Anonymous
Post 04/18/2015 10:38     Subject: Nanny requests 1 month off to vacation
Hi! I run a nanny placement agency and it's not uncommon we have families come to us for temporary "on-call" help when nanny go away for a long time. If anyone is interested it costs $300 a year and we find you a nanny up to 4 times a month. For like when nanny sick or out of town..
Simple Sitter
Brittanysimplesitter@gmail.com
Anonymous
Post 04/18/2015 10:22     Subject: Re:Nanny requests 1 month off to vacation
OP, it sounds like you were surprised by the request but not necessarily forbidding it. That is a good thing because most complications with your nanny only require a bit of mutual compromise to overcome. In this case, it would be fair to allow the nanny her vacation but only pay for one week. It would be generous to pay two weeks and treat it as though the second was your week of choice. And, it would be extraordinarily generous to pay anything more then two weeks. What seems unjust to me is that under your agreement you would have had to pay for only one week of temp care but now that will be several weeks, assuming you would have brought your child with you for your travel week and you need to reserve your vacation time for the holiday season or just another time that works better for you. I am not sure what compromise could balance that out.
Anonymous
Post 04/17/2015 17:00     Subject: Re:Nanny requests 1 month off to vacation
Don't hire a foreign born nanny. Look at the People Magazine story about the undocumented nanny who burned a little girl's hand on the stove and spanked her. You have a mother who could afford Nanny Cams but apparently not afford to hire a legal, background checked caretaker for her child.
Anonymous
Post 04/16/2015 21:57     Subject: Nanny requests 1 month off to vacation
She probably didn't realize she couldn't take 4 weeks per the agreement, but just thought she wouldn't get paid for more than two weeks. She probably figured you wouldn't care of she were gone longer than two weeks of you weren't paying her anyway. And I'm with the people who think you should have expected this when hiring a nanny from a foreign country. Who wants to drop $1300 on plane tickets to see FAMILY (not sight seeing) for only two weeks??
Anonymous
Post 04/16/2015 20:13     Subject: Nanny requests 1 month off to vacation
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Bargain hunting parents often prefer to deny the obvious, and then complain when their bargain deal ends up costing them MORE.


Go away. You're bitter because you are routinely undercut in the marketplace by people who are willing to work harder, for less money. That's a function of your sense of entitlement and bad attitude, not anyone else's issues.


I'm not PP but another nanny who has been following this thread with interest. Honestly, yes, those of us who are educated, experienced American nannies are being undercut by cheap, often uneducated foreign nannies. I disagree with you that we do not work as hard. Honestly, 90% of the foreign nannies I've observed out and about with their charges seem to be the ones who are most likely to be on their phones, zoning out, completely disengaged with their charges. Interestingly enough, most of their charges seem to be under 3 (and therefore less likely to tell mommy and daddy what their nanny does all day).

Many parents seem to think that their foreign nanny will teach DC a new language, but aside from a few words here and there I've never seen that to be the case. One family I currently babysit for who has a 5 year old and a 7 year old told me that the nanny who spent the five years with them from when DC 1 was born until DC 2 was 3, was South American and spoke little English, but neither child can speak a word of Spanish at all. It makes me wonder if their nanny was one of the foreign nannies that I often see who is speaking on her phone instead of engaging with her charges.

I studied Spanish for 6 years in high school and undergrad, and I've had pretty good success teaching children Spanish and English together, because I am constantly speaking with them and engaging with them in both languages. I admit that my Spanish is not as perfect as a native speakers, but I am fluent, and children who I have worked with for a long time have certainly learned a great deal of relevant Spanish vocabulary and sentence structure basics; enough to ask for things or have a simple conversation.

I also work very hard in my duties as a nanny, and yes I am an "entitled American." I am always coming up with new fun classes to take, parks, museums, libraries etc to visit, craft projects, educational games, and I prepare my charges meals, and do the dishes and laundry while they nap. I never speak on my phone during work and I only text during nap time. I also have never taken a vacation longer than two weeks (usually just one week per year of my choosing). My MBs and DBs are great communicators (as I try to be as well), and we have an excellent working relationship.

I find it annoying that at least once every couple of months there is a new thread on here about a foreign nanny taking an extended trip overseas. I think in many ways you get what you pay for, and if you're paying someone less than the general going rate for a qualified professional, you will probably find yourself "paying" in another way. I am sure there are many foreign nannies who are great at what they do, and maybe even some who do not take such long trips, but it's up to the parents to do their homework on these issues (thoroughly check references, maybe set up nanny cams or something, and definitely confirm their travel plans in writing before hiring), and many parents do not.



Well said, PP.

And having been raised in Beverly Hills, CA where everyone had a Spanish-speaking nanny as a child, I can guarantee you that not one of us could speak Spanish or anything close to it by the time we were in high school.
Anonymous
Post 04/16/2015 15:13     Subject: Nanny requests 1 month off to vacation
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Bargain hunting parents often prefer to deny the obvious, and then complain when their bargain deal ends up costing them MORE.


Go away. You're bitter because you are routinely undercut in the marketplace by people who are willing to work harder, for less money. That's a function of your sense of entitlement and bad attitude, not anyone else's issues.


