Please help me with spec for first time nanny - or is it nanny / housekeeper?

[FannyPriceless]

I'm about to return to full time work so it seems to make sense to get a nanny now (we have two under 3 so nursery fees are eye watering).

Please could you help me with a spec for the job? I need an idea of what's reasonable as I would like to be a good person to work for.

Basics so far are:

• Hours 8am - 6pm
• Two children aged 12 mths and about to turn 3
• Semi-rural village location in midlands (near some big towns)
• Full charge of children either 4 or 5 days per week, but at least one of those days the older one would be at nursery so only the younger one to look after
• Preparing meals for children
• Outings to shops, parks, playgroups, etc
• I'm thinking approx £8/hr gross but negotiable depending on experience and qualifications - is this right? I'm prepared to go up to £9 for a super person.

But here's the tricky part - we would want the nanny to do some household duties as well. Basics would be dishwasher pack / unpack, hanging washing (possibly folding / ironing?), and keeping the floors clean (vacuuming rugs and mopping kitchen floor). Also receiving the supermarket delivery and doing any daily shopping needed, e.g. milk from the village shop.

Is this reasonable? Any suggestions?

Basically I am trying to replicate what I do, and that's about all I can manage to keep the house ticking over. In fact, I never do ironing when the kids are around as I worry about safety (yes I am a numpty) but I had a temp nanny when I was ill recently she insisted on doing all our ironing and said 'it's what I do, just let me.' (She was lovely!)

And is asking for occasional cleaning the bathroom going too far? I just don't know what's normal here.

Most nannies will do all that for the children and keep the house clean and tidy but not adult laundry (unless you typically do mixed loads). It would be a stingy nanny who didn't unload the dishwasher but surely you can pack it the previous night and put your breakfast things in. Daily shopping is probably fine, as is receiving a supermarket delivery as long as the time slot suits what she has planned.

The norm wouldn't include bathroom cleaning or vacuuming/mopping unless the DC make a mess.

Tbh you're better offering the option of the lower wage and outsourcing the cleaning/ironing to another person or a slightly higher wage with those duties included.

Thanks, that's helpful. My gut feeling was I do think bathroom cleaning is a bit too much. But with a 12 mth old, the downstairs floors are a nightmare as they both make such a mess and he picks up anything and puts it in his mouth.

So if we disregard the bathroom cleaning / ironing is the rate about right?

i had this decision to make

DD is 12 months

In the end I hired a nanny who is fantastic with the kids but has no interest in cleaning (does the kids rooms and their laundry - she will empty dishwasher etc)

I also decided that it was more important for her to be with baby than doing the cleaning

So I also have a cleaning lady!

I think it's reasonable to ask that the house is in the same state at end of the day as it was when nanny arrived. So some days that might involve mopping floor, but IME you don't need to specify, just agree that it needs to be in roughly same state. Does mean that I do a bit of racing around making sure high chairs/kitchen is sorted after breakfast, and bathroom tidied after we've used it. Rate sounds about right, and I agree with fraktious that better to get someone else to do other cleaning - don't think it's very respectful of nanny's professional role to ask them to do it. Our nanny does all our washing, as well as nursery duties. She also makes cakes and leaves us something to eat about once a week. She is saint though , and is not part of what she has to do.

although if you expect the house to be in the same state bear in mind that you had better not leave it in a mess!!

Ahh, well I'd trade the freshly made cakes for a clean shower screen any day!

No, I guess I have to conclude that I have to get a nanny and a cleaner.

Could any nannies give me an idea of whether or not this is an attractive job?

It's an attractive job, especially considering the hours - 8-6 are nice hours, nicer than 7-7 or even earlier start time.

Salary levels are hard to know, though I expect you are targeting about right for the area. Look at other jobs in the area - nannying and non-nannying - to see how it compares with jobs generally in the area.

How is the job either 4 or 5 days? Would you be advertising it as being 5 days or 4 days... or saying it could be either, depending on what the candidate wanted to work?

Hi nick. Currently the kids are both at nursery one day which we may continue, and I'm also wondering about some 4 day flexibility in my new job (yet to negotiate). So either way, if a nanny particularly wanted only 4 days I'm sure we could work something out.

Hi, I worked as a nanny many years ago and basically the main thing was that all my 'duties' related directly to the children ie I did their washing kept their rooms tidy, fed them and did dishes afterwards etc so that when their parents came home the house was tidy- toys put away, kitchen cleaned (work surfaces, floors swept). So if their parents had had a dinner party the night before and not cleared up I wouldn't have done their dishes as it didn't relate to the kids iyswim.
I actually think if you have a nanny that does have the remit of stuff directly related to the kids it works really well. I worked as a much more casual nanny just two days a week after my ds was born and didn't do any housework at all for the family (they didnt want me to as it made them feel uncomfortable) but because the mum was so busy and stressed with work the kids rooms would be a tip- I could never find any toys or appropriate clothing! And it would actually have been easier if I was more involved in the organisational stuff.
The nanny agency I went to always said that nannies are NOT cleaners. Yes you do clean up but only after the kids. I think it all works much better if you stick to that guideline and as long as you get a half decent nanny she will elave the house pretty tidy for when you come home from work If you treat her well she'll do the same for you!
Good luck!

btw, I always did things like take deliveries as it made total sense as I was there all day. Also we always had a 'kitty' with ten or twenty quid in and I would buy bread, milk etc as needed and it paid for toddler groups/soft play mornings etc. Occasionally I would collect their dry-cleaning but I have to say I always resented that one a bit! I felt I was paid to look after, entertain and nurturectheir children- not drag them around doing boring errands!
Also, one other thing you might want to consider- some nannies I knew kept an open diary for them and the parents and it was used to write messages/remiders (eg you may write 'noticed we are low on milk and juice, would you mind getting more if you pass the shops' and also they can be used to record what the nanny has done with the children that day eg 'had a lovely time swimming, Tom's stroke improved but Ellie very tired after so might need early night' as its often difficult to remember everything when you're handing over in the mornings and evenings.

I'm in the midlands. We found most nannies we interviewed wanted £8 net which works out around £9.50 gross.
Our nanny will pick up bread and milk and will wash any pots she uses. She cooks a meal for the kids and generally there is enough for us too.
She will iron if I get home early but never does it otherwise. She does put an odd load of washing in.
She also has in her contract to change kids bedding and keep their rooms tidy if time allows but she has never done this yet.
Hope that helps.

I think it's a bit too much to expect, and certainly for £8 gross although I guess you are offering a lot of hours. When are you expecting the nanny to do all this cleaning with a 1 yo full time?
Sounds to me like with such young ones you need a nanny and a cleaner twice a week for 4 hours or so to do the main domestic stuff.
You can only really expect a nanny to leave the place as she found it, unless you have a very flexible one (quite often such nanny/housekeepers in London at least come from Eastern Europe or further afield, or that's been my experience advertising on gumtree etc). But even then, with a 12mo full time, you can't expect a lot.

Yes, I have decided we need a cleaner! I really appreciate all the replies, it is really helping my thinking!