Car for nanny

[Anonymous]

Our nanny has a car, but for a variety of reasons, we are thinking it may make sense to buy her one to use during the week.

If you provide a car:
1) what was your primary reason for doing so?
2) what are the challenges you didn't expect? I'm sure there are things we haven't thought of yet
3) is it worth it? Would you do it again?

[Anonymous]

I had a car too and used it in the beginning. When the eldest started preschool/school though it became a problem because I only had a lapbelt in the middle seat and I refused to put a child in just a lapbelt or in the front.
They bought a minivan so I could safely transport kids and kids friends for playdates and soccer runs etc.

[Anonymous]

PP again, One of the things that annoyed me at the time was that they didnt want me using their car unless I had their kids. So although the school was between their house and my house if i went home during the day I had to go back and switch cars. So sometimes I would just use my car anyway because it was easier.
Now I am older and a parent I get this but at the time I felt entitled to use it even without the kids because I was on the clock. If you do get a car for the Nanny I would make it clear whether she can use it for personal errands without the kids or if its just to be used when the kids are in the car.

[Anonymous]

If you haven't already done so, you may want to check her driving record and then find out from your insurance company how much extra it will be to insure the nanny on the new vehicle. (There might be some liability on you if she is using her car during work as well.)

[Anonymous]

We leased a car for nanny when we had a second child and decided that she needed a bigger car. Nanny can use the car on or off duty - makes no difference to us.

[Anonymous]

I always recommend people get a nanny car. We have 4 kids in carseats, so there is really no choice for us now, but we've had a nanny car since we had two children. Here are the "pros" from my perspective:

1. You install the car seats, and they stay installed. Even if the nanny says she doesn't use her backseat, someday she will need it, and you will no longer know about the installation.

2. You pick the vehicle with the safety features you want to have. You maintain the vehicle to the standard you want it to be. You get the oil changed, the tune-ups, the occasional full checks as often as you want. This is your car and you will know exactly how it's being cared for and if anything needs repairing.

3. If there is damage to your car due to an accident, minor driving damage (like a car door opening into it), or your child damages something in the car, you get to decide whether to fix it, leave it, or do some kind of DIY fix. If it's your nanny's car, all you get to do is write a check -- she gets to decide if she wants to fully replace her expensive leather seat, for example, if your kid draws on it with a sharpie.

4. You are in control of the insurance. I also added one of my children to our AAA account; that way, if it breaks down, the nanny can use it as long as the kid is in the car.

5. You can make rules like no eating in the car, no air fresheners, whatever. It's your car.

Cons:

1. Even at 53.5 cents a mile, the IRS reimbursement rate is much less than buying a new car.

2. Someone else is driving your car, and you may not like how she drives it or cares for it (my nanny has spilled a couple of sodas in our car; we don't drink soda; it annoys me).

3. Her insurance record will affect your rates. In my case, our nanny had a "super-speeder" ticket, which meant that we can't get umbrella insurance at all until it rolls off her record b/c she's on our care insurance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I always recommend people get a nanny car. We have 4 kids in carseats, so there is really no choice for us now, but we've had a nanny car since we had two children. Here are the "pros" from my perspective:

1. You install the car seats, and they stay installed. Even if the nanny says she doesn't use her backseat, someday she will need it, and you will no longer know about the installation.

2. You pick the vehicle with the safety features you want to have. You maintain the vehicle to the standard you want it to be. You get the oil changed, the tune-ups, the occasional full checks as often as you want. This is your car and you will know exactly how it's being cared for and if anything needs repairing.

3. If there is damage to your car due to an accident, minor driving damage (like a car door opening into it), or your child damages something in the car, you get to decide whether to fix it, leave it, or do some kind of DIY fix. If it's your nanny's car, all you get to do is write a check -- she gets to decide if she wants to fully replace her expensive leather seat, for example, if your kid draws on it with a sharpie.

4. You are in control of the insurance. I also added one of my children to our AAA account; that way, if it breaks down, the nanny can use it as long as the kid is in the car.

5. You can make rules like no eating in the car, no air fresheners, whatever. It's your car.

Cons:

1. Even at 53.5 cents a mile, the IRS reimbursement rate is much less than buying a new car.

2. Someone else is driving your car, and you may not like how she drives it or cares for it (my nanny has spilled a couple of sodas in our car; we don't drink soda; it annoys me).

