Am I getting paid what I am worth???

I welcome feedback from both nannies and parents.

Here is the situation:

I am a nanny working for a family with a three year old girl in Atlanta, GA. I am not on here to complain. I really love the family that I work for and I love my job. I have been on the job for 13 months. I am currently getting paid $10.00 p/h. I work 30 hours per week. I am beginning to feel that I am doing more than my wages reflect. Most of these things were not included in my contract and I don't mind doing them it's just that I feel I should be paid more. I feel that I am driving the cild around more , but I am not being compensated. My duties include:

*four loads of Laundry a week (1 child 3 parents)
*Ironing clothes (all parents)
* Picking child up from half day school M-F( using my personal vehicle)
*Take child to the park 8 miles one-way away from home 3 times a week (again in my car)
*washing all dishes (hand washing, no auto dishwasher allowed)
*Taking child to library, zoo, grocery store
*feeding and walking 2 dogs
*of course bathing, and feeding the child.
* Doing lessons with the child (reading, math, phonics and foreign language)

The worse part of all, For the last three weeks I have been working 60 hours per week, but I don't receive overtime pay for those extra 20 hours, just the same rate of 10.00 per hour. Is that illegal?

I would love to hear from some parents who employ nannies to see if my job duties accurately reflect my pay.

Peaches in Atlanta, Georgia said: I welcome feedback from both nannies and parents.

Here is the situation:

I am a nanny working for a family with a three year old girl in Atlanta, GA. I am not on here to complain. I really love the family that I work for and I love my job. I have been on the job for 13 months. I am currently getting paid $10.00 p/h. I work 30 hours per week. I am beginning to feel that I am doing more than my wages reflect. Most of these things were not included in my contract and I don't mind doing them it's just that I feel I should be paid more. I feel that I am driving the cild around more , but I am not being compensated. My duties include:

*four loads of Laundry a week (1 child 3 parents)
*Ironing clothes (all parents)
* Picking child up from half day school M-F( using my personal vehicle)
*Take child to the park 8 miles one-way away from home 3 times a week (again in my car)
*washing all dishes (hand washing, no auto dishwasher allowed)
*Taking child to library, zoo, grocery store
*feeding and walking 2 dogs
*of course bathing, and feeding the child.
* Doing lessons with the child (reading, math, phonics and foreign language)

The worse part of all, For the last three weeks I have been working 60 hours per week, but I don't receive overtime pay for those extra 20 hours, just the same rate of 10.00 per hour. Is that illegal?

I would love to hear from some parents who employ nannies to see if my job duties accurately reflect my pay.

I know some time that we expect more but some time we have to pray and thank god for what we have or he;s just witing for our heart to chage reguarding our current situation and then bless us with our heart desire

Peaches in Atlanta, Georgia said: I welcome feedback from both nannies and parents.

Here is the situation:

I am a nanny working for a family with a three year old girl in Atlanta, GA. I am not on here to complain. I really love the family that I work for and I love my job. I have been on the job for 13 months. I am currently getting paid $10.00 p/h. I work 30 hours per week. I am beginning to feel that I am doing more than my wages reflect. Most of these things were not included in my contract and I don't mind doing them it's just that I feel I should be paid more. I feel that I am driving the cild around more , but I am not being compensated. My duties include:

*four loads of Laundry a week (1 child 3 parents)
*Ironing clothes (all parents)
* Picking child up from half day school M-F( using my personal vehicle)
*Take child to the park 8 miles one-way away from home 3 times a week (again in my car)
*washing all dishes (hand washing, no auto dishwasher allowed)
*Taking child to library, zoo, grocery store
*feeding and walking 2 dogs
*of course bathing, and feeding the child.
* Doing lessons with the child (reading, math, phonics and foreign language)

The worse part of all, For the last three weeks I have been working 60 hours per week, but I don't receive overtime pay for those extra 20 hours, just the same rate of 10.00 per hour. Is that illegal?

I would love to hear from some parents who employ nannies to see if my job duties accurately reflect my pay.

I feel really bad for you. And I know how you feel. Sometimes lines get blurred and the family forgets what they hired you for. It weird that you have to do the parents laundry, that is crazy. And whats up with the dish washing? Do they not have a dishwasher? Is there anything in your contract about over time? When I am asked to stay later and I don't want to or can't I take them to a hourly daycare and let the parents pick them up later. Do you live with them?

I will say right off the top that I know little of the nanny business in particular, but I do know service businesses in general. Basically it is simple.. Either you have an agreement with an employer (no matter what the job) to work as an employee or as a contractor.

If you work as a contractor, then these details are set out in the contract. If you work as an employee, then you are working either as a salaried or an hourly worker. If you are a salaried employee (fixed amount per year) you may be asked to do additional tasks and spend additional time with no change in the pay. If you are working as an hourly worker, then the law says you MUST be paid overtime for any work in excess of 8 hours per day or excess of 40 hours per week.

