Hellobee Boards

I am! I'll answer when I get home, hate typing a lot on iPhone!

@tequiero21: okay! back. I was 5 minutes early for my interview (only have nannied officially one family) and later found out that they preferred me not to come any earlier than the time they gave me (9 am) because they worked from home, so they were eating/showering/etc right until I got there. but I agree, I prefer promptness on the first meeting too - but also ask her if she found it okay or something (or he!). I tend to give people the benefit of the doubt...if she got lost, traffic, accident etc. If she doesn't have a good reason, then that's not good

anyway!
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what do you do for your employer?
The Mom is now a SAHM (but leaves to run errands, etc) so my duties are different. When I started 4 years ago, baby girl #1 was 7 weeks old. I was there from 9-5, and she was on a good schedule..she played, ate, slept. repeat. I was not required or asked to do anything else. As I became more comfortable with them, and them with me, I would do odds and ends if they needed some help. Like for instance, loading or unloading dishwasher, folding the baby's laundry (they would leave it out for me to see, so I wasn't going through their things).

Baby girl #1 is now 4! Her younger sister is 1.5 - when she was born, the mom stopped working. But, I still was primary caregiver. Mom worked for her husband sometimes, ran errands, etc. I would take them on walks, and the older girl to gymnastics (while baby stayed home and slept, dad WAH).

I generally will load and unload their dishwasher, I made and prepped bottles when they were younger (to make things easier on mom when she got home from work), folded either baby or towel laundry (never mom and dads), and straightened up after the girls. They had a cleaning person so I wasn't asked to do anything else.
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if you ask for an hourly rate, do you get paid overtime (over 40 hours)? if you worked 45 hours, do you get time and a half or something? or do you just get your weekly rate, since you should be salaried?
I get $12/hour under the table. That's what they started me at (when I was only 2 years into my undergrad degree, 20 years old, one baby). I still get that for 2 kids now, but they're super flexible with scheduling, etc. I never get time and a half or paid holidays or anything like that. They are generous with Christmas and birthday gifts (and came to our wedding), as well as gifting us tons of things for the baby on the way. I get one check at the end of my work week.
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if you get taxes taken out, do you ask for a higher rate?
n/a
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what do you do for lunch? does 40 hours include lunch or do you work 9 hour days with an hour off for lunch? I bring snacks sometimes or I'll eat at their house sometimes. They've always told me to help myself, but I still felt really awkward just eating their food (they spend a TON, all natural and organic!). They'll often ask me if I want subway if they run out for it, too. Sometimes I take them up for it and sometimes not.
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what should the SAHM do? join in the fun? clean the house? Well, she runs errands (leaves the girls home with me, makes it easier for her), goes to exercise sometimes, and lately they've been through the process of moving so lots of things there. She also works for her husband. Sometimes if she isn't busy she'll hang downstairs with us which I love - I consider us friends, even though she's ~10 years older!
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what does "light housework" mean? does that include vacuuming? If I read this in an ad, I'd assume vacuuming, straightening up toys, wiping down counters and highchair, dishwasher, maybe baby's laundry. I'd personally feel uncomfortable doing the adult laundry - undies! lol.
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@sorrycharlie: Just FYI the gift tax very specifically doesn't allow for that.

From irs.gov:
What is considered a gift?
Any transfer to an individual, either directly or indirectly, where full consideration (measured in money or money's worth) is not received in return.

You are obviously providing a service in return for the money. I know lots of nannies are paid under the table and very few have issues. Just wanted to make you aware of that for your own protection.

@tequiero21: what do you do for your employer?
--When I was a nanny, I sleep trained according to the parent's preference, bathe, fix meals, plan activities, and try to spend a lot of time outdoors. I loved when I had free reign on where I took the kids. I only had one job like this. I took the kids to various museums, the zoo, parks, etc. I'm a strong believer in exposing kids to culture vs spending hours on end inside the home.

if you ask for an hourly rate, do you get paid overtime (over 40 hours)? if you worked 45 hours, do you get time and a half or something? or do you just get your weekly rate, since you should be salaried?
--They either will be salary or hourly. It's up to the family/nanny what they would like to do. Same with overtime. If an employee is paid hourly, overtime needs to be paid. With a salary, it is whatever you and the nanny agrees on.

if you get taxes taken out, do you ask for a higher rate?
--Nope

what do you do for lunch? does 40 hours include lunch or do you work 9 hour days with an hour off for lunch?
--Nannies don't get an hour for lunch. We eat lunch whenever we are able to :). Families normally provide lunch, but there were some jobs I preferred bringing my own lunch/snacks.

what should the SAHM do? join in the fun? clean the house?
--It's up to you! You're the employer, so you decide

what does "light housework" mean? does that include vacuuming?
--Normally that means strictly child-related chores. Picking up toys, etc. Cleaning up any other messes the kids make. Vacuum if it pertains to children. Kids laundry, etc.

@tequiero21: as far as sleep training, that is absolutely something that can fall under the nanny's responsibility. Some parents have a preference about the method & whether to CIO or not, others prefer the nanny to take the reigns on it. if it's something you are feeling lost with, bring up your desire for them to get on a schedule during interviews and see where she goes with it, does she seem to have experience with that? Does she seem more like she is looking to you for direction or that she is going to take initiative and get it done on her own? Some nannies are better at following instructions & doing just what they're told and others require less direction but will do things their own way, so it's good to think about what you are looking for so you can best express your wishes.

@tequiero21: I'm paid hourly - I'd only expect to be paid on holidays or vacations if I was working them. Otherwise, I wouldn't expect an employer to pay me - I see it as a day off. Frustrating (if say, a monday that's a holiday that I didn't expect..like I'd assume no work/no pay labor day, etc) but expected!

I think a written terms or contract is vital. I was taken advantage of by my first full time family and if I had just made them put in writing they hours they said in the interview - things could have been so different.

They SAID 45-50 hours week, and I consistently worked 10-15 hours more than that, and after their fourth baby was born, I consistently worked 70-80 hour weeks. I got a $50/week raise after the baby was born, but it wasn't enough for the increase in hours considering that was never talked about.

To include in contract:
Specified hours
Protocol as far as hours worked outside SET hours - overtime, hourly, part of salary etc
Holidays
Vacations - generally it's been 1 week my choosing, 1 week family's choosing
Play dates - this is a sore spot for me. The mom would constantly plan play dates which meant I was watching 2-4 MORE children without notice or permission. And for the same rate. If you have more children, offer a higher rate. One family scheduled weekly play dates and offered me an additional $10/hr for the hours they were there. It was very considerate.
Transportation - can she use your car, must she have her own? Consider doing driving history check.
Other benefits/perks - gym? cell phone? vacationing with family? health insurance?
Taxes
Cleaning/household duties
Parenting expectations - discipline, schedules/routines, sleep, rules etc
Emergency protocol
Quitting notice (generally 2 weeks)

There may be more I'm not thinking of :):)

@tequiero21: Got it!! Well I am still a nanny for a family and the mom is a WAHM, so she is home. So more of what you're looking for is a mothers helper?
In that case, I would encourage you to be in charge of discipline. I hated having to discipline kids in front of their parents, totally awkward, but I was asked to several times. The family I'm with now, she handles all the disciple since she is there. I will have talks with the kids about attitude of redirect them but any major discipline is handled by the mom and I really appreciate that.

I think that could definitely work! Most nannies are comfortable with that. Perhaps the issue for me was more the family I was with. Because now I work for a family that is a WAHM and we have next to no issues with ill-behaving children. She is a FT working mom who is more involved in her kids' lives than many SAHM's!

@tequiero21: oh cool, will check it out. Thanks!