Anonymous wrote:...in all honesty people should lay off nannies in the pandemic and re-hire them let's say in a month or 2, so nannies would be safe and get unemployment which is pretty high amount right now.
Nannies working in pandemic are more like kamikazes if parents still go to work.

You think this is going to be over in a month or two?!!

...in all honesty people should lay off nannies in the pandemic and re-hire them let's say in a month or 2, so nannies would be safe and get unemployment which is pretty high amount right now.
Nannies working in pandemic are more like kamikazes if parents still go to work.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Professional nanny here. That is, nanny being my profession for last 16 hrs and that's how I make my living. I too take 2 weeks paid (Thanksgiving, Christmas) and 2 weeks unpaid every summer, plus 5 personal paid days off to go to appointments or if I am sick. It's in my contract but even if it wouldn't be, most parents understand that nannies are not robots and need summer break as well. I cannot imagine my employers denying that provided they had 4-8 week notice.

There's nothing magical about summer that people need a break during that season. OP's nanny WANTS a break. Quire frankly, the nanny should have planned the vacations she wanted for the year at the start of the year. You had two unpaid weeks written into your contract. That means the parents can plan for that and expect it.That's not the case with OP.

Nanny took a paid week during the pandemic, but she didn’t travel, just stayed home to take a mental health break. She’s asking for a single unpaid week after sip starts lifting. Nobody planned ahead for the pandemic, nobody.

If she had taken all of her vacation prior to the pandemic, I’d be questioning how, since OP said she’s been with the family for 1.5 years. But it sounds like she used time during the pandemic because she NEEDED it, and now she’s asking for an unpaid week because she NEEDS it. If you don’t want to do it, fire her, but be upfront with your next nanny that you fired the last for asking for an unpaid week after sip lifted.

Anonymous wrote:Professional nanny here. That is, nanny being my profession for last 16 hrs and that's how I make my living. I too take 2 weeks paid (Thanksgiving, Christmas) and 2 weeks unpaid every summer, plus 5 personal paid days off to go to appointments or if I am sick. It's in my contract but even if it wouldn't be, most parents understand that nannies are not robots and need summer break as well. I cannot imagine my employers denying that provided they had 4-8 week notice.

There's nothing magical about summer that people need a break during that season. OP's nanny WANTS a break. Quire frankly, the nanny should have planned the vacations she wanted for the year at the start of the year. You had two unpaid weeks written into your contract. That means the parents can plan for that and expect it.That's not the case with OP.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nanny here. Deny her request, OP. No professional nanny would ask for an additional week off - paid or unpaid - unless there was a dire emergency.

There is no such thing as a "professional" nanny. No institution of higher learning in this country offers a degree in nannying
There is a school in England for professional nannies.

Ugh... you again. There is no institution of higher learning to make one a professional model, professional photographer, professional football player, professional or professional athlete, etc. One who earns money in a profession is a professional.

Here “professional nanny” is used in contrast to unprofessional nannies. Completely acceptable.

We have all told you this about two hundred times. Please stop boring us.

+1000

OP, in many nanny/employer situations, there is a temptation to look for who is “right.” It doesn’t actually matter.

Your nanny feels that she needs more time off. What your response is needs to happen in the context of your specific relationship.

1) How long has she been with your family? If she is newish then you run the risk of setting a bad precedence. If she has been with you years, is this something she has asked for before? What was your response then?

2) What are your objections? Would you be okay with a week in summer but are worried she will ask for more time in fall/winter? Are you stressed about lack of backup care? Worried about disruption for the kids?

3) What is her job situation right now? I for one have a much more stressful job and life during COVID than I did before. If she legitimately feels that she needs the break to function, don’t ignore that. It will not make for a successful and emotionally stable employee. You don’t have to say “yes” but you should put her request in the context of our difficult times.

4) What is your situation? Are you and your spouse both working full time? How old are your kids? How much do you NEED a nanny and how well is she paid? If you hired her pre-pandemic, bear in mind that right now there is a high demand for nannies and rates are going up. If you needed to replace her, you may have to up your rate, or you may have to go weeks without childcare before finding someone suitable.

5) How good is she? Step back from your current annoyance. Does she have a good relationship with your kids? Is she creating a positive and safe environment for them during a stressful time? Can you trust that they will be well-cared-for during her hours? That is all a huge weight off your shoulders. Think about the break-in period on a new nanny, and the chance that a new nanny wouldn’t work out. You either think about this stuff and say “Okay, my nanny is actually great and I am lucky to have her” or you realize “Actually, I would want to replace her either way. She isn’t even good with the kids.” Figure out where you are on that metric because that is the most important consideration!


We can’t tell you what to do. You have to decide by looking at your own relationship with your own nanny and nothing else.

I would be in a huge bind if our wonderful nanny asked for another week off. This covid pandemic has been so stressful for us. DH and I live in panic that we’re going to lose our jobs or be furloughed and struggle to work from home. We have no backup because both sets of grandparents are over 65 and two have health issues. Our nanny has been absolutely brilliant during all this and we couldn’t be more appreciative. I know it’s been hard on her with no playgrounds, library, classes, play dates and us in the house but she has handled it and adjusted better than we have!

Nanny is going to get a huge bonus and another five years at least of job security as I’m pregnant again. I’d love to give her the moon but couldn’t handle things without her for even a week this summer.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nanny here. Deny her request, OP. No professional nanny would ask for an additional week off - paid or unpaid - unless there was a dire emergency.

