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Live in Nannies Tips
Benefits of a Live-in Nanny
There are many benefits from a live in nanny. With home child care you choose the person who will be influencing you child's development. There will be continual care in the comfort of your own home and individual stimulation and education for your child. With a live in nanny you can have occasional evening or weekend coverage. It means a lot less stress in your life and more quality time for yourself and your spouse. You will also experience the added peace of mind knowing that a trustworthy individual is caring for your child.
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Nanny Tip: An Average Day for a Live In Nanny
How much housekeeping you expect your live in nanny to do is up to you. However, these duties should be clearly spelled out in the contract. If you pretty much just need your live in nanny to help get the kids off to school and meet them when they get home in the afternoon, you might want to specify certain housekeeping duties to complete during the day. After the kids are gone to school, your live in nanny could run errands, get groceries for the family, do the laundry, and prepare some healthy snacks for when the kids get home from school.
A sample daily schedule for live in nannies might look something like this:
Get the kids up and ready for school (prepare a healthy breakfast) Do some light housekeeping in the morning. Get groceries (most live in nannies have use of the family car for errands) If the kids come home for lunch, the nanny should have a light, healthy lunch ready for them. Do the laundry (clean, dry and fold) Run errands as necessary (pick up dry cleaning, etc.) Meet the kids when they come home from school. Offer the kids a snack and have them do their homework. Help as needed. Start supper cooking for when the family gets home from work.
Your live in nanny should be available to fill in the gaps when you’re not there. The above list is a typical day, but doesn’t necessarily look like this for everyone.
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Advantages of Hiring a Live In Nanny
While families are often hesitant to hire a live in nanny, there are some distinct advantages of doing so. These include the following:
A live in nanny can provide flexibility with working hours. If something unexpected occurs, a live in nanny can be there to pick up the slack.
Live in nannies can provide a nurturing relationship that is based on the day to day interaction and care-giving that the child receives from the live in nanny.
A live in nanny can help parents manage their home life more efficiently, providing support and assistance when needed.
A live in nanny can provide round the clock care when a parent has to be away from the home for a day or more.
Live in nannies will ease the exhaustion that midnight feedings can bring to new moms and dads.
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Nanny Tip: Basic Boundaries to Protect the Live In Nanny
It might seem that having a live in nanny is an open invitation to work her 24/7. However, nothing could be further from the truth. It’s true that live in nannies may find themselves working longer hours than their non live in counterparts, but live in nannies are usually compensated for the extra hours worked.
As a live in nanny, it’s important to set certain boundaries. You’ll be sharing a lot of space with the family you work for. Your privacy and the family’s privacy are extremely important. In fact, before you sign on any dotted lines to accept a live in nanny position, make sure the contract clearly outlines what the job description will be, which room in the house you’ll have, whether you’ll have access to the kitchen, and whether or not you’ll have your own private bathroom.
It’s important to remember all of those little subtle threats to your privacy and down-time that won’t necessarily show up in any contract. If anything, these little “something’s” could show up at your bedroom door. It’s important for the family to explain to their kids that just because you’ve become the live in nanny, doesn’t mean you want the kids banging on your bedroom door all hours of the night.
It takes time for a family and a live in nanny to find a good, working rhythm. However, with a little work, communication, and a signed contract, there should be very few problems.
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Tips for Hiring a Live In Nanny
Before you begin the process of hiring a live in nanny for your family, take a look at the following tips:
Create a private area that will belong only to the live in nanny, including a bedroom and bathroom. Give her plenty of room to store her things.
Once you've hired your nanny, give her a tour of the area, including any places that she will be expected to take your children, such as schools, parks, churches, museums, etc.
Give the nanny plenty of opportunity to bond with your children without you being nearby. The live in nanny and the children must establish a good relationship for this arrangement to work.
Don't expect your live in nanny to stay at your home without the use of a vehicle. If she doesn't have her own, be sure there is a vehicle that she has access to.
It's always a good idea to install a private phone line for your nanny to use with the understanding the she pays for any long distance calls.
