What would you charge for proxy parenting?

[Pickles89]

Per 24 hours, for just one baby? She's 10 months old. I have years of nanny experience and usually charge around £120 a night for waking for a young baby (only ever done this with parents at home too) but this booking would be for days and nights, and despite being told 'she sleeps through the night' I'm thinking she's likely to be wakeful and distraught due to not knowing me - unfortunately no time for any settling in sessions as it's an emergency booking (due to parents' work, not a family emergency or anything!) so it'll be highly stressful!

What should I charge?

Not a nanny but day rate + night rate, surely? Plus a bit if your "day" and "night" have gaps (ie if "day" is 8-6 but "night" is 10-6).

Charge your usual hourly rate absolute minimum, so if your charging £120 overnight and assuming that's 8-8 minimum, for full days I'd be looking at £250-300 per 24hr booking.

No discounts for length of booking.

Aren't there any rules for the length of time you can go without a break / day off? In fact charge more if the booking is more than say 4 days

Sorry but I'm not too good with this type of thing. These other people seem well educated though. I'd take their advice.

If you think you'll be up - normal hourly rate,
if you think you'll be sleeping half rate?

In the past I've charged my normal hourly rate for the full time. This was from say 5pm, through the night to 11am the next day. Not the 24hrs proxy parenting you are talking about.

I think it's tricky, you would need to discuss with the family. What are they willing to pay you?

I would go in initially with your normal hourly rate x24!!!! See what they say, let them know that although you're experienced you've never done a full 24 hrs before and are unsure how to charge them. Would you be willing to half your rate for the hours babe/you are sleeping maybe?

Sorry, think I've changed my mind on you halfing your rate when the baby is sleeping. The point is your there as responsible adult. She COULD wake and you'd need to be up. She COULD be poorly, there COULD be an emergency.

Yes you're sleeping, but your there for their child regardless of what happens. They're paying for your presence... otherwise they'd be leaving her alone!!

You're out of your home, you're inconvenienced, you're working, even if you're sleeping.

I'm intrigued by this. There must surely be a formula/protocol available for this from your professional body.

@Shouldbedoing what professional body!?

Whichever one the OP is aligned to.

I do realise the Nanny industry is not all Norland Nannies in brown unifom pushing Silver Cross Perambulators

Your normal hourly rate x 24.

If that's too much, then I guess it's up to them if they want to just use a teenager type babysitter instead.

If you're in central London a maternity nurse would be about £200 per 24 hours
and would usually be booked for 24/6 for several weeks.

You'll have to tweak that depending on where you are in the world and how much of an emergency/short notice it is.

Haha to the poster who suggested you should have a break.

How long is this for? This sounds extremely upsetting for the baby. The baby will not understand that someone is coming back for her. Why would anyone do this?

Normal rate for babies waking hours (7-7?) Plus minimium wage overnight?
No idea, it's just a suggestion. I've not done it, but I dont see why you should work for less than minimium wage.

That should have been £200+

Why would anyone do this? Because they need to earn money to live, just like anyone who leaves their baby in a nursery while they go to work . Their alternative would be to take the baby and nanny with them.

Why would anyone do this? Because they need to earn money to live, just like anyone who leaves their baby in a nursery while they go to work hmm. Their alternative would be to take the baby and nanny with them
The alternative would be to properly settle the baby first so they are not being left with a stranger.

unfortunately no time for any settling in sessions as it's an emergency booking

Of course it's not ideal, but it's four days work not a two week beach holiday. And I say this as someone who vary rarely left my own DC, even with their DF/GP

I would agree an amount for whole time based on my hourly rate. You are still the responsible adult when sleeping.

When I've done proxy parenting for my nanny family (ies) I've charged normal hourly or overtime rate from wake up (7am) until my bedtime (11pm), and then a lower rate/half rate through the night from 11pm-7am. Unless they wake in which case my rate goes back up. I did obviously know the families and children well though, so that makes it's easier on both parties. In your situation I'd be inclined to agree set amount per 24 hours. Potentially around £250.

You need to start with what agencies would charge in your area. It would be about 150-200 for a 24hr period.

I am - as are all my nanny colleagues I know - in central London paid.

Usual salary as a live out so let’s say £13 an hour net. 8-6. Then 6-11pm babysitting hours £13 an hour. Then £60 to cover 11-8am but that’s for an eight year old. A friend who does the same gets £100 for that time because they are a baby and toddler.

That’s as a permanent employee. I’d ask for minimum £240 for 24 hour care.

Legally your sleeping rate should not be less than minimum wage but other than that you should charge whatever you feel is reasonable.