Nanny with own child

[Feelingverysleepy]

We've found a lovely nanny, with a school age ds. Nanny plans to bring her ds to work before & after school (so total 3 hrs of the 9 hr day) and take my dc with her to do her ds' school runs. She will also have her own ds with her in school hols.
She's v experienced and as such expecting the top rate for the area - I just wondered whether there shouldn't be some discount due to the fact that she will have her ds with her sometimes. The nannies I've looked at who would be bringing dc with them full time were certainly expecting a lower hourly rate. What would you suggest?

What age are your children? I wouldn't be happy with younger children being dragged out on unnecessary school runs twice a day - obviously, siblings etc manage but if you don't have to, why would you pay someone to do this? How much of a difference is there in ages between your children? How will full days work in holidays - will her ds be bouncing off the walls when yours need an afternoon nap? I would definitely be expecting a discount for this arrangement.

Agree with all the above and I would certainly be expecting to pay 25% less than the going rate. Having just recruited a nanny I do find there is a bit of "trying it on" - have had people say to me that the going rate is £12 per hour net, then when I say I can't afford that and the job is for £10 per hour net accept it without a murmur.

Thanks, we're happy with all of the above & the practicalities. My only niggle is that top rate for nanny with own dc doesn't feel quite right..... I'm happy to be corrected though by those with more experience.

I have done this with 2 nannies. Years ago, I paid a fair bit less (maybe 15% less) than the going rate when my nanny's DD was a toddler and DD1 was a baby.
Now, my DDs are various ages, and my part-time nanny sometimes brings her toddler with her. In this case, I pay the going rate. It works fine generally, but we don't have the morning school run issue, and her child is coming along on my DD school pick ups rather than the other way round. I think in your case, a slight reduction in the rate would be appropriate. Worth asking / negotiating.

I would expect to pay 20-25% less for the hours she has her own child but calculate it over the year & agree an annual salary ie 3 hours a day @ 25% + 6 hrs a day full rate for X number of school weeks a year plus 9 hours a day @ 25% for X weeks of holidays total 52 weeks is her salary divided equally over 12 months.

Yes she should accept less perhaps offer the job at 15% less than top rate and see what she says - was she miles better than the next best nanny you interviewed and therefore worth the top end salary and hassle of nwoc.

One of our previous Nannies brought her son with her in the 2+ years she worked for us. At first it was full time and then just before and after school and holidays and our sons ended up going to the same school which was handy. For us it worked out beautifully as her son was the same age as mine so instant play mate. She was by far and away the best candidate, I think it is a plus she had experience as a parent so happy to have her although I know lots of others baulk at the idea that their precious darlings will have some competition for nannys attention.

To her credit she was very good at being fair to each child and it was a good experience for my son to learn to share time, attention & toys before siblings came along. It would have been different if my child had been dragged from pillar to post to serve the needs of our nanny on her errands so each situation will be different and needs to be monitored. We were in that situation with Nanny #1 and not pleasant at all.

A clear understanding before work commences will go a long way to avoiding some of the pitfalls later on.

For us here outside the UK you really do get what you pay for and to us it is not worth penny pinching where care of our children is concerned, especially if it means nanny is disgruntled further down the line and if she is a treasure you want to retain. She knows her situation won't work for a lot of families so if you employ her on terms she is happy with you should have a nanny that is grateful and loyal.

I would try for a reduced rate (pro-rated to take the holidays into account) but not a deep discount as you might find she brings more to the table than a kid free Nanny.

What are you comparing this nanny against? Do you have a second choice who would not be bringing a child to work with them (be that part-time or full time)?

There are pros and cons. You need to write those down and give it careful thought.

For example, the school run does get in the way of things sometimes. There is a trampoline class that I could take the pre-school child I care for to on a Monday but the class finishes at 2:45. We need to do school run, so being at a school several miles away a little before 3pm. It's too tight, classes often over run (we do a class on Friday and it never finishes on time).
Mornings are the other problem, if nanny did not have their own child who they needed to take to school, they would not need to get your children dressed and out-the-door by 8:30am (or whatever time they would need to leave). It's one of the things I and the children miss from when they were younger, not having the morning rush.

Pros and cons... do them for this candidate and for your best candidate without a child of their own. Compare them, is the NWOC still your best candidate, they may well be as things like experience may make them overall more appealing.