Now that Halloween is over and November is here, the holidays are creeping up on all of us! If you have vacation plans for the winter holidays and you’re hoping to bring your nanny along, make sure you prepare in advance, especially if you’ve never traveled together before.

It may be a vacation for you and your family, but remember that your nanny is still caring for your kids during the trip. Set aside some time well before the trip to talk about your expectations, compensation, hours, and other important details with your nanny.

Discuss lodging and travel details early

Since your nanny will be working, you should cover their accommodations, travel expenses, and meals while on the clock. If your nanny is watching the children during a long car ride, those are hours worked for them, and they should be paid. The same goes for a short plane trip, including the price of a round-trip ticket. You should not expect your nanny to pay for travel and lodging.

You should also give your nanny a private room to stay in during the trip. Unless your children have special needs that require someone to be in the same room at all times, it’s polite to give your nanny their own room. 

Making your nanny room with the kids blurs the lines between work hours and off-hours. It’s also important that your nanny have a private room where they can rest and recharge between shifts.

Talk about pay and hours

You should take care of travel expenses and accommodations, yes, but will your nanny’s regular pay schedule remain the same? What about their pay rate? Will you pay your nanny the total amount when the vacation ends? Remember that, if you go over 40 hours of work, you will have to pay your nanny overtime!

This is the time to hammer out all the details regarding pay, as well as the hours you expect your nanny to work. Talk with your nanny about overtime pay, expected work hours, a stipend to pay for meals, snacks or activities during the day, and so on. Vacations may not always go as planned, so you and your nanny will BOTH need to be flexible, but it helps to be as prepared as possible.

Review rules and routines

Vacation routines with children can be very different from the regular routine at home. That’s even more true if you’re traveling to visit family for holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. With more family members around, figuring out who’s in charge can be confusing for your kids and nanny.

Discuss who the kids should listen to when everyone is together on vacation. If you have grandparents or other relatives who try to take over (with good intentions!), stand firm and back your nanny up as the authority figure. That’s what they’re there for, after all.

Finally, let your nanny know what to expect during the vacation. A weekend trip to Grandma’s home a few hours away will probably not be the same as escaping the winter snow to a beach house in Florida for two weeks. You and your nanny can discuss what to pack, what activities they can prepare for, and what weather to expect during the trip.

Plan ahead with your nanny

The bottom line? While it may be a family or holiday vacation for you, your nanny will be working. It should be considered a business trip for them. Plan ahead and compensate your nanny accordingly to make sure your trip goes smoothly for everyone.

For more advice on building a great relationship with your nanny, follow the ¹ú²úÂ鶹 blog!

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Ready to pack up the bags, get the kids ready, and head on a trip for the holidays? If so, think about bringing your nanny along. Whether it’s a holiday trip or a family vacation, bring your nanny with you to help! Traveling with your nanny can be a great experience for everyone involved: the nanny can help with the children and allow for a date night too!

However, to ensure that both you and the nanny are still cheerful by the end of the tip, don’t forget some key things to discuss with your nanny. It’s best to be clear on the expectations and all the arrangement before the trip begins!

Steps to travel successfully with your nanny:

Communicate Beforehand-

Before the trip begins, outline the nanny’s responsibilities and schedule during the trip. Make sure your nanny knows when you need them to watch the children full time or when they may be going along with you and just be a helper. Also, if you decide on the trip that you want your nanny to take on extra hours, be sure to compensate fairly and communicate that to them. Always let them know their schedule for the hours you need them to work while on the trip. Make sure your nanny understands and is on the same page yet feels appreciated and compensated fairly.

Discuss Compensation-

This may seem like an obvious thing to discuss but you need to make sure they are aware of what they are getting paid even while traveling. Talk about whether your nanny will be receiving their regular pay or if the time that they will be working exceeds their normal hours and they will be compensated for that. Also, decide when you will pay your nanny whether that is the entire amount at the end of the trip or in with the rest of their normal pay schedule.

Accommodations-

If you are traveling with your nanny, you have to decide if they will have their own room and bathroom (which I highly suggest) or share with the children. You have to make sure your nanny feels comfortable with the sleeping arrangements regardless of how close they are to your family or how long they have been your nanny.

Expenses-

Also, you would need to cover the cost of their airfare, hotel costs, and meals. Consider all of these travel expenses when deciding if you are bringing your nanny along. Of course, communicate what you are comfortable with spending even to your nanny when it comes to meals like eating out, etc. The biggest thing is to communicate all of this with your nanny so everything is clear right up front.

Taking your nanny on your upcoming holiday trip whether that’s to family gatherings or a fun trip can be super helpful and enjoyable as long as you make sure these key steps are taken care of. The best part is you already know your nanny and your children are comfortable with your nanny so bringing them along with you on vacation is a huge benefit. As long as you follow these key steps, everyone will come back happily ever after!

One last thing, if you are looking to hire a nanny to come and help your family and even go on trips like mentioned, check out our Families section here. At ¹ú²úÂ鶹, we are one of Arizona’s most trusted nanny agencies and can help you find the perfect addition to your family.

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