Anonymous wrote:We got a minivan when we found out we were having #3 and made it the "kid car" (whoever has the kids uses that car, so the nanny most of the time).

I wish we had done it sooner! The only disadvantage was finding a place to park it (and paying for it and insurance, of course).

Advantages:
1) We install carseats and leave them in all the time; we don't worry that the nanny will need her backseat, uninstall one weekend and reinstall incorrectly.
2) We maintain the car to our specifications, and don't have to worry about how well the nanny is maintaining her car, or what to do if her car breaks down and she gets a ride to work one day, etc..
3) We could buy a car with all the safety features that were important to us.
4) We don't have to pay IRS reimbursement on mileage. While this is not required anyway, it's the nice thing to do, and it's expensive.
5) Our insurance covers the car, and we know our limits are high enough to protect us should the nanny get into an accident while on the clock.

+1

We got a minivan when we found out we were having #3 and made it the "kid car" (whoever has the kids uses that car, so the nanny most of the time).

I wish we had done it sooner! The only disadvantage was finding a place to park it (and paying for it and insurance, of course).

Advantages:
1) We install carseats and leave them in all the time; we don't worry that the nanny will need her backseat, uninstall one weekend and reinstall incorrectly.
2) We maintain the car to our specifications, and don't have to worry about how well the nanny is maintaining her car, or what to do if her car breaks down and she gets a ride to work one day, etc..
3) We could buy a car with all the safety features that were important to us.
4) We don't have to pay IRS reimbursement on mileage. While this is not required anyway, it's the nice thing to do, and it's expensive.
5) Our insurance covers the car, and we know our limits are high enough to protect us should the nanny get into an accident while on the clock.

yes give me a car why do i have to break down mine? that should be a requirement i can use mine but you can also let me use yours its for your child

I'm a very high-paid nanny (according to this forum anyway) and have NEVER had a car provided for me. I drive a very safe, well-maintained car and have been asked to disclose the year/make/model with potential employers before receiving a job offer. If you can afford to provide one, it will widen your pool of suitable candidates; if you can't, you'll by necessity have a smaller pool since you will want to choose a nanny who already owns an appropriately safe and reliable car. Either way is completely fine, OP.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some parents are simply vigilent about their child's safety.

Oh yes of course. So if a parent let's the nanny drive the children in their own car they are clearly bad parents who don't care about their children. Parents are supposed to trust the nanny to take care of their children and not micromanage them but they aren't supposed to trust that they can maintain their cars? What if the nanny has children of her own that she also drives in the same car?

You're mighty defensive today, aren't you? You are no doubt a fabulous parent, and that's all that matters.

I'm the PP you were quoting here. I wasn't being defensive. Why would I care what a random anonymous poster thinks about me or my parenting? I may be a great parent or I may be a really awful one. You have no way of knowing from one paragraph I wrote. I'm tired of the obnoxious posts making generalizations about parents (or nannies for that matter because it goes both ways on DCUM). The post I was talking about implied that parents who don't provide a car for their nanny don't care about their children's safety and that's one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. I actually do provide a car for the nanny but haven't always done so. The only time the nanny has ever had car trouble was when she was driving MY well maintained car and the newly replaced battery died. She got stuck at school picking up DC.

Some people come here looking for actually advice and some people ruin what could be a helpful forum. I probably would have been better off just ignoring that post but I'm just tired of the nonsense.

Anonymous wrote:Wow, 11:55, that's a pretty nasty response.

Perhaps you missed what I was responding to. What exactly offends you?

Wow, 11:55, that's a pretty nasty response.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some parents are simply vigilent about their child's safety.

Oh yes of course. So if a parent let's the nanny drive the children in their own car they are clearly bad parents who don't care about their children. Parents are supposed to trust the nanny to take care of their children and not micromanage them but they aren't supposed to trust that they can maintain their cars? What if the nanny has children of her own that she also drives in the same car?

You're mighty defensive today, aren't you? You are no doubt a fabulous parent, and that's all that matters.

Anonymous wrote:Some parents are simply vigilent about their child's safety.

Oh yes of course. So if a parent let's the nanny drive the children in their own car they are clearly bad parents who don't care about their children. Parents are supposed to trust the nanny to take care of their children and not micromanage them but they aren't supposed to trust that they can maintain their cars? What if the nanny has children of her own that she also drives in the same car?

Some parents are simply vigilent about their child's safety.

You don't HAVE to provide a car for the nanny. We do now because we happen to have an extra car but we didn't for several years and never had a nanny who minded. It was something we asked about in interviews and made clear that we needed a nanny with a reliable car she didn't mind driving the children in. We reimbursed for gas and wear and tear. It wasn't that difficult but I will say now that we do have a car for the nanny it IS easier. We don't have to worry about taking car seats in and out or keeping track of mileage.

So bottom line is I wouldn't necessarily go out and buy a car for the nanny unless you really have the extra money in your budget BUT if you have the option of providing a car it is easier.

If you want the nanny to drive your child, of course you get a car for that. Then you don't have to worry about the nanny being able to afford maintenance/repairs on her car, with whatever you pay her.

It's all about safety.

As a nanny, I have never used my car for work and never will. This goes for Live-in and Live-out. If you decide to let your nanny use the car while she is not on duty, make sure you have rules stated up front. One family I worked for had me use one car for the children and then another car for the times I was off duty. That car always seemed to be on empty when I got it.

I'm a live in nanny and have always had a car provided for me. Weather it be one I solely use or a car I share with the parents.

We are debating doing this. Interested in pros and cons from families who provide a car for their nanny. Thanks!