Overnight nanny for 2 week old!!

[BellaTata]

Hi 👋🏼 if anyone could help with this I’d greatly appreciate it.

I’m a newly qualified maternity nurse, I’ve been looking after twins full time since they were 3 days old (now 9months). Another family has contacted me asking me to do a couple of overnights to help out with their 2 week old (9pm-6am) and they are asking what my overnight rate is. I have no idea whether to charge hourly or a fixed rate.

Any advice would be helpful x

I found this if it's any help
www.nannyjob.co.uk/childcare/Night_Nanny/AnyRegion?results=15

www.google.com/amp/s/www.childcare.co.uk/amp/information/hiring-a-night-nanny

I've done it in the past. These days I would charge around £150 for 8pm-6am but it depends on the hours.

Where are you in the country? In London you’d be able to charge at least £300 a night

I’m based in Manchester. Newly qualified maternity nurse so I’d be happy to do it for slightly less and a good reference. But also need it to be worth the tiredness I’m going to feel at work the next day!

My night nannies always charged £15ph - this is central london.

Would caution against doing night nanny work if you’re also looking after twins during the day - especially with such a young baby. That sounds like a recipe for disaster - would your day family even permit you to do that? (I certainly wouldn’t!). Most night nannies either don’t work during the day or do 24/6 for the same family and come to an agreement as to when they sleep.

It’s only once or twice a week ad hoc so I’ll see how I am and I wouldn’t do consecutive nights so I can get an early night on the nights I’m home.

I don't mean to be daft but when are you actually going to sleep?

I second this as being a bad idea. Will you need to drive after a night shift? I wouldn’t want my kids in a car with someone up all night and I feel like they wouldn’t get their money’s worth with playtime ect if you were exhausted from someone else’s kids the night before. I’m assuming the baby is a bad sleeper if they want help!

You can't possibly do night work then go and look after twins surely?

I don't think this would work, sorry. I can't imagine your daytime family would be happy with this.

You can't do nights with a newborn then days.

Honestly, I have once in the past done a 7-7 night with 4 month old twins followed by a normal 8-6 day with children 3+ and that almost killed me! I couldn't have looked after a baby the next day.

It's different when you're doing it as a mum with your own kids and you become used to it. A one off night like that with a 2 week old you will not get any sleep - feed, wind, change, settle the baby will take an hour or more than you'll doze lightly for an hour or two before the next feed!

I'm a nanny and I know how important it is to get the experience and references when you are starting out, but I agree that this sounds like a bad idea, especially if you have to drive with the twins the day after.

I'd charge hourly for a newborn! You won't be sleeping.

Also I really don't think you would be allowed to work that then go to work as normal the next day. It's a bit different if kids are older and likely to sleep and a one off but absolutely no way I would let my nanny do this. I'm a nanny and I can't think of anything worse! Even if the money is good, there's no way you can have the energy to be a great nanny through the night and in the day.

If I was twins parent, I'd be furious if I knew you were looking after my kids (say) 8-6, then going to work elsewhere for another 10 hours before coming back to care for my kids.

I think the only way you can do this is a Saturday night (assuming the twins job is Mon- Fri).
Yes, hourly rate, at slightly more than your day rate to account for the unsociable hours and ad hoc nature of the work.

I don't think this is safe. If you fall asleep with the newborn or the twins have an accident because you weren't on the ball or even if you lose your temper because you're so tired, you'll be out of a job and that will cost more than the extra cash you could make on the side.

You'd be short-changing both families.

When I worked as a nanny it was in my contract that I was not allowed to do this. Have you spoken to day family about this idea?
As for what to charge I would be asking for £20 per hour.

As others said you would be insane to work nights with a newborn when nannying full time with twins

I charge the same whether day or night

So what hourly rate are you on now

You are new to this so I would charge less as and when you work to gain the exp and ref

Experienced can charge 20/25ph

@BellaTata - what have you decided to do ?