The cost of living has drastically increased over the past year. These rising costs are impacting the nanny world, and many nannies are leaving long-term positions for other opportunities offering a higher wage or additional benefits.

Have you found a great nanny? Make sure you are doing everything you can to keep them happy, cared for, and valued as they work with your family! Below are our top ten tips for how to keep your nanny in the long term.

We can’t stress how important communication boundaries are for many nannies. Don’t text or call your nanny late at night! And be sure to read all the way through for a bonus tip at the end.

 

Are you a nanny, family assistant, or household manager? Not sure? Maybe you are a combination of all three!

Often, these titles are used interchangeably but there are some MAJOR differences in daily tasks, responsibilities, and compensation.

In this article, we’ll walk you through the differences between a nanny, family assistant, and household manager, how the compensation (pay) is different for each, and a discussion about the dreaded “job duty creep”.

Here’s what we’ll cover: 

– Nanny Job Duties

– Family Assistant Duties

– Household Manager Job Duties

–  How to Handle Job Duty Creep

 

Quiet quitting is something we’re hearing a lot about lately, and you may be too. It’s REAL and happening across the United States currently – even in the nanny world.

Not sure what quiet quitting is? Concerned that your nanny might be “quiet quitting” on you? What should you do if you think your nanny is quiet quitting?

Below, we cover what to do if you think your nanny is quiet quitting, how to talk it through with your nanny, and what you can do to prevent it. We also share the steps to take if your nanny decides to quit.

Here’s what we’ll cover: 

– What is Quiet Quitting?

– Could Your Nanny Be Quiet Quitting On You?

– How Do You Tell If Your Nanny Might Be Quiet Quitting On You?

– How Can You Avoid The Risk Of Your Nanny Quiet Quitting On You?

 

Considering having a nanny watch your children overnight? Or going on vacation and want to take your nanny with you?

One of the most common questions families ask is how to pay for overnight or vacation child care. Do you pay a flat fee or per hour? Or both?

We’ve got you covered. Below, we walk through everything you need to know about overnight and vacation child care, including:

– What is the best way to pay your nanny for overnight care?

– Rules of thumb you will want to follow

– What job duties are okay to ask of your nanny during your time away?

 

Inflation is impacting each of us on a daily basis. It seems that anytime we turn on the news these days, we hear about rising prices. Nearly everything is more expensive this year than it was last year, and inflation is driving up the cost of everything from food to gasoline to your morning coffee, and it’s even increasing the cost of working with a nanny.

But what is inflation, and how is it affecting the nanny world? Below, we break down how inflation is impacting both parents and nannies, plus some great tips on how you can save money on childcare during this time of increasing costs.

In this article, we cover:

– What is inflation?

– What causes inflation?

– Some trends we’re seeing in the nanny world as a result of inflation

– Several great tips on how you can save money on childcare

 

We all know that inflation is making our everyday expenses cost more. But how can you save money on childcare which can be a huge monthly expense? Consider a nanny share which can save you thousands of dollars in childcare costs annually.

First, what is a nanny share?

A nanny share is when two or more families that live in roughly the same neighborhood decide to hire a nanny to care for their children. In most nanny shares, the families switch off on hosting duties where one family will host all of the children and nanny for one week and then the hosting duties will switch to the other family for the following week.

Currently, it is costing the average family who lives in a large city in the United States about $22-$27/hr to hire a nanny to care for one child. And the rates go up from there if you have two or more children.

With a nanny share, you can expect to pay about 33% less for childcare or about $16-$20/hr per family for one child. As you can see, the nanny’s hourly rate is split between two families instead of in a traditional nanny relationship where one family is responsible for the nanny’s entire hourly rate.

In this guide, we cover:

– What Is a nanny share?

– Why choose a nanny share?

– How much does each family pay in a nanny share?

– How do you find a nanny share nanny?

– Should you find a nanny or a family to partner with first?

– The pros and cons of nanny shares

 

With the federal tax filing deadline just a few days away, don’t miss out on these money-saving tax breaks if you worked with a nanny in 2021 or are currently with a nanny in 2022!

To help your family save money on your 2021 taxes and understand what changes might affect you for the 2022 tax year, we sat down with Tom Breedlove, Senior Director of Homepay.

Below, we cover:

– Child Tax Credit

– Child Care Tax Credit

– Build Back Better Act

– Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

– Who qualifies for these tax breaks

Did you know you can get a tax break if your kids attend summer camp (i.e. sports, Lego, Minecraft camps)? There are several tax breaks many families don’t realize could help them save money on their 2021 taxes.

If you would like to talk to the HomePay team or sign up for their highly rated payroll services, click here. Sign up today and your first month is FREE!

Nannies – the HomePay team can answer any questions that you have as well.

 

There may come a time when you have to part ways with your nanny. It may be because your kids are heading to daycare, the contract with your nanny is almost over, or things are just not working out for your family, your nanny, or maybe for both of you!

Parting ways with your nanny can be difficult for everyone. Many nannies and parents experience feelings of anger, frustration, confusion, and disappointment during the process. The kids can sometimes feel that it was their fault.

In this guide, we walk you through how to part ways with your nanny (or with your family if you are a nanny) in a way that helps prevent some of these negative feelings. Below, we share our eight top tips for how to end the relationship, tie up loose ends, and (hopefully) maintain some sort of relationship with your nanny moving forward. Most importantly, never hold back payment from your nanny due to a conflict. It can quickly lead to legal action and paying some seriously large fees to attorneys!

 

Parents – are you sitting down with your nanny on an annual or quarterly basis to compare notes on how the relationship is going?

If not, make sure that you do! One of the keys to a strong, long-lasting relationship with your nanny is communication – what’s working, what’s not working, and what does the future look like for both your family AND your nanny.

Annual reviews are an important part of working with a nanny, and approaching them thoughtfully helps both you and your nanny feel clear and positive about the relationship. Below, we walk you through why annual reviews matter and how best to approach them.

Don’t forget to pay your nanny for the time it takes to conduct the annual review!

 

Being a great nanny employer is one of the most important things you can do to build a strong, lasting relationship with your nanny. In this article, we share our 12 tips to be the best nanny employer, covering everything from pay and guaranteed hours to communication, reimbursements, and showing appreciation.

Whether you’re brand new to employing a nanny or you’ve worked with one for years, these practical tips will help you create a positive working partnership where your nanny feels valued and your family runs smoothly.

Striving to be a great nanny employer goes a long way toward a healthy nanny-family working relationship. Below, we cover our top tips to help your nanny enjoy coming to work every day and to support a smooth working partnership. A few of the highlights include:

– Stay away from “banking” hours but do “guarantee” hours

– Make sure you pay your nanny on time

– Don’t be late to relieve your nanny at the end of the day