Since you use your own personal vehicle in the work, that is generally considered a tool that YOU are providing to do the job and as such makes you fall into the contractor area. Also, you have stated you DO have a contract, so you are not eligible for overtime pay unless it is specifically addressed in your contract.

Most likely, they have forgotten you are a worker and have subconsciously accepted you as a member of the family there (which is common in a personal service sort of arrangement). Don't see it as a complaint, just as a reminder to them that you have become more valuable to them and wish to be compensated additionally. If they take it as a bad thing, then you can be expected to be treated as a slave and the result will be just even more extra work for free.

Just gently suggest a raise in pay with a new contract listing it and the additional duties. It is common to seek an increase in pay at least once a year (it can even be written into the new contract). You did not mention it but having a room there is a form of compensation, as well as food (if that is the case). Compare your situation to those others who use a big part of their pay to cover rent, utilities and groceries.

My goodness, $10 an hour for all that! :( You should be getting $20+ in the Atlanta area. I am a nanny for a 2 and a half year old and get paid $18 an hour($15 to start), with no extra duties, but I too get messed over with the overtime. Legally, if you are paid hourly and work more than 40 hours a week, anything over that 40 hours is time an a half.

Overtime:
If you are a live out nanny- then legally you should be paid overtime for any hours worked over 40 hours.
According to federal law, household employees are entitled to overtime pay. Overtime must be paid at 1.5 times the hourly wage for all hours worked over 40 in a 7 day workweek. If a nanny is paid a salary, overtime should be addressed in the contract. For example, a nanny and family agree upon a gross salary of $500 per week for a 45-hour workweek. The standard wage for the first 40 hours is $10.53 per hour; the overtime wage for the remaining 5 hours per week is $15.79 per hour; and the total weekly salary is $500. No limit is placed on the number of hours worked in a 7 day workweek, as long as the employment contract is fulfilled and the employee is fairly compensated. Please note that live-in household employees do not have to be paid overtime but are entitled to equal pay.

Gas Reimbursement:
Nannies by law are entitled to rec. 48.5 cents per mile-

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today issued the 2007 optional standard mileage rates used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical or moving purposes.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2007, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (including vans, pickups or panel trucks) will be:

48.5 cents per mile for business miles driven.

Is $10 per hour fair?

There have been some salary scurvies done; please visit the two website below to view the results:

International Nanny Association (INA)
www.nanny.org/2006salarysurvey.htm

GTM Associates (Household Payroll Company)
www.gtmhouseholdemploymentexperts.com/Nanny%20&%20Household%20Help%20Salary%20Information.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When factoring a salary for a yourself, you need to take many things into consideration:

- Education
Do you hold a degree in Early Childhood, Child Psychology, etc?
Are you current with your CPR and 1st Aid Certification?

- Actual hands-on experience
Does your previous experience match the needs of the family?
For example…… have you cared for children the same ages as the family has?
This is important since it is quite different to care for an infant than a toddler, pre-schooler, pre-teen, etc.)

- Special talents
Can you swim, tutor, speak another language, play an instrument, etc.)

- Quality of nannies references
Does every reference only have glowing things to say?
Or are there many areas of concern?

- Level of job responsibility
Will you be responsible for family laundry, or only child(ren), will you have to cook? Clean? Shop? Run errands, etc.

- Number and ages of children

- Perks that are part of the salary package

YOu didnt say whether $10 is gross or net. If its net then gross will be about $15 I think. Thats about the going rate I am finding.

I know just how you feel... I went through that with about six different families... then I got smart. It started out great but then the families just kept adding more responsibilities and more hours, but never gave me a raise! I decided to research what my rights were and to make sure to have a contract with the next family. I found one site EXREMELY helpful. There's a book on there that teaches you exactly what you deserve to make, what rights you have, and how to protect yourself from being used or taken advantage of. It also has very detailed fill in the blank contracts that are cheap in comparison to any of the other nanny contracts out there. I am happy to report that I have set hours, paid time and a half after 40 hours, reimbursed for gas mileage at the national rate, have health benefits, paid sick days, two weeks paid vacation, 10 paid holidays and my responsibilities are exactly the same that I agreed to at the point of employment 8 months ago! I also get additional benefits such as a raise each year, paid maternity leave if I should get pregnant, and a 15% increase in salary if the family has a second child. All because I read this book, and presented the family with the contract at the time of the interview! It was so easy, and I'm so so so much happier! Evey nanny deserves these benefits. We are employees, not servants! To learn more visit www.1childcarecontracts.citymax.com/page/page/5384911.htm. The book will change your life as a nanny, and it's not a bad idea to check out the contracts either! Best of luck!

Or if that link doesn't work, this one will:
www.on-track-nanny-contracts.com/page/page/5384911.htm

Peaches in Atlanta, Georgia said: I welcome feedback from both nannies and parents.

