Do you have a nanny ? Are you a nanny ? I have questions .

SuperMoniMonk

I have been working for 2 resident doctors for the last 2 years. Start pay $ 350 as a live in nanny. I took care of the 18 months year old boy for a year till they decided to send him to montessorri school. so things changed a little ,got a $25 yearly raise ..so $375 June 2010

I was now to wake him up in the morning , get him ready for school and serve him breakfast. I then come home and take the dogs to the dog park ..come home and clean,laundry, run errands target, cleaners, I moved the lawn , water pressure the drive way ,wash the cars, pick up dog poop etc. then pick up the child at 4pm and teach him spanish. Now June 2011 I asked for a raise and they got offended by that and said that bc the child is no longer in the house I don't do much work as before so I should not expect a raise. It just teared me up inside bc I have never been sick in the 2 years , always responsible , reliable, flexible, trusthworthy..and go out of my way to please them . I'm too nice at times and they seem to take it for granted. I'm a loving nanny to their child and to their dogs..etc..

so tonight we finally talked about my raise I has asked for $40 more a week making it $ 415 a week. and they said they could not do that ..so will give me $ 25 again ...I said that was fine. But they added that they are expecting another baby and when that baby comes my pay will not go up , it will stay the same ...!!!
Now how in the world is that fair ? To take care of a newborn and a 4 year old boy. They expect me to drive the newborn to the 4 yr olds school each morning..that's a lot of responsability for such little pay $ 400 a wk ..no way! I'm the first nanny they have ever had so they don't know what they have. I'm a nanny/doggsitter/driver/housecleaner/ errand runner etc.. but they don"t see it that way . they continually tell me they don't get paid much either and they are doctors ...It feels like they think that just because I'm a nanny I should not be earning as much o more than they do now ...but that 's just not how it works. !
Having a nanny is not for people who can't afford then :sad: I have to admit that I have lasted in this job bc I feel that they may not find someone as good as me ...it's hard nowdays to find good trustworthy people. I genuinely care for them but it saddens me that they don't seem to care for me as much ...money can do so much ..when your work is not appriciated it ..it really sucks.


I will quit before the second baby gets here ...it's sad but it's just not fair.

Does anyone have nannies ? Or is anyone a nanny ? that can understand why i would be upset.

Gary1977

I never was a nanny nor ever had one, but you are WAY underpaid. I hope you find a better paying position somewhere else. Good luck to you.:flowerforyou:

SuperMoniMonk

Yeah I used work in sales and didn't enjoy that . I love kids so I figured I will do it for a couple of years ..but I'm only doing this for a few more months ...till I travel far far awaaayyyy :drinker:

Avalonis

You are being taken advantage of and abused. I have a friend who is a nanny (Not live in though) that makes $10/hour PER CHILD and they have 4 kids she watches.

shoshi68

Wow. That is unfair. I am sorry they are underappreciated you. I am glad you have made the decision to make a change. If they don't respect and appreciate you, you can at least do that for yourself.

jrlenig

I babysat in my home for 3 years and I quit because it got to be too much for not enough money. I would simply look around see what day care would run them, then look up how much it costs for a housekeeper and then call a lawn service, I was charging $350 weekly for 50 hours, and you obvioudly work much more than that. I would just start looking for a new job, there is someone in my town who is currently looking for a daytime sitter for her 3 kids for $600 so I would say you are way underpaid!

SuperMoniMonk

Wow. That is unfair. I am sorry they are underappreciated you. I am glad you have made the decision to make a change. If they don't respect and appreciate you, you can at least do that for yourself.

I know .. Tonight I agreed to the $25 but I will give tell them I'm leaving at the end of August. Might as well stick with it for a few more weeks as I need the money for my trip . But no more ..I aint staying :noway:


Thanks for your support..It nice to know that I'm not the one who is wrong.

SuperMoniMonk

Thanks everyone for your feedback :flowerforyou:

totustuusmaria

My good friend was a nanny to three boys (all under 8), but she didn't do any housework and wasn't live in. She was payed $700 a week and they paid for her to go on vacations with them. That is the best I have ever seen.

I think nannys in general are underpaid for their work. You are basically functioning as a stay-at-home mom (although you didn't mention cooking, but maybe you do that too.) It is a lot of work, plus you are teaching their kid Spanish? A Spanish teacher alone working for an hour everyday with a child would ask a little under what you are getting a week.

I don't think $400 is too much to ask on your part.

However in the world of babysitting and nannying (which is wrong, but it is what it is) I don't think they are taking total advantage of you either, but you should certainly be paid more.

You said you are living-in, so do they take care of your food? And I assume you don't pay rent to live there (which I assume is a nice area seeing as they are doctors and can afford a nanny period) or have electricity/water bills or any of those basic shelter/living costs. Also, are you offered internet, cable, and telephone privileges while living in?

I am so happy you are getting out a situation that is not happy for you! And traveling! How fun! Just a few more weeks... hang in there

SuperMoniMonk

My good friend was a nanny to three boys (all under 8), but she didn't do any housework and wasn't live in. She was payed $700 a week and they paid for her to go on vacations with them. That is the best I have ever seen.

