Advice needed on watching extra kids

[Anonymous]

Nannies how do you handle when your family has you watch extra kids, do you have anything in your contract? MBs how would you respond if your nanny suggested a babysitter for extra kids sometimes?

I have been a nanny for years and never had an issue with this until my current family. I am comfortable with extra kids over for playdates or kids dropping in, but how do I now make it clear that when they have house guests for multiple days (which happens a lot) I don't always want to become their babysitter. Whether it is a whiny cousin that can't be without her mother or 4 kids from a visiting family, it is a lot of added responsibility to an already busy household.

[Anonymous]

It wasn't something I thought to put in my contract but fortunately my bosses are considerate enough to pay me extra on the few occasions when they've had guests. It's definitely not fair to be expected to do it for no additional fee.

[Anonymous]

They don't even offer extra or ask if it's alright? PP got it right, they are not considerate at all.

If this was an occasional play-date I'd tell you to get over it but multiple additional kids for several days when company comes over is just rude. Why can't their company take care of their own kids? Your not a free-for-all and you don't work for free. Your contract/rules are for your charges, not for your charges and additional kids, especially FOUR additional kids. That's 4 extra meals to cook, 4 extra messes to clean, 4 more douses of responsibility and 4 more walking headaches (lol no offence).

If it happens maybe once a year with 1 or 2 extra kids I probably would let it slide but what you're explaining is just rude.

I'd definitely talk to your employers about this, esp if it happens quite frequently (several times a year or more).

[Anonymous]

Do you have a girlfriend who wouldn't mind helping you out on occasion? If so, I would ask the family if I could have a friend over to help out.

[Anonymous]

Give them a bill for payment due, for your additional services. That's what any other professional would due, including your employers.

[Anonymous]

6:48 here. You can let them know now, how you will be assessing future fees, but they must ask you first in advance, if you want the additional workload. They may choose to pay it themselves, or allow their guests to pay you.

[Anonymous]

Nannies how do you handle when your family has you watch extra kids, do you have anything in your contract? MBs how would you respond if your nanny suggested a babysitter for extra kids sometimes?

I have been a nanny for years and never had an issue with this until my current family. I am comfortable with extra kids over for playdates or kids dropping in, but how do I now make it clear that when they have house guests for multiple days (which happens a lot) I don't always want to become their babysitter. Whether it is a whiny cousin that can't be without her mother or 4 kids from a visiting family, it is a lot of added responsibility to an already busy household.

This is tough and demanding an extra rate is just probably going to lead to you being let go. It sounds like the house guests are part of their lifestyle and this happens frequently not just once in awhile. I doubt that the employers want to deal with the hassle of factoring a new rate into every time someone comes to visit or trying to explain to other children or family members why their kids can be with you and the other kids for 2 hours but not 3 etc.

If you have been with them for almost a year perhaps you could ask for raise on the basis that the job involves more work than you imagined when you originally accepted the offer.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks for the replies. The family is considerate, so I think they just don't realize the extra burden and I will have to make it clear while renegotiating as PP suggested. To MB and DB extra kids is probably easy because the other families parents are helping with meals, supervision, plus the kids are usually playing together by themselves.

A big issue I have is that MB and DB will let me know where they are going and for how long then all of a sudden the other family is getting ready to leave with them and I am standing there thinking oh ok your leaving your kid(s) here too, thanks for the heads-up. When that happens I don't have the option of suggesting they get a babysitter to help because, for me, sometimes it isn't about more money it is just the burden of the extras. I just wanted to know if I was being petty before I brought it up to them.

[Anonymous]

I think you need to decide what you actually want because depending on your issue, the request will be different.

1.) The job entails more than you bargained for and it is about the money. You would think through how much you expect for the extra work and how often this occurs. Whether this is reasonable or not depends on your whole package (some nannies have no problem taking advantage of flexibility when it is granted to them but bristle when it goes the other way).

2.) It isn't about the money and you don't feel that you can safely managed this number of kids/age range alone. You would ask them to pre-plan and bring in an additional sitter. Whether this is reasonable or not doesn't matter, if you can't safely manage the kids you need to say something.