Where did you find your nanny

[sweetdana]

Where did you find your nanny?

I have used craigslist and usually had a great sucess rate. I had a nanny for my DD7 and only changed maybe 3 times in 6 yrs ish.

I have a new DD5 months and I have already had 3.. 1 is moving to Chicago in Sept, 1 didnt show up (2nd day of work), a different one and turned the job down by txt the night before. These are moms both with 2 kids. I cannot image not finding more people interested. I am guessing I am looking in the wrong spot! sell me somewhere else (besides paying 500$ for a service)

=(

I only need someone 2 days a week and want a mom, not a 21 yr old college student, and I only pay 45$ a day, so I guess I am not the ideal family??? I guess I am feeling frustrated. and hate searching again.

 

[Lucille1963]

Here's my perspective... I don't hire nannys, but I do hire helpers for my small at home business. Other women in the same business as I am are shocked that I pay so much, but I tell them that the little extra is to insure that they always show up. And they always do, not to mention the much bigger pool of applicants I have to choose from. In years of working with people, I had someone cancel once because she was literally in the hospital.

Best of luck in your search.

 

[daisyduck123]

Where did you find your nanny?

I have used craigslist and usually had a great sucess rate. I had a nanny for my DD7 and only changed maybe 3 times in 6 yrs ish.

I have a new DD5 months and I have already had 3.. 1 is moving to Chicago in Sept, 1 didnt show up (2nd day of work), a different one and turned the job down by txt the night before. These are moms both with 2 kids. I cannot image not finding more people interested. I am guessing I am looking in the wrong spot! sell me somewhere else (besides paying 500$ for a service)

=(

I only need someone 2 days a week and want a mom, not a 21 yr old college student, and I only pay 45$ a day, so I guess I am not the ideal family??? I guess I am feeling frustrated. and hate searching again.

I have never used a nanny, but I know my friend found hers through another nanny. She would take her kids to the park in the morning and there were always tons of moms and several nannies there at the same time before lunch.

BTW, I agree, you are probably not the ideal family. 45$ for a full day seems too low IMO. Taking care of an infant is a lot of work & would mean taking time & attention away from my own kids. I would never do it for that little.

I think that old saying goes well here, "You get what you pay for.....". You had hired moms for the job, and then they felt fine quitting at the last minute or not showing up. I would not have wanted irresponsible people like that caring for my own child in the first place. I think it's good that they ended up not working for you.

Good luck & congrats on your new DD!

 

[sweetdana]

TY both.

 

[HM]

I think there are two problems, low pay and only two days of work.
What's wrong with having a college student as an employee? They are more likely to only want a day or two of work and many are very good and loving with babies. I'd advertise in the local college newspaper.

 

[keenercam]

My daughter is a nanny. She has found the website care dot com to be a good resource for finding employers and for other friends who were looking for jobs.

 

[jel0511]

I agree with the PP, I think you're asking too little. I'm a mom with two kids and if you're paying that for a FULL 8 hours a day, that only equates to just over $5 an hour. I think minimum wage is more than that right now. So, in reality they can make more working retail than changing your kids diapers.

 

[sweetdana]

I think there are two problems, low pay and only two days of work.
What's wrong with having a college student as an employee? They are more likely to only want a day or two of work and many are very good and loving with babies. I'd advertise in the local college newspaper.

I reallly like moms, they know more about babies.( no not all, and it certainly doesnt mean every mom .. is better than any coll students)

I learned soooooo much the 1st yr of being a mom.. (coming from a family of 4 and a babysitting bunches), but there was sooo much I didnt know until I became a mom.. Perhaps erronously feel like you just learn it after caring for a baby 24 7 for a while. I would consider it for the right person.

 

[mjkacmom]

I payed an 19 year old girl from Mexico $10 an hour to watch my twins 2 days a week (loved her). I don't know who you will be getting offering such low pay! That's less than minimum wage!

