I'm a nanny for two families. Family 1 I've been with for over six years and I have been through a lot with them including their first son diagnosed with a form of autism. I worked with both, occupational and speech, therapists a few times a week with their son and continued to work with him after we lost the therapists and he was put into special ed once he started school. While all this was going on the family had another baby who ended up needing part of his skull removed. A few months after the baby's surgery we were informed that the new big brother could start 2nd grade in a "normal" classroom, he was no longer labeled as autistic in any way. The news was incredible and his parents told the school I was the one who worked with their son fives times a week. I'd never been more flattered and proud in my life. I'll never forget that. And let me be to clear to state that I'm not claiming I cured him or anything he was labeled with, I learned a lot from his therapists and just continued all the exercises. He's the smartest and most creative little person I know and I give him credit to everything, but all that matters is that both boys are completely healthy. But because of the heath issues surrounding the kids, the mother's job wasn't sympathetic and they could no longer afford to keep me full time. I didn't want to leave them and they didn't want me to leave. They set me up with neighbors of theirs who shared me so I could still work full time, even if I only watched family 1 once or twice a week. However, I ended up being offered double of what I was making by another family (family 2) and it just made sense. I stopped watching the neighbors and kept watching family 1 part time while starting to watch family 2. The money I was promised ended up being cut in half in a matter of three months. I've been with family 2 for almost three years now and since they just had a baby, I just got my first raise...an extra five bucks a day. Isn't that sweet of them? Five fucking dollars! My teenage brother makes more money than me. Luckily, family 1 offered me more days...meaning more money. Of course I accepted! Things were looking up. My boyfriend and I have been talking about going on a few (much needed) trips this summer and buying a house. Everything was perfect timing.
I told family 2 about the news. They've always been supportive about me still working for family 1 and loved that their daughter was able to get some kid-on-kid interaction when I would bring her over with me. But once I told them that family 1 needed help twice a week the shit hit the fan. All of a sudden I was told that I can't watch family 1. WTF? Family 1 said they would do
anything to keep me (the father already works three jobs and it's been explained that one of those jobs pays to keep me around). So family 2 told me that they didn't want the baby being driven across the city that much, which I completely understand (as does family 1). Family 1 told me that they would drop their one son off and pick him up so I wouldn't have to do any driving and that they would find other arraignments to get their other kid on and off the bus. Problem solved...or so I thought. Family 2 signed their daughter up for preschool, dance classes and soccer all in the same week to make my life a living hell, I'm sure. Family 1 moved their schedules around and are now going to be working weekends in order to compromise with family 2. But then family 2 told me that having another kid in the house would be too stressful and germy. Guess it's ok though when their nieces are dropped off unexpectedly...oh and I've never been paid to watch the nieces. And I guess we don't bring any germs home with us after we go to the library, museum and various play centers and playgrounds, right?
Family 2 asked me to give them a number that I would need in order to stop watching family 1. After taking what I make now (which boils down to about $4/hour) and adding what I'd be losing from no longer working for family 1, plus the cost of an infant I gave them a number. Since the dad of family 2 has been out of work since the summer I made the number as fair as possible to both parties involved, but it was still a low number...not even double of what I make. Today I was given a typed document from family 2. They offered me $20 less a week than I asked for...pre tax. I don't know much about taxes but it sounds like I'm going to be bringing home a lot less money at the end of the week than I thought I was originally. In fact, they want to pay me what the cost for one child would cost...not two (one of which being only three-weeks-old). Family 1 refuses to lose me and because of that I had to work a twelve hour shift today. I love family 1 and their two boys. LOVE. And I love family 2's kids too, but they have a kid who kicks, hits, pinches, scratches, bites, screams, spits and will fart and burp in my face whenever she gets the chance with absolutely no discipline. If I put her on time out or raise my voice either I'm scolded by the mother or the mother rushes to her daughter's side and tells her that everything is alright. The boys from family 1 always ask me why shes so bad...even other kids notice something isn't right. By the way, I haven't mentioned that family 2 expects a nanny to also be a maid, cleaning lady and handy man? In their defense, one did just have a c-section and the other has been recovering from back surgery but both are completely mobile to do some of my laundry list, which oddly enough starts doing the laundry, dishes, vacuuming, shoveling, taking the garbage and recyclables out (and in), picking up everything left behind from their three-year-old daughter from when I left around 5pm the day before, changing outlet plates throughout the house, installing a curtain rod with the help from a drill (I have no health insurance), using a buzz saw and installing molding along their, now, finished basement which was flooded over the weekend. So much for my hard work...but serves them right!
So I'm stuck right in the middle of a situation with a solution that seems obvious yet...not. I wish I had money saved somewhere. Is 30 too old to finally open a savings account? I figured that two years will give me enough money to save up that $200 needed.
What would you do?
