hiring a nanny with baby

[nanny09]

Have recently had a lovely baby and am going to have to return to work in Oct/Nov. Am qualified nursery nurse registered with Ofsted with over 9 years exp working with children and many years as sole charge nanny.

Would like to take my baby to work with me but not sure how many families would hire nanny with a baby. Just wanted to know if anyone hired a nanny in the past with baby and how it worked..... or as mummy would consider hiring a nanny with baby?

Thanks v. much xxx

I would if it there was a sufficient decrease in cost to make it more appealing than a nanny without a baby, or a nanny share.

(Aim to be going back to work next year though)

i am not sure if it would be my first choice of nanny but it wouldn't put me off entirely

how old will the baby be?

One of my friends has a nanny with a baby - who 'fits' into the spread of her DC quite neatly - it seems to work fine and they all seem happy with the arrangements.

I would consider it if ages/routine were compatible with my kids school/activities and if you were prepared to take a pay cut not comparable with other nanny share rates.

I take my Ds to work with me. He is the same age as my charge and my charge adores him. I am lucky in the fact that my employers see me bringing my Ds as a huge bonus and are just the nicest family. They provided a travel cot, highchair and a double buggy even though I would have provided them.

They didn't even consider a pay cut. Infact they offered me their top wage because of my experience and references.

My Ds fits in well and luckily is well behaved and a firm favourite with both sets of Grandparents.

I realise I am very lucky to have found such a lovely family and I happily go the extra mile for them. So there are families out there who are happy to employ nannies with their own children. I did word my application letter very carefully as I appretiate that not everyone would consider having a nanny plus her own child but it's always worth replying to ads and asking. Good luck!

Hi I'm also a nanny who takes there little one to work with them and it has worked out really well, as one of my charge's is the same age and they have the same routine.

I have also not really taked a drop in wages as although they pay me 50p less per hour than my previous boss, i don't have any nursery duties to do in my new job so there no washing or ironing, no changing beds, very little cooking. Where as my last boss had 4 children so definatly less things needed doing now.

It has actually worked out really well for my DS too as he has gets to go to lots of activites whilst i am working ie music and mother and toddlers, so when i have a day off work i don't feel too guilty about going shopping

It might take you a while to find something but don't worry you will, i know a few nannies who take there children to work with them.

I'm also a nanny who takes their child to work. He is 2.5 and I had a lot of positive reaction to him at interviews. I don't know how it would be with a younger child though. I also don't seem to be earning that much less than a nanny without her own child considering I'm in my first professional childcare position It's working out very well and ds gets on great with both my charges.

I personally would look on it as a positive. My dd is an only child so if I thought she was going to have a little freind every day I would be happy about it. I think it would help if you could find a family with children of a similar age to your LO.

I don't think you should have to take a pay cut either.

Ebb, can you elaborate on what the "huge bonus" of you having a child is to your employer?

I would think it would be a lot more hassle than benefit. For example, we belong to a gym where my kids take tennis, swimming, and a variety of drop in activities. If our nanny had a child, he/she would need a gym membership as well. I am prepared to buy the nanny a membership, but probably not her offspring.

Also, I think it's different if you already work for someone and want to return with your baby. Then the employer may already know and like you and want to keep you. But, if you are applying for a new job, you are on even keel with nannies who don't have this baggage.

Gingernut, what happens when your nanny resigns? Your DD will lose that close friend. That could be a bit traumatic for her.

And what if the things you want your DD to do are not the same things the nanny wants her child to do? For example, your child might love her ballet class and it might be at the same time as nanny's DD's swimming class, which nanny's DD loves.

If I really want the benefit of a child to play with, then isn't it more economical to go for a nanny share?

Plus in a nanny share if the other child is sick then it won't mean the nanny can't work as he/she will stay home with the other parents.

I have had an excellent nanny share where we halved the cost and it was brilliant and quite cheap. But I suppose if I really liked the nanny I would consider it, but all things being equal...

I used to employ a nanny with her own child. It was a lot of hassle and I would not do it again without some sort of incentive i.e. paying nanny less than a nanny without child.
If I were to interview a nanny with child I would ask the question 'what problems can you think of which may occur due to you bringing your child?' and I would expect the nanny to have thoroughly thought through where problems might occur and have thought of ways to deal with them. i.e. nap times, activities which need to be paid for, swimming (can only take 2 children in the water), food (same food as charge? who pays for child's food?), equipment (double buggy?, cot for naps, toys. damages caused by child (especially if the employer's children are older and out of the toddling 'into everything' stage so the house is not so babyproof), size of nanny car (space for extra child?), car seats (who provides?)..I can think of lots more....

Marsha makes a good point re sick issues- it's one of main reasons I opted for nanny over cm or nanny. Also I think there is always a concern when nanny has own child (ESP if it's quite young) that the nanny may be distracted/ give preference to her own child. I know you could argue that cm has same issues but you know that is part of going to cm and reflected in terms and rates. Think if you know the nanny and kids age fit it could be an option but I think it would likely be a no from me while dc under school age and probably where I didn't know the nanny.

There is an old thread on interview questions for nanny with kids that may help highlight some concerns.

