Some families may find that a Household Manager is an ideal professional for them to hire for their family’s specific needs. A Household Manager is a professional that you can hire separately if you choose to do so yet can also be added to your nanny’s responsibilities when mutually agreed upon. There are several scenarios in which you may choose to have a discussion with your nanny about becoming a Household Manager. Perhaps it is time to give your nanny a much-deserved raise, yet you are not in need of as much childcare as before. This would be an ideal time to discuss having your nanny stay on full time, by having her work as a household manager while your children are in school, and then caring for them in the later part of the day. You may have discovered that you need some more assistance around the house and would like to offer this position to your nanny. In many cases this is a way for a family to continue to employ a beloved long-term nanny who has been working full time, and now you only need her nanny services part time. This will also give you the peace of mind that on school breaks, teacher work days, and sick days, you can depend on your nanny being there to provide the same consistent care for your children. By offering your nanny a Household Management position you are fulfilling her needs for full time employment, while also taking a burden off of yourself with your family’s busy schedule and list of daily tasks.
Let’s take a look at how a having a Household Manager can be a benefit for the family. Your Household Manager will be running errands for you, which will allow you to enjoy your off time more with the family. You can count on them to do such tasks as grocery shopping, signing the children up for classes, planning special events, shopping for birthday gifts, Christmas gifts, planning Children’s birthday parties, wrapping gifts, running to the post office, ordering things for the household as well as keeping up with inventory and restocking as needed. In addition to handling these important things, your Household Manager will also be available to be at the house when maintenance or repair people are expected. They can even assist in being sure that bills are paid on time. Having a Household Manager and Nanny as one can be a wonderful thing for a family with a demanding schedule.
Keep in mind that you will want to continue to reimburse at the current mileage rate if your Nanny/Household Manger is using their car for family errands. You may also consider offering them a gas stipend. While some nannies are extremely excited to take on this position, remember that some professional nannies choose to be just that, and only want to have their work involve the children. For this reason, it is imperative that you have an open discussion with your Nanny when you are thinking of offering this type of role change. It will need to be one that is agree on by both parties. Upon accepting the position, you will want to take this time to update the contract agreement together. When asking a Nanny to be a Household Manger her rate will increase. You can expect this increase to be by a few dollars per hour. Remember that she is now taking on more responsibilities and her pay will need to reflect this. When the children are in her care, they are her primary concern at that time above all else, so it is important to be flexible with her tasks accordingly.
A Nanny/Household Manger can be an extremely beneficial addition to your family!
Best!
By: Anne-Marie Ferraro