Nanny shares examples of text messages from parents regarding their salary: “I was left speechless”

Conversations about money can be very difficult to have. But they can also be necessary – and learning to talk effectively about money is an important life skill, as one nanny demonstrates in a viral video where she shares examples of some of the conversations she’s had about pay with her former customers.

Sophia Pagliuca is a professional nanny who uses her social media platform on TikTok to share “mock” text messages showing she has grown in her six-year career. In the first post, she shows how she reacted to a family when she was just starting out and realized that her salary was smaller than it should have been.

“I’m SO sorry and I might be totally wrong, so let me know if I’m wrong, but I don’t think you paid me for all my hours. This is totally fine and I could be completely wrong!! Sorry!!!” reads the text.

In the on-screen captions, Pagliuca writes: “This is how I texted in the PAST when I was new to the industry and thought people would be mad at me!! For example, why would people be angry with me if I asked for MY money? I promise it’s not that deep.

She then goes on to explain how she’s gotten used to having these kinds of conversations and advocating for herself, because she deserves to be paid for all the time she works – and how, usually, clients want to rectify the situation. error as quickly as possible.

However, customers don’t always respond appropriately. In a later slide, she shares a simulated response from a different type of customer.

“Oh. Usually our other sitter gives us a discount if we use her for 12 hours because we give you that many hours. (You) don’t give discounts?? they wrote.

In his response, Pagliuca replied: “I understand that but no, I don’t do discounts! My full rate comes into effect from the agreed period we discussed.

She also apologized for any misunderstanding, but explained in the caption that it wasn’t necessary. However, it was this particular family’s next reaction that made Pagliuca’s “jaw drop.”

“Okay, I’ll give my husband Venmo the $60…I don’t want to go back and forth for only $60! It doesn’t matter,” the following text reads. “I was just wondering: have you seen the laundry baskets full and clean? If you expected full pay, is there any reason you didn’t put in your full effort during the day? You had an hour break to take a nap…”

Pagliuca remained professional and explained that when it’s her first time working for a family, she’s often not comfortable doing laundry – and she didn’t even know the laundry in the basket was clean. Plus, in addition to spending a 12-hour day with three kids, only one of them was taking a nap, and during that time, she was playing outside with the other two. Classifying this as a “breakup” isn’t entirely accurate.

As for the response to her video, Pagliuca tells PEOPLE that she received some pushback because “there are people upset that I’m advocating that nannies get a decent wage because that means they can no longer pay.” get out by paying their nanny’s minimum wage… or even below.

“It really puzzles me why anyone would want to pay their child’s caregiver $2 an hour,” she said.

At the end of the day, Pagliuca received the $60 he was owed and also demonstrated how to set a solid limit. And anyway, after six years of caring for little ones, Pagliuca says her favorite part of her job is “the kids!” »