Thursday, 9 August 2012

Benefits from Having a Live-in Nanny and Tips on Finding One

Source : http://whiteman.jigsy.com/entries/nanny/benefits-from-having-a-live-in-nanny-and-tips-on-finding-one

Having a live-in nanny can be very beneficial for a busy parent because a live-in nanny can provide full-time child supervision and care. Some parents consider their live-in nanny as their partner in raising their children.

A live-in nanny can help your children prepare for school in the morning and can also greet them when they return from school. They can also help your children with their studies especially if you are most of the time away because of business trips. Furthermore, a live-in nanny can help nurse a newly-born baby until the mother gets back on her feet and return to her normal condition.

These are just some of what a live-in nanny can do for you. If you are planning on hiring a live-in nanny, you need to know a few things before letting a nanny inside your home. When you hire a live-in nanny, you are making a personal connection involving you and your kids. You should not be in a hurry to be sure that everything will work out smoothly.

Tips on finding a live-in nanny:

Talk to someone who has experience working with a live-in nanny and ask about the arrangements they made. Afterwards, make a detailed outline of your terms as well as the duties that the she needs to fulfill. These terms should be included clearly in the contract and you also need to be direct and reasonable in your expectations from the nanny. Discuss a fair pay with the nanny and be sure that she is comfortable with the accommodation that you will provide.

Another important thing that you should consider is that you are hiring a nanny and not a housemaid. You might consider hiring a housekeeper nanny if you need more than just child supervision and care.

When hiring a nanny, there is a possibility that you are hiring a professional in childcare or a somewhat inexperienced babysitter because a nanny can be someone with a degree in healthcare or someone who has experience in taking care of a younger sister or brother.

Once you found the perfect live-in nanny, be sure that you and your entire family are ready to welcome her. Prepare her room and be sure that she will have privacy during her time off. Normally, nannies ask for two consecutive days off and it is important that you include in the contract the rules for overtime.

If you need extra help from your live-in nanny other than child supervision and care, you should also provide them extra compensation. It is very important that you talk to your live-in nanny about this.

Remember, it is important that you establish a good relationship with your live-in nanny because a live-in nanny can be more than just a caregiver, she can be a trusted friend.

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Wednesday, 8 August 2012

Getting a Nanny for Your Child

Raising a child is perhaps the biggest challenge for anyone. If you need to balance this with work, you’re up for even a greater challenge. This is why many working parents today choose to entrust their children in the care of a nanny.

Although they are your children, it is also important for them to spend time with other nurturing caregivers other than you and your spouse because interacting with other people can give good benefits to your children. Also, being with your child always does not make you a better father or mother. As an adult you will also need to go out, play a game or socialize to have a healthy, well-balanced lifestyle. This just shows how important it is to find a nanny to take care of your children.

If you only require a few hours a day of childcare then hiring a part-time nanny is a good option rather than enrolling your children in a daycare center. Hiring a part-time nanny works greatly in most situations, like if you have work during the day or during the night.

There are actually different types of nanny positions, a full-time live-in, full-time live-out and a part-time nanny. There is also a nanny that only works for a certain period of time like the summer nanny. For more skilled, thoughtful and regular nurturing, it is best that you hire a full-time live-in nanny. A full-time live-in nanny is a professional child caregiver that is looking for a steady income.

When looking for a nanny, you must specify your requirements and expectations. You may list down all of your demands like she should not only provide childcare but also take care of preparing meals and manage housekeeping as well. You may look for a nanny who has her own car or other specific requirements, like a nanny who can also be a tutor to your child. Also, you should discuss with her all other work conditions including rest days, overtime work and etcetera.

Many nannies are educated or have received training about child health, safety and childhood learning so you shouldn’t be surprised if they know more about your children than you do. You may find that hiring a nanny is one of the best options for caring for your children. Whatever you decide on, it should be something that you and your partner both agree on. Consider including your children in the decision making if they are of the right age.

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Nanny child care

What duties are required with nanny child care? Many parents often wonder the extent of the responsibilities of a nanny child care. At first meeting, families and nannies alike are advised to establish guidelines and set expectations with regards to caring for the child/children. This helps prevent disputes with the nanny and cause the nanny to leave.

