Nanny just for international work travel?
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Anonymous
| I have a work trip this fall when my baby will be almost a year. Details aren't final yet, but it's likely to be a 2 week trip. My daughter is usually in daycare, so while it would be possible to leave her with my husband, it would be asking a lot of him to be solo parenting for so long. I'm wondering if anyone has hired someone just for a business trip? Should I be thinking more of professional nannies, or an adventurous-but-responsible college kid who would be interested in traveling? Thanks for any thoughts and experiences you might have. |
Anonymous
| I've done tons of travel with families, both domestic and international. Sometimes even with just the child. It should definately be a professional nanny seeing that you'll be leaving them unattended. You also want her to start doing some PT occasional work with your daughter way before the trip, so they know each other pretty well. |
Anonymous
He is her father. What use is he if he can't solo parent for one week? |
Anonymous
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When I'm away for work I frequently line up additional help (beyond our nanny) to support my husband. I think this is a really smart idea.
There are agencies that could do this very easily. (I have one I use enough that there are a couple of people on their roster who know us and our kids.) It's a great resource to have a couple of back-up options in your pocket- not just for travel, but date night, weekend away, illness or other emergency, etc... For the weekdays you're away there might be a responsible teen-age girl in your neighborhood who could help w/ a couple of hours each night so your husband doesn't get totally fried. I think it's money and effort well spent. |
Anonymous
What a snark. Mom said she wants to travel with her baby. |
Anonymous
| Nanny here- I definitely suggest a professional. You can get a temp from an agency, closer to the date. I've travelled with lots of kids and having someone who has done it before will be a huge help. Plus college kids will have school during the fall, they can't go away for two weeks! A professional nanny can help you pack, check out parks and fun places in advance, and will probably be able to advice you in a schedule if there's jet lag. I'd advise you not to have the nanny sleep in the same room as the baby or else it will be pretty expensive. Most nannies will also go to a market and get groceries for the room to keep in a mini fridge which will help you with costs. |
Anonymous
| Nanny again- I used to also pack one of those baby cookers and make fresh baby food, right in the hotel! |
Anonymous
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OP, if you can't stand the idea of being away from your daughter while you are on this business trip, an agency can probably help you find a nanny who specializes in travel. However, if you are mostly just concerned about the needs of your daughter and husband, I would suggest hiring a nanny or mature college student to provide extra support at your home during the hours when DD is not in daycare. The position could be live in or live out.
International travel and the associated time zone shifts-- especially with a largely unknown nanny and your preoccupation with work, could be tough on a baby who is less than a year old. I'd also be mildly wary of the baby getting sick from all the germ exposure on a long flight. She'd probably be better off at home with her father in familiar surroundings if you can get him some extra help. |
Anonymous
And that the trip was two weeks, not one. |
Anonymous
Yeah, that snark woman has a real attitude problem around here. |
Anonymous
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There are a couple of agencies that specialize in travel nannying. Good luck OP!
http://www.adventurenannies.com http://charternannies.com |
Anonymous
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Thanks for all the constructive comments. I'm looking into the travel nanny links, and also thinking more seriously about the option of just leaving her with dad but getting him some more help. He's really an equal parent, but that means that each of us feels the absence of the other -- I've been going it alone for a few days while he was away for work, and it really is so much more work doing it alone. I have total confidence that he could do it, but it would be pretty tiring for 2 weeks!
But it wouldn't be a DCUM thread without the haters. |
Anonymous
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If you decide to go with a travel nanny I'd recommend Donna. Very experienced at doing this and a wonderful person all around.
http://www.thetravelingnanny.com/ If you decide to hire temp help locally then I'd try these boards or care.com, and research a good agency option in case you need them. Hiring someone on your own will be cheaper and can be done better if you spend a little time on it. |
Anonymous
| I would love the opportunity to help you on your trip! I am a nanny in South Carolina, and focusing on the "travel nanny" aspect of this career. My schedule is filling up quickly, so if we could devise a way of contacting each other separate from this site, I can send you a resume and set up a Skype interview. |
Anonymous
| OP, I agree with others that hiring help for DH to support him in keeping DC in her regular life/routine/schedule will be much less stressful for her. If you will only be working a small part of the time (e.g., you have meetings on 4 days and can prep for them whenever) then maybe it's different, since you would actually have time to be with DC, but if you're working a typical 9-5, I don't think i makes any sense for DC to be with a relative stranger all day and deal with travel and jet lag just so she can see you for a few hours at night. Cost/benefits of that just don't line up. |