3. Her insurance record will affect your rates. In my case, our nanny had a "super-speeder" ticket, which meant that we can't get umbrella insurance at all until it rolls off her record b/c she's on our care insurance.

All of this, and more!

With your vehicle, you can legally track where it goes. You have to have the nannys permission to track her car.

You can designate one vehicle as kid car, not nanny car. I drive my employers car if he needs the kid van with two of the kids.

Your nanny shouldn't transport someone else's kids in her car, but it's fine in your car.

You can make vehicle maintenance part of your nannys duties, at your expense. It means that things are done in a timely manner rather than You or she putting it off until it's more convenient.

You can keep supplies like umbrellas, sunscreen and a first aid kit stocked in your car, but it's not reasonable to ask her to keep a bunch of things in her car all the time.

You know that nobody else is using the car seats and more importantly, you know if they've been used incorrectly. Improper use can damage the seats, endangering your kids.

[Anonymous]

To buy a car just for nanny, she'd better be using the car a lot.
OP, you are probably talking about a nanny for much older kids. I wouldn't want my toddler in a car too long and too often.
There is something to be said about wanting to use one's own vehicle unless you are buying one that's similar in size and feel. I know my car very well. Can't stand driving DH's car even though it's about the same size. It accelerates fast and brakes are too sensitive.
I've never had an accident and can parallel park my car well. I would probably scratched a bigger vehicle shortly.
I'd say that how the driver likes to drive the vehicle is more important than the vehicle you get.
I used to drive a Ford Aerostar van as a 19- year old Au Pair. Glad the kids and I made it. Preferred the sedan Pontiac though.

[Anonymous]

You don’t need to put your child’s name on the AAA membership—as long as it is your car, AAA will service it. I have called AAA and directed them to the nanny’s location and provided her cell for followup.

[Anonymous]

We are on our second “nanny car”, which is only used to drive our kids around in. I agree with all the pros and cons mentioned by the other pps. My nanny is a bit of a klutz and packrat and, between her and our kids, our first car was quite beat up. Don’t expect to get much of a resale value out of it after five years or so. She ran into our stone walkway, broke the lids on two storage boxes, dented the car in numerous places, scratched the wheels, scraped the seats with her rhinestone jeans, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are on our second “nanny car”, which is only used to drive our kids around in. I agree with all the pros and cons mentioned by the other pps. My nanny is a bit of a klutz and packrat and, between her and our kids, our first car was quite beat up. Don’t expect to get much of a resale value out of it after five years or so. She ran into our stone walkway, broke the lids on two storage boxes, dented the car in numerous places, scratched the wheels, scraped the seats with her rhinestone jeans, etc.

"Klutz" oh how nice of you. Hope she leaves your family you bitch

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You don’t need to put your child’s name on the AAA membership—as long as it is your car, AAA will service it. I have called AAA and directed them to the nanny’s location and provided her cell for followup.

I was told exactly the opposite when I called AAA one day b/c the nanny had a flat in our car with the kids. AAA goes with the member, not the vehicle. They will service any car you are in, but the member has to be there.

[Anonymous]

I was told exactly the opposite when I called AAA one day b/c the nanny had a flat in our car with the kids. AAA goes with the member, not the vehicle. They will service any car you are in, but the member has to be there.

Sounds correct to me, but can the member be a non-driver (young child)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I was told exactly the opposite when I called AAA one day b/c the nanny had a flat in our car with the kids. AAA goes with the member, not the vehicle. They will service any car you are in, but the member has to be there.

Sounds correct to me, but can the member be a non-driver (young child)?

Yes. They happily took my money and sent her a card. She's an additional family member, or somesuch. And I told them the story, and they asked for her birthday, so they were clear on what we were doing; I didn't get the sense it was unusual, either.

[Anonymous]

PPs provided great list of pros and cons. We opted to buy a third car when our third child was 4 months old, because 3 car seats could not fit into nanny's car.

Then later due to logistics I borrowed nanny's car for an errand. I could not believe that I allowed my kids ride in that car! Something was clicking in the steering wheel, there was no washer fluid, and the service engine light was on... i had no idea. It is so good to have control over the vehicle.

As kids grew, we got more usage of the third car. Either a sitter or grandparents have to drive during the week (all kids are in school now) and usually 1-2 extra friends are there too, and with travel teams my husband and I usually have 2 independent minivan roots on weekend.