school holiday care, the state school holidays dont seem that short!!

@Thehop

Blimey. I’m 40, with 20 years experience in early years (childminding and private nurseries) and an early childhood studies degree. I have paediatric first aid, food hygeine and am up to speed in Montessori, loose parts, cloth nappies and specialist baby training. Ask well as being a mother of 4. I charge £10 per hour for babysitting and always clean up and do a basket of ironing/laundry one children are in bed!!!! I also am happy to arrive early and do children’s dinner whilst parents get ready.

Maybe I’m in the wrong job!!!

If you are in London you are definitely underpaid as a Nanny with your experience! Cleaners earn more than £10 per hour in London.

@bjonesreborn

I’ve been a nanny for 20 years and I can assure you we DO work hard. I work 48 hours in 4 days. The parents trust me with the most precious things in their world. The responsibility is huge. I do the children’s washing and ironing, cook for them, arrange their social life (!), educate them and entertain them, Food shop, errands for the parents. I can’t even list everything I do as I’d be here forever! Nannies don’t get lunch breaks/coffee breaks. I can honestly say I earn every penny of my £12 net/hour. The parents come home every night to a tidy house and 2 very happy and healthy children. I don’t think you can put a price on that.

Best reply.

She facilitates their lifestyle.

However, can they be assured nanny is fostering the right social networks via the DC's social lives? Hmm? 😂

@Hercwasonaroll Ouch! I looked after my children during long maternity leaves, my youngest was an incredibly difficult baby and a terrible sleeper, and I looked after her together with a two year old with autism (which was thought at the time to be severe - thank goodness that now he’s older that’s not the case but at the time it was no picnic, let me tell you), so I have looked after my children (at a much more difficult stage) for a lot longer than 4 weeks, thanks.

@Miljea Chippy much 🙄? Of course there is a price to be put on childcare, ridiculous comment.