Extra pay for overnight care

[Butterflies4Brains]

Hi all, we've had a FT nanny for a couple of months and are really happy with her. She's agreed to look after our two kids for overnight whilst we have a night in a hotel. What luxury! Does anyone know how much I should offer to pay? Like all parents I'd be happy to give my right arm in return for a lie-in and breakfast in bed!

oooo, I'd say much less that your right arm. Perhaps just the thumb?

It depends on how much work is involved, I think. My nanny works until 7:00. DD goes to bed at 7:30-8:00. DD gets up at 6:30, and nanny starts again at 7:00. So looking after her only involves an extra hour in the day. Granted there is some additional resposibility through the night. But, sleeping happens to be DD's most perfect quality. So, I can be very confident that she really will sleep the whole night. And, nanny lives with us anyway so this really doesn't disrupt her life much. Some will surely argue that you should pay her more than what she makes during the day. But, I pay much much less that her daytime hourly rate. If I had a baby who up in the night or a child who is haunted by nightmares, I would pay more.

How old are your kids?

Try contacting a local agency, tell them how old your children are and how well they sleep at night, they should be able to advise you of the going rate.

When I was a live in nanny, I used to care for the children from 7am Monday - 7pm Friday, although the 3 children were all older, I would have to get up with one of them at least once a night for 3 of those nights, more than I have to now with my 15 month old daughter - so it really does depend on the age and how well they generally sleep through the night.

Enjoy your night off!

I had a chat with a friend who works for a nanny agency...apparently for an experienced qualified nanny &/or experienced nanny for 24hrs they quote £110.00 paid to nanny eg: nannies day salary £60 net top up pay would be £50.00...I hope this helps...apparently whether children sleeping or not nanny is still on duty & can''t nip out for !!!!!!

The tutor on my ICP (childminding course) suggest we charged the price for an average stay in a travel inn Therefore overnight (I am registered for one child) I charge £39 (or £37 if they are over 5)

Thanks for the advice. My DS is only 1 and DD is 3, so they are both quite young, but luckily both are good sleepers. We have offered £100 and she seemed happy with this.

£100?????

Crikey. I'll come be your nanny

That's for two nights and Saturday morning! That's not too much is it?

Oh if it's for two nights that's okay

Hi, I do think that is a fair wage to offer.

The thing about staying over night, is not the fact that we are asleep (if we get lucky) but it is still not "our own time" ie cant nip off to shops etc, so its only fair to be compensated for that, as techncally, we are still at work.

I know of nannies who have done this kind of thing before, and even tho the children normally sleep thru the night, they may not while you(the parent) are away, maybe cos they are missing you,
or in a classic case of mine, vomit from the early hours of the morning, then have the chicken pox pop out. These things can neither be helped, nor avoided.

£100 sounds good. We'd do it on basis of an overtime hourly rate in daytime (ie from when children normally wake up - for us that'd be from 7), plus a flat rate "overnight fee" (of £30) per night, payable no matter how well they sleep; then usually round it up. (That's for a 4yo and 6yo who are good sleepers.)

The overtime rate and the overnight fee are both in the contract.