100 Tips for Nannies and Families

The kids spent their summer staying up late and then sleeping late the next morning.  After all, why not?  They don’t have school to go to, so sleeping late/staying up late is no problem, right?  Oh, but doesn’t that make transitioning back to the school-year rhythm so much fun?  This and other adaptations are necessary [...]

First, let’s define the terms.
A nanny is a committed childcare provider, employed by a family to provide supervision and a nurturing environment for the family’s children, without direct parental supervision. A nanny may live in or out of a family’s primary residence.  The well-being, education, and development of the children on a day-to-day basis is [...]

In a household with two working parents, two busy children, and one full-time nanny, what do you do when one of the parents is laid off at work?  Should the parent become a stay-at-home parent, laying off the nanny to reduce family expenses?  There are many considerations when making such a decision.  Options for creative [...]

School’s out for the summer.  You would like to plan fun and educational activities for your children.  Here are a few suggestions for you and your nanny to utilize.
You can take advantage of sports, classes, and activities offered by civic or governmental organizations in your community.  These include municipal sports teams (i.e., baseball, softball, and [...]

Your youngest child is just started pre-school.  You no longer need a full-time nanny: a part-time nanny is what you will need going forward.  How do you tell your existing full-time nanny about this change?
1. Determine if there are other jobs that she can absorb that will keep her employed full-time and not have to [...]

Texting has become a hot-button issue lately.  Should you allow your nanny to text while working?  If so, do you limit the time or the occasions in which she can text?  Do you allow her to text while driving?   What should a family do?
Most families will allow nannies to text if texting does not interfere [...]

As Father’s Day approaches, what can you, as the family’s nanny, do to recognize the occasion?  Below is a list of suggestions.
1. Buy a Father’s Day card which you can give to the father in your household.
2. Help the children make Father’s Day cards which they can give their father.
3. Help the children make Father’s [...]

The federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which has protected the majority of American workers since 1938 by providing for a minimum wage, overtime wage, etc., has specifically exempted “domestic service” employees from its coverage.  Thus, nannies have not had a federal legal right to a wage that is equal to or greater than the [...]

There are many advantages to becoming friends with the parents of your kids’ friends.  A brief list of these advantages follows.
1. Play dates become social engagements for parents as well as kids.
2. You can become aware of any differences that your kids and their friends may experience in their homes. If you think any such [...]

You have hired your first nanny.  Can you pay her gross wages without taking out taxes and other withholdings?  Read on for the scoop.
If you do not have any other employees, you may be inclined to pay your nanny without withholding anything from her gross pay.  Thus, her gross pay and net pay would be [...]