This post may contain affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Like these posts? Follow us on Twitter or Facebook — this is the edited version of what we’re reading! (We also Tweet if we hear about a good sale through our CorporetteDeals Twitter feed.) You can also follow us on Pinterest and Instagram, or by our RSS feed.
- Lucky rounds up eight products that make you look more awake than you may actually feel.
- The New York Times shares the news that law firms are awarding significantly bigger bonuses this year, while Crain's New York Business says that fewer companies are hosting holiday parties. (Fast Company offers some alternatives, while NPR has some amusing anecdotes of holiday parties gone awry.)
- Fast Company looks at a new study that finds the stigma of job-hopping is lessening.
- The Muse offers “35 things to do for your career by 35.”
- The Wall Street Journal's At Work blog talks to a psychologist and researcher who tells us to replace ineffective positive thinking with the more useful “mental contrasting.”
- New York magazine talks to a few 20-something women in NYC about their budgets and spending habits.
- The Globe and Mail reports that women are drinking more than before and catching up with men.
- Here's a Friday laugh for you from Saturday Night Live (work warning: autoplay video) about the perks of going home for the holidays. Bowls for everything!
On CorporetteMoms Recently…
- We talked about hiring a housecleaner before and after having kids.
- Kat shared some picks for moms and non-moms alike.
Did we miss anything? Add 'em here, or send them to [email protected]. Thank you! Also: Are you a mom or mom-to-be? Don’t miss this week’s news update at CorporetteMoms.
SuziStockbroker
So, my youngest is in school full time now, and so we no longer really need a full time nanny. Last year when he was at school half days, we kept her on full time and she would do some light housework/kid laundry/make kid lunches for the next day during the 3 hours he was gone. She doesn’t cook, and she’s not much of a cleaner but she loves my little guy, although I suspect she lets him watch a lotta TV.
I would describe her as on the low end of satisfactory.
This year, knowing he would be full days, she approached me and asked me if she could continue working for us, part time. She lined up a morning job (which fell through) with a neighbour, and then an overnight weekend job. I extended the hours I was orginally thinking of when she approched me, to 1-6 pm.
Kids get home at 4 so, again, she has 3 hours a day when there is no one in the house. I told her she could toggle her hours since she works elsewhere overnights Thursday through Sunday, by coming later on Fridays and Mondays and earlier during the middle of the week, when she is more rested.
She said she is already doing that.
We’ve been home unexpectedly a few days recently (sick kids or home with contractors, our basement flooded this week and our hot water tank died the week before) and she’s not been coming “early” mid week. Could possibly be making up the hours somewhere, but I kind of doubt it. My husband is fairly upset about this. He feels taken advantage of. I see his point but I’m also sort of “you feel taken advantage of by the woman we pay $13 an hour to look after our kids”?
She is quitting the overnight 24-hour coffeeshop job and getting an early shift fast food restaurant job.
There is no way she can get here for 1 pm, says she can be here at 2:30 (doubtful, I think it will be morel ike 3:15 when I figure out the commute). Part of me feel churlish for adjusting her pay, to 2:30-6 (and likely sh e won’t start until 3 at the earliest). We can afford to keep paying what we are paying her.
Also, if she can’t clean the house adequately in the 15 hours a week she has now, how is she going to do it with less hours?
And then, this morning/early afternoon, Little Guy was sick and could not go to school. My fatherinlaw covered the morning yesterday when he was also sick, but could not again today. Husband had a really important meeting at 9 and I have one at 2. So we toggled the day. He went to work for a couple of hours, then came home and I went to work. Nanny arrived at 1:30 and he went back to work.
While I was “off” this morning there was a big issue with a big client. Sigh.
I am almost feeling like we need to suck it up and pay a full time nanny again even though there are no children in my house for 7.5 hours a day.
But not her. If I am paying someone to be alone in my house for hours and hours without kids (maybe we could hire someone from 10-6 and then even if Little Guy stays home sick, we don’t miss that much work), I want the house to be clean, and I’d like dinner made. I’ve been expirementing with meal delivery and personal chefs and it is really not working out. I am vegetarian and the options are very limiting and boring.
Is this totally unreasonable?
Wildkitten
Can you find someone who will love your kid, clean your house, and make you delicious vegetarian meals? Could your current nanny learn to cook? I bet she could clean just as much in fewer hours if she was more efficient. I think outsourcing house cleaning is the easiest of the tasks you want done, if you would be happy just paying a third party to clean the house every other week or so and keeping your current nanny.
SuziStockbroker
All attempts to teach her to cook have failed. Tacos in a taco kit even (on days I am not having dinner). We have come to accept that the taco meat now comes with the red sauce actually cooked into the meat instead of people drizzling it over the tacos when they are fiiling them.
I suggested her coming 3-6, and I could outsource the cleaning. She said she could come at 2:30 and continue doing it. She wants the hours, clearly. She is saving to bring her family from overseas. So, that is also my dilemma. I feel for her. I am definitely overpaying her for what I am getting.
Language is a bit of an issue too.
I was fine with the “low end of satisfactory” and paying her 10 hours a day when Little Guy was only at school for 3 hours. But I just can’t see paying her for 8-10 when he is away from home for 7.5.
But someone who can cook, and maybe is slightly more creative with Little Guy on school holiday days etc (and that also means DH and I don’t have to cover school holidays, which we do now). Yeah, I can swallow that.
TNTT
Haha, I just want to point out that cooking red sauce in taco meat is not an insane interpretation of tacos.
Michelle Howard
You get what you pay for. Jack it up to 16 to 19 an hour with projected raises and bonuses and take the hit. You should pay as much as you can afford for the best person. Hire an American who can speak English well. Contact a nanny service that does reference checks. Tell them you need someone who can pick up/ do light cleaning and organizing of the house, is good with managing school age children, who has a clean pysch record and driving record. Preferably a mature woman who has a large amount of early childhood education in her background. Make sure she owns a reliable vehicle. If she does 10 am to 6 pm she can do shopping, errands, and drive your child to activities when he gets older. You are really looking for a traditional wife replacement so you can go after the brass ring, along with your husband. Pay upfront and look for quality and a long term relationship with someone who could become part of your family unit. More high level, stable family manager, instead of minimally competent, minimally paid worker with an obviously unstable living situation. A unstable person with a minimal skill set will be a net loss to you in the long run. Go for quality, or suffers the consequences of stress this type of employee creates.
You want A level players on your domestic team, as well as your corporate team, or you will suffer. I think you are learning that lesson now. Fire the lady and spend the time/ money to create your A level home team. And get a real house leaner for the heavy stuff. People who love kids specialize. They don’t want to scrub floors.