Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Job Offer
I was recently offered a Nanny position that I felt would be perfect for me, they would be dropped off at my home as they needed a sitter in the school district. I would watch the younger son all day and take the older son to school in the morning and then pick him up at school in the evening. I would be able to stay home with my daughter.
However upon sitting down face to face with the family to discuss everything I found out regular hours for me would be from 6:30am to 8pm random days of the week and 2 nights a week they would need me to drive their kids home and put them to bed. I felt I could handle this along with taking care of my daughter during the day and having my husband get my daughter washed and ready for bed at night.
Then the talk of salary came up. I stated I would be looking for 1200-1400 dollars a month for both kids, meals included (this is pretty low for my area). She then stated that all she could afford to pay me was 50 dollars a day (and that would only be the days she needed me to work, which might be 2 days a week or might be 5 depending on her schedule). She also mentioned that her ex-husband doesn't help pay for daycare and she has to pay it all herself (generally where I am from if the mother has custody then the father is required to pay child support which would take into account cost of child care which is nowhere near as low as 50 dollars a day). I told her I would think about it, but I can't realistically work the schedule she is asking me for 50 dollars a day (sporadically). I am also not able to take on an additional child. If I am required to drive anywhere I would only have room for 3 children in my car my daughter being one of them.
Am I being unreasonable to think that 50 dollars a day is too low? Also how can I politely tell her that the amount she is looking to pay doesn't work for my budget?
Re: Job Offer
I'm from Canada (Ontario). Basically Nanny costs can be anywhere from $10.75 (which is minimum wage) - $20 (which is the highest end) per hour.
Actual daycare services are about $1100 - 1500 a month for full day and about $700-1000 dollars for part-time.
I definitely did my research in looking at this so that I could offer a reasonable price range, offer her a deal since my daughter would also be home with me AND still make some money.
I'm just really surprised that someone would expect to find a nanny in our area for so little (we were discussing prices and she clearly knew the going rate for both nanny services and daycare). My worry is she's going to leave her kids with someone completely under qualified so she's able to get the price she wants.
Is there an amount (someplace between $50 per day and what your asking) that you can start off with for x amount of time? Then raise your rate little by little. That is if you really want the job.
Honestly I would not take it. You have no obligation to rescue the children unless they are being neglected or abused.
Unfortunately there isn't... I need to make a minimum of 1200 dollars a month to stay within our budget. And she has made it clear that based on her salary and lack of help from her ex-husband she can only afford 50 dollars a month.
I don't really feel an obligation, I just worry for what might happen to them if she continues looking for something so cheap. I'm a mom I just can't shut of my worry alarm bells anymore! Lol
I've been a nanny for many years and that is WAY too low. I get feeling bad if she can't afford more, but I would just say that you are unable to take the position. It stinks, but if she's having a hard time finding people then she really should be getting either child support or state assistance for that.