 

[sweetdana]

I agree with the PP, I think you're asking too little. I'm a mom with two kids and if you're paying that for a FULL 8 hours a day, that only equates to just over $5 an hour. I think minimum wage is more than that right now. So, in reality they can make more working retail than changing your kids diapers.

I am fine with someone bringing there own kids with them. So if a stay at home mom wanted a drop of extra cash, this would be a way to do it.
I do agree it is not much $$; maybe I need to rethink this.. it is what I have paid the last 7 yrs, (to be honest I have made less not more as well) and I have always found someone with 1-2 kids who just wanted a little pocket money and not put there own children in day care. I pay for jungle java, and play places, and pay for there food during the day. Maybe I need to pay a little more

 

[jel0511]

I am fine with someone bringing there own kids with them. So if a stay at home mom wanted a drop of extra cash, this would be a way to do it.
I do agree it is not much $$; maybe I need to rethink this.. it is what I have paid the last 7 yrs, (to be honest I have made less not more as well) and I have always found someone with 1-2 kids who just wanted a little pocket money and not put there own children in day care. I pay for jungle java, and play places, and pay for there food during the day. Maybe I need to pay a little more

As I said, as a mom with two kids, I wouldn't even fathom taking time away from my kids for so little. It's just not worth it to me. Even if I could bring them with me...... They're not getting 100% of my attention and I can't put a value on my children's time with their mom. IMO it's not worth a measly $45 a day.... If I was mom who needed money, I'm sure I'd need more than $90 a week....... I really think you need to reevaluate what you're willing to spend. Now on the reverse, would you be willing to watch someone else's kids for $90 a week?????

 

[girli565]

You have to remember that saying, "you get what you pay for." At $45 a day for an 8-hr day I don't think anyone would be willing to work. maybe if you offered at least minimum wage (around $60 a day) you'd find more people willing to take the job.

I agree with a previous poster who said a college age person would probably be more willing to work the 2 days a week because that's probably all they can do. Post wanted signs at your local college/university and then have interviews.

 

[tinkerbell9227]

care dot com is where we find ours. they will run background checks, there are reviews from other parents, etc.

You are paying too low, even for a mom bringing her own kid(s).

We pay our sitter 10 dollars an hour, and when we had a mom we paid her 8 dollars an hour. I felt OK offering a mom less as I was letting her bring her 2 kids to "work" with her. But I still wouldn't dream of paying somebody only $45 a day to watch my kids all day long! that's way too low. But even 10 is fairly low for a nanny in my area !

If you want 5/hour look into home daycares at least in my area I know there are some that will do that but they probably have a lot of kids there.

 

[sweetdana]

Seems I am getting a reoccuring theme.. I have been ripping people off for the last 7 yrs.. who knew

I am going to start near 8$ and go from there. ... I will also look closer at a coll kid.

 

[sunshinehighway]

I am fine with someone bringing there own kids with them. So if a stay at home mom wanted a drop of extra cash, this would be a way to do it.
I do agree it is not much $$; maybe I need to rethink this.. it is what I have paid the last 7 yrs, (to be honest I have made less not more as well) and I have always found someone with 1-2 kids who just wanted a little pocket money and not put there own children in day care. I pay for jungle java, and play places, and pay for there food during the day. Maybe I need to pay a little more

Taking care of an infant is more work than a toddler or school aged child. Also, just because someone isn't a mom doesn't mean they don't have experience with infants. There are many college students studying childcare or teaching (who are not parents) that would be great with an infant and could use something that's only 2 days a week to fit in with their classes.

 

[disfan07]

So this is probably just bothering me because I AM a college student but you seem to have a very low opinion of the abilities of college students. Yes, there are a lot of college students who would be bad choices for watching a baby but there are others who you would probably be very happy with.