Allow the nanny to place special food that she likes in the refrigerator and pantry. Offer to buy some of her favorites periodically.
Go over all of the household rules with the live in nanny, including visitors, vacation leave, and overtime pay.
Do not expect your nanny to work extra hours without asking her permission and giving her overtime pay.
Respect your live in nanny's private and off time.
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Nanny Tip: The Live In Nanny Job Option
When you’re looking for a live in nanny job, there’s no need to just look for jobs in your own neighborhood. Let’s say you’re a recent graduate and you need to start working to pay off student loans. Cast a big net in order to give yourself as many opportunities, and as many choices as possible.
The best way to get your name out there is to register with an online nanny placement agency, such as Nannies4hire.com. When you do, remember to keep your options open by telling us as much about yourself as possible, including whether you would accept a live in nanny job. Maybe you’d never even thought about a live in nanny job. There are distinct advantages; for example, if you have to move to another town or city are you going to make enough money to live on your own? As a live in nanny, you’ll have your own bedroom and, if you’re lucky, an entire nanny suite complete with a kitchenette and private bath. You’ll most likely have access to the family car and as a benefit of becoming a live in nanny, you may get a few benefits like travel tickets for a visit back home.
So, when you’re getting ready to prepare your resume, and possibly register with an online nanny placement agency, don’t automatically rule out live in nanny jobs. For someone just working for the first time and trying to pay off loans, a live in nanny job just might be the perfect option.
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Live In Nanny Rules
To avoid confusion for both the live in nanny and the employing family, there should be several rules that are drafted into an agreement between the two parties. When you are drafting these rules, however, it is always a good idea to sit down with the nanny and discuss each rule separately. Some sample topics on rules could include the following:
Job responsibilities-What will the nanny's job description be regarding in home childcare and any housekeeping duties?
Daily schedules-What will be the expected daily schedule of the nanny and the children?
Meal time-How will menus be planned, and who will prepare the food for the children?
Discipline-How should discipline be handled?
Television-How much television are the children allowed to watch each day?
Visitors-Will the live in nanny be allowed to have visitors?
Time off-How much time off each week will the nanny be allowed to take?
Other children-Will the live in nanny be expected to supervise other children who come to visit?
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In Home Childcare
In home childcare refers to the practice of hiring a live in nanny or live in babysitter to supervise and care for a child or children while the parents are away from the home, either at work or attending to other responsibilities. While an in home childcare giver may also be expected to do light housekeeping duties, her primary duty as a live in nanny is to care for the children, much like a parent. Live in nannies are responsible for enriching a child's home life by providing a loving and nurturing environment. In home childcare providers are typically given a room or set of rooms to ensure their own privacy. They are also given a set of guidelines and expectations that have been drawn up by the family with or without the help of an agency.
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How To Keep a Good Live In Nanny
Live in nannies typically don't jump from one to another...unless they are unhappy in their current situation. In home childcare is a wonderful solution for providing children with a loving and nurturing environment. However, all parties involved must work hard at maintaining a good relationship. How can you keep a good live in nanny? Read the following tips:
Respect her privacy. Provide your nanny with plenty of time to explore her own interests. Give her space within your home that she can call her own.
Talk to her about any problems.Don't automatically assume your live in nanny knows exactly what you are thinking or what you want.
Pay her well. Live in nannies are in home childcare givers. This means they are the next most important person in a child's life after the parents. Show how important your live in nanny is to your household by paying her a fair wage.
Give her support. There will be times when the live in nanny and your children may not agree. Be ready to give her your support unless you have some reason doubt her actions.
Be flexible-While the live in nanny may be able and willing to pitch in during spur of the moment emergencies, don't take advantage or her services, and be flexible when she needs to rearrange her time occasionaly.
Give bonuses-Show how much you appreciate your live in nanny by giving her occasional bonuses. While she may especially appreicate money, she'll also enjoy movie tickets, a trip to the local spa, and gift certificates.
