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We are considering getting a live-in nanny for the summer months to watch our young elementary school aged children.
Our main need is someone that can take the children to/from activities during the day. We could put the kids in a full time "program" for the summer, but I am also looking at doing a few different day camps with the kids then just doing a lot of other activities the other days. My concern with the program thing is that if you sign up for that, then it's hard to do "soccer camp," or "art camp" or any during the day lessons like swimming or gymnastics. Plus, then you are paying twice. The full time camps don't give back credit for days missed.
And the really good full time programs are also really expensive - the the point of having a nanny may actually be cheaper.
What we would "like" is a college girl who would come stay with us for the summer in Colorado. We would pay for all of their food, gas, incidentals, etc. They would only be required to spend their own money on personal items. So "room and board" and they'd have their own room with their own bathroom. In addition, we would pay them a weekly salary on top of that. The salary would be paid legally (FICA taxes paid/taken out etc). They would generally have nights and weekends "off" but would be welcome to join us (at our expense) on outings, day trips, etc., if they wanted.
First question: If you are a college kid that would be watching 2 kids during the day and living with a family in scenic Colorado - how much would you want/need to be paid?
Second question: Is it unreasonable to ask that they bring their own car for use? If no, what is reasonable that we cover during the summer. Insurance? Standard maintenance? or should we just lease a car for 3 months and have them use that.
Third question: Their normal job duties are to watch the kids, take them places, play with them, etc. during the week. But, there will be occasions when we will need them to do "more", including on some, but not all, weekends. If for example we go out on Saturday night. Should we ask the nanny to watch the kids and if yes, should that be paid as extra since we'd be paying someone to watch them anyway. I tend to think yes, she's not an indentured servant, she's the nanny.
Fourth question: How do people handle it when people want to "borrow" your nanny. I can already picture friends/relatives asking our nanny to help with their kids. That doesn't bother me so long as it's reciprocal and/or the nanny gets paid for the extra stuff.
Example #1: 3 kids are going to the same soccer camp. My nanny agrees to pick up our friend's children and drop them at camp. The friend then plans to pick up after camp and bring everyone home. Totally ok with that.
Example #2: Friend finds out my nanny is going, asks for my nanny to pick up, feed, drop off their child - NOT ok with that unless they are planning to pay the nanny. Same with someone saying, "hey, while your nanny is home with your kids, can I drop mine off today for a play date." If it's me at home that day, I'm 100% on board. But, I tend to think the nanny should get paid by this friend for the extra kids! Agree/disagree.
Fifth question: Dinner - what level of dinner prep is it reasonable to ask of the nanny before we start paying her extra for being our cook
ok, this is already too long, but I'm interested in any opinions folks may have. Particularly like to hear from people who have been or are considering being a nanny.
I can't help you with the first question but I occasionally had Nannies as a child and lived in an area where a lot of my friends also did so I can help you with the other ones.
2) You must provide a car for any child related driving that she will be doing. Or you must pay her for the use of her car. Often our nanny would have her own car but only used it for her weekends otherwise she used my moms car.
3) If you are going to ask her ahead of time to watch the kids on a weekend then you need to a) either set it up as part of her contract and make sure she gets additional time off during the week so she isn't working constantly or b) pay her separately for the weekend nights like you would any sitter.
4) You can't lend out your nanny. I wouldn't have her driving other kids around or in charge of supervising other kids. An occasional play date is fine if she's ok with it but I'd limit to one kid at a time and only with her ok.
5) Dinner prep doesn't usually fall into nanny responsibilities. Our nannies and my close friends' always made lunches but never dinners, I think that's pretty typical.
I'd read up on laws about live in help, tax info, etc. You will have to set clear boundaries, like as of 6pm the nanny is off. There are state laws dealing with hours they can work in a row etc.
I had a friend who was a Nanny and she hate, hate, HATED when her employer's friends and family members figured they had carte blanche to dump their kids on her because, hey, she's already watching kids anyways. I agree that's something that needs to be nipped in the bud immediately, and I would encourage your Nanny to approach you if that starts happening.
As far as salaries, I'm not sure what would be considered competitive in your area. You may have to ask around or do some internet research.
Thanks. That's the type of info I'm looking for and yes, I want to protect my nanny from folks that might unintentionally try to take advantage of them. The goal is for them to have fun this summer, help us with our children and make a little money at the same time.
The idea of setting some pretty firm "hours" has the most appeal to me. That'll certainly be in the contract.
I had a friend who was a Nanny and she hate, hate, HATED when her employer's friends and family members figured they had carte blanche to dump their kids on her because, hey, she's already watching kids anyways. I agree that's something that needs to be nipped in the bud immediately, and I would encourage your Nanny to approach you if that starts happening.
As far as salaries, I'm not sure what would be considered competitive in your area. You may have to ask around or do some internet research.