Here is the situation:

I am a nanny working for a family with a three year old girl in Atlanta, GA. I am not on here to complain. I really love the family that I work for and I love my job. I have been on the job for 13 months. I am currently getting paid $10.00 p/h. I work 30 hours per week. I am beginning to feel that I am doing more than my wages reflect. Most of these things were not included in my contract and I don't mind doing them it's just that I feel I should be paid more. I feel that I am driving the cild around more , but I am not being compensated. My duties include:

*four loads of Laundry a week (1 child 3 parents)
*Ironing clothes (all parents)
* Picking child up from half day school M-F( using my personal vehicle)
*Take child to the park 8 miles one-way away from home 3 times a week (again in my car)
*washing all dishes (hand washing, no auto dishwasher allowed)
*Taking child to library, zoo, grocery store
*feeding and walking 2 dogs
*of course bathing, and feeding the child.
* Doing lessons with the child (reading, math, phonics and foreign language)

The worse part of all, For the last three weeks I have been working 60 hours per week, but I don't receive overtime pay for those extra 20 hours, just the same rate of 10.00 per hour. Is that illegal?

I would love to hear from some parents who employ nannies to see if my job duties accurately reflect my pay.

Hi Peaches in Atl GA. First of all I would like to ask if you were aware of these duties and the pay rate at the time you accepted the job? If you answer yes then I would say you knew what you were getting into before-hand. However I will say that you are being under paid. I care for a 20 mos old and I've been there since the baby was 2 mos and haven't rcvd a raise either, I rcvd $2 more p/h and my duties are far less but I feel the same

susanfine in Union City, Georgia said: Hi Peaches in Atl GA. First of all I would like to ask if you were aware of these duties and the pay rate at the time you accepted the job? If you answer yes then I would say you knew what you were getting into before-hand. However I will say that you are being under paid. I care for a 20 mos old and I've been there since the baby was 2 mos and haven't rcvd a raise either, I rcvd $2 more p/h and my duties are far less but I feel the same

Susanfiine, she did mention in her text that the extra duties were not included in her contract.

Peaches in Atlanta, Georgia said: I welcome feedback from both nannies and parents.

Here is the situation:

I am a nanny working for a family with a three year old girl in Atlanta, GA. I am not on here to complain. I really love the family that I work for and I love my job. I have been on the job for 13 months. I am currently getting paid $10.00 p/h. I work 30 hours per week. I am beginning to feel that I am doing more than my wages reflect. Most of these things were not included in my contract and I don't mind doing them it's just that I feel I should be paid more. I feel that I am driving the cild around more , but I am not being compensated. My duties include:

*four loads of Laundry a week (1 child 3 parents)
*Ironing clothes (all parents)
* Picking child up from half day school M-F( using my personal vehicle)
*Take child to the park 8 miles one-way away from home 3 times a week (again in my car)
*washing all dishes (hand washing, no auto dishwasher allowed)
*Taking child to library, zoo, grocery store
*feeding and walking 2 dogs
*of course bathing, and feeding the child.
* Doing lessons with the child (reading, math, phonics and foreign language)

The worse part of all, For the last three weeks I have been working 60 hours per week, but I don't receive overtime pay for those extra 20 hours, just the same rate of 10.00 per hour. Is that illegal?

I would love to hear from some parents who employ nannies to see if my job duties accurately reflect my pay.

Yes you are absolutely being taken advantage of !! You should be paid for all extra hours and you should make time and a half for overtime. Check to see what the minimum wage in your state is. It is illegal to pay less than that.

I work for a family 8a.m. to 4:30, give or take, Monday-Friday. I make 450 a week- that's $90 a day. I take care of toddler twins and, for about an hour a half at the end of the day, their elementary school aged brother when he comes home. I've been working here for 6 weeks and the school aged child has been home from school with us ALL DAY 5 times already. I didn't realize how many days off he has! I don't get paid more on the days that he is home. As if that wasn't agitating enough, he acts as my manager when he is there, reporting back to the Head Hancho. I wouldnt mind this ordinarily, as I do not do anything wrong as an employee, however, kids are notorious for telling the truth AS THEY SEE IT, in a distorted or INcomplete manner. For instance, one day as the twins were coming downstairs from their nap, I was standing in the middle of the stairs trying to aid both of the wobbly toddlers as best I could, when one of them tumbled down TWO steps before I caught him. He did not have a mark on him (they haven't had a scratch, scrape, or bruise obtained on MY WATCH in the 6 weeks I've worked here.) What do you think the older siblings FIRST WORDS were when his mother came through the door, "Riley fell down the steps!!!" Ugh! The new games I teach him, the stories the 3 of us read together, our plays, etc... don't get reported on NEARLY as much as the less than glowing reviews. Now, I WOULD pass this off as his just being a kid and not give it another thought, except his mother puts a great deal of weight into what he says. Going back to the "Riley fell down the steps!!!" bit, she asked HIM, "How did he fall?" as if I hadn't been RIGHT THERE watching (which I was, ready to catch him,) or even worse-- as if I wasn't going to be truthful with her! Plus she calls him from work and I know she asks him questions about what we are doing, and I understand that as a parent-- but it also makes me feel as though she is trusting a child to be my Supervisor! It isn't fair.

