Help me plan my exit strategy

[Anonymous]

I am not unhappy with my work or my employer. I have outgrown the position though and am looking forward to taking on a new challenge. This is something that employees deal with any field of work so I am happy to hear from nannies or parents. If you are a nanny, did you connect the family with trusted caregivers from your network? Did you take on any helpful projects like creating a contact list of your charges friends for play dates? For parents, what things would have made the transition smoother for your children or for you?

[Anonymous]

Do you understand that your employers are most likely to be very angry with you? Don't give notice until you can afford to be fired immediately. I'm sorry, but that's how 99% of them are. Believe me.

[Anonymous]

So true PP ^ above ^

The dynamic between a nanny & her employer is not the same dynamic as a typical employee/employer relationship.

The dynamic is so much more personal and so feelings run much deeper.

[Anonymous]

MB here.

I would welcome your overall approach and tone if you came to me and said, almost verbatim, what you've written above.

Depending on the ages of my kids, and my long-term thinking, I'd love your assistance in figuring out how to manage the transition, think about replacing you, etc... Given enough time to prepare for it I would take it as an opportunity to think about what our next stages might need for our family.

THat kind of collaborative process between an employer/employee is rare - it takes trust, decency, and commitment on all sides. But it can be done and it's a wonderful thing when it happens.

It can also be risky if you don't trust your employer. So that's a call you have to make.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So true PP ^ above ^

The dynamic between a nanny & her employer is not the same dynamic as a typical employee/employer relationship.

The dynamic is so much more personal and so feelings run much deeper.

Yea. They expect you to have no life other than being devoted to them. In turn, they do not give a damn about you. Give notice and be prepared to be fired on the spot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MB here.

I would welcome your overall approach and tone if you came to me and said, almost verbatim, what you've written above.

Depending on the ages of my kids, and my long-term thinking, I'd love your assistance in figuring out how to manage the transition, think about replacing you, etc... Given enough time to prepare for it I would take it as an opportunity to think about what our next stages might need for our family.

THat kind of collaborative process between an employer/employee is rare - it takes trust, decency, and commitment on all sides. But it can be done and it's a wonderful thing when it happens.

It can also be risky if you don't trust your employer. So that's a call you have to make.

Why on earth should a Nanny help you with your future child care decisions? Unless you are paying her $100 an hour as a consultant, then do it yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MB here.

I would welcome your overall approach and tone if you came to me and said, almost verbatim, what you've written above.

Depending on the ages of my kids, and my long-term thinking, I'd love your assistance in figuring out how to manage the transition, think about replacing you, etc... Given enough time to prepare for it I would take it as an opportunity to think about what our next stages might need for our family.

THat kind of collaborative process between an employer/employee is rare - it takes trust, decency, and commitment on all sides. But it can be done and it's a wonderful thing when it happens.

It can also be risky if you don't trust your employer. So that's a call you have to make.

Why on earth should a Nanny help you with your future child care decisions? Unless you are paying her $100 an hour as a consultant, then do it yourself.

Troll

[Anonymous]

Our wonderful nanny left this spring when her husband took a new job back in their home state.

What would have eased the transition for me the most would have been at least a month's notice because the nanny search process easily takes that long. The new nanny we hired had to give 2 weeks notice at her job and we ended up with a stressful transition while juggling backup care, etc. We would absolutely would have worked to keep our old nanny for as long as she was willing to stay, so if she'd given an end date that was a few weeks or months out we would have kept her on until then.

Our old nanny offered to train the new nanny, but with work schedule, moving etc it didn't work out for them to meet in person. I gave the new nanny the old one's phone # and I know that they did speak on the phone for over an hour going over the kids routines, general expectations, etc. She absolutely would have connected us with trusted contacts from her network and I would have appreciated it, unfortunately she had only been in our area for a few years and there was no in our area that she felt comfortable to recommend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our wonderful nanny left this spring when her husband took a new job back in their home state.

What would have eased the transition for me the most would have been at least a month's notice because the nanny search process easily takes that long. The new nanny we hired had to give 2 weeks notice at her job and we ended up with a stressful transition while juggling backup care, etc. We would absolutely would have worked to keep our old nanny for as long as she was willing to stay, so if she'd given an end date that was a few weeks or months out we would have kept her on until then.

