Your Vacation Is NOT Your Nanny’s

It’s become that time of year again, here in the Raleigh and Durham area, when the weather is warm, children are getting more time off from school, and many North Carolina families are gearing up for their summer vacations.  For many families in the Cary, Chapel Hill, and Apex areas, having the nanny come along on vacation can be a great help to parents and facilitate a more relaxing and enjoyable trip.  We all know the pains of travelling and how difficult it can be with large families, so having an extra set of hands, eyes, and ears can make all of the difference!  Not to mention, mom and dad are able to have more alone time while the kids are able to enjoy themselves and spend quality time with someone they often see as much as their parents.  It sounds like a win-win situation for everyone, but don’t forget- your vacation is NOT your nanny’s!  While she may enjoy herself and get some downtime during the trip, please remember that your nanny is there to provide a service.  Often times during these situations, certain expenses can be overlooked as well as extra hours and time put in by your Nanny.  By following some simple measures, our Raleigh, Durham, Cary and Chapel Hill area families can sure that their nanny is just as happy as they are about having them coming along on their vacation.

            Remember that any time your nanny is spending time with your children, she is on the clock!  The law states that any live-out nanny who works over 40 hours in a 7 day work week is entitled to overtime at 1.5% of their normal rate.  Nannies should also be compensated for all other children they are caring for on the trip, such as cousins or friends of the family.  Any other travel expenses, such as airline tickets and daily meals, should also be paid for by the family.  It is up to the nanny to pay for any extra expenses that she occurs during her free time, but she has to eat three times a day and she wouldn’t have incurred that pricey airline ticket if she weren’t coming along on your vacation.

            It is also important to keep in mind that your nanny needs privacy during the trip.  Space may be limited and children often sleep on pull out sofas, but this is not an acceptable place for your nanny.  By providing her with a private room or separate area, she will have a place to relax and refresh on her own time, away from the family, and this will better prepare her to be ready for a long week full of fun, yet tiring, activities.

            Most importantly, sit down and talk to your nanny ahead of time.  By laying out expectations before you all take off, both you and your nanny will know what to look forward to on the trip.  If plans and expenses are set in stone beforehand, everyone will be on the same page and much more likely to enjoy themselves.  Taking your nanny on vacation with you can be a great experience for everyone involved, as long as families remember that the vacation is theirs, not their nanny’s!

 

The Nanny Boutique is a nanny and babysitting agency that specializes in placing caregivers or babysitters and nannies in the Apex, Raleigh, Durham, Cary, and Chapel Hill areas.

 

 

This entry was posted on Friday, May 31st, 2013 at 3:43 pm and is filed under Raleigh Nanny & Babysitting Blog, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.