If you are paid hourly I would assume that they need to pay you for EVERY hour that you work?! I would definitely have a conversation with them about it. If you don't say anything they will only continue to take advantage of you!! Don't allow it! =)

I'm a mom in Atlanta with 1 child. We ask our nanny to do only tasks related to our child. She does some very light housework. She doesn't take the child on outings or anything that requires leaving the house (she is older so we don't feel comfortable with her driving). If I had a nanny with all your wonderful qualifications, the typical going rate if you have a good track record of experience with more than just this family, I would have no qualms paying you $13-$15 per hour. If they can't honor that, you really need to look elsewhere. Many families would love to have a nanny like you. Also keep in mind, you need to be compensated for all the driving you do as well - that adds up!
Hope this helps!

Hello, im Elaine from Lakewood NJ Im a nanny for 14 yrs, Im educated very kind and loving to my children. i will say that you have to do so many fun and educational things with the children all of age permitting. In other words a year old child would not get much from the museums of art. But a child of 8 yrs and up could get excited and learn. i have worked for many lovely familys and had no problems im very kind patient and loving. it's to bad you are having a hard time please look further and do what you think is right. get another nanny im very aware of all the pitfalls. but i had wonderful generous employers please enjoy you holidaY and keep looking there is someone out their. im amature women og 53. but i look 43 if you will and my heart is young and so is my mind that is how it's got to be. also im a perfect driver and my background is 100% perfect so please keep looking till you find someone you can feel relaxed with and know your child is safe. god bless ELAINE

I have to ask, I am trying to hire a live in nanny for the first time. And currently my husband who works in the oil field as you might know with the economy the way it is his job has been very very slow sooo we were looking to pay only $150 a week .. WAIT dont judge me yet. Of course once his job recovered the nanny would get a raise. She would also be getting bonuses for any extra work she does like dusting, sweeping, maybe some vaccumming and mopping. We would never ask her to iron, use her own vehicle, or do mine or my husbands laundry. 2 of our kids are school aged so are gone 8:am to 3pm soon to be till 5:30 pm when they which schools, so no bathing or getting ready for bed or anything like that would be required. Plus they handle their own after school snacks and stuff. Dinner is always made by me, now if she would like to try once in a while that is fine but NOT required. We are offering a private bedroom fully furnished with a nice full sized bedroom set, cable tv, dvd player, radio, home phone, cell phone, and of course internet access. She would also have weekends and evenings off to go out or whatever she wishes to do. We also expect to take her with us wherever we go as part of our family like vacations, outtings, the beach, amusement parks, whatever we do and we would pay for her. Ive heard some familys make their nannies pay there own bathroom items like shampoos, soap, tp, etc. We wouldnt ask that because she would have to share the bathroom with our children since we only have a 4 bedroom 2 bath home. We dont have any pets so there is no pet work. PLUS I am a stay at home mom so she would not be sitting at home just watching kids all day, she would only be helping me. Now what i need to know is with what I am asking and what we are offering is it a horrible deal??

some1sospecial78@aol.com

if you do the majority of the work around the home and the children do things for themselves, what exactly are you hiring the nanny to DO??

quote from my own post ... "she would only be helping me".

My husband works away from home often so I need someone to help hold the baby and get things done around town, keep the older two busy with games and outtings, go with me to run errands and shopping. If hubby and I plan a date night I would like to know there is someone I can ask to watch the kids, stuff like that.

Hi i just read everything you just wrote, they are taking advantage of you.
I understand you need the job and all but they need to appreciate you more
for all the work that you do for this family. Your job is to be a nanny not being there
personal secretary,maid and ect. The only persons laundry should be doing is the baby laundry
and cleaning up after the baby. Not no one else, its okay to tidy up if you feel like doing that for the family
but not to be there made. And after 40 hrs a week they are supposed to pay you overtime. I suggest you let them know
that or they are never gonna tell you nothing because thats more money in there pocket. I have been a nanny for 5 years and i had people trying to take advantage of me till i said no more thats is not right i work hard and i deserve to be paid for what i work for. Also think about them when they go into work i bet you if they work over 4o hrs a week they make sure they get overtime pay for the hours they work for.

I strongly believe that you should be getting paid more and anyone who disagrees may simply be ignorant. I say that because most parents don't undertsand the importance of providing a car for nanny because both child and nanny would be covered if ever an accident. Also you are not just a nanny but an early childhood eaducator since you are teching the child reading, foreign language and math. I mean seriously that's unbelievable what I'm hearing. You should speakk to the parents about that because sooner or later they will realize it and you will not perforrm you job as you once did when you began.

According to the IRS a nanny is NEVER a contractor and as such she is an hourly employee and should be compensated accordingly.