Our old nanny offered to train the new nanny, but with work schedule, moving etc it didn't work out for them to meet in person. I gave the new nanny the old one's phone # and I know that they did speak on the phone for over an hour going over the kids routines, general expectations, etc. She absolutely would have connected us with trusted contacts from her network and I would have appreciated it, unfortunately she had only been in our area for a few years and there was no in our area that she felt comfortable to recommend.

Any ideas how nannies might protect themselves from unscrupulous parents who will fire the nanny prematurely??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our wonderful nanny left this spring when her husband took a new job back in their home state.

What would have eased the transition for me the most would have been at least a month's notice because the nanny search process easily takes that long. The new nanny we hired had to give 2 weeks notice at her job and we ended up with a stressful transition while juggling backup care, etc. We would absolutely would have worked to keep our old nanny for as long as she was willing to stay, so if she'd given an end date that was a few weeks or months out we would have kept her on until then.

Our old nanny offered to train the new nanny, but with work schedule, moving etc it didn't work out for them to meet in person. I gave the new nanny the old one's phone # and I know that they did speak on the phone for over an hour going over the kids routines, general expectations, etc. She absolutely would have connected us with trusted contacts from her network and I would have appreciated it, unfortunately she had only been in our area for a few years and there was no in our area that she felt comfortable to recommend.

Any ideas how nannies might protect themselves from unscrupulous parents who will fire the nanny prematurely??

Be a professional from the time you first interview through the time you give notice. Work with your employers as though it's a professional position. Cultivate a strong working relationship, good communication, etc...

Then act wisely, carefully and professionally when leaving. Not all employers will take the high road but almost none will if you haven't been a professional throughout.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our wonderful nanny left this spring when her husband took a new job back in their home state.

What would have eased the transition for me the most would have been at least a month's notice because the nanny search process easily takes that long. The new nanny we hired had to give 2 weeks notice at her job and we ended up with a stressful transition while juggling backup care, etc. We would absolutely would have worked to keep our old nanny for as long as she was willing to stay, so if she'd given an end date that was a few weeks or months out we would have kept her on until then.

Our old nanny offered to train the new nanny, but with work schedule, moving etc it didn't work out for them to meet in person. I gave the new nanny the old one's phone # and I know that they did speak on the phone for over an hour going over the kids routines, general expectations, etc. She absolutely would have connected us with trusted contacts from her network and I would have appreciated it, unfortunately she had only been in our area for a few years and there was no in our area that she felt comfortable to recommend.

Any ideas how nannies might protect themselves from unscrupulous parents who will fire the nanny prematurely??

Be a professional from the time you first interview through the time you give notice. Work with your employers as though it's a professional position. Cultivate a strong working relationship, good communication, etc...

Then act wisely, carefully and professionally when leaving. Not all employers will take the high road but almost none will if you haven't been a professional throughout.

BTDT. You are naive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our wonderful nanny left this spring when her husband took a new job back in their home state.

What would have eased the transition for me the most would have been at least a month's notice because the nanny search process easily takes that long. The new nanny we hired had to give 2 weeks notice at her job and we ended up with a stressful transition while juggling backup care, etc. We would absolutely would have worked to keep our old nanny for as long as she was willing to stay, so if she'd given an end date that was a few weeks or months out we would have kept her on until then.

Our old nanny offered to train the new nanny, but with work schedule, moving etc it didn't work out for them to meet in person. I gave the new nanny the old one's phone # and I know that they did speak on the phone for over an hour going over the kids routines, general expectations, etc. She absolutely would have connected us with trusted contacts from her network and I would have appreciated it, unfortunately she had only been in our area for a few years and there was no in our area that she felt comfortable to recommend.

Any ideas how nannies might protect themselves from unscrupulous parents who will fire the nanny prematurely??

Be a professional from the time you first interview through the time you give notice. Work with your employers as though it's a professional position. Cultivate a strong working relationship, good communication, etc...

Then act wisely, carefully and professionally when leaving. Not all employers will take the high road but almost none will if you haven't been a professional throughout.

BTDT. You are naive.

No, I'm an MB, who also hires and manages people for a living.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our wonderful nanny left this spring when her husband took a new job back in their home state.

What would have eased the transition for me the most would have been at least a month's notice because the nanny search process easily takes that long. The new nanny we hired had to give 2 weeks notice at her job and we ended up with a stressful transition while juggling backup care, etc. We would absolutely would have worked to keep our old nanny for as long as she was willing to stay, so if she'd given an end date that was a few weeks or months out we would have kept her on until then.