Highly qualified nannies are a rare kind, so if your current nanny displays qualities that suit your preferences on child care and loves your child, then you’ve found a jewel. Hence, you need to make sure that all is well between the nanny and you for the nanny to build long-term employment relationship with you.

The degree of nanny child care depends on the nanny’s child care experience. Entry-level nannies may only involve helping mothers with child care while experienced nannies can do as much as be instrumental in the intellectual, emotional, physical, and social development of a child. Most families need to leave the children in the care of a full-time nanny. With that comes the responsibility of ensuring the welfare of the children during the day when parents are at work.

The top priority of nanny child care, in general, is to make sure the children’s needs are met in the different areas of development. Being a nanny is more than just receiving a weekly pay check. Working with children is a very fulfilling job because you are not only a caregiver, but also someone who is part of a child’s life.

The main responsibilities of nanny child care include meal preparation, help with homework (of schoolchildren), taking the child to scheduled activities, arrange play dates, plan stimulating activities, do the children’s laundry, keep play areas clean, and others as may be agreed upon between the parents and nanny.

Improve child care skills

Child care can be a very demanding task, especially with very young children. Thus, one common way to improve nanny child care skills is to participate in nanny trainings and obtain a certification. A great number of parents would prefer nannies that have undergone various trainings on child care, which can include first aid training.

Several organizations are devoted to nanny or babysitter trainings in response to the growing demand for child care services. One of the best known trainings is the American Red Cross Babysitter Training and the CABS (developed by several national organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics).

Nanny child care requires patience, but when you grow to love the job and the child, it can be a very flattering experience.

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Nanny cost: Expensive or Investment?

Do you need a nanny to take care of your child/children while you are at work? Many parents with experience in finding a nanny with the right qualifications would tell you that it's never like choosing an ice cream flavor. However, if you've found the right person to fill your space, at least, in providing childcare, the next issue would be nanny cost.

How much should you pay a nanny and what is the cost associated with having a nanny at home. First, you need to know that there are two kinds of nannies today – live-in and live out nannies. Live-in nannies are those who stay with you at home, so you need to provide her with a private sleeping quarter and meals. The live out nanny comes over to your house at a time you both agreed on, and is entitled to meals as long as she is with your child at home.

In the United States, nannies are covered under a special regulation that entitles them to a compensation and benefits package required by law. When you hire a nanny, you become the employer and the nanny, the employee. Similar to other jobs, the background and experience of nannies will determine their compensation level. If your nanny barely has childcare experience, she is likely to be at the lowest end of the compensation range. The higher the candidate's childcare experience coupled with related training and education, the higher nanny cost will be.

Most often than not, live-in nanny cost (salary) can range between $525-650 weekly while live-out nanny cost is between $525-750 per week. As the employer, you are responsible for your nanny's taxes unlike when you bring your child to a daycare center, where compensation and benefits, as well as taxes are shouldered by the owner of the place.

Tax Exceptions

There are exceptions to nanny tax policies. If the nanny works for you for 29 hours/week or less, then she is responsible for paying her taxes which she can file via IR56. You can save on nanny cost if the nanny is hired only temporarily or as a babysitter. This is possible if your work allows you spend more time with your child.

You may also wish to bring your nanny along on a vacation, if it's absolutely necessary. This will not only increase nanny cost but your vacation expenses as well. Remember, the nanny's transportation costs will be billed against you, and so will her other needs while taking care of your child during the vacation. You can continue paying her the daily salary just like at home.

Nanny cost may be a small investment if you are assured that your child/children are in safe hands when you are away.

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Tuesday, 7 August 2012

Things to Consider Before Putting Down the Nanny for Hire Sign

Source : http://findababysitter.tumblr.com/post/28903229146/things-to-consider-before-putting-down-the-nanny-for

Since the late 19th and early 20th century, the concept of a nanny has already been in practice in modern society, with “nanny for hire” signs already posted on household gates and fences.

A nanny is basically a person whose profession involves looking after the child, or children, of a household. Way back during its inception years, a nanny was pretty much referred to as a “nurse” whose primary duties involved childcare. It isn’t actually surprising to hear of “nurses” taking care of up to three generations of a household’s children, depending on their performance as nannies.

