Please help - what would you expect to pay someone per day 8-4 to look after your children in your own home over summer if they are bringing their own kids?

[schneebly]

I don't know what to charge. We are in the North-West. It is expected that the children will be taken out to beach, park etc and that 20 mins per day will be spent with each of them on reading etc. I am not an experienced nanny or childminder but have my own kids, evening babysitting service and am a 2nd year student teacher.

How many children of your own are you bringing with you?

Minimum wage is £5.80, a nanny without her own child might get £8 - I'd say maybe £6 -£6.50 an hour?

The parents should pay your mileage and leave a kitty for the cost of outings though.

Thanks Missus. There are 2 children aged 5 and 6 and I have 2 children the same ages. I would have to drive about 1/2 hour to get there and outings could get expensive so a kitty would be a good idea.

You can't ask for mileage for your travel to get there, but any driving you do for their children, and any entrance costs for their children, should be covered.

Make sure expectations on this are set out clearly beforehand though!

Thanks

Anyone else?

I imagine they aren't actually employing you as such so minimum wage prob won't apply imho. You are providing a service rather than being employed by them. I wouldn't be surprised if they offer you about £5 an hour as your children will be there too and will benefit from it all.

Just a thought re the outings - can your car take 4 car seats (mine can't)? If not that might limit where you can go and what you can do.

It sounds like a great set up - hope it goes well.

That's more along the lines of what I thought Indigo - she has asked me for a price but I don't want overprice myself and lose out. I can take 4 car seats which is a big help. Thanks [smeil]

or

Oh, and agree on a mileage rate for petrol - work out how much petrol costs you per mile and add a few pence on top for wear and tear.

Good luck!

Thank-you.

I would go with the £5 an hour ish...(£40 for an 8 hour day)
You are taking your children with you, its more of a casual arrangement than a formal nanny job? yes?
I would ask for a decent kitty ontop of that (prob about £25 a week) so you are able to go on outings etc and a contribution towards petrol if you are using your own car.

You could always ask her what she is prepared to pay? Might be higher or if lower then you can say that you were thinking more around the £5 an hour mark.

HTH

Hi,

I pay the girl who lives next door to us who is a first year student (arty something!!) £65 per day (9-5:30 ish) to look after my 2 in the holidays (9&6 years) as that is what it would cost to put them both in holiday club. Sometimes they prefer to stay home as club is quite full on so I try and do a mixture. She has no children of her own to bring but is only 19 and has no relevent experience - my DCs love her though.
I give her money for trips to the cinema etc. but try to limit those as they do get expensive.

HTH
S.

Summercamps where we live charge £100 per child per week for these hours, so I would pitch at the same level - ie £200 a week, plus 50% of petrol and entrance fees for stuff.

Nannies are employed, there's no 'providing a service'/'casual arrangement' argument unless this person is already a friend, in which case charge whatever you feel the minimum you would pay them would be. You may be under the tax threshold for the year which means you don't end up having to pay tax or NI but you are still theoretically employed. If you weren't you'd have to register as self-employed, with all the filing tax return and paying own NI palaver that that entails and you'd still need a contract but it would be under your own terms. IMO if you set things up in a business-like way at the start, written agreement for hours and expected duties/outings, pay and costs then you can make the atmosphere as informal as you like because you know IF you run into problems you have a way to sort it out.

I'd say £6gross an hour - the convenience of childcare in your own home comes with a premium and that's what most students will want to charge. You have the edge because you have your own children, which means their children get a playmate for the summer, and you're training as a teacher over someone like kitkat's neighbour.

As you have your own children then going halves on petrol and kitty is acceptable, given you'd probably be doing activities with your children anyway.

thanks everyone for your responses - I have a much better idea how to approach things now. I am already registered as self-employed for babysitting and drama workshops I do but will be earning below the tax threshold so that makes things a bit simpler