Full-time Nanny with SAHP - Why?

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-28-2004
Full-time Nanny with SAHP - Why?
1258
Tue, 02-10-2004 - 6:41pm
Something I've often wondered about, but never had the opportunity to ask. Why do SAHM or SAHD need a full time nanny, especially when they aren't working from home. I can easily see the need if the SAHP is a WAHP, but what is the logic for a full time nanny otherwise?

Any comments?

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iVillage Member
Registered: 05-28-2003
Mon, 02-16-2004 - 5:33pm
gee. lighten up. Didn't you see the emoticon?

Besides, where did I say that he deserved "no credit?" It's you who said that his job was solely for his enjoyment. Most people who are in the "helping" fields do it for themselves *as well as* for those who are at the receiving end.
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-02-2003
Mon, 02-16-2004 - 5:51pm
When I said he does it purely for self fulfillment, I was referring to the financial end of it and the benefit to the family. The family does not benefit from his employment, that doesn't mean that nobody does. He is not so arrogant though to believe that when he does retire there will be nobody who can replace him. He is not working because he is the ONLY one out there who can do it. He continues because he enjoys it and because of the sense of satisfaction and accomplishment that HE gets from the work.

And no, I don't see an emotion on your post.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-29-1999
Mon, 02-16-2004 - 6:00pm
Excellent!!
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-28-2003
Mon, 02-16-2004 - 6:09pm
OK. I apologize for the lack of the emoticon. I could have sworn that it was there in the "preview."
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 02-16-2004 - 7:08pm
I never said it had nothing to do with the kids, I said is was not all about the kids. It was in response to the line "I guess I just don't understand the point of BEING a SAHM if you're not doing it to spend more time with your kids." My reasons for SAH was not just to spend more time with my kids.

If I had not gotten pregnant when I did then I could not have gotten out of the Air Force at that time, as I still had about a year left on my contract but when my enlistment was up it is possible that I would have SAH because some of those things on my list would still be issues even without kids.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 02-16-2004 - 8:12pm
Yup. This insistence that a kid can be in care with a WOHM, but not with a SAHM is basically just a repackaged version of it's okay to WOH if you HAVE to, but not if you WANT to. I don't know too many WOHMs on this board who think it matters if you want or have to work, so I'm at a loss to understand the difference if the Mom just "wants" to do something other than WOH. If you can WOH because you want to and use care and it doesn't hurt your kid, doing something *other* than WOH because you want to and using care isn't going to hurt your child either.

And I also believe this is dependent upon the personality of the individual child, some of whom (many?) simply wouldn't do well in care at all--Velcro babies just aren't that unusual. They aren't typical, but there are enough of them to be acknowledged as an issue in deciding on other care in ANY form.

Good post! (Yours, not mine :)

Avatar for myshkamouse
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 02-16-2004 - 8:42pm
Would you like to see our tax forms for proof?"

No need to get so defensive. I believe you, I just think its odd that its so expensive in Minnesota compared to the cost of living.

" Though real estate in Minnesota quite reasonable, child care is not. We paid more for child care than my SIL who lives in Fairfield County, CT.... a place quite on par expense-wise with NCal."

Yes, I know Fairfield County well. I own a house in Stonington, CT, and grew up in Darien and NYC.

" One reason our labor costs are higher is that we do not have the immigant (legal or otherwise) population that many other areas of the country do."

Yep. Absolutely a factor here in NCal.



"We chose to pay our nanny on the high end of the scale because when she was working for us, we had three very young, very closely spaced children. You know the old saying, "You get what you pay for...." We interviewed nannies that we could have paid $14.00-$16.00 an hour, but we didn't feel comofrtable with them. We hired our nanny because she was the best fit for our family. So IMO, it's not odd at all."

Glad you are happy with her. I'm thrilled with our nanny who we pay $8 an hour. She's worth much more than that, IMO, so that's why we give her a bonus, paid vacation, etc. -- even though we don't have to.

Avatar for myshkamouse
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 02-16-2004 - 8:45pm
Do your nanny, and your friends' nannies, speak fluent, native English?"

Nope. All are Mexican Americans. A plus, IMO, as we'd like our children to be bilingual.

" Do they have green cards?"

Yes, of course. How else would we legally employ them?

" Do they drive? Are they graduates of accredited nanny schools?"

All drive. None are graduates of nanny schools, to my knowledge. My nanny is certified in CPR and infant CPR. That's what really counts to me.

Au pairs are students. I'm not talking about students. I'm talking professional nannies."

Fair enough.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Mon, 02-16-2004 - 9:25pm
We WERE happy with her......I left my job to SAH in August....in part because the cost of childcare was so high!

Hugs,

Bridget & Ethan (5)

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Mon, 02-16-2004 - 9:30pm
Uh, no. I'm advocating telling them the truth in a way that won't hurt their feelings or make them feel bad. I call everything I do outside the home an "errand" - it is a generalization, not a lie.

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