I babysat for a family of 4 (newborn, 3 1/2 year old, 5 yr old, 8 yr old) starting when I was 18 for about 2 years (until I moved). This was 2007-2009 and I was getting paid $16/hr for 4 kids ($11/hr for 1 kid).

Just because someone is a mom does not actually mean that they are the best for watching your kid, especially if they have different parenting styles. I know this as a fact from working at daycare for a few years. The amount that parents DID NOT know but that we did know was astounding.

But back on topic, yes you have been ripping people off....I made more than $45/day working summer camp this year. I was making $7.25/hr which is under min wage (they're allowed to do that for camp) and for 7 hours I made about $50. And this was working with 5 year olds! You say you want someone with experience with infants but you're not paying for the quality you seem to want. As a college student I wouldn't even take that job. The pay is way too low.

For babysitting now, I charge $14/hr for 1 or 2 kids, $16 for 3 and $18 for 4.

 

[HM]

I'm glad you will look at college students. Many of them may have cared for infants before, even their own younger siblings. You won't know unless you ask.

 

[brymolmom]

I will agree as well that $45 a day - especially now that you have 2 children is horrible (I'm assuming nanny does before and after school and school breaks for older child too?).

For 2 kids I paid $50 a day for a woman to watch them IN HER HOME. Add in the convenience of having them at your home (not having to bundle up baby...saving gas by not going to sitter's house each way, etc.). And what I paid was CHEAP compared to other places and day care centers (closer to $40 per kid per day).

I had looked into a nanny for awhile for my kids, but found that the convenience was NOT worth the extra cost for me at least. This was at least 6 years ago and I believe that it was about twice as expensive for a reputable nanny to come to my home - so about $100 per day. Honeslty I don't think I would expect reliable service for that little.

My best advice to you, guessing that you don't want to increase your expenses by that much, is to look into a in-home daycare place (a mom, like you said) where you can bring your kids. Best way to do that in my experience is just to question/email/facebook EVERYONE you know and state that you're looking for someone. Even those who don't have kids might have an aunt who does it or a neighbor who has a good place they use. Not sure where you are and what the rates are around you - but I'm guessing you could find a place that does it for $25 - $30 per kid per day. And often the in-home places are the most flexible to allow you to use and pay PER DAY, which is good in a part-time situation.

Good luck.

 

[Hannathy]

Gas is $4 a gallon, unless they live in your neighborhood just think how much of that $45 is going just to gas!

I wouldn't hold my breath for a college student for even $8 an hour. That is to much work for so little when unless their campus has a shortage of jobs they could work on campus at an easier job for as much. And more flexibility. And better work conditions. My DD is a tour guide and she makes $8 and when there aren't tours they can talk with each other or study, friend works in library shelving books for min (not hard work) and if no books can study, other friend checks people into the dining room for min and sits and gets to talk to all the students coming in.

If you want quality you will have to pay for it.

 

[janey99]

I have had good luck with care.com, not so much with sittercity.com.

I also have preferred girls in their mid-twenties (and had excellent experience). Slightly older than college age, but not moms. I want someone with maturity, the scheduling availability I need, high energy, and willingness to take direction and follow instructions. Mid twenties, at least in this area, consists of a lot of people who are doing an additonal degree, are schooling part time, and many have teaching related degrees already because of the terrible market for new teachers around here.

Quite frankly, I don't want another mom with her own ideas about raising/treating children, nor do I want her kids as part of the package - I don't want extra kids at my house, causing wear and tear, I don't want exposure to extra sickness (in either direction - her kids make your kids sick, or your kids make her kids sick and she can't can't some to work!), and if I'm paying someone for childcare, I want the care of MY child to be the primary focus. YMMV on all these points.

In your specific case, you may want to up your pay, and also adjust your vocabulary - the way you describe the position isn't really a nanny job, but a part time sitter. If you are using the word "nanny" in your ads, people may not be following through because they are expecting something different.

Good luck, it is sooo tough to find childcare you are comfortable with, no matter what your expectations.

Jane