Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My contract states the parameters within which I am willing to go along for trips.

If I am working: I will share a room with no more than 2 kids who sleep through the night, and unless I am being paid for every hour, I am not required to be back at a certain time. A parent will be with kids until I return. I don't pay for anything (food, travel, housing), and I'm paid for every hour worked up to 24/7 (if I share a room with kids, I am paid for my lack of privacy).

If I'm not working, I pay my own way. I am paid my guaranteed salary for the week, and I can decide when to join the family (from the list of times that I'm given). I am also given the option of staying home; either way, it doesn't count against my vacation as the family is choosing not to have me work.

This is why the family should have just hired a sitter there, since the OP was not their regular nanny (so no guaranteed hours to pay to begin with). Everyone would have been happy, and the cost would have been cheaper.

Anonymous wrote:My contract states the parameters within which I am willing to go along for trips.

If I am working: I will share a room with no more than 2 kids who sleep through the night, and unless I am being paid for every hour, I am not required to be back at a certain time. A parent will be with kids until I return. I don't pay for anything (food, travel, housing), and I'm paid for every hour worked up to 24/7 (if I share a room with kids, I am paid for my lack of privacy).

If I'm not working, I pay my own way. I am paid my guaranteed salary for the week, and I can decide when to join the family (from the list of times that I'm given). I am also given the option of staying home; either way, it doesn't count against my vacation as the family is choosing not to have me work.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Update, OP?

OP Here:
Thank you for your continued interest in this. I DEFINITELY learned a valuable lesson & it's made me a much assertive and wiser person!

Anyway, just to clarify....The 13 yr. old boy has Autism/Aspergers + he tends to wander around often, getting lost so he needs to be watched at ALL times!

The 5-HR plane ride was tough, I sat next to a very excited 8yr. old who was simply antsy w/excitement (who could blame her??!) who wanted to play the whole flight. It was tough to keep reminding her to stop kicking the seat in front of her multiple times as well as trying to get her to contain her excitement as a few passengers asked us to keep our voices down.

I was exhausted when I got off the plane since it also was an early morning flight. We got to stay in a ritzy hotel (Marriot) and if I had my own room that would have been wonderful. But no.....The Father + son had one room while I shared one w/the Mother + 8 yr. old. The two rooms connected too so I had little to no privacy!!
It would have been nice to go to bed when I wanted and not have to wait for the shower. Plus Mom snores & the 8 yr. old was much too excited to really sleep!

The weather was miserable. Hot, oppressive humidity + intermediate bouts of rain. Plus the amusement parks were just overcrowded to the hilt since everyone was on Spring Break it seemed.
There were long lines everywhere, from getting security checked to get in, to waiting 2-3 hrs. to go on a 3 min. ride, to waiting to buy a $5 bottle of cold water...Even the restrooms had lines.

I wanted a picture taken w/Elsa or Cinderella but it was a 2 hr. wait for that.

The parents were hot, tired, thirsty, hungry & sticky/sweaty like me. The Autistic boy kept screaming he hated the crowds and the heat and kept hiding from us. No one could agree what ride or attraction to visit and the family argued. A lot.
Argh!!

By the time we got back to the hotel, I was too exhausted to shower, I just fell into bed. Then the next day I had to get up early so we could get to the parks early, so I mostly just got dressed, combed my hair + brushed my teeth while assisting the kids to hurry and do the same!

How I longed to spend just ONE day in the A/C hotel room alone to sleep in, take a long bath and read or watch T.V.

I couldn't wait to leave!!

Sure I should be grateful that I didn't spend a dime on anything, but I won't do another "vacation" like this ever again!!!!
A vacation is supposed to be fun. I like going somewhere to do nothing but relax.

This trip was constant physical & mental labor and I never got to do anything alone. I ate every meal w/them and had zero "me" time.

My real vacation didn't start until I got home again! I needed three mental health days to recover!!

Nannies/Babysitters: Never agree to accompanying a family on vacation unless you get to sit alone on the plane, have your very own hotel room PLUS (Very important!!) get paid an HOURLY wage for childcare duties. You should also be allowed some respite time for yourself.

Please learn from my experience.

Good Luck!!

Anonymous wrote:Update, OP?

Anonymous wrote:The ONLY reason you are being brought along on this trip is to provide childcare services. Paying your expenses should be a given. You should be paid your usual weekly rate unless you end up working more hours than usual. You should have a private space (no sharing rooms with the kids) and you should have defined on and off time, not the expectation that you are on constant kid wrangling duty, UNLESS they are prepared to pay extra for all of the extra hours on duty. You need to clarify to your boss that this is a vacation for them, not for you. If they truly mean it as a vacation for you, she should not be "joking" about you watching her kids for her during the flight. Either you're on vacation or you're working. She can't have it both ways.

Anonymous wrote:You're being screwed.

It's a working vacation.

You're first problem was not setting a pay per day
Then you're hours. Are you expected to stay with the family during the day or can you go to the parks alone. Then that goes to food, who's paying? Did you talk about a per diem for that.
Now what about rooms? Is your room separate from the family or are you in a room with them (even a suite- you need your own space). What about room service? Are they paying?

Personally they are trying to do this a cheap way.

I am a nanny and in my contract I get a set amount per day (I won't give the amount but it's between $500 and $800 per day) but I'm on call for 24 hrs, so I'm paid for all 24 hrs. Though my bosses tell me ahead of time what days I'll have free and what nights. I also get my own room and a per diem for all food. I travel very often with my nanny family.