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Details on Contracts for Nannies
A live in nanny contract should address the following: work schedule, compensation, salary, holiday/vacation and sick day arrangements. Home child care duties should be very specific. Keep housekeeping chores realistic as well. A live in sitter should also have a written agreement regarding the living arrangements, curfew (touchy subject), phone bills, overnight guests, and privacy expectations (of both parties).
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Nanny Positions on the Internet
An Internet live-in nanny application process generally goes like this: You fill out an online job application with a photo upload. You then download an employment and reference application. You have the opportunity to review families online and contact them personally if you are interested. At that point, you can make arrangements to meet. The family might do a nanny background check on you, but this is part of the process. Once a decision has been made you will meet the family that you will be providing home child care for and sign a contract.
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Day Nanny vs. Live-in Nanny
When deciding on in home child care you must think about what works for your situation and whether a live in nanny or a day nanny is best. Ask yourself a few questions. Are you interested in a child care arrangement that will allow you to work unexpected overtime? Do you need child care so that you and your partner can spend time together in the evening? If considering live in help, can you provide a room of her own? Before making choices, dig deep and get all the necessary nanny information.
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Day Care vs. Home Child Care
Both home child care and day care centers have good qualities. Choosing depends upon your specific priorities. Start by thinking about the financial and logistical requirements for your family. Also consider the needs of your child. Do you have a 9 to 5 job? What about daily commute to and from a day care center? Does your employer offer options for staying home with a sick child? A live in nanny allows for more freedom of personal time, while a day care center offers more social interaction and sometimes more developmental education for your child. Make sure you get all the necessary information regarding the choices before you make your decision.
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Legal Requirements for Hiring a Live In Nanny
Before you begin the process of hiring a live in nanny, you need to understand all of the legal requirements surrounding her employment. These include the following:
Work eligibility-You will need to verify her work eligibility by calling the U.S. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services. Make a copy of her work permit and any other papers to keep on hand.
Employer identification number-You will need to obtain state and federal employer identification numbers before you can hire a live in nanny.
Contact state employment agency-It is your responsibility as an employer to contact the state employment agency to notify them of a new employee.
Payroll-You must pay payroll taxes on your live in nanny. This means that you must establish a system for paying state and/or federal income taxes, Social Security tax, and Medicare for a live in nanny.
Keep organized records-You'll need to create a file that holds all of the records pertaining to the employment of a live in nanny, including employee ID numbers, the live in nanny's Social Security number, copies of her work permit if applicable, pay schedule, nanny/family agreement or contract, any applicable tax forms, dates of employment, and any other relevant material.
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Qualifications of a Live In Nanny
According to many nanny agencies, a live in nanny's salary is partially based on the age and the experience of that particular live in nanny. Most nanny agencies have specific age requirements for their nannies. Families who do not use a nanny agency to find a live in nanny, however, may choose to hire a nanny who is younger than twenty-one. Age, however, is just a number. There are certainly more important criteria to consider when searching for a live in nanny.
How well does the nanny interact with children?
What are the live in nanny's philosophies on discipline?
How much experience has she had?
What are her education credentials?
What medical training has she had?
How do you personally feel about the live in nanny?
These are the questions that a parent should be most concerned with. Once you are satisfied that your live in nanny is the right one for your family, age will not be an issue.
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Proper Dress for a Nanny Interview
Remember an interview for a live-in nanny should be treated with the same professionalism as an office job position. You should be dressed just as neatly as you would be for a day on the job. Panty hose and heels however are not required for a live-in sitter position, but a conservative top and slacks are appropriate. Since you will be doing home child care, wear something you would not be upset about if a baby burped on it or you can stay modestly covered if you get on the floor to play with toys during the interview with the family.
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Summer Nannies
Many families with elementary school aged children hire a summer live in nanny. The summer nanny job tends to be a cross between a day camp director, summer tutor, and big sister/brother. A summer home child care giver is generally responsible for organizing the children's activities, including pool, bike riding, crafts, library and more. The summer nanny often finds herself acting as a live in sitter in the evening as well so parents can spend time together.