Our old nanny offered to train the new nanny, but with work schedule, moving etc it didn't work out for them to meet in person. I gave the new nanny the old one's phone # and I know that they did speak on the phone for over an hour going over the kids routines, general expectations, etc. She absolutely would have connected us with trusted contacts from her network and I would have appreciated it, unfortunately she had only been in our area for a few years and there was no in our area that she felt comfortable to recommend.

Any ideas how nannies might protect themselves from unscrupulous parents who will fire the nanny prematurely??

Be a professional from the time you first interview through the time you give notice. Work with your employers as though it's a professional position. Cultivate a strong working relationship, good communication, etc...

Then act wisely, carefully and professionally when leaving. Not all employers will take the high road but almost none will if you haven't been a professional throughout.

BTDT. You are naive.

No, I'm an MB, who also hires and manages people for a living.

You're also hard-headed. You have no clue about the egregious behavior of most other nanny employers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our wonderful nanny left this spring when her husband took a new job back in their home state.

What would have eased the transition for me the most would have been at least a month's notice because the nanny search process easily takes that long. The new nanny we hired had to give 2 weeks notice at her job and we ended up with a stressful transition while juggling backup care, etc. We would absolutely would have worked to keep our old nanny for as long as she was willing to stay, so if she'd given an end date that was a few weeks or months out we would have kept her on until then.

Our old nanny offered to train the new nanny, but with work schedule, moving etc it didn't work out for them to meet in person. I gave the new nanny the old one's phone # and I know that they did speak on the phone for over an hour going over the kids routines, general expectations, etc. She absolutely would have connected us with trusted contacts from her network and I would have appreciated it, unfortunately she had only been in our area for a few years and there was no in our area that she felt comfortable to recommend.

Any ideas how nannies might protect themselves from unscrupulous parents who will fire the nanny prematurely??

Be a professional from the time you first interview through the time you give notice. Work with your employers as though it's a professional position. Cultivate a strong working relationship, good communication, etc...

Then act wisely, carefully and professionally when leaving. Not all employers will take the high road but almost none will if you haven't been a professional throughout.

BTDT. You are naive.

No, I'm an MB, who also hires and manages people for a living.

You're also hard-headed. You have no clue about the egregious behavior of most other nanny employers.

Thx for the laugh. I am hard-headed, though I'm not sure how that makes sense in context of your response. I said in my comment that not all employers will take the high road - but certainly almost none will meet unprofessional behavior with the best possible version of themselves. It's a two way street.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our wonderful nanny left this spring when her husband took a new job back in their home state.

What would have eased the transition for me the most would have been at least a month's notice because the nanny search process easily takes that long. The new nanny we hired had to give 2 weeks notice at her job and we ended up with a stressful transition while juggling backup care, etc. We would absolutely would have worked to keep our old nanny for as long as she was willing to stay, so if she'd given an end date that was a few weeks or months out we would have kept her on until then.

Our old nanny offered to train the new nanny, but with work schedule, moving etc it didn't work out for them to meet in person. I gave the new nanny the old one's phone # and I know that they did speak on the phone for over an hour going over the kids routines, general expectations, etc. She absolutely would have connected us with trusted contacts from her network and I would have appreciated it, unfortunately she had only been in our area for a few years and there was no in our area that she felt comfortable to recommend.

Any ideas how nannies might protect themselves from unscrupulous parents who will fire the nanny prematurely??

Be a professional from the time you first interview through the time you give notice. Work with your employers as though it's a professional position. Cultivate a strong working relationship, good communication, etc...

Then act wisely, carefully and professionally when leaving. Not all employers will take the high road but almost none will if you haven't been a professional throughout.

BTDT. You are naive.

No, I'm an MB, who also hires and manages people for a living.

You're also hard-headed. You have no clue about the egregious behavior of most other nanny employers.

Thx for the laugh. I am hard-headed, though I'm not sure how that makes sense in context of your response. I said in my comment that not all employers will take the high road - but certainly almost none will meet unprofessional behavior with the best possible version of themselves. It's a two way street.

The unfortunate truth of the matter is that most nanny employers will fire the nanny as soon as the parents find a replacement. No one wants to believe they would do such a horrible thing to their child's longtime caregiver. Probably your own friends have done this, even if they don't admit it to you. Sad, but true. I've seen it happen so many times.

Nannies should be aware of this reality, and figure out how to best protect themselves.