There are a lot of families who feel they will benefit from a live-in nanny. Live-in nannies can become part of the family, and if they’re from another country along with taking care of your children, they may also be able to help them develop foreign language skills.
There are plenty of logistical and personal considerations to keep in mind, however.
There are the financial elements, such as what it will cost and if your nanny comes from another country, the requirements that will be needed to ensure that person can work legally. You’ll also likely want to help your nanny set up their finances and find ways to send money abroad if they have family or financial commitments in another country.
In addition to those considerations, what else should you think about?
The Benefits
There are plenty of benefits to a live-in nanny, such as the fact that if you frequently have to travel for work or other reasons, your nanny will be there to help out while you’re away. A live-in nanny can easily provide overnight care for kids.
This can also be helpful not just for traveling scenarios, but also for families with newborns who want childcare help during the night.
Live-in nannies tend to build strong bonds with the families they work for, and they can help with things like getting kids off to school each morning as well.
While the idea of a live-in nanny can sound expensive, for a lot of families it ends up costing less than a nanny who doesn’t live with the family, especially since you’re providing many of the necessities for the person that they then don’t have to pay for.
Getting to Know Someone
If you think hiring someone as live-in childcare is right for your family, you might consider taking your time when hiring and maybe setting up some trial time.
A lot of people don’t understand how much even small differences in lifestyle or personality can affect everyone when a live-in nanny comes to your home. For example, if your nanny isn’t exactly tidy, it can be really problematic.
Create a Contract
While a live-in nanny may ultimately seem like they’re part of the family, at the beginning there need to be guidelines in place. It’s also important to remember no matter how close the family becomes with the nanny, that person is still an employee.
Create an employment contract when you hire someone, and make sure you include the hours they’re expected to work, and other expectations your family may have. This can reduce a lot of future conflicts.
Outline the areas of your house the nanny can use, and what any possible restrictions might be. The clearer you are in the beginning, the better your working relationship is likely to be.
Finally, if you’re hiring someone who isn’t from the U.S., you should ensure that they’re legally able to work in the U.S. You will also be responsible handling tax and payment issues as if they are your employee because that’s what the IRS considers household workers.
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