These days, a nanny could either be one who lives in, or out, meaning she/he could be one who lives within the child’s household, or reports in during an arranged time schedule.

The value of picking the right nanny couldn’t be stressed even more than by simply explaining the nature of a nanny’s job. Before taking down that nanny for hire sign, here is something to consider:

Those who put up nanny for hire signs expect nanny applicants to work within a set of responsibilities. Here is a sample list of responsibilities which one should “test” a nanny applicant on, before taking down that nanny for hire sign.

- A nanny should provide child care within the scheduled hours, and should inform the employing family should there be difficulties in keeping with the predefined schedule, regardless of the reason.

- A nanny should support the child, or children, on a creative, physical, social, and intellectual sense.

- A nanny should keep her/his wards away from harm, ensuring their safety above anything else.

- A nanny should provide sufficient nutrition, giving a child, or children, balanced meals, which are rich in vitamins and minerals.

- A nanny, though spending much time with a child, or children, shouldn’t “outstage” the parent, or parents’ role in the child, or children’s lives, keeping the parents informed of a child, or children’s concerns and other issues.

- The cleanliness of the home is also a concern, as the neatness and cleanliness of a house affects the child, or children.

Should an applicant have no problems with the defined set of responsibilities, what hinders one from taking down the nanny for hire sign would be a background check on the applicant.

Ideally, an applicant’s references should be looked upon with scrutiny. If the applicant’s resume stands to suit well with what one is looking for, the whole taking down of the nanny for hire sign would be all that’s left to do.

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Nanny Information Areas to Consider When it Comes to Nanny Information Gathering

Source : http://findbabysitters.wordpress.com/2012/08/07/nanny-information-areas-to-consider-when-it-comes-to-nanny-information-gathering/

Though not titled as it is today, the profession of a nanny has been around since the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. During its early days of inception, a nanny was often referred to as a nurse, whose primary responsibility was to take care of a household’s child, or children.

The role of a nanny hasn’t changed much until today, emphasizing the importance of nanny information gathering before even hiring one into one’s home. As the role of a nanny is to look after her/his employer’s child, or children, the value of nanny information gathering couldn’t be stressed some more by simply relating a nanny’s job description.

Here are two areas to consider when it comes to applicant nanny information gathering excursions. Taxing as this process of hiring a nanny may be, the aspect of nanny information gathering should be one taken with utmost diligence and serious concern, as one isn’t simply hiring one to physically take care of his/her child, or children, but emotionally and mentally as well.

Looking Into References

Normally, looking up a nanny’s references would be a good way to start one’s nanny information gathering exercise. Ideally, a nanny who comes recommended by one’s friends or family should be given consideration, as these nanny applicants have already been “tested”, condescending as this may sound. This is given of course that one’s friends and family have a solid understanding of what makes a nanny a suitable one. With this regard, it is altogether up to the “nanny searcher” to see if a friend’s or family member’s recommendation is worth looking into.

If a nanny applicant’s references don’t exactly add up, for example, a reference denies ever hiring her/him, that actually tells one something about the integrity of the nanny as an applicant for the position, let alone as a person, and would stand as a strong point against hiring that person for the position.

Normally, great nannies come with strong references who see her/him with high regard, and would be apparent in the nanny’s being.

Questions, Questions, and Questions

Asking questions to the applicant in person would be another great way in actively putting a nanny information gathering excursion into play. An applicant’s answers, as well as her/his way of answering, would help rate her/his chances of being hired for the job.

Be sensitive to how an applicant answers your questions, as this actually would say something about the applicant’s personality. There is no book or guide which would dictate how one should rate an applicant on this aspect of nanny information gathering, which leaves it all up to the “nanny searcher’s” preference in what makes the perfect nanny.

All in all, successfully exploring these areas would greatly enhance a nanny information gathering excursion, leaving one with no regrets in hiring the right nanny for the job.

