Live-in Nanny -- What would you ask?

[neveryoumindthere]

Hey everyone,

i have a chance to possibly get a friend of mine to be a live-in nanny. We are not super close, but I really like her and she's AWESOME with kids

She needs a place to live, and I need a nanny. Perfect right?

We have a basement apartment with kitchen/bathroom/bedroom so we would both have our privacy.

Before we get together to discuss, what are some questions/things you'd discuss? I want to lay it all out so there are no surprises later.

I know for example we'd have to discuss having guests over, and how we'd manage needing a break from each other.

what other things would you ask/discuss?

thanks in advance!

[~Adorkable~]

As much as you hope it all works, I would think about how it would be delt with if it does not and you need her to move out.

I would talk about what kind of access she will have to your house, will she have total 24 acess, or will she come and go like someone that came in from an agency.
Will she have duties taking care of things like plants or pets if you and the kids go on vacation or will she get to take time off too.

If she will have another job to make money , what hours will she devote to your kids?
If you set a certain number of hours her her to work a week or month to cover her room, what is the pay rate for if you need more time?

Is she alowed to have other kids come over for her to watch while she is watching yours so she can make additional money?


I am thinking a lot of these things as well, I am moving to an area that it is very normal to have an little efficiency apartment in the basement with it's own entrance, so the thought has come up to trade it for household help when my twins arrive or even in the few months before when my plate starts getting realllllly full. Though I am focusing on household help so i can focus on the twins, many of the same general questions come up.


Kid care questions would include checking on her theories about care and discipline and making sure they are comparable with yuors, everyone can shift a bit, but if she is very different than you would be, she will probably revert back to what is natural to her is times on stress. You said she is great with kids so this is probably not an issue for you.

[Arduinna]

I'd definitely ask about discipline, what days off work for you both, and specific hours plus the parameters of her duties, if she has any allergies or dietary restrictions, pay, benefits, taxes.

[mommariffic]

Def hours - would there be set hours or just a certain number of weekly hours? When we had a nanny I liked flexibility so we'd do say 25 hours a week and each week sit and discuss what times would work. I freelance though, so I'm flexible and wanted to be able to do all activities with my DD in between writing...our nanny [who lived in for a few months] ended up making up any hours that weren't spent doing childcare by cooking because she loved to cook. THAT WAS AWESOME.

The guest thing is important, but she's got her own apartment so that's pretty awesome.

I'd discuss pay - hourly or a flat weekly rate. Bi weekly pay or weekly? Check or cash? All these things are supper important...

I can't think of anything else, too hot to think!

[Thalia]

I would discuss all the same things I'd discuss with any nanny applicant, PLUS how your friendship would be affected if things didn't work out on either end. PLUS anything you'd discuss with a renter or roommate (house rules, etc). I would also put together a work agreement and get her feedback on it, then have both parties sign. It is much much much easier to discuss all these things up front so that everyone is clear about what to expect.

Some nanny-related things to ask about:

Her eperience, including CPR certification

Approach to childcare (hers and yours-any conflicts?)

Rate of Pay (will she expect a raise at some point?

Hours (what hours will she work and how flexible do you need her to be, or does she need you to be?

Overtime pay (what happens if you are late coming home, for instance?)

Time off (how much notice does she need to give if she wants a day off, paid or unpaid? How much notice do you need to give if you want to take a vacation with the kids without her?)

Work duties (childcare, food prep, cleaning--what exactly do you expect her to do? Can she have guests over while caring for your kids? Can she use your computer/phone? For how long? What about talking/texting on her own phone? Is it okay with you if she watches TV while on duty? Will she eat your food while on duty, or make her own?)

Benefits (can you offer any? Does she get any paid time off?)

Taxes (how much does she want withheld? What portion will you need to withhold for federal and state taxes? What portion will you be paying to the government as her employer?)