Going rates for part-time nannies?

[toratoratori]

So we got accepted to the daycare of our choice for their three days a week program. That leaves two days a week where we need baby coverage.

Dan is going to try to shift his work schedule from Mon-Fri to Tue-Sat so he can be home with the baby on Mondays. I was planning to telework on Fridays, but after mentioning it to my boss, she scared the bejeezus out of me that the request might not get approved. So now I'm looking into back-up options, just in case.

In the event that I can't get a telework day (and in the event Dan can't flex his schedule), we'll need to hire a nanny or sitter for Mondays and Fridays. It would be a full nine-hour day each day. What would you pay someone weekly to work one or two full days? I'm assuming that if the hourly rate is $15, we're looking at $135 a day, but I don't know if I should reasonably expect a cheaper rate for regular care.

What say ye, ladies?

[Kahala]

Yup 12-15 is norm for seattle. Care.com is good site to find a babysitter.

[7costanza]

No idea on the nanny rates, but I work from home one day a week and would get nothing done without someone here to care for the baby, so I wouldn't count on not needing childcare if your telework request is approved.

[karebear219]

I forget where you are at but yeah about 10 to 15 is about right.

[toratoratori]

Feb 28, 2014 19:57:04 GMT -5 7costanza said:

No idea on the nanny rates, but I work from home one day a week and would get nothing done without someone here to care for the baby, so I wouldn't count on not needing childcare if your telework request is approved.

That's a really good point. And even if I could get work done with baby at home, isn't the point of my being home with the baby to interact with the baby, and not ignore him / her so I can check my email for eight hours?

I ended up getting in touch with the daycare we were accepted to and upping our care plan from three days a week to five days a week. Thank goodness they were able to make that change for us! I also sat down with my husband and negotiated some changes to our budget, including reducing the budget on the houses we're trying to buy so that the monthly payments will be more in line with what we're currently paying for rent. I think that helped ease a lot of his anxieties about money (which is why we had originally opted for the three-day daycare option).

[shevacc]

I like your solution. DH's BFF and his wife tried the schedule flex thing to avoid daycare and eventually she just ended up quitting to stay at home. He originally was working 10 hour days with every Friday off, plus working from home a second day a week and watching their DD. His day off was fine but his 10-hour day he often got little done and had to stay up late and work some over the weekends to catch up. They both felt like they never got a break and he worried about his job performance. Now he still does the long hours but not the childcare and it's much less stressful.