Views on nanny pay and breaks please

[MrsFogi]

I'm getting mixed responses from friends in response to a couple of queries I have:

1. how much time do you expect your nanny to spend putting her feet up and watching daytime tv during the day (during the two hour nap) and sitting down with a magazine and cup of tea whilst the dcs are up and about?

1. is the going rate for a nanny looking after two children higher than the rate for one? If so, what percentage higher?

1. Someone working in excess of 6 hours, is entitled to a break under Working Time Directive. Nannies as such don't usually comply with the Working Time Directive, but instead have a little relax time, as and when possible.

No 2 hour naps at my work. So no opportunity for a break. Tend to take any opportunities that arise, so if all children are occupied - with make a cup of tea... and if I'm lucky I may get to drink it while it is still warm, rather than stone cold.

1. No, nannies pay in my view does not vary with the number of children involved.

I don't do any nursery duties apart from keeping the children's rooms tidy, making the girls snacks and lunch, and putting their clothes away, so when youngest one goes to bed there's not a lot to do but will put my feet up for a while but usually do a quick tidy up first.

I am a nanny, my charge doesnt have naps in the day anymore, but when she used to i did all jobs that needed to be done first ie. ironing, clearing up, and then if she was still asleep in would then sit down with a magazine or tv.

1. I've never micromanaged to that level. So long as her work is done at the end of the day/week I couldn't care less how long she sits down when the DCs go for a nap.

1. No. It is a salaried position based on the number of hours she works. IF there are more children I think the trade off is that she won't be able to do as many of the related chores, like laundry, tiding up, there might be less cooking, etc.

I second every word Athena has written. Would add that sitting down with a magazine when the kids are up and about is a big problem though. That's not nannying. How old are the kids?

1. when my charges are asleep (both are now) then I will use mbs laptop - she gave me the passwords when i started 2 years ago, and said when kids are in bed thats MY time

I dont do ANY nursery duties

2. if you start a job and there are 1/2/3 children then you agree a wage(whatever it is) and no you dont always get paid more for 2/3 children then if only 1 BUT I am a great beleiver that if another sibling comes along that the nanny gets a payrise

sure several will disagree with me, but that is what had happened in my jobs

Agree about possible payrise with new sibling - but shouldn't be automatic: depends on nanny's attitude to increase in work - whether keen, or, hmmmm, not exactly.

Otherwise, going rates do possibly differ when there are twins, or 4+ children altogether, but in my experience not in other circs.

Naptime exhaustion - why not? so long as everything else is done. Cup of tea totally fine, whenever; sitting down with mag - depends depends depends. 20 mins per day is fine - while children are doing something they're genuinely absorbed by (ie, not while they're in front of TV where they've been put for the purposes of nanny's P&Q + mag). I think it's a matter of priorities, & the right nanny won't have any problem prioritising the children over Take A Break.

using agencies - they do recommend raising the wage level a little if more than one child - the concern being that a nanny would choose to work for a family with one dc and an easy ride rather than 3 dcs (inc one with sn) ie mine!!! the agency feels it easier to 'sell' your position i think...

couldn't give a monkeys how they work their r and r tbh, as long as children are all alive and healthy and stimulated by her presence - would not think that sitting down with a magazine whilst kids around would have featured in any of their schedules though...

i do agree in advance if any additional duties to be carried out during kids 'down-time' though ie dcs laundry and ironing.

in fact the first nanny we had asked if she could do all our laundry as there were a couple of mornings when dcs in nursery, and she didn't like being bored (had to be there to do drop off and pick up but she could quite easily have gone for coffee with her friends as long as she had her mobile for emergencies - my only specification was that she had prepared something for them to do on those afternoons during her free mornings)

romy, you must have had a saint for 1st nanny to do ALL washing,that or either she had no friends

when i have no charges, i went to gym, back to my house 5mins away, shopping etc

i couldn't quite believe my luck either lol