Nanny- you are to care for the children not the entire family. I understand that every nanny is asked to do different tasks but all this should be discussed and written in contract form, so you know what is expected and vise versa. You are NOT being paid fairly. Bring it up with them, communication is key and you can always re-address your duties as children grow. After your 40hrs you should get 1.5x pay for the overtime (again, best discussed ahead of time) and 50.5 cents/mile.
Dont think your not worth it- You are providing care for their children and good nannies are hard to come by, so hopefully it works out for you and them.

Valerie in Seaford, New York said:

You should really make up a nanny log with the curriculum areas so every day you can write down what you did! It helps the parents feel better about what the children were doing during the day, and helps you stay focused if you ever get lazy :) That way she can see all the wonderful things you do.

Vee said: quote from my own post ... "she would only be helping me".

My husband works away from home often so I need someone to help hold the baby and get things done around town, keep the older two busy with games and outtings, go with me to run errands and shopping. If hubby and I plan a date night I would like to know there is someone I can ask to watch the kids, stuff like that.

The i would hire a babysitter or a mothers helper...

You should definetly be getting at least $20 hourly. I own a nanny placement agency on South of Boston. Hope this helps

is the family claiming your services child care on their tax returns? and, are you reporting your income? or, is all of this under the table?

Hi I am starting a nanny position on friday. I will not be living with them but I will be going to their home and watching 7 year old twins from 7 to 3 on weekdays and 6 to 4 on weekends. What should I be making? Should I charge more for weekends? I will be working 7 days a week.

There's no way that you should be getting paid only $10 to play "'Wife and Mother".......The only way this setup would be fair is if the child was yours, and you were living with your husbands family, and getting paid to help his aging parents around the house in exchange for living there. for $10 an hour, if this were the case it would be fair. For a husband and wife, not you, them....to hire a "nanny" and expect her to do all of the work of a "mother' and "wife" You should be getting 25$ an hour Imo...........but I have no experience.........let's say it was your baby, and you were doing all sorts of things for your parents in law just temporarily until you and your husband got on yout feet, then I think that $10 an hour would be a fine trade off............but I used to get 7 dollars an hour to baby sit kids in the 80's.......and that just envolved keeping them entertained and cleaning up after them............If I were you I would get marrried and move in with my in laws!!!!!!!

Want a job?!

Housekeeper Needed – Great Pay!

We have three children; ages 16, 9, and 1-month. We are a traditional family with traditional values and treat all people with respect and dignity and expect the same in return. We are currently looking for a part-time Housekeeper / Nanny / Personal Assistant (all rolled into one. Our home is a 4BR / 3.5 BTH with a basement. All bedrooms are upstairs. There is also a living area upstairs as well. The kitchen, dining room, and living room are on the ground floor. We have a dog but she is kept outside. The duties will mostly be housekeeping, laundry, and cooking. We are seeking an individual to come into our home three days a week (maybe more upon request from time to time) to clean, cook, and perform laundry duties. Sometime you may be asked to accompany wife shopping to assist with the baby. Also, you may be asked to drop-off / pick-up children from school (which is located about a mile away). We expect for the person to be a non-smoker, drug-free, thorough, kid-friendly, and dependable. You must have your own reliable transportation and current driver’s license. The hours are from 6:30am to 5:00pm (Unpaid lunch from 11:30am to 1pm - negotiable); Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (non-negotiable). Background check required. Ability to speak Spanish is a PLUS also! (Over-time is available to assist children with Spanish if you are bilingual). Please respond with resume, contact information (email address and phone numbers), at least three references, expected salary requirements and when you could start.

Most of you on this forum demanding $15-$20 per hour are nuts! Thats $31,000-$41,000 per year! It is an hourly job and you are there to meet the needs of your employer, whether it be cooking, cleaning, homework, etc... If you don't like the job responsibilities or the pay, then quit. It is no different then any other job. Starbucks starts it's employees at less than $7 per hour and they expect their employees to do what is necessary to run the coffee shop, which includes cleaning the restrooms.

Yes, you should get paid for every hour that you work. No, there is not "law requiring you be paid overtime for any hours worked over 8 hours per day"

I'm sure their are many people out of work today that would be eager to take that $10/hr nanny or mother's helper job that most of you would turn your nose up at. The days of over priced nannies running the show are over. There are too many hungry people, eager to work hard for reasonable pay. While you do have important responsibilities, you are not doctors, lawyers, nurses, etc and does not warrant $15-$20 per hour or $31,000-$41,000 per year! Which, by the way, is more than most of our degreed teachers are paid.

If you look at any of the nanny website profiles, you will note that the same nannies looking for $15 or more per hour 6 months ago, are still looking for a job.

AJ in Norcross, Georgia said: Most of you on this forum demanding $15-$20 per hour are nuts! Thats $31,000-$41,000 per year! It is an hourly job and you are there to meet the needs of your employer, whether it be cooking, cleaning, homework, etc... If you don't like the job responsibilities or the pay, then quit. It is no different then any other job. Starbucks starts it's employees at less than $7 per hour and they expect their employees to do what is necessary to run the coffee shop, which includes cleaning the restrooms.

