Understanding Child Care Challenges

If you intend to vacation this year with your young children, you may have considered hiring a travel nanny or babysitter. There are multiple benefits to bringing along an extra set of hands to help with the children, but there are several considerations to think about. The following are some items to communicate with your nanny before you embark on a vacation.

Who Is Paying for the Trip?

You need to be clear about what expenses you will cover, if any, during your trip. As the employer of the nanny, you should expect to pay for at least a portion of the expenses, but you need to adequately communicate what the nanny will have to cover during the vacation. Items to consider include travel to and from the destination, the hotel expenses, meals, activities, transportation around the vacation destination, and so on. If you are going outside of the country, your nanny will also need a passport, which is also an added expense if he or she does not currently have one.

Where Will the Nanny Sleep?

Another thing to think about is the sleeping arrangements on your trip. Some nannies stay in a room with the children on trips while others get their own room. If your children need overnight care, you may want to consider having your nanny room with the children, but be sure you are upfront about this expectation before you finalize the trip. Your nanny may expect to have time off at night in a separate room once the children are in their own beds.

How Much Will You Pay the Nanny?

A very important conversation is how much you will compensate the nanny for his or her services while you are on your vacation. Depending on how long your trip is, you may need to pay your nanny throughout the trip on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. Think about all the responsibilities of the nanny and decide on a commensurate pay rate. Also, consider providing a per diem to help pay for any added expenses each day.

What Will the Nanny's Daily Schedule Look Like?

You also need to discuss your schedule with your nanny. Talk about how many hours you expect the nanny to work, whether any overnight care is necessary, and if you expect the nanny to work overtime. You might want to have a calendar on hand to write out the schedule for each day.

Keep these questions in mind when looking for nanny care for an upcoming trip.