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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Is this a reasonable request of a nanny?

238 replies

solomam · 12/12/2022 10:44

Ok so... please hear me out as I have never before had a nanny or considered one - I will openly admit I know nothing about the services they are willing to offer.

Can anyone who has either been a nanny or had one, tell me whether it's a reasonable ask to pay someone to come to my home for literally 1 hour every morning to help with the morning routine? That's all I need. Nothing more.

Or would they all laugh at me for being ridiculous?

OP posts:
NumericalBlock · 12/12/2022 13:23

I used to do these sorts of odds and ends when I nannied. I lived in a city so it was doable, you may find it difficult to find someone if you're out in the sticks but there'll likely be somebody who is up for it!

tenbob · 12/12/2022 13:23

SnackSizeRaisin · 12/12/2022 13:14

Someone earning 80 per week will need to be an employee. They won't pay tax but will pay NI and their employer will need to pay NI too. Cash in hand for regular employment is illegal (though chances are you'd get away with it)

The NI threshold is £120 a week

ivykaty44 · 12/12/2022 13:27

I use babysitter . co . uk

there are many parents on the site requesting various babysitting duties, some for an hour a day, others for more.

Calphurnia88 · 12/12/2022 13:31

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This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines - previously banned poster.

Thanks for explaining inflation to me but I'm pretty sure that retail jobs aren't paying £20 an hour, even in 2022.

felulageller · 12/12/2022 13:33

If you are 'very rural' is there public transport to/from your house at that time in the morning?

Or are there enough houses in a walkable distance to walk to work? But is it safe in the dark/ice?

If you need someone with their own car you can pretty much rule out teens.

Where is DP in all of this?

When I had a very early start/ long commute I had an arrangement with the nursery that DC was dropped off in their babygro so they got them dressed and breakfasted at nursery. So all I needed to do was nappy change, in snowsuit, in car!

antelopevalley · 12/12/2022 13:33

£15 an hour is a decent amount. But if people have to travel a bit to your rural house you may need to increase it.

ICanHideButICantRun · 12/12/2022 13:35

When I was on my own with two junior school aged children, I emailed the head of health and social care of our local high school and asked whether any sixth formers would be free to pick up my kids from school and bring them home, cook their dinner and help them with homework. Two girls applied who wanted to work together, so they split the money between them.

£60 pw is a lot to a sixth former - that's the route I'd take. They'd have time to go home and get ready for school afterwards.

antelopevalley · 12/12/2022 13:35

ivykaty44 · 12/12/2022 13:27

I use babysitter . co . uk

there are many parents on the site requesting various babysitting duties, some for an hour a day, others for more.

Babysitter is good for people looking for work. But if you are very rural you may need to be trying to attract someone thinking they could do with the extra money, but to whom this had not occured.

ICanHideButICantRun · 12/12/2022 13:35

These were girls who were going on to do teacher training, so the experience was great for them.

WhaleInAManger · 12/12/2022 13:35

I think that if ever there was a time when you have a chance at getting someone for that hour, it's now when the CoL is through the roof and people may want just a bit extra to top up energy bill money etc. From that pov, the earkly hour may help because they could still fit in a full time job afterwards.

Anoooshka · 12/12/2022 13:37

Also look at older people who might be more awake earlier in the morning. I know that my mum would do something like this for a neighbour; she is great with small kids.

Metabigot · 12/12/2022 13:38

Would a sensible student or older teen work? Nice little earner for a teenager.

Farradaymange · 12/12/2022 13:42

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Farradaymange · 12/12/2022 13:44

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tenbob · 12/12/2022 13:46

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Eh?

teens can earn as little as £6/Hr working in retail

Now do the maths…

yikesanotherbooboo · 12/12/2022 13:49

My DD was registered with an employment agency while saving to travel and worked on this basis for several families over the months.She had no child care qualifications.She would eg take children from one family to school and home for a different family at 3.30.

99problemsandaballisone · 12/12/2022 13:50

Let us know how you get on OP. Where I am there's a teen on my close who babysits regularly and I'm sure would be up for this kind of job over a supermarket/bar work.