Marsha, the way i see it in a nannyshare you will not take all the decisions and you have to compromise. But with a nanny who brings her own child you are the only boss and everything will be in your terms. Your children's routines/activities will come first. Thats why i think it is unfair to compare it with nannyshare. I am not sure, i don't have nanny with her own child but thats how i imagine it.

Except there will be some negotiation. But, I will give you that it is two way instead of three way. The nanny's child will have needs and desires and the nanny, as that child's mother, will want to consider them.

Laquitar I'm sure my experience was a very lucky one.

Where there were no real negotiations, we all wanted the same thing and had the same ideas and had the benefit of using a very good nanny for half the daily rate.

Would love to encounter it again next year and will look, not sure how common it is. Although my neighbour did nanny share and was very positive too, although she was very easy going and not a person who needed control so who knows.

I suppose you just go with what fits you best, if it's a nanny with a baby and one can see positives then why not.

I seriously considered it, and did interview nannies with their own children. The reason I didn't go for it in the end was that I couldn't in my mind work out how it would work if we wanted to make different parenting decisions. The issue clarified around BLW, I am doing it (to a certain degree) with DD, the nanny I interviewed had tried it with her DD, but it hadn't worked. There's nothing wrong with either approach, but I couldn't in my mind work out how if I wanted to take one approach for my child and she wanted to do another for hers it could work. While I can tell a nanny how I want to bring up my child, I can't tell them how to bring up theirs.

I guess what I'm saying is that you need to think about how willing you are to be flexibe in these things in any role you are doing.

nanny09 - make sure you give plenty of thought to the logistical issues and potential pitfalls of taking your baby. I've seen a number of threads on here in the past where mothers have agreed to interview nannies with their own children but been very disappointed that the nanny hasn't given the potential problems any real thought. Its not enough to think "oh it'll be OK" and to be frank the number of families who will consider your child an active plus will be small.

If all this becomes too hard an alternative could be childminding if your home is suitable.

i interviewed a lovely nanny with a son around the age of my own (just over a year) and felt we clicked on our parenting attitudes, BUT it was just a lot cheaper to do a nanny share and so that is what ended up happening. I think that is the main competition in this scenario because the parents who are keen for their child to have a little friend (as I was) can get that through a share, for less money.

By AtheneNoctua on Mon 17-Aug-09 19:44:39
Gingernut, what happens when your nanny resigns? Your DD will lose that close friend. That could be a bit traumatic for her.

Yes, but pretty similar to if a close friend moved away or left school - it happens and it's not a reason to not condsider the nanny

And what if the things you want your DD to do are not the same things the nanny wants her child to do? For example, your child might love her ballet class and it might be at the same time as nanny's DD's swimming class, which nanny's DD loves.

I am probably going to get flamed for this but I in the theoretical situation I am emplying the nanny to care for my child, so sorry, she wouldnt be booking her own child into swimming lessons on a day she was working. Of course there is room to compromise but essentially she would be my employee with her child coming along too so I would expect that if there was an activity she wanted her child to do she would book and pay for it to be in her own time.

I hadnt considered the idea of a nanny share being cheaper though, people are probably right that you get the same positives for less money

Athene - my employers have stated that they feel me bring my Ds to work is a huge bonus. It's not just something I'm giving my view on! Having my Ds at work with me suits their requirements and circumstances. I'm sure a nanny share would be cheaper but as they live in a rurual location, they would have struggled to find something that would have suited them.

I am well aware that some parents won't even consider a nanny with their own child. This is completely understandable and their given right! I knew when I got pregnant in my last job that my employer wouldn't have let me bring my Ds to work even if the job had suited it. ( Travelled 6-8wks a year. Worked weekends etc. ) She told their first nanny after the nanny had had a mc that 'I hope you don't think you're bringing your screaming brat to work?' That said she was nothing but supportive to me during my pregnancy.

It is hard taking your child to work. Most nannies understand that they are very lucky to be able to take their children to work and those I know, work extra hard to make sure their employers are happy. Their own children tend to get sidelined. My own employer was keen to state that she wanted my Ds to be treated as equal to her Dcs.

For a lot of families it wouldn't work but for some families it works very well. You do have to have the same views on everything and make sure every aspect is talked about and agreed about before employing a nanny with their own child just as you would in a nanny share.

Its like any decision you make about childcare isn't it? A combination of instinct and what suits your circumstances. Just going back to work and have found a fab fab nanny who a very good friend of mine used for years. She has a 2 month old and is looking after my 2.8 yr old and my 10 mth old. This is the only way I can afford a nanny. Otherwise they'd both be at a nursery or childminder and this way they're in their own home and together which is a big plus for me. At a nursery the ratio of keyworker to child is 3:1 at most. It can work but I agree that it really depends on your circumstances.

Our lovely nanny has a toddler.

We interviewed a few nannies and she was the one we liked best - she was the warmest, the most solid and the one with the best experience by far.

We decided to view her having a child as a positive, and so far it has been. My DS has gradually developed a good relationship with her little one and they have great fun together. There is sometimes a bit of a conflict between their different needs, but she is a very calm, positive person and always manages to make things work.