You sound like great employers!

Things that I have been offered in lieu of a traditional raise have included:

-Additional paid vacation days
-Healthcare stipend (which I believe is tax deductible for both parties but double check with a tax accountant to be sure)
-Regularly occuring "bonuses" instead of a small hourly raise
-Being added to the family's gym membership
-A week at the family's beach house

Sometimes you just have to think creatively if you're reaching the max that you can afford for your nanny's hourly rate but want to keep er/him!

You do sound great, and I think your nanny is just as lucky to have you as an employer.

Being openly appreciative and creating a positive work environment is a great incentive.

I've turned job slightly higher paying jobs to work for parents who are just nice and appreciative people.

There are two sides to every story.

Anonymous wrote:FYI, you can add or increase a health insurance reimbursement benefit. That isn't taxable to either of you so is less money out of your pocket and more money in hers in the long run.

It's a way to add a benefit that is monetary, in a more affordable way.

I think it is also tax-deductible, maybe an MB can confirm that?

FYI, you can add or increase a health insurance reimbursement benefit. That isn't taxable to either of you so is less money out of your pocket and more money in hers in the long run.

It's a way to add a benefit that is monetary, in a more affordable way.

It's really the little thoughtful things that made me stay. I Had employees who brought me small gifts from their vacations, send cute pictures of the kids when they are away. One employer buys pies around thanksgiving for her employees at her office and always got me one. For some reason that always made me feel special. I guess it's the fact that they all thought about me and showed real care beyond the employer-employee relationship. I'm treated with respect and my service is appreciated. I can handle a small raise from people who I know can't afford one but treat me like a person.

What a delightful post to come across. OP, your attitude alone is a huge asset to your nanny!

As far as other perks, I would love to have a nanny training/conference of my choosing paid for. No nanny wants to admit that her skills need polishing so just saying to the nanny the you put aside $100 for training would be awesome. If you have any perks that you yourself are not using then you can pass them on. Examples are gym membership or employer funded train card.

If your nanny truly needs more money then I suggest getting into a nanny share or reducing her hours for the same pay. In the second case, one parent changes to a super early schedule and the other to a later one.


Finally, you have to. Talk with her. I know. It sounds scary. But she will notice that her raises are off and may think she has done something wrong. Best of luck!

First and foremost, you sound like an awesome family to work for OP! Trust me, there are many families who don't appreciate the hard work and true dedication that us nannies put into our jobs and it is very refreshing to read your post.

While yes, raises and bonuses do boost morale for the work we do, there are also other things that keep us nannies happy on the job and keep us from seeking other jobs.

As a nanny, I truly appreciate the two words I hear when I leave every day. Simple easy words. "Thank You." I can never hear them enough. When I walk out that door every single day, I feel such pride knowing I am appreciated for what I have done.

Also I like it when I know a family trusts me 100%. Nothing drives me away from a family than feeling that they do not fully trust me. I feel so honored that a family entrusts me with their most prized possession, their precious child and that they hand him/her over to me and give me complete autonomy over our day. Of course I know they will give me certain requests such as nap time at 1:00, no more than an hour of T.V. per day and no junk food, etc. This is normal.

But I cannot stand being micro-managed. If a family is constantly calling or texting me, telling me what to do, reminding me of this or that or if a WAHP is listening to my every move, then I won't stick around for very long. I work as a Nanny because it is a JOB I love. And I love working for families that respect me enough to let me work my job.

Hopefully this gives you some insight.

For me the most important thing is being able to do my job well (parents don't give kids candy after I say no, etc...) and the parents acknowledging when I'm doing great. It sounds like you respect your nanny's work, so that shouldn't be a problem! Just keep an eye on your behavior and attitude to make sure that it conveys the respect. One of my best memories in three years at this family was the day when I ROCKED the morning routine, even some curveballs, and MB said something about me being ready for anything motherhood could throw at me. A little silly, and I don't even remember the actual words, but it really stuck.

Apart from that... make sure (if it's her style to be emotionally closer) that you always support her relationship with the kids. Do all the things that make ANY good relationship - listen to what she's saying, not just what you expect her to say, think about how your actions will affect her, etc. A lot of us nannies really value a happy work environment over the big dollars (or we might not be nannies!), so you can probably do a lot more to keep her around than you think right now.

Finally - and this is huge - why not ask her? You don't need to lay all your cards on the table, but you can ask sometime what she loves best about being a nanny, anything tricky she's encountered since starting with you, anything she'd like to see happen more...etc. Then you get three things: probably improved childcare due to excellent communication, nanny who knows you are engaged and interested in her work, and some ideas for how to make her job a bit nicer.

I'm happy and feel appreciated when my bosses get me a box of kcups to keep at their house (I'm allowed to use theirs but they get the ones I really like), or they will give me a gift card to Starbucks iTunes or for the movie theater or video store to rent movies (yes we have a store to rent movies here lol) they are never more than $20, and are maybe every two months or so. The most valuable thing they give me is a thank you, let me know how much they appreciate me, a card with a note inside, or art projects the kids make for me

You seem like a great employer OP. Appreciation goes a long way. Make sure to thank her every day, which it seems like you already do. I'm sure she would also love to be able to go home early occasionally if you can manage it. Having some snacks or treats you know she likes would also be appreciated. For me, it's all about the little things. I've never gotten huge raises or bonuses in my 13 years as a nanny, but I've stayed 1-4 years with the families who treated me well and appreciated my hard work. I'm the type of nanny that goes above and beyond in every job I've had, but the families who showed me the most appreciation definitely got more than their money's worth.

-Increased PTO
-an occasional early day off
-perhaps starting to stock some foods/beverages that you know she likes (my longest term/favorite family always had coffee and diet coke around for me)

Contrary to what is presented on these boards, most nannies do not expect extravagant bonuses or gifts. Mutual respect, autonomy, and a little extra consideration are the qualities that have always made me stick with a family.

You sound like a great MB! My family is awesome because they are flexible and that is because I am flexible with them as well. They tell me all the time to help myself to anything in the fridge/pantry. They give me yearly raises. They back me up on discipline issues and the kids respect me more because of this. They give me a Christmas/birthday gift and bake me my favorite cake. They invite me to the children's birthday parties/Christmas parties. They sent me flowers when I was in the hospital. They always tell me how much they appreciate me.

I do wish they reimbursed me for gas and that they provided me with a little cash for activities. Other than that they are amazing!

After one absolutely terrible nannyshare experience, we hired a new nanny just to care for our son. She has been with us for about six months, and she is amazing. It might be due to the awful care that the previous nanny provided, but we are just incredibly fortunate to have her. She routinely goes far above and beyond her normal duties, and she is great for our son's development. We're going to give her a nice bonus in December, and obviously will give her a raise after a year. But our financial resources are somewhat limited, so we can't offer huge raises and bonuses. I wanted to check with nannies to see what else provides them with incentives to stay in their job. We tell her how happy we are with her, thank her profusely, etc. But what else is a factor in retention/job satisfaction: extra days off? being able to leave early? Really, we'll do anything to make sure she stays! I realize that everyone is different - just looking for anecdotes from nannies about anything their employers have done.