Summer Nannies: What You Need to Know
Summer is fast approaching (do not mind that we are only in April, it’d be here sooner than you know it, I promise) and one of the many things you should look forward to in the summer is getting all the help you can with your kids who will be on break from school.
Obviously, your older kids could get summer jobs or go for summer camps but the little mittens who probably have sworn to never let you enjoy some quiet time at the beach on a lazy Saturday will have no place to be other than under your skin.
Undoubtedly, our kids are our all and we can’t help but watch them grow at their own pace. However it won’t hurt if you had a little help with the cute little hotheads now, would it?
This is why the idea of getting a summer nanny might just be the perfect plan for the perfect summer. But before you go on ahead to employ that summer nanny, here are a few important things you should know.
Here you go… Taxes Come into Play
This might be one bitter pill to swallow but your summer nanny is as very much your employee as a 9-5ner on Wall Street and so you may have to pay taxes, payroll, and fulfill other insurance requirements.
If your nanny makes more than $2100 in cash wages, then both you and your employee-nanny will need to pay taxes like the Social Security and Medicare Taxes. You could fulfill this obligation for your nanny through withholding taxes – where you withhold the specific amounts from their wages and remit it yourself to the appropriate authorities. Exceptions to this rule include whether your summer nanny is your parent, spouse, under 21 persons, or any third party under the age of 18 anytime during the year of the summer employment.
Be Intentional with the interviews
Never hire a nanny or sitter without carrying out proper interviews. To ensure that you can trust your kids with such a nanny, you need to be thorough with the questions. Ask several of what I call “scenario questions” couched in what-ifs to understand how the nanny is prone to acting in various dire situations.
Ask about their knowledge of first aid, how to get a toddler to stop tantrums, and other similar questions understand their methods of babysitting. Proceed to the next step in your hiring process only if you’re satisfied with the nanny’s answers.
Seek Trustworthy Reviews If you would rather seek the services of the older kid next door, then chances are that they might have offered nanny and sitting services to others in your neighborhood. Ensure to seek reviews from other employers if you are looking to hire a nanny whom most families use. Be Clear About House Rules Do not leave your summer nanny to make assumptions. Inform them of the ground rules and house regulations especially if you’ll be away for most of the time in the day. Will you want your kids taken to the beach? What fun things will you want your kids to do in summer? When should be their bedtime now that they are on school break? These are areas you could set rules on for your nanny to follow.
Respect Your Summer Nanny Do not disrespect your nanny directly or otherwise. Keep to the time agreed upon for each day; keep to the wage amount you both agreed to and any similar agreements in your contract. Respect your nanny’s beliefs. Do not coerce or threaten them into making decisions they would rather not take. Especially if it does not affect the health or well-being of your children.
Pro Tip: Start your summer nanny search early as there’s always a high demand for summer nannies, especially for parents who have no older kids to be babysitters or have a 9-5 job. Take Away A summer nanny is a blessing to many and I know you agree too. So, if you’re considering hiring a summer nanny this summer or next, these tips will guide you into getting the right nanny for the job and also ensure you are not erring on your own part. Nevertheless, you can always trust Elite Nanny Agency to pair your family with the perfect nanny for you this summer. I should warn you though, you’re only going to experience nothing short of professional and expert child caregiving services that will probably make you wish you were the one in need of a nanny and not your kids. “What You Need to Know About Paying Taxes on a Summer Nanny, May 11 2018. https://gtm.com/household/summer-nanny/ Erica, Jackson Curran “Eight Tips for Hiring a Summer Nanny or Sitter”, April 29 2020
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.care.com/c/stories/3108/tips-for-finding-a-summer-nanny/amp/ “Ten Tips When Hiring a Summer Sitter” https://safesitter.org/10-tips-hiring-summer-sitter/