Archive

I want to talk about time. Specifically—your time. My guess is that the reason you need a nanny is because a large chunk of your time goes toward providing for your family. Your income is probably vital to your child’s future, his or her education, your family’s standard of living, your environment, your financial security, […]

If you’d like to keep your nanny long term, here are a few things you don’t want to ask them to do • Cook family meals every night. (cooking for children is a typical job responsibility.) Some nannies love to cook and you may pay a nanny extra for cooking dinner for your family. But […]

Pitfall #2. Neglecting to look at the job from the nanny’s point of view. To attract and keep a great nanny long term, the family needs to consider her needs as well as the family’s. Although the economy is not as strong as it used to be, good nannies are still in high demand. Parents […]

9) The Nanny Has Too Much Responsibility for the Child. In Some Cases There Is Not Enough Involvement on the Part of the Parent. Very few parents, (if any) set out to turn over the role of parent to the nanny. These situations are relatively rare, but we sometimes see them, especially when the parent(s) […]

7) Poor Relationship Boundaries Between Family and Nanny. Boundaries are a uniquely sticky topic when it comes to nannies. Most families tell me they want their nanny to be a “part of the family”. After all, the nanny will be caring for the most important person in their lives. Nannies also love the idea of […]

6) The nanny is overworked. Some families try to obtain high quality, education-minded childcare and heavy housecleaning from the same person. This is especially common in live-in positions, but it also occurs in live-out positions. I frequently need to explain to families that being a great nanny and being a great house cleaner require two […]

5) The family underpays the nanny. Nannies are typically not very good negotiators. The best nannies are in the childcare profession because they truly love children, not because they’re hoping to make a lot of money. However, they need a secure income so they can practice the profession they love. Nannies are frequently not highly […]

4) The family micro-manages the nanny. Although economics dictate that many families need to hire childcare, not every family is a good candidate for employing a nanny. Every parent initially has reservations about leaving their child in the care of someone else, and it is true that no-one, not even the best nanny, can be […]

Reason #3. One or both parents work from home or are home during the day and they do not “back up” the nanny when it comes to setting limits with the children. As the owner of Safe and Sound Nannies for almost 15 years, it’s vitally important to us that a nanny stays in her […]

Reason #2: The family frequently gives their full time nanny the “day off” without pay, OR pays her for the day but takes it out of her vacation days, OR gives the nanny erratic hours when the nanny expected consistent hours upon hire. No matter how much your nanny loves your family, she needs consistent […]