Yes, you should get paid for every hour that you work. No, there is not "law requiring you be paid overtime for any hours worked over 8 hours per day"

I'm sure their are many people out of work today that would be eager to take that $10/hr nanny or mother's helper job that most of you would turn your nose up at. The days of over priced nannies running the show are over. There are too many hungry people, eager to work hard for reasonable pay. While you do have important responsibilities, you are not doctors, lawyers, nurses, etc and does not warrant $15-$20 per hour or $31,000-$41,000 per year! Which, by the way, is more than most of our degreed teachers are paid.

If you look at any of the nanny website profiles, you will note that the same nannies looking for $15 or more per hour 6 months ago, are still looking for a job.

What a crock! You get what you pay for. I would never work for anyone like you. We're talking about people who take care of your (maybe not YOU, but most others) MOST precious assets--YOUR children! A good nanny will be there when you're not to teach your children to be well-mannered, educated and responsible. I don't know what planet you come from buster, but I wouldn't pay Starbuck's wages to someone with that responsibility. I won't even patronize Starbucks, cause it's probably owned by an a** like you who makes $100k sitting in an office thinking he's more important.

In response to AJ in Norcross:

Ok, calm down people. Sure this may sound a bit harsh but it IS reality!!! I couldn't agree more and I am a mother, I have a nanny, and I have worked AS a nanny! I was a live in nanny for 2 children 10 yrs ago & my salary was $300/MONTH. A general nanny position is an hourly position, paid according to the childcare industry. Although it is a highly respected position & yes, nannies are caring for our most precious assets, this is NOT typically a High paid, professional level, "doctoral" position. A salary of $35K + is NOT the norm! Daycare workers are paid minimium wage, keep in mind nannies have a much better, more fun, less stress job than daycare workers and r better paid. But a nanny is NOT a doctor, nurse, lawyer, or high paid professional. MANY lower paid jobs are in charge of incredible assets, have high demands, huge responsibilities, and are responsible for several different high profile duties at the same time! Not JUST nannies! Many of us that have nannies have also worked these lower paid positions & worked our way up in life. If we had to pay the nanny 50% of our salaries there would be no "nanny" positions! Now, if you are fortunate enough to work for the Rockefellers, the Kennedys, the Cruise's, the Jolie-Pitts or any other very high profile family, then I certainly hope you are compensated fairly and treated with care. But more than likely you ARE compensated fair, treated well, & have job security to boot. This is much better than a fast food job, daycare, etc.... yes, there will be stress & moments of frustration. There is in ALL jobs! Even for the guy that "owns starbucks and makes $100K sitting in his chair"!!! Don't be so naive as to think that people in higher paid positions have it easy and dont really "work". That type of thinking is simply naive, foolish, inexperienced, selfish, & self-entitling. Welcome to the job world. Be ever so glad you have one in this economy & that others need you!!

How much skill does it take to be a nanny? I doubt very much, you're just a glorified babysitter,you're lucky you even get that much.

I have been a nanny for almost 3 years. Both of the parents are Dr's. Kids are 5 and 3. One is full time kindergarten, the other three 1/2 days at preschool. I pick both of them up in my car from school.I work a four day work week 10 hours a day. I load, unload the dishwasher, pick up the family room, straighten kids rooms and their bath/rm, prepare lunch for preschooler, snacks for both, I wash kids clothes and all towels from family. I fold a lot of parents clothes left in dryer, Iron kids clothes and sometimes the moms blouses as needed. I take the dogs out to their pen everyday, do a lot of after school activities, Re: swimming, parks, walks, library, homework help for kindergartner, taught him to read by the time he was 4. I grocery shop on a morning when youngest is in preschool. I eat my breakfast and lunch there, whatever I want. Take the youngest out to lunch once a week at Mcdonalds and let her play for an hour (my lunch is also paid for) I have a credit card in my name through them to pay for kids activities, lunches if we are out and get paid gas for all our outings. In the summer we are on the go ALL day long. I keep a log of our entire day and all activities. I am paid for any days off sick, two weeks vacation and holidays. There have been times I have made the kids supper, cleaned up dog poo when they got a new puppy, did extra chores without being asked. I love the kids and the parents have been good to me. Sure I would like it if I was praised a little more often from the parents but the love I get from those kids make up for it. I havent had a raise since i started but then the youngest is also in preschool now so i have three mornings that I still arrive at 8am but only have to do what I normally did anyway with the small amount of house work i have. I am blessed, I make 500.00 a week.

