Advantages Of A Live-In Nanny
If you’re considering adding a live-in nanny to your home, you’ll find that there are some perks to having a childcare provider live with you. Though it’s not for everyone, if you’re considering a live-in nanny, here are the advantages of live-in nannies:
- Having a live-in nanny is more affordable than one that is live-out. You can negotiate a lower salary in exchange for the provision of housing arrangements for your live-in nanny.
- You have more flexibility in working out a schedule that works. Having a live-in nanny means no commute time for your childcare provider and the possibility of creating a more flexible work schedule that works for both of you.
- Your nanny can become part of the family. If your goal is to have a full-time nanny who is more like an extended family member than an employee, a live-in relationship is one way to facilitate this.
- You can get a better idea of how your child interacts with your live-in nanny. Since you and your live-in nanny will likely both be in your home during the same time, you’ll have the opportunity to gauge how well she interacts with your child – more so than if you have a childcare provider who doesn’t live in your home.
Childcare Costs For Full-Time Nannies
Full-time nannies can make an ideal solution in homes where both parents work full-time. How much you end up paying in a full-time nanny salary depends on a number of factors, such as where you live, the amount of experience your nanny has, and whether she is a live-in or live-out nanny.
A nanny who lives outside of the household may get a wage of $350 to $800 per week. Full-time nannies typically receive less in wages when they live at your home. When you look at full-time nannies who get paid an hourly wage instead, wages may vary from $5.50 an hour to $20 an hour. Some full-time nannies get paid health insurance, as they are employees. Childcare costs can also include such on the job perks as gas mileage, food allowances, bonuses, traveling with the family, health club memberships, a car and tuition assistance.
Creating A Great Working Relationship With Your Full-Time Nanny
If you’re about to hire a full-time nanny, it’s a good idea to think about ways you can maintain a positive relationship with her. There are several things you can do to make sure you and your full-time nanny are on the same page:
- Get a clear idea of what you expect of your nanny and make notes for your own use.
- Discuss the role you expect your full-time nanny to play in your child’s care. Talk about your childcare philosophy. Go over details like typical work hours, vacation days, pay, and daily duties.
- Write out a contract that outlines the points you’ve discussed with your nanny, go over it with her, and give her a copy to keep.
- Make house rules. Let your nanny know what you expect the house rules will be in your home, such as foods your child may eat, whether or not your nanny can have guests over, and whether or not she can use the house phone line for personal calls.
- Keep lines of communication open once you’ve hired her. Whether it’s a quick chitchat on a daily basis or a more formal meeting every month, it’s a good idea to address any concerns you or she may have.
Full-Time Nanny Responsibilities
If you’re new to the world of full-time nanny childcare, it can be challenging to navigate through the process of figuring out what you can expect your nanny’s job will entail. In reality, the role your full-time nanny plays in caring for your child or children will largely depend on the full-time nanny responsibilities the two of you agree upon when you hire her. And as your needs change and your child grows, that role can change over time. This list covers typical full-time nanny responsibilities you can expect most childcare providers will offer.
Your full-time nanny will be responsible for taking care of your child in your absence during agreed upon work hours. These duties include care such as feeding, bathing, changing diapers, maintaining a routine, putting your child down for naps, and ensuring the well-being and health of your child.
Some childcare providers also provide extra services which not all nannies will be able to give your child. These include driving your child to and from school or other classes, teaching your child another language, errands and taking care of household chores.
The Full-Time Nanny And Legal Matters
If you’re hiring a full-time nanny, it’s important to know some of the legal issues surrounding your hire. For starters, the U.S. government requires that you check to make sure your nanny is legal to work in the United States. She either needs to have a social security card or a green card so that she can pay the taxes required on the federal and state level.
One of the first steps you can take towards making sure you hire your full-time nanny the legal way is by getting federal and state employee numbers. You’ll need to go to the Internal Revenue Website and fill out the SS-4 form.
You’ll also need to verify whether your full-time nanny is authorized to legally work in the United States. One way of doing this is by going to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Website. The l-9 form lets you know how you can verify employment eligibility of your nanny.
Your Full-Time Nanny: Judging Job Performance
When it comes to assessing whether or not your full-time nanny is doing her job well, you can always look for signs she’s doing a good job without being there the whole time she’s watching your child. Here are some ways to judge your nanny’s job performance:
- Watch how your child reacts when he first sees her. When your full-time nanny is doing her job well, your child will look forward to spending some time with her.
- Your full-time nanny is prompt and reliable. In general, your nanny should be arriving to work on time and working the days you have agreed upon. It’s not just a sign of job performance, but could be an indicator of how much she is enjoying her job.
- Your nanny keeps you informed. One way to assess whether your nanny is doing a good job is to look at the type of feedback she gives you. Does she willingly volunteer information about how your child is doing and any difficulties she’s encountered? A diligent nanny makes an effort to keep the parent abreast of the child’s general well-being.
- Your child and home are clean and well looked after. Your child should generally be in good spirits, have clean diapers, and have clean clothing. Your household should be well ordered, showing that your nanny is picking up after your child.
