Continued

However, her first priority is to the employer and employer's needs, not her own leisure time needs. The most successful travel situations occur when the nanny and family talk about expectations prior to the vacation. Here are a few issues to discuss. Once everything is laid out, the nanny and parent can relax and enjoy the trip.

***What will the schedule be while away? If the nanny needs to work longer than usual hours or work with no days off while away, how will the nanny be compensated for working those extra hours? Sometimes a family will give the nanny extra time off in exchange for extra time on. If flexibility is required, a discussion on how it works should take place.

***What will be the accommodations for the nanny? Will she share a room with the children or have her own space? Either way is typically fine. It's always good to know ahead of time so that if sharing a room is necessary, the nanny can be mentally ready for the idea that privacy will be abated for the short term! Discuss, though, who will take care of the child(ren) when the nanny needs to shower and dress.

***Will the nanny have transportation available to her during her time on as well as time off? This is applicable if the accommodation is a vacation home versus a resort. If the nanny does not have transportation, she may decide to bring extra money or rent her own car for use in her time off!

***Are there any expenses not covered by the employer while the nanny is traveling with the family? Sometimes the entire trip is on the employer and other times it may be expected that the nanny foot her own expenses while she is off duty. It should never be expected for the nanny to pay her expenses while on duty. If the nanny is expected to pay for meals while off duty, the employer needs to consider where they are vacationing. If the trip is to an expensive resort and cost of food is beyond what the nanny would typically afford, options need to be available. Perhaps there is a market close by or a shuttle bus into the nearby town where a less pricey restaurant could be found. Perhaps the employer subsidizes the cost of the nanny being in a pricey town.

***Will there be any responsibilities for other children while on vacation? This is addressed when there will be another family traveling with them. Sometimes there are close family friends or relatives traveling together.

***What are the rules and expectations on room service, in-room service bar and telephone usage in the hotel room? Each family operates differently and because of the great cost involved in using these services at a hotel or resort the best practice is to be sure to know the employer's views. Some people indulge themselves on vacation while others find it hard to justify the $3 candy bar and $7 bottle of water! The nanny may want to pack snacks for the kids and throw in a few for her! More and more people seem to feel comfortable bringing their own food into a hotel room.

***If accommodations are a house instead of hotel, who is responsible for cleaning the home? Are there different expectations of the nanny while away from home or are they the same? For example, if the nanny always empties the dishwasher, then she will probably be expected to empty the dishwasher at the vacation home. Is she expected to pick up after the parents who are typically not around during her regular work routine but are around while on vacation!

***Does the employer understand that the nanny is working and not on vacation even though her work may be taking place on a beautiful beach playing in the sand! Make sure you are on the same page as to how you both view this time away. Communication is the biggest issue and as long as the nanny and parents have discussed expectations and are on the same wavelength before the trip, the experience can be great!

INA NEWS

The INA Nanny of the Year had 8 nominees to consider for Nanny of the Year award. This year Marni Kent was honored with the title. Originally from Oregon, she resides in Colorado. She has been a nanny for 16 years!

Marni was selected because of her attitude and dedication to any family for which she works. She wants their time together to be enjoyable, not filled with the household extras, so she voluntarily does many chores leaving the parent's time together as a family. In her previous, job she took her charges to her house to live with her husband and herself for 2 months while the employers were going through a divorce. The stepmother was using drugs and being abusive to the children.

She has been with her current family, found through an agency, for 5 years. Marni feels that nannies along with agencies can educate the public about what a nanny does all day, "they're not eating bon-bons and watching Oprah all day!" Serving as a nanny mentor for new nannies, she would like to see nannies grow in their self-confidence and be proud of their profession.