What your payment normally depends on his your skills and qualifications. For example if you have first aid training and are CPR certified you pay should be increased, at least that is how i feel. if you have more than 5 years experience you should be getting paid more. again my opinion. I found this website helpful about increasing your skills and the potential income that you can earn as a nanny.www.howtofindananny.com/

2 AJ.
AJ , I wish with all my heart , that one day you be so desperete so you have to take a $7.00/hour job , or , the person whom taking care of your children will be so desperate that she/he will accept $7.00/hour!
Taking care of the cild is not equal to brew a cup of coffee at Starbucks!!!Usually people saying that their children are their most precious assets , and yet , they want to pay a same or less wage to their nanny than to the person who wash their cars , clean their house, brew their coffee , mowe their lawn...etc...etc...
O well, those who really need a nanny , can't pay for it , and those who can afford it, really don't need them.

safires in Commerce, Georgia said: I have been a nanny for almost 3 years. Both of the parents are Dr's. Kids are 5 and 3. One is full time kindergarten, the other three 1/2 days at preschool. I pick both of them up in my car from school.I work a four day work week 10 hours a day. I load, unload the dishwasher, pick up the family room, straighten kids rooms and their bath/rm, prepare lunch for preschooler, snacks for both, I wash kids clothes and all towels from family. I fold a lot of parents clothes left in dryer, Iron kids clothes and sometimes the moms blouses as needed. I take the dogs out to their pen everyday, do a lot of after school activities, Re: swimming, parks, walks, library, homework help for kindergartner, taught him to read by the time he was 4. I grocery shop on a morning when youngest is in preschool. I eat my breakfast and lunch there, whatever I want. Take the youngest out to lunch once a week at Mcdonalds and let her play for an hour (my lunch is also paid for) I have a credit card in my name through them to pay for kids activities, lunches if we are out and get paid gas for all our outings. In the summer we are on the go ALL day long. I keep a log of our entire day and all activities. I am paid for any days off sick, two weeks vacation and holidays. There have been times I have made the kids supper, cleaned up dog poo when they got a new puppy, did extra chores without being asked. I love the kids and the parents have been good to me. Sure I would like it if I was praised a little more often from the parents but the love I get from those kids make up for it. I havent had a raise since i started but then the youngest is also in preschool now so i have three mornings that I still arrive at 8am but only have to do what I normally did anyway with the small amount of house work i have. I am blessed, I make 500.00 a week.

Safires , why did they wanted to have children?

supernanny in Old Bridge, New Jersey said: 2 AJ.
AJ , I wish with all my heart , that one day you be so desperete so you have to take a $7.00/hour job , or , the person whom taking care of your children will be so desperate that she/he will accept $7.00/hour!
Taking care of the cild is not equal to brew a cup of coffee at Starbucks!!!Usually people saying that their children are their most precious assets , and yet , they want to pay a same or less wage to their nanny than to the person who wash their cars , clean their house, brew their coffee , mowe their lawn...etc...etc...
O well, those who really need a nanny , can't pay for it , and those who can afford it, really don't need them.

You overestimate your worth.

brambleton in Ashburn, Virginia said: You overestimate your worth.

No.
You don't understand.
A desperate person not a good choice to raise children.
And I don't get the parents , when they don't want to pay ther nanny/babysitter...etc , to keep them happy , and content.
I used to be a nanny-long time ago- , and I was paid well , but not to well , and I'm sorry those girls whom working like crazy , taking care of other people's children , and making just end's meat.
Plus , at the same time , the parents are stating ,that their children are very precious , their most prized assets...etc , and raising a child is a such a responsibility and a serious job , and yet , they want to pay for this hard and inportant job less than they pay for someone at the fast food restaurant!!!!

Children are priceless and you can not put a dollar value on the care that they receive, whether it comes from the OB-GYN who delivered them, to the pediatrician, teacher, nurse, religious guidance, etc., who help shape their lives. Child care/Nannies do not 'raise' these children since that is the responsibility of the parents. The work that you actually do is not considered 'raising' a child. It's domestic help. We've had a live-in nanny/housekeeper for 17 years. She is considered a part of my family and we love her very much. She's freed up our time doing household chores so that we can have more 'quality' time with our children. How much is my nanny worth? In esoterical terms, she is priceless. But in reality? You know the answer.

Sure you can put a price on it , but it's very variable , always based on the agreement between the caretaker and emloyer.
And
"Child care/Nannies do not 'raise' these children since that is the responsibility of the parents"
c'mon....just read what nannies saying about their chores , some of them are 10 hours with the children , taking them to school , to play sports ,feed them , teach them to walk , to talk...etc... putting them to bed...
"We've had a live-in nanny/housekeeper for 17 years"

I hope you paid her well!!!

Yes, she's well taken care of with a decent salary, nice living quarters, insurance and a few vacations with us every year. No one works for anyone for 17 years in this free country unless they were pretty happy.

I had a nanny when I was young and she did all the things that you mentioned. So? She did not raise me. I knew that she was an employee and was there to assist my mother. Like you said, these are 'chores', for which you can pay to have done. Don't elevate the position to more than it really is...

brambleton in Ashburn, Virginia said: Yes, she's well taken care of with a decent salary, nice living quarters, insurance and a few vacations with us every year. No one works for anyone for 17 years in this free country unless they were pretty happy.

I had a nanny when I was young and she did all the things that you mentioned. So? She did not raise me. I knew that she was an employee and was there to assist my mother. Like you said, these are 'chores', for which you can pay to have done. Don't elevate the position to more than it really is...

