Nanny or granny

[chattanoogachoochoo]

I will be cynically going back to FT work for 6mo (due to 3mo notice period) in Jan to ensure I get my post mat leave bonus. My mother has offered to come and live nearby (she lives abroad) to provide childcare for DS, who will be 9mo at that point.

However, she has said, totally reasonably, I hasten to add, that she would like some financial compensation for having to move & rent in our town. She has mentioned a lump sum figure which post tax would equate to almost the entire lump sum :( I am minded to say that I will pay her rent for the 6mo she is in the UK and obv will provide food, petrol etc so she can childmind at our home.

My other option is a nanny (I have a 4 hour daily commute = 12 hour days at least) but I don't know whether the cost would be equal to or more than paying my mother's rent - sorry to ask obv question, but does one have to provide food for nanny during day and petrol/mileage money? 1st child, and other friends with nannies are in SW London, so imagine would not be comparable as am in Sussex.

Any guidance on cost of nanny in Brighton / Hove area gratefully received, so I can decide whether my Mum (which I would prefer) is the most cost effective option...

TIA

No idea how much a nanny would cost, but you would not be expected to pay her transport costs to and from your house, if she's live-out. If she's taking your DC out, then yes, of course you pay her expenses. Providing food for a live-out nanny is more open to discussion; I'd tend to think that you should, if only because she's not likely to be able to take her proper breaks*, so it's kind of compensation?

Sorry, did * because I was going to say, people in offices etc have legally defined breaks (20min after 6 hours or some such) and a nanny will never be able to take them. Then I changed my mind about that comment, having read the horrors of NHS nursing tonight, and realising that many other jobs don't, in reality, allow the legal breaks any employee is supposed to have.

Do we have a [zip] emoticon?

Hi chattanooga! In case you didn't know, there's a Brighton meet-up planned pre-Xmas. Not sure when, but check the Brighton message board!

Sorry I can't help with your actual query...!

Well it depends on the kind of nanny you want. Someone with less experience/fewer qualifications will be cheaper. However a 6 month temp might be relatively expensive...

I would budget on £9-12 gross/hour on salary alone as live out 12 hour days are going to be expensive. Possibly even more for someone very experienced.

A nanny share might be an option but I imagine you would need to host if it's 12 hour dats and for such a short period that might not be attractive. You could always advertise for a share and persuade the nanny that for 6 months he/she'd do before/after care at yours.

What's your childcare budget? Can you get vouchers to use with an OFSTED reg nanny which would be cheaper as they're salary sacrifice?

There are many ways to bring down the cost of a nanny but the basics are always going to be gross salary including employer's NI, food/drink/costs of having an adult at your home all day, some mileage (which you could restrict) and a jetty for activities.

Would your mum be wanting a House to rent? Quick look, reveals that a House in Hove could cost £1500 per month to rent (small 2 bed terrace). A 1 bed flat seems to be around the £850 mark. There would then be other costs on top I would expect (I've not rented so don't know but would expect that there are some things excluded from the rent charge).
What happens after the 6 month period... she would still be needing some kind of income, wouldn't she? Would she need to have ongoing income?

What Lump Sum figure is she after? In Example costs of employing a nanny I came up with the figure of £37,000 per year for a full-time nanny once all costs I could think of were included.

"and a jetty for activities" - well they are in Brighton/Hove

If you pay her a lump sum there may be tax implications for her. Renting for her etc may remove some of these.

Just reread and you say you are only wanting the childcare for 6 months - thus why the 6 month rental period. I really must read things slower - always been an issue of mine!

Your mum does not know your area well, whereas a local nanny would know what is in the area to entertain a baby/toddler. 12-hours+ per day is a long time to keep a child amused... would you mum really be wanting to have him for that period of time? Has she recently cared for young children?

could you mum not stay with you for 6mths - or that worse than anything

yes you need to feed your nanny or you wont have one that stays

agree a nanny could be anything from 8-12gross,esp as such long hours

have you thought of a cm? much cheaper tho obv you will need to wake your baby up and take there

Add message | Report | Message poster nannynick Sun 07-Nov-10 10:39:52
"and a jetty for activities" - well they are in Brighton/Hove

Kitty obviously....oddly appropriately auto-correct there.

£1500 is a lot for a Hove 2-bed - even for a decent place in a nice area. At this time of year you're looking at more like £1200 max.

It's what I found by doing a quick search on RightMove. I expect you are right that there are other properties of similar size available for less. Presumably the OP will be able to establish local rent prices better by going around some letting agents.

When I had just one DC, I used a combination of nursery from 8 till 6 and an au-pair for wrap-around care. Worked perfectly (DS was 5 months old when he started) and he loved the nursery. TBH I wouldn't want the responsibility of sorting my mum out regarding renting, making friends, organising etc etc.

I live around 90 mins from London (Kent) and nanny costs here are around £9-11 gross, which at 60 hours a week will be hellishly expensive.

Many thanks to you all for your input and research. Lots to think about!