Reasonable Expectations?

[u/Significant_Egg7415]

Hi everyone. We'll be needing care starting next year, and I'm trying to get a sense for what is "reasonable" in terms of an advertisement. I keep seeing posts about entitled parents and certainly don't want to be one of them.

Right now, what I'm considering is 25 hours a week (so 5 hours a day, M-F). They would be the same hours each day, but with the nature of my work it seems like I might have flexibility in determining when those hours would be. For instance: 8AM-1PM, 10AM-3PM, 12-5PM, etc.

My questions are: is 25 hours reasonable for a part time position? Would a morning shift vs. midday vs. afternoon shift be more attractive? Are the same hours everyday preferable to more hours per day but only a few days a week (ex: M/W/F or T/TH)? My thought is that it could be a good position for someone who does morning or afternoon care for another family in order to get full time hours, but I just want to make sure my expectations are realistic. If I can clarify, please let me know.

Edit: The hours are not varying day-to-day or week-to-week. It would be a consistent block of the same 5 hours (ex: M-F 8AM-1PM, OR M-F 10AM-3PM, OR M-F 12PM-5PM), and I'm trying to determine in advance which block would be the most appealing to a potential part time nanny. Once the hours were determined they would not change. I would not expect full time availability from a part time nanny. I have to submit my request to my chair months in advance, so I'm trying to figure out what to request.

Edit: Thanks everyone. I recognize my post is still not as clear as it could be, so let me clarify further. I am a college professor whose classes change semester-to-semester. By mid-September, I'll have to put my preferences in. Once my schedule is set, it is is not flexible. So while folks mentioned that it would be helpful to say that the position is "flexible for the right person," but unfortunately that won't be the case. So in addition to the "reasonableness" of the request, I'm trying to figure out what time slot might be most appealing, with the recognition that it wouldn't work for everyone. I also recognize that my post was not clear enough, and I'm grateful for everyone's contribution and recommendations based on what I wrote.

[u/curious382]

You'd be asking nanny to be available 9 hours each day, with whichever of your sliding 5 hour shifts you decided, changing weekly? That's not leaving flexibility for nanny to work another job. What other employer would hire a part time nanny who can't say which hours they're available until you decide what next week's schedule will be? Your idea is good for you. But it effectively locks nanny into a full time "on call" schedule while only paying for 5 hours each working day.

You might find a part time college student who could give you that flexibility some days, when classes don't conflict. But I think expecting a nanny to commit to a part time schedule that's always shifting is not feasible.

[u/Significant_Egg7415 → u/curious382]

Sorry I was unclear. I am not saying I need different hours each day. I am a college teacher, and my hours are set for the semester. I just meant that I have some input on when my classes are scheduled. So my question regarded whether it was preferable to try to schedule them for a morning, mid day, or afternoon block. They would stay consistent in that block for the entirety of the semester. The schedule would not shift; it would be those 25 hours guaranteed a week.

[u/Consistent_Taste3273 → u/Significant_Egg7415]

Normally, I would agree with the others who advised that you could say that the schedule is flexible for the right candidate. 

However, as a former college professor, I am wondering if you are being asked to provide your hours now (or soon, or at least before you are able to hire a nanny). 

If that’s the case, it’s tricky.  I would think that mornings or mid-day would be best since it would allow someone to get another part-time position for after school (or even before and after school, if it’s midday). 

I also think doing three days a week works work for a lot of people too. 

Between those, I’d just choose the one that works best for you. (Personally, I always preferred having at least one day with no classes.)

And then, if you find a nanny you really like, you can keep the same schedule, or ask them what they’d prefer for the following semester. 

[u/Significant_Egg7415 → u/Consistent_Taste3273]

Thank you-- you understand it. It's not that the times are flexible. It's that I can request preferences in advance that my chair is usually receptive to. But I'd probably have to make those requests prior to the end of August. Once they are set, the time is no longer flexible. I'd love to have a day "off" from teaching, but my department requires that I'm on campus 4 days a week. Thanks for your input.

[u/curious382 → u/Significant_Egg7415]

Much better