I think nannys in general are underpaid for their work. You are basically functioning as a stay-at-home mom (although you didn't mention cooking, but maybe you do that too.) It is a lot of work, plus you are teaching their kid Spanish? A Spanish teacher alone working for an hour everyday with a child would ask a little under what you are getting a week.

I don't think $400 is too much to ask on your part.

However in the world of babysitting and nannying (which is wrong, but it is what it is) I don't think they are taking total advantage of you either, but you should certainly be paid more.

You said you are living-in, so do they take care of your food? And I assume you don't pay rent to live there (which I assume is a nice area seeing as they are doctors and can afford a nanny period) or have electricity/water bills or any of those basic shelter/living costs. Also, are you offered internet, cable, and telephone privileges while living in?

I am so happy you are getting out a situation that is not happy for you! And traveling! How fun! Just a few more weeks... hang in there

I guess they are easy to get along that's why I'm still here. They used to buy food but stopped buying once their son began school, So now I buy my own food . It's nice that I don't pay rent but this is also a nessecity for them to have a live in due to their work schedules. I guess I just feel unappriciated , sometimes thank you and please can do so much. but they are young and have not had a bad nanny yet..I'm sure the next nannies will demand more ..it will be a whole new harsh reality for them ..:frown: : Thanks for your reply :flowerforyou:

totustuusmaria

My good friend was a nanny to three boys (all under 8), but she didn't do any housework and wasn't live in. She was payed $700 a week and they paid for her to go on vacations with them. That is the best I have ever seen.

I think nannys in general are underpaid for their work. You are basically functioning as a stay-at-home mom (although you didn't mention cooking, but maybe you do that too.) It is a lot of work, plus you are teaching their kid Spanish? A Spanish teacher alone working for an hour everyday with a child would ask a little under what you are getting a week.

I don't think $400 is too much to ask on your part.

However in the world of babysitting and nannying (which is wrong, but it is what it is) I don't think they are taking total advantage of you either, but you should certainly be paid more.

You said you are living-in, so do they take care of your food? And I assume you don't pay rent to live there (which I assume is a nice area seeing as they are doctors and can afford a nanny period) or have electricity/water bills or any of those basic shelter/living costs. Also, are you offered internet, cable, and telephone privileges while living in?

I am so happy you are getting out a situation that is not happy for you! And traveling! How fun! Just a few more weeks... hang in there

I guess they are easy to get along that's why I'm still here. They used to buy food but stopped buying once their son began school, So now I buy my own food . It's nice that I don't pay rent but this is also a nessecity for them to have a live in due to their work schedules. I guess I just feel unappriciated , sometimes thank you and please can do so much. but they are young and have not had a bad nanny yet..I'm sure the next nannies will demand more ..it will be a whole new harsh reality for them ..:frown: : Thanks for your reply :flowerforyou:

Absolutely! They are totally losing a good deal in you! You sound like a great nanny, and I can understand totally where you are coming from. They will realize with the next nanny. Too bad for them!!!

i_love_vinegar

I had one for a while, but she was creepy and became evil. I don't know how much she cost, but I can say you are being underpaid!!!

SuperMoniMonk

I had one for a while, but she was creepy and became evil. I don't know how much she cost, but I can say you are being underpaid!!!

Oh my Creepy:sick: and Evil .:devil: ...that will not look good on any resume :laugh:

acaudill042106

I'm a mother of 3 and I can HONESTLY say I would be embarrassed to offer someone that much money to live with me and care for my children. You are being taken advantage of. Just to send my 3 to day care for 6 hours a day is like 1800.00 a month.

dlaplume2

I am not a nanny, never been a nanny nor had a nanny, but I will put my 2 cents in.

I think you should check around in your area and see what the daycares charge, find out what they are paying at the montesouri school, and then look at dog walkers in your area. Find out what those jobs are truly worth and put together a proposal for them. Don't forget to look up infant care because it can be way more expensive than the care of a 4 year old. Then subtract the cost of what you would pay for rent and other expenses in your area and see if you can meet somewhere in the middle. It is really hard finding a good job these days, so I would maybe interview with some other people and have a job lined up before you leave.

Don't hold the fact that they are doctors over their head. If they are young and starting a practice they probably also have student loans and higher start up costs. Let's face it the cost of living in Boston or the outskirts is way more expensive than say living in a small town, even for a doctor the pay scale is going to adjust accordinly.

If you can't work it out, then go your own way.

Best wishes to you.

ItsCasey

That probably is all they can afford. Residents don't make much money, and they've probably got serious student loan debt they're trying to pay off, plus the expense of children. But you're also right that when you don't make a lot of money, you can't expect to have a live-in nanny. However, it's just like any other good or service; people will only pay the minimum that the person providing the good or service is willing to accept. If you'll stay for $400, why would they pay more than that? When you tell them you're leaving, they may offer more, but considering their financial situation, it ain't gonna be $600 or $700 a week. I don't think that's abusive on their part; it's just all they can afford.

