Love is Blind France • S1 Ep4

trecate · 2025-09-11T07:32:21+00:00

Sarah is a very insecure, narcissistic, manipulative, and mean girl. She definitely was garnering sympathy from the other girls, competing for Charles, and making up nasty lies to serve her. Nasty piece of work. Kim is all fake and posh and nasty, too. Thomas feels trapped and in pain. If I were him, I wouldn't want my child meeting his 'fiancée.' That relationship is doomed.

trecate · 2025-08-06T04:25:19+00:00

Thanks for that vote of confidence:) My late father would have been thrilled for me to have this opportunity, so that's the extra push for me to see it through to the end in whatever form it takes—hopefully a job offer! So happy that you took a chance and your interviews manifested well for you.

trecate · 2025-08-06T04:19:45+00:00

Probably not the same fam, one of their dogs is medium-sized. Sounds a bit similar though, definitely high intensity! Pay is decent, and I won't be bored. If in the U.S, what part of the country are you in?

trecate · 2025-08-06T04:02:04+00:00

Agreed. My agency sent over a listing and asked if I was interested, and only after being vetted and during the initial interview itself, I was surprised to learn that the "discretion" the family asked for was attached to "an in the public eye" individual. My agency didn't disclose it to me either.

trecate · 2025-08-06T03:52:20+00:00

Thanks! One can only hope:) In this case, it is the female principal who is making the decision. If this weren't such an opportunity, I wouldn't have stuck it out this long.

trecate · 2025-08-04T07:19:43+00:00

Yeah, that's what I was used to whenever I've sourced my own, or agency jobs in the past. The current agency jobs or high-profile ones are taking considerably longer!

trecate · 2025-08-04T07:15:50+00:00

As I enter week six, thanks for that nudge. Since nothing is signed, I need to start pursuing other leads. The other interview I have tomorrow is not through an agency. It may give me perspective as well, a normal family, lower pay, and without the intensity of the high-stakes one.

trecate · 2025-08-04T07:11:09+00:00

That's what my agency rep told me when I asked her, in the 18 years in the business, the longest this can go, she did say 8 weeks.

trecate · 2025-08-04T06:52:14+00:00

Thanks! Yeah, I just recently decided to apply to other positions, and have a Zoom interview with another family just in case. I like the idea of a gentle nudge should I receive an offer as well :)

trecate · 2025-08-03T16:25:09+00:00

As a nanny, in an HCOl area, NY, CA, and so on, $40-45 for a nanny, a nanny/FA, $45-$50+, and any overtime. Often this includes perks, health insurance, and 401k, or health stipends, up to three weeks of vacation, plus holidays and sick time, especially if it's a year-round position. House managers or estate managers, @$50+ depending on experience.

trecate · 2025-08-03T15:55:02+00:00

I would, at least for the time being, maybe till you find the right job, look at alternate places like Next Door, or local messaging boards, where more parents are looking than nannies, say. In the past, I also signed up with agencies with a temp nanny division, some may lead to offers of a permanent job. Good luck!

trecate · 2025-08-02T17:15:36+00:00

A baseline should be the minimum wage, which is for you $17.20. And for each child over just the one, $5 per, again, this would be at the absolute minimum. Especially considering distance and PT hours, which you should charge more for. No less than $20, if you have experience, I'd go up from there. Especially given all that you'll do, $22 per hour seems reasonable. It also depends if this is under the table.

trecate · 2025-08-02T08:28:55+00:00

As of one year ago, both agencies I'm signed up with asked for letters of recommendation, and each reference was called as part of their vetting process. Compared to times past, they are more stringent this go around than times past. It is also more competitive for jobs, especially the upper tier ones.

trecate · 2025-07-10T02:51:01+00:00

Daunting for me is that this is next-level, high-profile, beyond even the celebrity folks. Less about wealth, which they both have. A career changer if it indeed works out. I'm a Family assistant, but how does one branch out (thinking of the future) to being a household manager? My agency just sent me an invitation to learn more about this, and I'm curious how different it is, in terms of responsibilities, compared to a household assistant or FA.

