Within the past week we’ve hopped on/tuned in to various Q&A calls with Jay Shultz of Homework Solutions. We then followed up with Jay separately because we had many additional clarifying questions (aka, this is all SO very confusing and seemingly changing by the day).
Read MoreI want to start this article off by having you ask yourself if you’ve ever waited to speak up about something at your job? Some examples include: You realize you should be getting mileage reimbursement, you realize you’re not being paid overtime, you realize you’re underpaid, you realize you haven’t gotten a raise in 3 years, you realize your bosses have been banking your hours…
Read MoreNanny shares are hard work. As a nanny share specialist, I know that better than most. I see comments on nanny groups all the time like “I could never”, “I got burned”, “I tried, it was terrible”, and my heart goes out to those sweet nannies because I truly love doing shares! I may have fallen into my first nanny share out of necessity, but I have since made it my specialty.
Read MoreIt’s that time of year — time to talk about nannies and holiday bonuses! Do you need to give your nanny a holiday bonus? Should a nanny expect a holiday bonus? Lets discuss. The first thing you need to know is that an annual holiday/end of the year bonus is customary in the nanny industry. Many parents, especially those that do not receive a bonus themselves, often don’t realize this.
Read MoreI’ve been wanting to write an article on this for a while, but to be honest, I was hesitant to do so because I was worried about how the readers would receive it. The majority of Nanny Counsel’s following is made up of nannies, which makes sense, since it is a Nanny Advocacy Blog. However, I am also a family advocate and I certainly do not believe that nannies can do no wrong.
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 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 MoreJust like with almost everything else in the nanny field, nanny interviews are unlike any other type of job interview. Why? Because most of the time, a nanny interview involves the nanny having to articulately converse with the parents while simultaneously interacting with the children. It's like the ultimate test of one's ability to multitask. While nannying certainly requires a strong level of multitasking and kids should absolutely be a part of the interview process, the initial in-person interview (notice I did not say initial phone interview) should not involve any multitasking or any kids. I personally feel it's unreasonable to expect a nanny to enthusiastically engage the kids while also discussing important things like parenting style, job roles/expectations, pay, etc. As a nanny who has had to do this MANY times at job interviews, I'm here to say that it is a hard...VERY hard...thing to do. The few times I've interviewed with parents sans kids, I was able to think more clearly and express myself better.
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