Nanny Questions: Live-in Nanny Living Arrangements

Contributed by Dorothy Popovich

Many nannies live in with their employers. Questions about the living arrangements and physical accommodations are a natural concern. The following questions deal with the live in nanny interview.

• Will the nanny have her own room?
• Is the room furnished? May nanny bring her furniture?
• Will the nanny have her own bathroom?
• Will the nanny have her own phone line? Who pays for installation?
  
  EDITORS NOTE: There is a recent trend for the family to provide nanny a cell phone in lieu of the "phone in her room." This is particularly common when nanny relocates from out of state and a telephone number change is simply practical. Families find that a cell package plan often includes a fair amount of long distance usage and text messaging, and the cell phone lets the family get in touch with the nanny when she is out and about with the children, gives the nanny her own telephone number and voice mail, and generally meets both parties needs quite nicely. This also frees the nanny of school aged children to run errands or take a class at a nearby college and still be accessible to the school in the event a child becomes ill.
  
  
• If not, will the nanny have certain phone hours he/she needs to abide by? (Some families restrict incoming calls after a certain hour, say 10 PM, so as not to disturb the family.)
• Is there a cable hook up in the nanny's room? Or satellite?
• Will the nanny have use of the car? How often? Does the car have a curfew? See Question about Nanny Expenses.
• Will the nanny be allowed to have friends over?
• Will the nanny be allowed to have boy/girlfriends over? (on duty, off duty, either?)
• Will the nanny have a curfew?
• Is the nanny to buy her own food?
• Will the nanny have a say in grocery list?
• Will the nanny eat with the family? Can the nanny choose to eat with/without family?
• May out of town visitors stay with the nanny in her room?
• Will the nanny's privacy be respected? Can she have a lock on her door?
• Is the nanny expected to be showered and dressed in the AM before her day starts or can she wait until the kids are on the bus, or children are sleeping?
• How do you feel about the nanny sleeping during children's nap times?
• How far is the nearest college town? (For social life)
• Is there a nanny-support group nearby that you know of? Or nannies in your neighborhood?

This list is a work in progress. Any suggestions are appreciated, please send them to me via this website.