There is no such thing as a "professional" nanny. No institution of higher learning in this country offers a degree in nannying
There is a school in England for professional nannies.

Ugh... you again. There is no institution of higher learning to make one a professional model, professional photographer, professional football player, professional or professional athlete, etc. One who earns money in a profession is a professional.

Here “professional nanny” is used in contrast to unprofessional nannies. Completely acceptable.

We have all told you this about two hundred times. Please stop boring us.

+1. Same troll. Tiresome at best.

When states require a license to be a nanny then you will bena professional even hair dressers are required to have a state license.

You’ve already been proven wrong, PP. Shut up and stop embarrassing yourself.

Signed, a professional tennis player with no license!

Professional nanny here. That is, nanny being my profession for last 16 hrs and that's how I make my living. I too take 2 weeks paid (Thanksgiving, Christmas) and 2 weeks unpaid every summer, plus 5 personal paid days off to go to appointments or if I am sick. It's in my contract but even if it wouldn't be, most parents understand that nannies are not robots and need summer break as well. I cannot imagine my employers denying that provided they had 4-8 week notice.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nanny here. Deny her request, OP. No professional nanny would ask for an additional week off - paid or unpaid - unless there was a dire emergency.

There is no such thing as a "professional" nanny. No institution of higher learning in this country offers a degree in nannying
There is a school in England for professional nannies.

Ugh... you again. There is no institution of higher learning to make one a professional model, professional photographer, professional football player, professional or professional athlete, etc. One who earns money in a profession is a professional.

Here “professional nanny” is used in contrast to unprofessional nannies. Completely acceptable.

We have all told you this about two hundred times. Please stop boring us.

+1. Same troll. Tiresome at best.

When states require a license to be a nanny then you will bena professional even hair dressers are required to have a state license.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here, she used her vacation just for time off to relax that just happened to be during COVID

Working in a home while the kids and parents can’t leave is stressful. Taking a week during the pandemic probably made it so she didn’t quit and leave you in the lurch. She’s asking for an unpaid week, after the sip has started to lift. Being generous would be giving her the week paid, being decent would be giving her the week unpaid, and being ungrateful/awful would be denying the week.

If she had taken all of her vacation prior to covid, I might see it differently. If she wanted a month off, I’d say it was too long. But it sounds like your nanny worked through the sip order, allowing you to work without trying to care for your children at the same time. A little compassion now will keep your nanny with you.

Yes, I agree - I know it’s been very stressful for nannies but it’s also been very stressful for parents! Working from home, worrying about finances, worrying about children’s health, not seeing grinds or family. Compassion goes both ways.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here, she used her vacation just for time off to relax that just happened to be during COVID

Working in a home while the kids and parents can’t leave is stressful. Taking a week during the pandemic probably made it so she didn’t quit and leave you in the lurch. She’s asking for an unpaid week, after the sip has started to lift. Being generous would be giving her the week paid, being decent would be giving her the week unpaid, and being ungrateful/awful would be denying the week.

If she had taken all of her vacation prior to covid, I might see it differently. If she wanted a month off, I’d say it was too long. But it sounds like your nanny worked through the sip order, allowing you to work without trying to care for your children at the same time. A little compassion now will keep your nanny with you.

She already used up all her paid vacation. So no she shouldn’t get paid. I would say no. It’s only June and she’s asking for more time off? Unless I would be able to find someone that is reliable to come watch my children, this is a no no for me. I used to be a nanny and there’s no way a good employee does this to someone they work for. Especially being a child care worker.

Anonymous wrote:OP here, she used her vacation just for time off to relax that just happened to be during COVID

Working in a home while the kids and parents can’t leave is stressful. Taking a week during the pandemic probably made it so she didn’t quit and leave you in the lurch. She’s asking for an unpaid week, after the sip has started to lift. Being generous would be giving her the week paid, being decent would be giving her the week unpaid, and being ungrateful/awful would be denying the week.

If she had taken all of her vacation prior to covid, I might see it differently. If she wanted a month off, I’d say it was too long. But it sounds like your nanny worked through the sip order, allowing you to work without trying to care for your children at the same time. A little compassion now will keep your nanny with you.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nanny here. Deny her request, OP. No professional nanny would ask for an additional week off - paid or unpaid - unless there was a dire emergency.

There is no such thing as a "professional" nanny. No institution of higher learning in this country offers a degree in nannying
There is a school in England for professional nannies.

Ugh... you again. There is no institution of higher learning to make one a professional model, professional photographer, professional football player, professional or professional athlete, etc. One who earns money in a profession is a professional.

Here “professional nanny” is used in contrast to unprofessional nannies. Completely acceptable.

We have all told you this about two hundred times. Please stop boring us.

+1. Same troll. Tiresome at best.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nanny here. Deny her request, OP. No professional nanny would ask for an additional week off - paid or unpaid - unless there was a dire emergency.

There is no such thing as a "professional" nanny. No institution of higher learning in this country offers a degree in nannying
There is a school in England for professional nannies.

http://www.nanny-governess.com/
https://usnannyinstitute.com/

There are also numerous colleges offering early childhood education and/or certifications for nannies. There are several agencies that run their own certification programs, that way they know that each nanny they place meets a certain base criteria. There are several NCS programs.