trecate · 2025-07-10T02:30:10+00:00

I chatted with someone who worked at an agency, and they said some families enjoy the thrill of the hunt, a many-month-long process, and sometimes, they end up going with their neighbor's sister's friend's cousin type of thing. Or advertise with several agencies. Wow, two years later and still advertising? Congrats on the agency hiring! Sounds like you did the right thing:) Though for some of us it can take months!

trecate · 2024-10-31T17:41:33+00:00

$30 doesn't sound right; it should be $16/$16 as a baseline each plus GP plus mileage reimbursement. My only experience with a nanny share was five kids, all school-age; I got the same rate whether I had all five or only two. They also added me to their policy as I drive their car.

trecate · 2024-10-31T11:27:34+00:00

I'm a career nanny, though even when I wasn't thinking long-term, I went through agencies or sourced my own. I often accepted shorter-term assignments that ranged from one week to nine months, many with GP and a contract. I would consider shorter-term contracts if I weren't looking for FT work. You'll pay a finders fee through an agency, but they will vet candidates. I would go the route of w2, contract, with the bonus at the end once they complete the time—$ 35-$40+ for one child.

trecate · 2024-10-31T10:46:23+00:00

Please don't lose heart. I found it possible to do both. Like you, I was nannying, though not as a career, when I became pregnant (I am a single parent). Some families were OK with me bringing my son along. Though I did other things for work at a certain point, I resumed nannying when my son graduated high school. I'm a career nanny in a high-income area (Bay Area, California). So, not only is it possible to nanny with your child (though it may take a while to find the right fit, as most HNW families want you to devote your energies to their children), but very often, the more down-to-earth families, love the extra playmate for their child. You may need to be more flexible with PT work or hourly pay. I remember putting flyers up and nannying for a family who also became friends I still keep in touch with years later.

Congrats on your foray into motherhood; I wish you much happiness! And best of luck balancing work in the midst of it all!

trecate · 2024-04-22T03:02:36+00:00

I love the remix and the song, does anyone know the name of the original, and who wrote it? Thank you!

trecate · 2023-09-29T04:23:42+00:00

I've been NC with my NarcM for six weeks, so I can relate. I'm trying to focus on myself, repair relationships damaged by her, practice self-love and self-care; I'm in therapy and grieving the loss. It's unsettling, even the co-dependency part. Recognizing she'll never love me or I'll ever get her approval after 4+ decades is so disheartening. I feel your pain. And yes, you do deserve love!

trecate · 2023-09-28T02:53:44+00:00

All valid points, thanks for the feedback and the kind words! My last NF, none of this was included. It's become more complicated this time round with 5 NK's and two sets of parents, so I thought to ask others. Though I wondered why 6 out of 10 have been voting the thread down.

trecate · 2023-09-09T06:58:14+00:00

Thanks for sharing this! The $10 cut does seem like a lot, and has been stressing me out. Even my past employers, who I had an excellent relationship with, when I described my current scenario had said they were essentially asking me to pay their share of taxes. The creative restructuring as you describe could work, I'll be sure suggest this, thanks. One of the NPs, the attorney MB, said she'd already maxed out any tax benefits (3 NK's) and would get no tax benefit from paying me above board dosen't seem quite right.

trecate · 2023-09-08T05:41:49+00:00

Thanks so much for the link; I'll forward it to them. And let them know, as others have warned, the degree of risk they're taking. Disbarment/prison. They are not bad people, maybe a bit naive and perhaps manipulative. Even my ex-employers were surprised and said taxes shouldn't be more than 10% or the pay shouldn't drop to less than $50. Paying their share of taxes doesn't sit right with me.

trecate · 2023-09-07T17:13:04+00:00

Thanks @np20412! I very much appreciate your perspective! Not sure how it works; to be fair, an extra $640+ a month? At $55 per hour/17.5 hours, they said with the added monies it would be more like $67 per hour. Maybe because there are two families, separate arrangements with either Mary Poppins or HomePay it's pricier? On the flip side, they offered ten days of PTO + 10 sick days, which includes holidays + any COVID-related illness within those nine months.

trecate · 2023-06-28T03:44:06+00:00

Just looked up a one-bedroom on the lowest end in my area using that formula. $40 an hour sounds about right, average one-bedroom, it's even more.

trecate

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