Would you hire someone to do errands/cooking - - my growing fleet of paid helpers

[sste]

My husband's work schedule is awful (as in 70 hours per week awful) and I am finding myself increasingly without adequate help and support at home - - a huge problem given that I work full-time too. I am now thinking about hiring a more consistent nanny rather than my current situation of rotating babysitters. AND I am considering hiring someone to do errands, cook, and grocery shop. I am sick of feeling like a stressed-out drudge.

Here is our current and proposed freaking household staff!!
1. Our longtime weekly housekeeper: very reasonably priced at $50 per week, primarily does floors and heavier cleaning.
2. Our dogwalker: $60 for five walks. We live in a third floor walk up so we have been reluctant to ask our babysitters/nanny to deal with this as they would need to get dog and baby up and down.
3. New nanny hire: The person we want can work Monday thru Thursday for nine hours per day. We would ask her to do some laundry, straighten up, etc but with the third floor situation I am not sure how many errands she can do. $12 per hour.
4. Errand person: our current babysitter who we have told we need to replace with a more full-time nanny and who was completely supportive of that has Fridays free. I was thinking of asking her if she would be interested in 6-8 hours of errands, cooking, maybe an hour or two of childcare on Fridays if I go to the gym. My plan is for me to spend Fridays mostly with my DS doing FUN STUFF. We currently pay this babysitter $10 an hour (we live in a large city) - - is this reasonable pay if her job changes from sitting to primarily errands? Should we pay her more?

I realize this sounds crazy and spoiled but I feel like I am missing my son's entire babyhood doing laundry and fighting with my husband about the lack of household support. We can afford this - - though it does seem over the top to me. Can you let me know whether this is unheard of crazy, if you see any room to combine duties into one person, and what you would ask the errand/cooking/catchall person to do/how much you would pay that person?

[miki]

You would prefer to spend time with your child doing fun, enriching activities rather than chores and you can afford to pay someone you trust to be your helper. Nothing crazy about that. I hope the new arrangement works out and lowers your stress level.

[dcmom2b3]

When the baby is older and able to navigate the stairs him/herself, you might give the dog walking duties to the nanny (if she'll agree). You might consider upping the errand-runner's wage a bit, or including some sort of transportation allowance or reimbursement.

And btw, this isn't crazy unheard of, spoiled or anything of the sort. I had household help when I was single and childless, and will have it again when I go back to work. You gotta do what you gotta do to stay sane and enjoy life.

[sste]

Thanks everyone. Errand runner would use my car so I would pay for gas. Is $12 an hour reasonable for errands/cooking/etc? Or would you pay more?

[mecawa]

My husband's work schedule is awful (as in 70 hours per week awful) and I am finding myself increasingly without adequate help and support at home - - a huge problem given that I work full-time too. I am now thinking about hiring a more consistent nanny rather than my current situation of rotating babysitters. AND I am considering hiring someone to do errands, cook, and grocery shop. I am sick of feeling like a stressed-out drudge.

Here is our current and proposed freaking household staff!!
1. Our longtime weekly housekeeper: very reasonably priced at $50 per week, primarily does floors and heavier cleaning.
2. Our dogwalker: $60 for five walks. We live in a third floor walk up so we have been reluctant to ask our babysitters/nanny to deal with this as they would need to get dog and baby up and down.
3. New nanny hire: The person we want can work Monday thru Thursday for nine hours per day. We would ask her to do some laundry, straighten up, etc but with the third floor situation I am not sure how many errands she can do. $12 per hour.
4. Errand person: our current babysitter who we have told we need to replace with a more full-time nanny and who was completely supportive of that has Fridays free. I was thinking of asking her if she would be interested in 6-8 hours of errands, cooking, maybe an hour or two of childcare on Fridays if I go to the gym. My plan is for me to spend Fridays mostly with my DS doing FUN STUFF. We currently pay this babysitter $10 an hour (we live in a large city) - - is this reasonable pay if her job changes from sitting to primarily errands? Should we pay her more?

I realize this sounds crazy and spoiled but I feel like I am missing my son's entire babyhood doing laundry and fighting with my husband about the lack of household support. We can afford this - - though it does seem over the top to me. Can you let me know whether this is unheard of crazy, if you see any room to combine duties into one person, and what you would ask the errand/cooking/catchall person to do/how much you would pay that person?

If I was still working full time we would be doing the same thing. My DH has those same type of crazy long hours that yours does and I would definitely need the same kind of help that you are talking about. I am not sure what I would pay that person because when DD was born I quit work so I don't have experience on what the going rate is for these type of things. However, if she is doing errands that require her driving I would definitely pay her more to make up for gas/travel expenses. I don't think what you are thinking of doing is crazy at all. I would be doing the same thing.

[mecawa]

Thanks everyone. Errand runner would use my car so I would pay for gas. Is $12 an hour reasonable for errands/cooking/etc? Or would you pay more?

I think $12 sounds good. I was thinking between 12-15 when I read your original post but as I mentioned in my previous post I am not really familiar with what the going rate on this kind of stuff is these days.

[ThreeofUs]

I think you need it when both of you WOH FT; don't feel extravagant. Depending on where you live, $12 is about right. I'd pay a lot less here, but the standard of living here is much less.

GL! Sounds like you'll be keeping yourself and your family sane.

[zephyr]

Yes, I would hire all those helpers that you just listed. I am jealous since we can't afford any of that but it sounds awesome!!! Also the prices you listed sound about right for a big city.

[citymama]

You would prefer to spend time with your child doing fun, enriching activities rather than chores and you can afford to pay someone you trust to be your helper. Nothing crazy about that. I hope the new arrangement works out and lowers your stress level.

ITA! If you can afford it, do it. You are paying your dues in so many other ways and time spent with your kid is irreplaceable. I work FT as well and wish DH and I would pay for help more often - we are way too frugal...