123woop · 12/12/2022 13:52

That's part of what I did as a nanny! Would come to theirs for about 7.30, do breakfast and getting ready for school, and then drop them off.

OhPeggySue · 12/12/2022 13:53

Delatron · 12/12/2022 13:01

I wish people would stop offering solutions about the OP’s routine. She is perfectly happy to throw money at having a less stressful morning. Good for her. Just like we could all clean our homes but some of us prefer to pay for someone else to do it for a few hours a week. Ditto gardening and dog walking.
So leave it out.

I think if you put something on a local Facebook group it may well suit a local nursery worker who wants to earn a bit more before work or a student. I’d probably tag on half an hour for a bit of tidying/cleaning to make it worth their while.

Some people are early birds.

Easy tiger. She might not find anyone, so help with the routine might prove useful.

123woop · 12/12/2022 13:54

To add, I did this for a local family whilst I was training so it might be worth asking on Facebook or something if there's a gap year student or something who could help. I know my niece would love to do something like this!

Comedycook · 12/12/2022 13:55

123woop · 12/12/2022 13:52

That's part of what I did as a nanny! Would come to theirs for about 7.30, do breakfast and getting ready for school, and then drop them off.

Big difference between 7.30am and 6am. Not to mention, the op only needs one hour per day

WimpoleHat · 12/12/2022 13:58

Ultimately, you can get anyone to do any job if the price is right…..but I suspect £15 won’t cut it. £15/hour is a pretty standard rate for someone as a main job, over a whole day. You’re going to need to pay quite a bit more to cover the travelling and the antisocial timeframe, I reckon.

girlmom21 · 12/12/2022 13:58

OP how old are your other children?

I'd bet they'll feed the little one and entertain them for a fiver and you'd only have to get them dressed Grin

Beautiful3 · 12/12/2022 13:59

I doubt someone would just do an hour, and it restricts further work those days. They wouldn't be able to live on an hour 5 x a week. Also they would have commuted to your home and back, that may be up to an hour each way. If you wanted someone, they'd expect 3 hours minimum per day. Sometimes I used to be asked for an hours work, but I always charged for 3 hours, because of the above reasons.

Extraordinarytimes · 12/12/2022 14:12

Seconding the suggestions at an older teen. Perhaps get in touch with your local secondary school; parent groups to find a willing teenager, or perhaps try a nearby church or any youth groups? As you are in the house also you will be able to deal with potential lack of commitment etc, and observe interactions until you are happy. To make the job attractive I would have a selection of breakfast items that they can help themselves to when you are gone, so that they can carry on getting ready, do their hair etc when you’re gone. Two hours for £20, second hour they get to breakfast and get ready, hang a load of clothes out, unload dishwasher, wipe down surfaces, tidy baby room, that sort of thing. (I wouldn’t offer more than £10ph to a 17/18y old as they might be highly suspicious. But agree that you have to offer at least £20 to make it worth their while in turning up. You can always up the rate/reduce the time if you don’t get anywhere). Very easy money for them and makes life so much easier for you.

We live in a semi-rural area and tried to get some help for before and after school and entirely unable (had to change working hours in the end) however we don’t have a sixth form in the town, so couldn’t enlist teenagers. I do know older teens who I would trust. They just weren’t available as they were on the bus to their far away college!

When I was in sixth form a friend and I took it in turns to take three children aged 8, 10 and 12 from our neighbouring school, through London to their home and gave them a ready meal type dinner. We viewed it as extraordinarily easy money, and although I was useless at committing to most things at that age, I was completely committed to this job as the alternative was that the children were left alone so of course I was there. It also provided me with drinking money. We got around £5ph which we thought was a huge amount of money. My previous job was in a tea room at £2.50ph and McD’s paid around £4ph, all pre minimum wage; around 20 yes ago. We used to swap the days around if we were ill or had plans; if you can recruit a pair of friends this could work brilliantly as it gives them that flexibility. Job grew to doing a few days during the holidays also. Easy cash for us, big problem solver for the parents.

6am is not too early, and as a parent if my children were 17/18 I would be delighted for them to have this type of job. You’ll attract the sort who get up early for a run etc. and automatically weed out anyone useless as there’s no way they’d contemplate such an early start! Good luck!