Is it too low?

[MarieSarah]

Hello,

I have a little boy who is one month old. I had found a great nanny ( more than 6 years of exprience, qualified, good references...) but she told us last week that she had found a better job and let us down.

I have interviewed 2 other nannies but they both declined the job saying that it wasn't paying enough.

I am searching for a nanny/housekeeper, so she would do everyhting in the house (the floor, the baby's/our's laundry and ironong, cook, clean the bathrooms, kitchen, and keep everything clean in general, the flat isn't big) as I will be working full time.

She would have sole care of our 3 month old son. I want someone with more than 5 years experience with babies and if possible qualified. I want my son to get out twice a day at least 1 hour (and from 6 month, go to Gymboree or playgroups).

It would be 45/55 hours a week, and the pay would be between 6,5 and7 pounds net an hour. My friend tells me that it's really low, but I think it's already good for a full time.

Can you tell me if yu think it's low for central london, and how much should I pay for what I ask?

Yep, too low by a country mile.

So you want someone to look after a five month old full time and do all the housekeeping, laundry, cook for you all? And you want to pay tgem £7ph? You are having a fucking laugh right?

Even at home in Maternity Leave with my 5mo I didnt iron amd DH still did some cooking and housework.

How do you expect one person to do two big jobs like that???

i class babies as under one's.

Much prefer looking after little ones aged 15months upwards.

Really? Under one? So a 13 month old who can't walk, talk, feed themselves properly, is in a nappy etc is what?

It makes me sad that you're not a baby at 13 months!!

lol at mortifiedadams

at least you say what everyone else is thinking! brilliant - i agree with you totally.

i have worked in childcare for 16 yrs and am still amazed daily by how people try and get away with scrimping and saving on their childcare - but still expect the highest standards of care for pfb - ain't gonna happen!!

When exactly do you expect this supernanny to find the time to do all this cleaning if she is looking after little one?

You need two separate people - a nanny on £12: hour gross (that is normal for London) and a cleaner who would probably charge £30 a week or so

I rarely reply to posts not about childminding (being a childminder), but this really shocks me.

You want someone who has been to college gained a qualification to work with children, have experience behind them, and do ALL your crap, for £7 ph !!

I work a 50 hour week and then do my own washing and ironing at the weekend. Light duties, yes, keeping your whole house in order, you are taking the mickey.

I really really think you are not going to find a nanny to do those hours and jobs for £7 per hour. I was paying £30,000 gross a year or £12.00 per hour last year for a nanny, 50 hours a week,live out and with her doing house jobs and experienced. They don't exist for what you are willing to pay.

Incidentally I've done this sort of job, albeit with two children, and I was paid £35,000 per annum pro rata. And that wasn't by any means unreasonable.

I don't think most nannies would be prepared to do the amount of housework you need. I don't think there is usually such a thing as a nanny/housekeeper. It's two different jobs. Nannies might do a little bit of cleaning and tidying but some don't do any expect in the children's rooms. I think you will have to get a cleaner if you need a lot of cleaning done.

Nanny/housekeeper is a genuine job but I think more for school age children, not newborns

Much too low. And your relentless pushing to get away with paying someone barely the minumum wage to bring up your children and run your house and do your cooking while you 'relax' suggests there may be other reasons you can find no single taker for these various posts.

lol

I suspect the OP isn't English... hence lack of experience in these matters.

I'm French ;) . Well, it seems like it is clear that I will have to pay more.

thanks for your help everyone

wow, as others said you are offering a very low wage

you want someone with baby and 5yr exp as have a young baby - fair enough

but then you want someone to basically do a housekeeper role as well as wash/clean etc

no way you will get that for the money you are offering

yes i understand that maybe thats all you can afford, so you need to lower your standards

get a nanny with less exp, my first job 21 years ago was with a 4mth baby and 5yr and parents chose me as couldnt afford someone with exp, but i had just finished doing the NNEB

and then get a cleaner as well

You won't get a nounou in London who will look after the baby and the house. You need to double the wage you're offering because nannies here are trained and/or experienced professionals. It just isn't the same market at all.

Even so £6.50net equivalent in Paris would be low-ish for an experienced nounou and childcare in London is much more expensive.

Outer London the going rate is at least £10 net.

gosh i am now really worried i will lose my nanny as pay her £10 net and she helps me (disabled) as well as looks after ds. I'm not particularly onerous to look after, and she is an absolutely atrocious cook (!) BUT she's very kind and reliable, and goes the extra mile for us, and I'm around am awful lot, which is definitely more difficult for her, and it would be terrible if we lost her... so should I give her a little pay rise? I can't afford a big one, but maybe 50per hr more? just to show her i appreciate her?

DoubleLife - are you in central London?

How long has she been with you, a pay review once a year can help to keep salary up with other local jobs.

Wow, I was paying £10 an hour net in the North West to look after one toddler and I had a cleaner to do all the domestic stuff. That is very low and a bit cheeky.

Have you considered a nanny share? It may work out much more affordable for you and your little one will also get to spend time with another baby. Most experienced nannies looking for a share are paid £12phn (£6ph per family). If you are able to, you could also employ a cleaner then.
My first full time nanny job was when I was 19yrs old and I had a 6mth old baby and was paid £8ph net and extra for expenses, mileage and so on. That was 10 years ago and I've worked in various areas of London.

Sorry but I think what you're offering is extremely low for an experienced nanny. I would never take a permanent job for less than £10phn.

You'd be better off with a nanny who's just started out and needs to gain experience or a nannyshare.

nannies are very rarely housekeepers. usually only if the children are older and at school most the day. even then a nanny generally only does child related things.

if you want your floors mopped you need a cleaner = around£10 gross per hour

if you want if you need a cook for yourself (as baby on milk only), and someone to iron and sort your life you need either an experienced housekeeper or a cook combined with a cleaner who will iron = £10 net per hr/ £12.50 ish gross

a nanny full time, with 5 years baby experience = min £10 net/£12.50 gross

an average nanny in london on 50 hours a week is on £500 net a week, and then you need to convert to gross and add ni ontop (prob£700 is a week give or take depending on tax code, the more hours, the higher the tax margin)

£7 and hour is what most childminder in central london are getting, and they can have multiple children and hour. (up to 6 under 8 years, so theoretically £42 an hour)

to get all the things you want you really are looking at at least 2 different people and around £800 min a week

That's really low, I have quite a few nanny friends on £10 ph just for 8-4 baby duties no housework

I pay that for someone v part time who is essentially a babysitter 2 afternoons a week (and has no childcare qualifications but is a mum and grandma herself) and we are "oop north" in an area of v high unemployment (and I am starting to feel guilty and will likely offer a pay rise to mine at the end of her probationary period)

OP no way will you find anyone even half decent prepared to work for that money