A good friend's daughter was a summer nanny (although, not a live-in nanny) and said that people expecting her to care for extra children was a big problem. Her employer had that happen in previous summers and said that they solved the problem by telling any "friend" that wanted to do that, that they could but would have to pay the nanny's full salary for that day as she was doing double the work. Since people were usually just trying to get free babysitting they would never ask again. Of course, the parents did make arrangements for occasional play dates and things like that (and not have to pay the nanny extra), but they did not have problems with neighbor just dumping off their kids all day for the nanny to watch if the neighbors needed to pay the nanny as well.
I was a nanny for several years, but I was always a live out nanny. It is very tricky being a live in nanny.
If the nanny is watching full time M-F from 8:00-6:00, that is 50 hours right there. Add in one weekend day and it's at least 55. That's a lot of hours
I would suggest you and your spouse alternate one day off a week to relieve the nanny and make it closer to 40 hours. You want a happy nanny, so you aren't left in a lurch. Then the nanny works 8-6 for four days a week plus an occasional weekend. Remember that they are young and want a life too.
They will need one day off a week at the least. The live in nannies I know usually have two days off and a completely separate living area.
Childcare and basic cleaning up after the kids is to be expected, as well as lunch.
You will want to provide a car. Most college students vehicles are not that reliable or kid friendly.
You might be able to find a local young adult to do it without the live in (and for much less). I had a nanny for a few months. I paid $15 an hour. I gave her a debit card to entertain the kids with, fill up gas from time to time and feed the kids (if they ate out, she would too on our dime).
care.com is usually full of young people looking for summer work.
Ive had many sitters, mostly college age, drive my kids in their car. Its never been a problem.
A college student may not want to be a live-in nanny. I live in a college town, and all leases in town are a year long. Having to find someone to sublease, or having to continue paying rent while living elsewhere is not a very exciting option. That doesn't mean it won't work; it is just something to keep in mind.
I definitely think you should provide the car. Most college kid cars are old hand me downs and not necessarily the safest.
How many hours a week are you expecting a nanny to work?
Depends how well you pay her as to how much dinner prep you can ask of her. $20 an hour, absolutely, but $10 an hour, no, just the kids dinner.
As for 'sharing' her, that is up to her. She needs to OK both the kids and any playdates. I know some playdates would make her life easier, but some would increase her workload.
Include a certain number of babysitting nights per month in her contract.
Thanks for the advice thus far. To add some more detail, we have a couple girls "interested". They are either relatives or friends children that live somewhere else (and with their parents - at least in the summer). So, the getting out of a lease thing isn't an issue. For someone living here already, I don't think the job I'm offering has that much appeal.
Yes, they would get their own bedroom/bathroom in the finished basement while we all live on the second floor. There is also a family room down there for relaxing, but that's where the kids play - so might not work as a "rest" spot until they go to bed. I'm certain anyone would want time to themselves and we want to provide that. As noted earlier, we want them happy.
As for total hours, I think we'd be looking at an average of around 40 a week. We mostly need "coverage" from 8:30-4:00 for normal days, maybe a little more when one of us is out of town for work. But, we manage just fine now without a nanny so I want to make sure we are really using her for entertaining the kids (and taking them places), and don't turn in to those people that have their nanny do everything for them.
I am leaning toward the flat salary with extra night or weekend duties paid out as needed. Giving them a chance to make more cash if they want.
On standard weekends we don't need much help, but we do take the kids to the pool regularly. My thought would be the nanny would have the choice to come with us or do something of their own choosing. If they choose to come along, we'd cover expenses but not pay them (again, we wouldn't really be expecting them to do much either -we watch our own kids at the pool, so any "work" would be keeping an eye on them if one of the adults has to go to the bathroom). Would you pay for those hours? I'm thinking not since they chose to come along. And frankly that'd be a good way for them to meet people their age.
Additionally, how do people handle little vacations? We like to run up to the mountains a couple times a summer and stay a few days. If we ASK her to go and she says yes, do we also pay or only pay them if we go out and they are babysitting, or swap those days for something else?
I think for someone not familiar with Colorado they would probably want to go and do some exploring on their own and we'd allow them the freedom to do that. Heck, I'd probably pay for it - like ziplining, etc.
And they wouldn't really have much to do unless we went on an adult only dinner - which I doubt we'd do on a vacation with our kids along.
Basically I'm trying to figure out what would be interesting for the nanny - but I'm not a 20 year old any longer. When I was 20 and living in a small flatland town, I would have jumped at the chance to spend the summer in Colorado and get PAID for it. But, I think most children these days have traveled much more than I did as a kid, so by the time they are in college, maybe the appeal isn't as great as I think it would be.
or maybe it's wishful thinking to believe I can have the nanny be an "employee" some of the time and part of the family other parts of the time. Like I said, really looking for a "big sister" more than a "household servant". And I have friends that treat their nanny as the latter, and that's not what I want.
Again, thanks everyone for their time.
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