What do you pay your nanny when she travels with you?


Going away is usually a treat for the nanny. I don't know if you are visiting someone (family, friends, etc.) but if so, everyone will want time with the children, so the nanny gets lots of breaks. Plus she has a place to stay, meals paid for, and a little free time. If you are staying in a hotel she will be able to have room service, movies, etc., and it will be a treat for her. I would just pay her for a day’s work each day she is with you.  The only difference is you are not at home. If your nanny has a problem with this she will let you know. I'm new at this, so this is just my opinion. Hope this helps.

We used to pay a $75 overnight stay, in addition to the usual weekday rate hours. And on weekends (even when we went away with the kids and our sitter) we would pay a little more per hour, plus the $75.

I have similar situations and have (unfortunately) way overpaid for overnights/out of town work in the past. My nanny is the sister of my baby nurse, so when I have had her stay overnight, I paid for the whole time she was there. I didn't have a problem with this until the twins were about 3 months old, and I didn't need her during the nights anymore -- so she was free from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. and still expecting round the clock pay.

I believe a recent compensation study from MMOTC says that most people offer an additional $50-$75 for overnight or out of town work. So, I would set the expectation right from the beginning and pay her for the hours worked plus something additional to compensate for the overnight or out-of-town situation, especially if the children are sleeping most of the night.

I, on the other hand, need to figure out how to reset expectations with my nanny!

I have taken babysitters away for weekends/vacations and have agreed on a lump sum beforehand. I have always paid for all expenses, including air fare, food, sights, room service, etc. It is expensive, but then you have no worries during the trip. My babysitter has never taken advantage of the situation and is always happy to go with us. As for overnights, I pay the hourly rate until bedtime, and then an extra $100. This was also agreed upon beforehand.

We paid our nanny $250 for 24 hours when we went away (as that was what we paid the baby nurse). But then I read that it is fair to pay an extra $75 for her to sleep over as she is "off duty" once they go to sleep. Of course she has morning duties. Next time we go away we will tell her that is the rate. And as for traveling, I would do the same rate because it's really no different (actually it's easier as you're there to help) as she's still away from home.

Basically you are asking her for an extra hour or so to put the kids asleep, assuming once they are down they sleep throughout the night. If that is the case I would ask her if an extra $50.00 is OK.  Otherwise pay her for the hours she works during the days. If she knows you and it is not an every weekend thing. See first how she takes it. If she wants more, she'll let you know.