Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would shorten her vacation to two weeks - then take one week off and have DH take one week off.

This is one of the reasons I hired an American nanny, OP. This always happens with foreign nannies.

But I've heard many times of situations where the nanny asks for a long vacation, the parents say they can only accommodate a shorter one, nanny agrees...then once she is over in the home country, a day or two before she is supposed to return, she contacts the parents and says she is actually going to stay longer....

This has happened to me twice. One nanny was from El Salvador, the other from Britain. They have different laws about holding jobs, and different customs. What seems outrageous to us seems perfectly reasonable to some people who haven't spent their lives here. It is definitely something I consider now when hiring.

Anonymous wrote:Foreign nanny here- My bosses have been amazing accommodating my requests. I take two weeks paid vacation and then another two weeks unpaid vacation 6 Months later. I take 4 weeks vacation per year. This is normal in other countries, Americans are the only people who don't time time off. My employers knew this when they hired me.

In return I have (in 7 years with the same family) never called in sick (I don't get sick often but when I do the kids are sucks we we just have a chill day together), am never late, never ask for random days off, schedule my appts on my own time (or if I can't my employer lets me take the kids to a rare appt), do light housekeeping and tidying on days the housekeeper doesn't come, and go above and beyond in my job.

My employers use a temp agency and while I know it's inconvenient they understand that I like to travel and make it easy for me to leave.

I am the same as you, PP - never sick, never late, never ask for any days off and go above and beyond in my position. I also have a degree in ECE.

And I take two weeks of vacation - two separate weeks - both when my employers can take off easily.

Foreign nannies are a problem in regard to vacation - it is a cultural thing.

*thr kids are sick! Not sucks- what a terrible typo- sorry

Foreign nanny here- My bosses have been amazing accommodating my requests. I take two weeks paid vacation and then another two weeks unpaid vacation 6 Months later. I take 4 weeks vacation per year. This is normal in other countries, Americans are the only people who don't time time off. My employers knew this when they hired me.

In return I have (in 7 years with the same family) never called in sick (I don't get sick often but when I do the kids are sucks we we just have a chill day together), am never late, never ask for random days off, schedule my appts on my own time (or if I can't my employer lets me take the kids to a rare appt), do light housekeeping and tidying on days the housekeeper doesn't come, and go above and beyond in my job.

My employers use a temp agency and while I know it's inconvenient they understand that I like to travel and make it easy for me to leave.

or ask employer if you can take 3 weeks unpaid leave

Fly in Grandma or Grandpa or relative.

Do either of your workplaces have a backup/drop off daycare option? Most big companies do- just for this kind of thing

Each you and your husband take a week off. That wll cover 2 weeks.

Anonymous wrote:I would shorten her vacation to two weeks - then take one week off and have DH take one week off.

This is one of the reasons I hired an American nanny, OP. This always happens with foreign nannies.

But I've heard many times of situations where the nanny asks for a long vacation, the parents say they can only accommodate a shorter one, nanny agrees...then once she is over in the home country, a day or two before she is supposed to return, she contacts the parents and says she is actually going to stay longer....

I would shorten her vacation to two weeks - then take one week off and have DH take one week off.

This is one of the reasons I hired an American nanny, OP. This always happens with foreign nannies.

We had 2 different people for 2 weeks when we were in between caregivers once. Kids were 2 and 5 and did fine — they didn’t love the caregivers but they weren’t traumatized. I would worry most about the 1 yo, because at that age kids can be clingy and have major stranger anxiety.

Personally, I think it is rude of your Nanny to take three weeks off, then expect her job to be waiting for her when she returns.

Unless her contract specifically allows her to do this (which it doesn’t sound like it,) then she really doesn’t have the right to just leave on a whim.

If there were a family emergency or she was having a major health crisis, it would be understandable to let her have three weeks off.

But that is not the case here.
Other jobs wouldn’t be happy if their employee just took a three week vacation.

Unless her contract states specifically:
“Three weeks of vacation of Nanny’s choice,” then I think you have every right in the world to feel put out OP.

-
A Nanny

We planned for it. DH took a week off work. I took a week off work. We flew in a grandparent for two days (they stayed over the weekend, so four total) and a friend who was temporarily unemployed did the other two days. One day was a holiday DH and I had off.

The kids rolled with it. We all did feeding and naps the same way, at the same time.

This ALWAYS happens with foreign nannies. We got a temp nanny and I took a lot of time off work. My mother did too. It sucked for everyone.

Next time, do not agree to three weeks. Two at the very most.

If you're uncomfortable accommodating 3+ weeks off at once for your nanny to visit family overseas the solution is simple: next time hire an American nanny.

This is par for the course with foreign nannies. Travel is difficult and expensive, and they will take multi-week trips at least once a year.

My kids did fine with a temp nanny. Better than fine, in fact.

Our nanny wants to take a 3-week trip to her home country. She has been a blessing to us, and we want to accommodate her, but it will be a pretty big strain for us. I'm wondering what others have done -- it just seems like such a long time. If we get a temporary nanny, it seems like the baby (who will turn 1 right around the time of nanny's vacation) will have gotten into a groove with her by the time our beloved nanny returns. And, I really don't like the idea of introducing someone new to our 1-year-old, for just a couple of weeks.

We also have a 4-year-old and always strive for consistency with caregivers, which is my main problem with this arrangement.

So, I guess I know the answer is clear -- we need a temporary nanny.

But, how has your similarly-aged child done with a temporary caregiver? This would have been a total no-go with our oldest, who had a lot of stranger anxiety from ages 2 months and on (but ultimately outgrew it). But, her little brother is more chill and will go to other people, so it could work okay with him. Just looking for some advice.