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The Nanny Needed Situation

Source : http://findbabysitters.wordpress.com/2012/08/07/the-nanny-needed-situation/

A nanny needed situation is one where one needs the services of a nanny. Finding out the purpose of hiring a nanny isn’t exactly rocket science, as in these fast paced times, career driven parents simply need help in raising their children. The act of employing nannies to help them deal with the challenges of rearing a child, or children, is known to help parents cope with the stresses of their careers, as well as with the stresses at home, with a child, or children to take care of.

The whole concept of a nanny needed situation dates back to the late 19th and early 20th century. Nannies then were often referred to as nurses, with some households even integrating them within the family household itself. Certain nannies were/are known to take care of up to three generations of children, keeping true to the nature of their profession, and are at times, genuinely loved by households, even referred to as members of the family.

In a bookish dictionary definition, a nanny is one who looks after the child or children of a family, who employs them for such a service. A nanny needed situation is one where parents simply need the physical presence of someone to take care of their child or children, or help them take care of their child or children.

On a general scale, a nanny needed situation asks this list of responsibilities from nannies:

- Nannies provide childcare, ideally within a timeframe agreed upon between her/him and her/his employers. Should there be schedule related problems, a nanny should ideally inform his/her employer, or employers regarding the situation.

- A nanny is not only concerned with the physical well being of the child, or children, but should aid him/her/them in the social, emotional, creative, and intellectual sense of his/her/their development.

- Keeping the child, or children away from physical harm, stands to be another responsibility nannies should shoulder.

- Providing proper well balanced meals and snacks to the child or children rank as another responsibility for a nanny.

- Though spending a lot of time with a child, or children, a nanny should know that he/she shouldn’t outstage the role of the parent in the child, or children’s live/lives. By informing the parents of their child, or children’s concerns, a nanny actively involves the parents’ the child or children’s lives.

- Maintaining a clean and neat environment is also a nanny’s concern, keeping the household clean and neat, the ideal ambience for a child, or children to grow in.

Bottom line, a nanny needed situation is truly a stressful state where parents simply need the services of a nanny. Getting one may cost more, but the benefits which follow are altogether worth the cost in resolving a nanny needed situation.

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For more reading : http://findababysitter.tumblr.com/post/28901912476/the-nanny-needed-situation

Types of Nanny Services and Where to Find Them

http://findababysitter.tumblr.com/post/28901178407/types-of-nanny-services-and-where-to-find-them

http://findbabysitters.wordpress.com/2012/08/07/types-of-nanny-services-and-where-to-find-them/

If you need nanny services, the first thing you need to determine is what type of nanny you require. There are various types of nanny services to accommodate the needs of different families. Do you need a nanny who will just take care of your child or someone who will also help with household duties like cleaning or cooking?

In addition, you need to determine whether you need part-time nanny services or full-time nanny services. The second option is of course more expensive and usually requires that the nanny stays at the family’s home. If you require live-in nanny services then of course you need to make sure you have proper accommodation. You can negotiate with a potential nanny to include room and board in their pay.

Of course, a full time nanny does not have to live with the family but she would need to be at your home for the entire day, usually for 8 to 10 hours a day, depending on the work schedule you agreed upon. Whatever type of nanny you choose, make sure to arrange a clear work schedule because all types of nannies need a time off.

Part-time nanny services are ideal for those who need someone to look after their child after school until the parent comes home from work in the evening. A part-time nanny will care for your child at home and the services she will provide will depend on the specific duties you defined. Do not readily assume that the nanny will also clean your home in addition to caring for your child. Some nannies can also be housekeepers but traditionally, nanny services are strictly child care services.

If you need a nanny and a housekeeper, make sure you make this very clear at the start so there are no misunderstandings. As the parent, you also need to realize that the nanny is not your replacement. Do not expect her to manage your household for you entirely because that is your responsibility. Their basic role is to take care of your child or children while you are away.

If you are a busy parent and you do not have much time to spend looking for a nanny, there are many credible online companies that offer help in finding nanny services. For a minimal fee, all you need to do is to set up a profile and answer questions regarding your nanny services requirements. The placement agency will match you with potential nannies that meet your needs.

Should you decide to use an online nanny services placement agency, make sure to work with a reputable company. Check out their privacy policies. Make sure your contact information is not published on the site and that all private information stays confidential.

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