Here’s a compelling Park Slope question about what one should pay a nanny that accompanies one on vacation that was forwarded to us by a member of our growing network of Park Slope Correspondents and Operatives that reached us from the Park Slope Parents Email List:
We have a part-time nanny who normally works about eight hours per day, three days a week. We’ve invited her to come to our beach house with us for a week which she has accepted, but I’m unsure of how to pay her for this new situation. I certainly don’t expect her to work all of the time, and I don’t want to pay an hourly rate for time that she’s sleeping, of course. How have folks paid nannies who went away with them?
An interesting question.
15 responses so far ↓
1 Sara // Jun 21, 2008 at 10:49 am
I always came up with an additional hourly payment to compensate for my nanny not being at home, and yes, we paid her for the entire 24 hours….because even though she’s sleeping, she’s not sleeping at home, and if you needed her to get up and help with a sick child, she would have to do that. And she may need to pay for her OWN childcare while she’s gone. Still worth it to have a sitter so you can sleep on the beach and go out to dinner. We also gave her one day off every few days, so she had two days off a week…and yes, we paid her for those, too!
2 Jack // Jun 21, 2008 at 12:52 pm
Give the nanny a freakin break and spend some time with your kids for a change.
3 DW // Jun 21, 2008 at 6:37 pm
What is this, the last place stuff is seen before Gawker?
4 why have kids? // Jun 21, 2008 at 9:34 pm
for real…why?
5 Brenda from Flatbush // Jun 21, 2008 at 11:55 pm
Isn’t the point of a nanny to enable you both to work so you can afford that idyllic family togetherness time together on vacation? The idea that you need child care *on vacation* strikes me as unutterably sad. You had years before the baby, and you’ll have years after he or she has flown the nest. You’re already missing the hours between 8 and 6 for the rest of the year. Time to re-watch “Mary Poppins” and go fly a kite together, folks…let Nanny float away over the rooftops for a week!
6 Begbie // Jun 22, 2008 at 10:19 pm
Having read the title, I thought this subject might offer an insight into what is, I suspect, a common issue. Thanks to all the valuable inputs here. I love all these people who question others motives for having kids and then offer theories how to raise them.
Brenda – I can imagine having to sit in every night after the kids have gone to bed, watching the drivel that passes for television in this country as entertainment, might possibly have incubated your bitter feelings.
You can take my word for it, not only do we have so much fun with our kids on the beach, but after the sun goes down, the restaurants and parties are terrific. That’s why the nannies come. Maybe you hadn’t noticed, Brooklyn is part of New York City, and that sort of thing appeals to most people who live here. Maybe you are the sad one and should move to the burbs to be with the other mother hens who sit around moaning they haven’t had a decent night out in 10 years?
7 ff // Jun 23, 2008 at 12:30 am
You’re not supposed to pay the nanny who accompanies you on vacation. It’s supposed to be such a wonderful opportunity/privilege for them just to be able to get out of the city at all, and accompany you to your beach house which is so unlike anything they have ever experienced before. After all, if it weren’t for you, she would never have the chance to be there at all. She should be paying you! And as far as her sleeping accomodations go, a pup tent out in the phragmites will do fine.
8 tom // Jun 23, 2008 at 9:01 pm
bergbie, i dont see a single post here that combines one questioning motives for having kids and then and then offering advice on how to raise them.
here’s a question. ow much paid vacation time do you give your nanny?
9 jo // Aug 4, 2008 at 11:25 pm
Oh, to be such a rich spoiled brat to have such pressing problems… If you’re going to force your nanny to spend that much fun family time with you, then you should give her a paid week of vacation to recover (as well as paying her for the childcare during the trip.)
ff- I hope your nanny spits in your food and your cleaning lady puts your toothbrush in the toiletbowl
Here’s an idea, leave the kids at home and let them have some quality time with grandma & grandpa if you can’t handle a family vacation.
10 Jeanne // Aug 21, 2008 at 11:19 pm
Wow, interesting suggestions here.
For a traveling nanny to accompany the family on vacation it usually works like this:
all travel/ food/ hotel paid
full reg. pay + per deim ($50 domestic travel/ $100 international per day)
plus an added $ bonus for being on call 24 hours a day at end of trip as a thank you.
Not all nannies are scum, some just happen to love children and if they are invited on vacation and except the invite to work- understand that it is a little uncomfortable spending 24-7 with the family in a new place and that traveling expenses will arise for your nanny whether she admits it or not.
Daily bills are still waiting for her when she returns home so she can’t afford to not be paid while she working.
Remember its YOUR vacation not your nannies, she should have a week to 2 week vacation available for her to use and enjoy on her own time. Work is work.
11 HM // Sep 20, 2008 at 12:10 am
I agree with Jeanne. I’m a Nanny, and as much as I love the three kids I care for, it’s still work.
12 dt // Oct 16, 2008 at 8:22 pm
wow some of the things you people put up here. i am a nanny. If you have ever traveled with a child you know that sometimes it is nice to have another set of hands to help you carry things and let you go out with out the child every now and then. Parents who need a nanny are not bad parents it is good for the children to have someone there who is just thinking about them and what they need and usually nannies have ideas for things that children can do that parents might not think of. The problem with what you people have said is only one person has answered this persons question MY question.
13 AM // Jan 25, 2009 at 11:12 am
having been on both sides (a nanny who once traveled with a family on vacation and now an employer considering taking our nanny on our family vacation) – folks really need to stop devaluing others lifestyle choices. granted i hated my trip when i was nanny, but it was only because expectations were not discussed ahead of time. it was literally presented as, “hey, do you want to see martha’s vineyard this weekend?” i was not paid for the weekend despite working the entire time. now we have a nanny of our own – and we’re certainly not bad parents for it … we both work from home and spend every minute not working with both our boys. we chose a nanny because we wanted our kids to have one-on-one attention that kids in daycare never receive. plus, we treat her as a member of the family and compensate her above and beyond on a regular occasion. that being said, bringing her on vacation with us is still questionable. the cost of an additional room plus the meal plan at the resort is an additional grand +. we do not expect her to work around the clock and do intend to pay her normal salary. however, paying anything additional seems absurd. we only invited her because she’s never been to the coast and is completely addicted to our kids; plus, we all feel really close to her. when she was out for 2 weeks for surgery, she called every day to check on the boys. it only seems fair to let her decide if she wants to spend time with us on the coast.
14 sp // Mar 21, 2009 at 11:18 am
After reading all of this I am concerned. I leave this afternoon for an 8 day trip to FL with my employer. We did not really discuss daily expectations yet. Can anyone suggest a way to bring this up…extremely last min.?
15 katie canad // Mar 30, 2009 at 12:15 am
Some harsh comments. I’m a stay at home mom and am feeling a bit guilty about bringing a nanny on vacation with us. Here’s the thing. We are very hands on parents, but to have the nanny get the kids lunch ready or hang in the condo while our youngest naps and to have 7 date nites with my husband, over rides any guilt I might have. Our “nanny” is actually one of my sons teachers, so she said all we would have to pay is air accom and food. I still feel she should get at least 50 more a day, after all she is away from her family for a week