“My bosses told me, ‘You’re a part or our family. If we get paid, you get paid. We will implement half days as long as schools are closed and you will get your full paycheck as scheduled.’”
“Even though I have guaranteed hours and my nanny family is still receiving their normal pay from their jobs, they are making me take 2 weeks unpaid because of COVID-19…
Read MoreParents who employ nannies, if I may take a few minutes of your time, I have something I need to address. As I’m sure you’re aware, nannying is very different from other professions. Your nanny works in your home. Your nanny spends their days caring for your precious children. You depend on them to be there in your absence; your children love and need them. We know how personal it feels to you, because it feels personal to us too.
Read MoreA parent who works from home can be one of the biggest deal breakers for a nanny. If you ask nannies why, they will tell you that having a parent in the home generally makes a nanny’s job harder. For a nanny, the home they work in is their “office” and oftentimes parents forget this.
Read MoreBeing a nanny means that I have time to sit down and write while eating pumpernickel bagels leftover from the third birthday party that happened last Sunday. It means I come to work to find that my “nanny family” bought me another gallon of orange juice even though they don’t drink orange juice because they noticed that I drank the other entire gallon, also leftover from the third birthday party that happened last Sunday.
Read MoreOh hey you! Yes, you with your judgmental views and assumptions about what I do for a living and whether or not being a nanny qualifies as a "real" job. I'm just curious what you think I do all day at my pretend job? And what do you think I do with all that pretend money I make? I must use it to pay my pretend bills...
Read MoreI want to start this article with a question for parents: Would you ever ask your house cleaner to change your child's diaper, or take your child to the park, or prepare and feed your child lunch, or pick your child up from school, or assist your child with homework, or take your child to the doctor, or research and plan a developmentally appropriate sensory activity, or set up and host a play date, or sleep train your baby? I bet your answer is a resounding "No". Why then, do parents often ask and expect nannies to take on house cleaner roles? I truly don't get it. If you wouldn't do the reverse and have your weekly cleaning person take care of your child, why then is it okay to expect your nanny clean your home? A nanny and a house cleaner are two VERY different jobs and generally speaking, most nannies don't decide to become a nanny so they can clean houses -- they decide to be a nanny because they love children and are passionate about investing in them.
Read MoreTake a moment to imagine the following scenario: You work at a job that requires you to use your personal vehicle for business related drives. You have to drive all around town running various errands, picking people up/dropping them off, driving people to and from activities, etc. Unfortunately, your employer does not reimburse your mileage. That's right -- your job requires you to use your personal vehicle for work, but it's an expense you have to incur on your own -- you have to cover all the gas and the added wear and tear on your vehicle (i.e., more frequent oil changes, needing new tires, depreciation of your vehicle, etc.). When you deduct all of the money you're spending in gas/wear and tear for your job, your take home pay is significantly less.
Read MoreEmploying a live-in nanny can oftentimes be a little confusing. Many parents think that because a live-in nanny is receiving "free" room and board, they can pay their nanny less by deducting room and board from their nanny's monthly income, or pay them a lower hourly rate, or simply have their nanny work in exchange for room and board. A nanny who doesn't have to pay any rent, electricity, water, internet, cable, food, etc. surely should make less money per hour! While I understand how at first glance this seems like a fair deal, the industry standard is to pay a live-in nanny their full hourly rate...not a reduced rate. Legally live-in nannies must be paid for all hours worked, including applicable overtime (live-in overtime laws vary state by state, so it's important to check your specific state laws). In fact in some markets, such as Chicago, live-in nannies actually make MORE per hour than live-out nannies. Why? Because being a live-in nanny is extremely hard work and a huge sacrifice.
Read MoreLet's just dive right in. Nannies get sick and will miss work from time to time. There, I said it. Sadly, all too often, parents seem to forget that nannies are still human. I can only assume that lots of parents think their nannies are superhuman (which we kind of are in some ways), based on the countless nannies I encounter who are told they HAVE to come in even when very sick or are simply made to feel guilty for calling out. One nanny says she has been made to feel so guilty for calling in sick, that she hasn't taken a sick day in 6 years. Many nannies have even reported being guilt tripped for needing surgery -- like it's something they can control.
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