Knowing the Different Nanny Types

It may be clear for some that nannies are really essential to cope with one’s daily living. Nanny services are the answer to most families needs to have someone take care of the children while the parents are temporarily away.Before going to a nanny agency to have a solution for your needs, one must have a clear picture in mind of the ideal nanny according to their preference. This is really essential so that one would not commit the mistake of hiring a nanny that would just fall short of their qualifications.

Are there different types of nannies? Well the answer to that is a definite yes, and to give one the correct idea; here are the kinds of nannies that you may want to know about.

Part-time Nanny- is a babysitter that works on call. One needs to have a flexible tie in order to cope with the family’s schedule.

Full-time Nanny- is the one that works on a certain time-frame, and regularly reports for work.

Live-in or Live-out Nanny- this type varies depending on your choice, whether one wants a nanny that stays in the house or a nanny that leaves the house when the employers are already in.

Professional Nanny- is a person who has acquired the skills of being an effective baby sitters from the experience of doing the job for a certain period of time.

Beginner- is actually the opposite of an experienced Nanny.

Educated Nanny- is a person who doesn’t just have an experience but has also earned a certification on Basic Life Support, Firs-Aid or Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation.

If one has finally formulated the kind of nanny that the family would need, then it’s time to proceed to a nanny agency and hire the nanny of your choice.

How Much Does A Nanny Cost?

One important issue that the employers and their prospective nannies should settle first before the agreement starts is the nanny’s salary.

There are several factors that are being considered in setting the salary rate for nannies. The value of their service and the quality of their service determine their salary. Past experience is also counted while determining a nanny’s salary.

Nanny’s salary ranges from different reasons such as experience, age, hours, responsibilities, number of children and more. For a live-in nanny, she/he could receive a salary with a minimum amount of 300$-400$ gross per week and could go higher to 700$-900$ for a more experienced nanny.

As an employer, you should have a clear agreement with your prospective nanny regarding the salary issue. Gross wage is before tax deduction and net wage is the actual payment to give your nanny. You should clearly define if you are withholding income taxes or you are not. Don't forget that Social Security and Medicare taxes are under your own responsibility.

Aside from the expected salary there are some nannies who are asking for other payments and compensation. Some are the following:

1. Cell phones expenses if she is using one as part of her job.

2. Health insurance

3. Paid Time Off

4. Others

All of these are depending on the agreed upon salary and benefits between the employer and the nanny.

A professional nanny should also receive some special bonuses and adjustments f the employer is satisfied with his/her job. One incentive that a nanny could get is a half year of yearly bonus for a job well done. Another incentive that baby sitters could get is an increase in their salary. One can get all of these benefits in just providing nanny services to a family who badly needed one.

Take Note:

When you are planning to hire a nanny from any agency you should be aware that there are other charges are included in the bill. These additional costs include agency application and program fee, annual nanny salary as well as the education fee along with the domestic airfare and a weekly cost to top it all.

Nannies, ask your employer about nanny cam!

Using a nanny cam while the parents are out is now a big issue. Since parents want to make sure that their nannies are doing well on their job, they would put nanny cams all over their house without even telling it to their baby sitters. So if there’s a nanny cam, how would you, as a nanny, deal with it? What questions should you ask to protect yourself from unwanted surveillance?

As a professional nanny you understand very well that the parents only wants to protect their children but the big question is, how about your right to privacy?

Questions you can ask to your prospective employer:

1. As if there’s any camera in the house.

As a matter of fact, you don’t need to wait until the agency or your prospective employer tells you that the house has nanny cams. Go ask it yourself, it is not that you have something to hide, but it is a measure of protecting yourself from abusive surveillance. Be guided by the existing local laws on home surveillance. You will know your and your prospective employer's limitations on the subject of home surveillance. As in any job, it is always smart to start on the right steps.

2. Ask if the nanny cam is installed in your assigned room.

The law definitely prohibits putting hidden cameras in areas where privacy can be violated. There should also be no spy cameras in the bathroom or dressing room.

3. Ask if the nanny cam is connected to the internet.

It’s not like being too nosey. It’s just a way to make you feel confident that the parents are aware of anything you are doing whenever they are away.

There’s no harm in asking these question. Juts make sure to explain them your reason why you want to know the answers and assure them that you don’t mind having a nanny cam on their house.

Are nanny cameras ideal or not?

With parents who are looking for someone to take care of their children or baby sitters, a demand to monitor your nannies' activities at home increases. At present, many manufacturers find new techniques on how parents like us can monitor our child's nanny when we're away. Along with it, a great issue to talk about is the question, Are nanny cameras ideal or not?

For many, it is. Parents validate their decision by pointing to incidents such as a November 2003 case in Long Island, N.Y., in which a couple's hidden camera revealed their long-time nanny slapping, kicking and attempting to smother their 10-month-old daughter. With that, one episode of the ABC hit Desperate Housewives showed the opposed possibility: Harried mom Lynette's hidden camera revealed a professional nanny who did her job so well and was so adored by the kids - that Lynette became insecure about her own parenting.

Among 4,000 mothers, 82 percent said they would rather not tell their nannies that they are being monitored not only because they are suspected to not give proper care and attention to the kids, but also to protect them from false accusations of abuse.

Some said they would resort to videotaping only if they suspected abuse. Because for some, it is unethical to use cameras secretly. Though 18 percent of the respondents said they objected with this idea, some admitted they had videotaped their nannies. - 2003 “Parenting” magazine and American Online Survey

Since there is a high demand of parents who uses nanny cam, experts in law ethics, privacy and electronic surveillance disagree over the appropriateness of secret cameras. Some nannies don't welcome a camera watching their every move - or, if one is, they want to be told about it.

Alec Farr, an attorney in Washington, D.C., law office of Bryan cave LLP, who specializes in aspects of privacy and technology said, “Legally, the decision is up to the parents when it comes to using such cameras. It’s your home. It’s her workplace you are providing to her. Therefore, she has no reasonable expectations of privacy in your home.”