OP you have a very legitimate concern, don't let all the defensive nannies make you feel out of line. I had a similar issue and have decided to let my nanny use my car. My husband and I work it out by one of us using public transit whenever possible, but I do have the luxury of working from home. Not sure if that is at all possible for you but it may be worth considering.

Anonymous wrote:Maybe her DH is an auto mechanic or knows one who will do the job at cost. It's one thing to pay for the repair a.d quite anothet to have car payments if they can't afford them. It is beyond presumptous for OP to tell her nanny she must get a new or newer car. You are a real ass, OP.

My transmission went out in my 4 year old car when a dump truck lost a full load of crushed road cement in front of me and a piece punched through it. Total freak occurance, but my friend is a mechanic and he got me one with the same miles for $450 and didn't charge me labor. I will keep this car until it dies because I can always get cheap parts and repairs.

OP you need to consider buying a car for nanny use. That way you know it's maintenance and reliability records. You can sell it when the nanny is done, possibly even to her.

Most nannies that I know are provided a vehicle...I just feel like that's standard.
In my opinion, if this is the only problem, instead of threatening the nanny she will be fired if she doesn't get a more appropriate car, COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS!! No one wants to drive a crummy car but maybe she's doing the best she can...why don't you have a mechanic do a safety evaluation of the car and find out what it needs? Then you will have some peace of mind.

You have no right to require your nanny to go into debt to cart your children around. Buy another car or fire her.

Anonymous wrote:You can never know for sure the condition of the nanny's car. You're taking a gamble and hoping for the best.

+1

One of the PPs mentioned that the OP could look into some used cars at dealerships. I think this would be seriously overstepping some boundaries.

Also, even if the nanny has a couple thousand dollars to fix the transmission doesn't mean she can afford to buy a car. Sure, I could put a down payment on a car right now. However, I don't have a car payment right now and it just isn't in my budget. This nannies situation could be similar.

You absolutely have the right to voice your concerns with the nanny but it doesn't seem like there is much that she can do right now. You can take the situation into your own hands and pay to have a mechanic inspect the vehicle and let you know if it is safe enough to be driving children around in.

You can see if there are any additional services that the nanny could do for you (longer days, evening hours, housekeeping) and offer her more money to do these things. Of course she may decline but maybe she will accept if it will make a car more affordable for her.

You can help the nanny pay for a new car and have a certain amount of money withheld from her paycheck each week to pay you back.

Anonymous wrote:
To the crazy nanny poster...
I'm not crazy...I am a professional nanny not a pizza delivery driver. My car is mine...it's not for the convenience of hauling someone else's kids around. Mileage or not, it's a lot of wear and tear and kids also are messy. Let's be honest--muddy feet, spilled milk in the car etc...i would think most nannies would prefer to have a car available to them...they use their car to get out of the house so they aren't stuck at home all day...

My employers provide a car and last spring bought me my own car as a bonus-gift...


I'm with you. I hate having to put the kids in my car, which is brand new. I hate the muddy feet!

You are missing the point. Its fine if YOU do not want to provide a car but you DO NOT take a job that requires providing a car. This is a job that you can not apply to and you need to move on to other offers. If you don't get any other offers, you can't have the expectation that the parent seeking a nanny providing a car will hire you anyway and buy a car for you.

So, OP, what happened?

You can never know for sure the condition of the nanny's car. You're taking a gamble and hoping for the best.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I guess I wonder whether most people would actually consider a new nanny over something like this. My son loves her and we don't have complaints other than this, except for some minor ones because nobody is perfect. And no, we cannot afford to buy a car for her. Is it worth having a conversation with her about my concerns or is that overstepping bounds?

I don't think it's overstepping boundaries. Safe, reliable transportation is a must when dealing with children. You're right, she's wasting alot more money putting it into her old car, instead of just purchasing a newer one. My cousin would always put loads of money into junkers, only to have them break down. All the money she put into cars the past 5 years could have gotten her a new car, if she didn't waste her time and effort.

Have a chat with her, tell her you understand her car troubles but that you're concerned. She might get ''annoyed'' but these are your kids and she needs to realize that as part of her job transporting children, she needs to keep their safety in mind. This is not only with the cars mobility, but her not speeding, etc. If she's not willing to purchase a vehicle, or if she can't purchase a vehicle, it might be time to search elsewhere. Your children might like the nanny but ultimately, their lives are worth the change. Kids are lovable, they will get over it and like the next nanny.

Anonymous wrote:To the crazy nanny poster...
I'm not crazy...I am a professional nanny not a pizza delivery driver. My car is mine...it's not for the convenience of hauling someone else's kids around. Mileage or not, it's a lot of wear and tear and kids also are messy. Let's be honest--muddy feet, spilled milk in the car etc...i would think most nannies would prefer to have a car available to them...they use their car to get out of the house so they aren't stuck at home all day...

My employers provide a car and last spring bought me my own car as a bonus-gift...

I'm with you. I hate having to put the kids in my car, which is brand new. I hate the muddy feet!

You all keep saying if she can afford the transmission then she can afford a down payment. Ok, a few things. Even if she can, if she doesn't have a car payment now maybe she can't afford one! But no information we have tells us that she can afford a down payment. Auto shops have credit cards. That can only be used there. I've gotten my car fixed before at merchants tire and I have a credit card there. I would not have that money just floating around to use on a down payment. So you can't assume that she has the money.

To the crazy nanny poster...
I'm not crazy...I am a professional nanny not a pizza delivery driver. My car is mine...it's not for the convenience of hauling someone else's kids around. Mileage or not, it's a lot of wear and tear and kids also are messy. Let's be honest--muddy feet, spilled milk in the car etc...i would think most nannies would prefer to have a car available to them...they use their car to get out of the house so they aren't stuck at home all day...

My employers provide a car and last spring bought me my own car as a bonus-gift...

MB here with an additional suggestion. If your nanny gets in an accident with her car while carrying your children, the other party in the accident can sue you as the nanny's employer since your nanny is using it on the job. Make sure the nanny's insurance covers her job use and has sufficient coverage limits. If she can't afford this extra coverage, it would be worthwhile for you to chip in the extra cost to safeguard your family's finances.

Sorry crazy nannies but you can't apply for a job requiring a car and expect your employer to buy you a car. It doesn't work this way on any planet. If you do not have a reliable car then you can only apply to jobs that do not require you to provide a car and that are accesible via public transportation if yours breaks down.

OP - as inconvenient as it is to search for a new nanny, especially when you like the current one, you really must be prepared to do this. Its an unfortunate situation and sounds like even though you were clear that a reliable car was required the nanny wanted the job and you liked the nanny so you hired her without verifying that she indeed had a reliable car.

Your child's safety should be the priority. If the car is older and lacks safety this is doubly important. If it has current safety features but is constantly breaking down, you need to at a minimum get some proof that the safety features have passed inspections. You can't have your child in a car with brakes that could fail. In terms of reliability, do you really want your child sitting in a broken down car on the side of the road? If your nanny is only taking your child a few streets away this may not be a big deal but if they regularly travel 15 minutes or more away from the house or travel on busy roads then it isn't worth the risk.

Its not hard to find a nanny that provides a car. This is pretty common in neighborhoods that are not walking distance to a metro as both parents commute away from public transportation. When you interview for a new nanny, you should get the make and model of the car and include specifics on safety standards that she must maintain.