after 4 years of school you come out with something you can use to further your career. although I love being a nanny I am not planning on having this be my career forever!

Not a troll or 16... but thanks.. I have been looking for a while and was just wanting advice on how to go around the 4 year commitment while still accepting the position or how to bring it up in the interview. I will suggest a 1 year contract and see how it goes.. i think they were wanting a to sign a 4 year contract!! Children are 1 year and 4 years

Anonymous wrote:I am going for an interview with a family who I think will be a great fit!! The parents want at least a 4 year commitment!!! I dot know where I will be in 4 years and its a little scary to think about committing for that long when who knows what will happen. Is this reasonable?

No nanny would ask this. OP is either a troll, or 16 yrs old looking for her first job.

I would never commit to more than a year max, and even then I do that with the knowledge that they have no legal recourse should I decide I need to leave earlier.

I would be wary of any family that asked for a 4 year commitment, no matter how good their intentions...

That's ridiculous. I could see a couple years, but four?!?

The family I'm currently working for wanted a 2 year commitment and I said I would only sign a 1 year contract and if all is well after a year I would most likely do the second year. They seemed happy with that.

Wouldn't it be less hassle to let the nanny have custody of the kids, and let the parents pay child support? Maybe the parents would agree to weekend visitation, but then again, even that might crimp their life-style.

Funny how mommy can hardly put up with doing baby care for 3 months of maternity leave, but nanny should love a childcare job (that isn't even hers!), for 4 years.
Absolutely amazing.

NO.

That's crazy.

This aint the army.

OP, how old is the child?

Anonymous wrote:When you go to college that's a 4 year commitment. Why can't you decide that you'll be at this job for 4 years?

It's a four year degree, but by no means a 4 year commitment. In fact you really only have to commit to roughly 6 months at a time. After any given semester you can drop out or transfer with no penalties- which plenty of people do.

Like PP said there's really not a whole lot they can do if you don't stay the full 4 years, except perhaps not give a good reference. There isn't any legal recourse they can take. If this otherwise seems like a great job, take it, and work there as long as it's working for you.

When you go to college that's a 4 year commitment. Why can't you decide that you'll be at this job for 4 years?

I hate to say the obvious, but people that dumb, deserve whatever they get. How old are the kids?

On the other hand:
If they pay better than anyone else and treat you better than anyone else, they might have a chance with realizing their fantasy.

Lots of families will tell you whatever you want to hear, just to get you, if they think you're the best. So I don't know, maybe you want to play that game to. You need to gauge what kind of people they are. Few people get rich with total integrety.

No, it isn't reasonable.

You have a few options. You can tell them that you would love to plan on being with them that long, but that 4 years is too long for you to say 100%. You can tell them that the longest commitment you can make is X year(s) but that you would like to stay for longer if everything works out. Or you can lie and say sure, you're in it for 4 years, and then leave if/when you want/need to - they can't make you stay or penalize you in any way if you leave.

I am going for an interview with a family who I think will be a great fit!! The parents want at least a 4 year commitment!!! I dot know where I will be in 4 years and its a little scary to think about committing for that long when who knows what will happen. Is this reasonable?