Well , I don't know.
When I was working as a nanny , I was with my little girls 12 hours /day , after I've left them we have met a few months later , and she didn't see me for two months , but -it was a Christmas dinner- when she have heard my voice , she was looking for me like crazy , and I can't describe the happy noises she made when she have find me.
Probably for your mom it was more important to raise you and to care about you than some other moms!Beleive me , almost all of them chooses to go shopping or do whatever , but staying with their kids!That's my experience , and I don't like it.I didn't get anyone to watch my son , I stayed home with him , and we lived on a little less income , but I was there when he went to school , he started to talk and walk...and i don't think I could stand someone to come to my house to do cleaning and seeing everything in my private life , no thanks, I'd rather do it myself.

Patricia Seabourne in Atlanta, Georgia said: I really think you are underpaid. I suggest you get a new position through an agency as for example Lindquist agengy or the hazel agency both in Atlanta. They place nannies and their positions pay $15 an hour. I have been a nanny for five years and the worst I have ever been paid is $13 an hour. Less than that is unacceptable!
Good luck!

I agree i think parents need to realize if your using your own car ..there is alot of wear and tear that driving 20 miles here and there does to your car......also if they dont pay the nanny taxes then they should pay a min of 15 hr net which would be $10 hr....get EVERYTHING IN WRITING! all duties, pay and pay raises....how much notice should be given to each party..etc...
i learned my lesson the hard way I spent over 750 dollars on car repairs...and lost my job only 1 month notice...i still dont have a job...its been almost 6 months now...all because I put the family I cared about first...never called out always on time .In the end I got treated like garbage...

Peaches in Atlanta, Georgia said: I welcome feedback from both nannies and parents.

Here is the situation:

I am a nanny working for a family with a three year old girl in Atlanta, GA. I am not on here to complain. I really love the family that I work for and I love my job. I have been on the job for 13 months. I am currently getting paid $10.00 p/h. I work 30 hours per week. I am beginning to feel that I am doing more than my wages reflect. Most of these things were not included in my contract and I don't mind doing them it's just that I feel I should be paid more. I feel that I am driving the cild around more , but I am not being compensated. My duties include:

*four loads of Laundry a week (1 child 3 parents)
*Ironing clothes (all parents)
* Picking child up from half day school M-F( using my personal vehicle)
*Take child to the park 8 miles one-way away from home 3 times a week (again in my car)
*washing all dishes (hand washing, no auto dishwasher allowed)
*Taking child to library, zoo, grocery store
*feeding and walking 2 dogs
*of course bathing, and feeding the child.
* Doing lessons with the child (reading, math, phonics and foreign language)

The worse part of all, For the last three weeks I have been working 60 hours per week, but I don't receive overtime pay for those extra 20 hours, just the same rate of 10.00 per hour. Is that illegal?

I would love to hear from some parents who employ nannies to see if my job duties accurately reflect my pay.

what is your phone number???

I too do part time nannying. I understand where you are coming from. You are a house keeper and a nanny. If you look at being just a housekeeper you will see they get paid the same or even more and don't have to handle a crying child. I think people are just trying to get 2 jobs done for the price of one. At one point I had the father try to put the baby in a backpack on me so I could clean the house and carry the baby at the same time. I no longer work for them :)

kelvin in Scranton, Pennsylvania said: Hello,how are you doing? My name is kelvin tommy.I read ur application and u seem perfect

applicant for my kid.I just lost my wife and I'm really busy with work at this moment. I am

a Surgeon Consultant. I seek a good babysitter. My boy is just 3 years old and he is a lover

of computer games, not allergic and free to people. Kindly get back to me with your charges

for the duration. You can contact me on my email: kelvintommy48@yahoo.com

I wouldn't mind if you charges are expensive or not,I really need someone who can take good

care of my babe boy and will never let him feel the absence of his mum.Please let me read

from you,and don't forget to give me your quotations.
Thanks. Kelvin.

If this was a legitiment post and Kelvin was a Surgeon Consultant then he would also be able to spell and write a sentence correctly. I think this is a spam.

We have one child and our nanny works 48 hours per week. We pay her $14/hour plus $7.50/week for gas. We don't pay her time and a half for the extra 8 hours. That's really not market for this industry since most all full-time nannies work more than 40 hours. Any excess time above the 48 hours is paid at the $14 hourly rate, to include evening babysitting, etc. Our nanny is in her early 60's (but you would never know it) and so came to us with a lot of past experience, to include nannying for a family for 9 years before coming to work for us. So we feel we pay a bit of a premium for the experience. Plus, in the two years that she has worked for us, she has never been out sick or out for any other reason that we didn't discuss/agree up on well in advance. So we also recognize that we are paying a premium for the dependability that she provides. My opinion would be that $12/hour (at least around here) is the average going rate for a nanny of one child with average work experience. Most babysitters from college ago on up get $12/hour and hold a lot less responsibility.