Now, if they're trying to make you feel bad for asking for a raise, that's a different story. My philosophy about asking for raises (which I've had to do, and it's never a comfortable situation) is you always have the right to ask, and your employer has the right to say no. But if they say no, you better be prepared to walk out. If you make a reasonable request for an increase in compensation and provide evidence as to why you deserve it but your boss says no and doesn't offer any other kind of benefit (like more vacation time, flexible hours, etc.), he/she will never take you seriously again if you stay. They'll see you as a pushover and will have no respect for you. So do what you have to do.

kdudz

I'm in NJ and we have a nanny for our girls (ages 6 months and 10 yrs). I can tell you that in this area (right outside NYC) the going rate is higher than what you are getting. I am not sure where you are and how that compares in salary / cost of living to this area.

I think it's reasonable to ask for a raise. If they literally cannot afford to pay you more maybe they can be more flexible with other perks?

I know we are paying as much as we can afford at the moment for our nanny (still more than you are making). And I know she could command a higher salary somewhere else. But, we also give her some perks and flexibility which she did not have in prior jobs. So to her it's a wash at the end of the day.

SuperMoniMonk

That probably is all they can afford. Residents don't make much money, and they've probably got serious student loan debt they're trying to pay off, plus the expense of children. But you're also right that when you don't make a lot of money, you can't expect to have a live-in nanny. However, it's just like any other good or service; people will only pay the minimum that the person providing the good or service is willing to accept. If you'll stay for $400, why would they pay more than that? When you tell them you're leaving, they may offer more, but considering their financial situation, it ain't gonna be $600 or $700 a week. I don't think that's abusive on their part; it's just all they can afford.

Now, if they're trying to make you feel bad for asking for a raise, that's a different story. My philosophy about asking for raises (which I've had to do, and it's never a comfortable situation) is you always have the right to ask, and your employer has the right to say no. But if they say no, you better be prepared to walk out. If you make a reasonable request for an increase in compensation and provide evidence as to why you deserve it but your boss says no and doesn't offer any other kind of benefit (like more vacation time, flexible hours, etc.), he/she will never take you seriously again if you stay. They'll see you as a pushover and will have no respect for you. So do what you have to do.
[/quote


I agree with your philosophy about asking for raises. I'm well aware of the students loans and other expenses. Residents don't get paid I know that too. It took me weeks to build up the courage ask for a raise . I have been very considerate of their situacion, but it was time to speak out for myself. What gets to me is that they truly think they are doing me a huge favor by giving me a raise , as if I don't deserve it , which I do . I got a $25 raise served with a stinky ungrateful attitude plus restrictions and conditions . It does leave a very bitter taste. I know it's a mixture of not knowing how important is to take care of those who take care of you. I'm the first nanny they have , second they simply can"t afford to pay the fair price. Dispite alI I choose to stay for 2 more months as I will travel overseas , It's pointless to quit right now as that will mean less money for my trip and having to find a place to live. Even when I tell them that I'm leaving I highly doubt that I will get any extra money just for vacation accumulated or simply for the service I provided in two years. This has been a life lesson for me .

Thanks for your reply

SuperMoniMonk

I agree with your philosophy about asking for raises. I'm well aware of the students loans and other expenses. Residents don't get paid I know that too. It took me weeks to build up the courage ask for a raise . I have been very considerate of their situacion, but it was time to speak out for myself. What gets to me is that they truly think they are doing me a huge favor by giving me a raise , as if I don't deserve it , which I do . I got a $25 raise served with a stinky ungrateful attitude plus restrictions and conditions . It does leave a very bitter taste. I know it's a mixture of not knowing how important is to take care of those who take care of you. I'm the first nanny they have , second they simply can"t afford to pay the fair price. Dispite alI I choose to stay for 2 more months as I will travel overseas , It's pointless to quit right now as that will mean less money for my trip and having to find a place to live. Even when I tell them that I'm leaving I highly doubt that I will get any extra money just for vacation accumulated or simply for the service I provided in two years. This has been a life lesson for me .

Thanks for your reply
[/quote]

piezoeyjune

Hey, Im a Nanny.
I dont know where you live but here in Boston MA ~$400 including living expenses sounds low.
I make $700 during school year and close to $900 summer time.
I live on my own so that is not included in my pay.
I have also been with them for 15 years...
(I lived with them for a few years and my pay was about $500/week.)
You do do a lot of extraneous work for them; however; with the addition of another child your pay should rightfully increase.
More work more pay DUH.
Amazing how stupid smart people can be...
Sounds like they make be taking a bit of advantage of you b/c you are Spanish.
(Please dont be offended if I got the nationality wrong or by me just assuming you are of another ethnicity... ALso, they may think you have no better offer... FIND another offer. Use it as a negotiation tactic. Lets see how much they want you...)

piezoeyjune

PS. Those numbers are after taxes are taken out btw...
And they supply health insurance, take me travelling with them (if I want to go)
pay me when they are gone and when I take my own vacations