Hi Op,

I am in a very similar situation. Kids are messy and track debris wherever they go. Dirty shoes, sticky hands, etc.

Here is what I do:
Vacuum interior once a week at gas station. Costs $1 at the machine.
Wipe all interior surfaces at least once a week.
Car wash as necessary- either by hand or through a wash ($7)
Wash car seat covers occasionally. They get smelly after awhile.

I got back of the seat covers for cheap on Amazon to protect the seats from their feet.
I got rubber car mats for the back.
No food or drinks in the car.

I have had my new car almost a year and it looks good, inside and out. There are signs if wear and tear but that's bound too happen no matter how vigilant you are.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Christ on a bike, nannies are expected to bend over backwards for their nanny families, nothing is too over the top to expect of your nanny. No respect at all from the MB/DBs. No wonder nannies burn out so quickly. Rarely is it ever the children who become a thorn in nanny's side. It's the parents. And the entitled ones on this thread just infuriate me.

Can you please recognize that your reaction was due to ONE MB post and does not reflect the opinion of all or even a representative same of MBs?

Oh please. Have you read any other threads on here? The MBs are relentless in their demands for their nannies. And always it's "for the kids". Bullshit. All of it.

Anonymous wrote:Christ on a bike, nannies are expected to bend over backwards for their nanny families, nothing is too over the top to expect of your nanny. No respect at all from the MB/DBs. No wonder nannies burn out so quickly. Rarely is it ever the children who become a thorn in nanny's side. It's the parents. And the entitled ones on this thread just infuriate me.

Can you please recognize that your reaction was due to ONE MB post and does not reflect the opinion of all or even a representative same of MBs?

Anonymous wrote:Your employers should not be expected to contribute to the cost of a new vehicle for you, unless they had a vote in what car you chose.

They should, however, be paying you the IRS rate for mileage and wear/tear on your vehicle - which you should be documenting. And, IMO, they should pay to have your car detailed periodically.

- MB

This. Why is this even a question?

Anonymous wrote:Christ on a bike, nannies are expected to bend over backwards for their nanny families, nothing is too over the top to expect of your nanny. No respect at all from the MB/DBs. No wonder nannies burn out so quickly. Rarely is it ever the children who become a thorn in nanny's side. It's the parents. And the entitled ones on this thread just infuriate me.

Rarely - as in almost never (99.999% of the time) - is it the children that cause a nanny to quit. It is always the parents.

"This is essentially what I said BUT most cars hold 2 car seats. When you have 3+ kids! as any agency will tell you! you're going to have a tough time finding a nanny with a vehicle large enough for that many car seats. Most advise the family provides one at that point - to prevent issues exactly like this. I'm guessing you only have two who need car seats which is a very reasonable expectation."

No. Nanny share. Occasional driving of older school age kid who sits in a booster.

Ok, sorry, all of those exclamation points were supposed to be commas. Wonky iPad.

Anonymous wrote:Sorry but a key duty of our nanny is driving. This has been so from the very start. If nanny bought a car that did not fit the number of kids she needs to drive that would be an issue because I would not have hired someone who does not have a car that can fit the required number of children. I view this as a job duty and yes patch or mileage but having a car that fits the needs of the job was a key hiring requirement. PP's family sounds like it is the same for them. On the temporary line - why in the world would they chip in on a car for someone who might decide to find another job one month later?

This is essentially what I said BUT most cars hold 2 car seats. When you have 3+ kids! as any agency will tell you! you're going to have a tough time finding a nanny with a vehicle large enough for that many car seats. Most advise the family provides one at that point - to prevent issues exactly like this. I'm guessing you only have two who need car seats which is a very reasonable expectation.

OP - out of curiosity, what kind of car did you buy to accommodate three car seats and what kind of car would you have preferred?

I think once you get to three kids maybe it's time for the parents to purchase a vehicle. Three carseats also means nanny can't have any of her own passengers back there on her own time, unless she takes all the seats out which I don't think is a good idea once they are installed properly.

Christ on a bike, nannies are expected to bend over backwards for their nanny families, nothing is too over the top to expect of your nanny. No respect at all from the MB/DBs. No wonder nannies burn out so quickly. Rarely is it ever the children who become a thorn in nanny's side. It's the parents. And the entitled ones on this thread just infuriate me.

Sorry but a key duty of our nanny is driving. This has been so from the very start. If nanny bought a car that did not fit the number of kids she needs to drive that would be an issue because I would not have hired someone who does not have a car that can fit the required number of children. I view this as a job duty and yes patch or mileage but having a car that fits the needs of the job was a key hiring requirement. PP's family sounds like it is the same for them. On the temporary line - why in the world would they chip in on a car for someone who might decide to find another job one month later?

They should be reimbursing you the IRS rate for mileage, which includes wear and tear on the car. It is significantly higher than the equivalent cost of gas to account for normal wear and tear. Beyond that, this is probably a conversation you should have had before you bought a new car. Didn't you have a sense of how messy the car would get based on previous experience driving them around in your old car?

Your employers should not be expected to contribute to the cost of a new vehicle for you, unless they had a vote in what car you chose.

They should, however, be paying you the IRS rate for mileage and wear/tear on your vehicle - which you should be documenting. And, IMO, they should pay to have your car detailed periodically.

- MB

Anonymous wrote:Op here, I did discuss this with my employers and they didn't seem to offer any help. "It was basically, this is part of your job. Good luck"

OP, you are being taken advantage of.

Move on.

(I can't believe this needs to be said. How was that not glaringly obvious to you after such a response?)

It's fine if they need a nanny who has a car large enough for their three seats, but frankly, that's rare. The only job I ever had that required so large a car/SUV/van included either a vehicle or financial assistance in purchasing such a vehicle (I opted for the former; no interest in owning something so large). You'll have a much easier time finding a new job than they will finding a nanny with a car that has enough room and safety features to suit their preferences.