I'm not PP but another nanny who has been following this thread with interest. Honestly, yes, those of us who are educated, experienced American nannies are being undercut by cheap, often uneducated foreign nannies. I disagree with you that we do not work as hard. Honestly, 90% of the foreign nannies I've observed out and about with their charges seem to be the ones who are most likely to be on their phones, zoning out, completely disengaged with their charges. Interestingly enough, most of their charges seem to be under 3 (and therefore less likely to tell mommy and daddy what their nanny does all day).

Many parents seem to think that their foreign nanny will teach DC a new language, but aside from a few words here and there I've never seen that to be the case. One family I currently babysit for who has a 5 year old and a 7 year old told me that the nanny who spent the five years with them from when DC 1 was born until DC 2 was 3, was South American and spoke little English, but neither child can speak a word of Spanish at all. It makes me wonder if their nanny was one of the foreign nannies that I often see who is speaking on her phone instead of engaging with her charges.

I studied Spanish for 6 years in high school and undergrad, and I've had pretty good success teaching children Spanish and English together, because I am constantly speaking with them and engaging with them in both languages. I admit that my Spanish is not as perfect as a native speakers, but I am fluent, and children who I have worked with for a long time have certainly learned a great deal of relevant Spanish vocabulary and sentence structure basics; enough to ask for things or have a simple conversation.

I also work very hard in my duties as a nanny, and yes I am an "entitled American." I am always coming up with new fun classes to take, parks, museums, libraries etc to visit, craft projects, educational games, and I prepare my charges meals, and do the dishes and laundry while they nap. I never speak on my phone during work and I only text during nap time. I also have never taken a vacation longer than two weeks (usually just one week per year of my choosing). My MBs and DBs are great communicators (as I try to be as well), and we have an excellent working relationship.

I find it annoying that at least once every couple of months there is a new thread on here about a foreign nanny taking an extended trip overseas. I think in many ways you get what you pay for, and if you're paying someone less than the general going rate for a qualified professional, you will probably find yourself "paying" in another way. I am sure there are many foreign nannies who are great at what they do, and maybe even some who do not take such long trips, but it's up to the parents to do their homework on these issues (thoroughly check references, maybe set up nanny cams or something, and definitely confirm their travel plans in writing before hiring), and many parents do not.
Anonymous
Post 04/16/2015 09:22     Subject: Nanny requests 1 month off to vacation
Anonymous wrote:Bargain hunting parents often prefer to deny the obvious, and then complain when their bargain deal ends up costing them MORE.


Go away. You're bitter because you are routinely undercut in the marketplace by people who are willing to work harder, for less money. That's a function of your sense of entitlement and bad attitude, not anyone else's issues.
Anonymous
Post 04/16/2015 08:23     Subject: Nanny requests 1 month off to vacation
Bargain hunting parents often prefer to deny the obvious, and then complain when their bargain deal ends up costing them MORE.
Anonymous
Post 04/16/2015 08:11     Subject: Nanny requests 1 month off to vacation
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Next time hire an American and you won't have this issue.


OP here.....I don't let someone's ethnicity factor into my hiring decision and neither should you.


You're wrong and you should absolutely have considered her "ethnicity". This happens ALL THE TIME with foreign-born nannies. Next time, hire an American or understand that a 4 to 6 week vacation request will happen.
Anonymous
Post 04/16/2015 07:00     Subject: Re:Nanny requests 1 month off to vacation
Hire an American nanny. This is not the least bit racist or prejudiced -- it is a simply fact that an American's home country is here and a shorter flight! And our relatives can visit us (no immigration issues). Besides, most Americans know that no one takes a month off.
Anonymous
Post 04/15/2015 21:51     Subject: Nanny requests 1 month off to vacation
You could see if she is open to taking off the whole summer and then you could hire a college student or other summer only nanny. That would likely be less expensive and easier to find.
Anonymous
Post 04/15/2015 21:29     Subject: Nanny requests 1 month off to vacation
Anonymous wrote:I don't think it's at all bigoted to point out that American nannies normally do not take month long vacations and nannies with family in other countries are much more likely to want to do this. The onus is on the nanny to express this in the interview process and shame on her if she does not since month vacation ares very abnormal in the US, but it happens enough that NFs should consider asking the nanny directly if she plans to exceed the contract vacation schedule and make clear if that would present a problem for them.


Good idea!
Anonymous
Post 04/15/2015 21:27     Subject: Nanny requests 1 month off to vacation
I don't think it's at all bigoted to point out that American nannies normally do not take month long vacations and nannies with family in other countries are much more likely to want to do this. The onus is on the nanny to express this in the interview process and shame on her if she does not since month vacation ares very abnormal in the US, but it happens enough that NFs should consider asking the nanny directly if she plans to exceed the contract vacation schedule and make clear if that would present a problem for them.
Anonymous
Post 04/15/2015 20:18     Subject: Nanny requests 1 month off to vacation
Anonymous wrote:Looks like you have to deal with a few inconveniences to get those bargain nannies. That's the price *you* get to pay.


Oh the high dollar ones are no prize either.

Everyone comes with advantages and disadvantages. Not everyone signs a contract they don't intend to honor.
Anonymous
Post 04/15/2015 19:54     Subject: Nanny requests 1 month off to vacation
Looks like you have to deal with a few inconveniences to get those bargain nannies. That's the price *you* get to pay.