In the past, live-in nannies were seen as a luxury of the ultra-rich. Now, American families at various levels of income employ live-in or live-out nannies. In fact, over 1.2 million nannies are responsible for helping to raise America’s children.
Single parents may hire a nanny to lighten their load as well as households where both parents work full time. In some cases, live-in nannies provide an excellent means for parents to take good care of their children while still pursuing a professional career.
Regardless of your situation, if you are considering a nanny, there are some things you should think about. Not the least of which is whether to hire a live-in nanny or live-out nanny. Find out what you need to know about hiring a nanny in LA here.
Typical Live-In Nanny Responsibilities & Costs
Live-in nanny responsibilities will vary slightly from household to household. In general, nannies are responsible for all aspects of childcare including:
- Feeding your child
- Changing diapers
- Bathing your child
- Putting your child down for naps
- Playing with your child
- Informally teaching basic concepts
Some nannies will also take your child on outings, such as to the park or running errands. Some families have their nannies handle light housework and cleaning, such as laundry. You may also wish to hire a nanny with special skills to teach, such as a foreign language.
Regardless, when you first hire your live-in nanny, you should clearly lay out your expectations and ensure the nanny agrees to them. This will help to minimize confusion later on.
Live-in nannies are typically less expensive than live-out nannies. A place to live is considered to be part of the live-in nannies’ compensation package. Salaries average about $30,000 a year.
Live-out nannies generally have the same responsibilities as are performed by a live-in nanny. The main difference between the two types of nannies is that live-out nannies do not reside in the home. Full-time live-out nannies make an average of $54,913 a year.
How to Decide on the Right Type of Nanny for Your Family
Which type of nanny is right for you? There are advantages and disadvantages to both types. Let’s explore a bit further.
Advantages of hiring a Live-In Nanny
Live-in nannies typically can offer more flexibility. There’s no commute to worry about if the weather is bad and it will be easier to accommodate her working hours with your schedule. She will also be on hand for emergencies. That being said, every nanny should have agreed-upon working hours and you should avoid asking her for favors outside of those hours.
Live-in nannies will also often handle light housekeeping duties. This means that when you are home you can spend more time with your child and less time vacuuming — a big advantage when time is short.
Another advantage is being able to spend time with your nanny and develop your own close relationship with you. Plus, there are more opportunities to see how your child interacts with her. Safety is always at the forefront and if you ever see your child acting strangely around your nanny (acting fearful or nervous) you should investigate. Having your nanny living in your home makes this easier.
As mentioned, live-in nannies tend to be more affordable. However, you have to be aware that household utility bills will go up as a result of another person living there.
Disadvantages of hiring a Live-In Nanny
With a live-in nanny, you’ll have another person in your home. Very private individuals may prefer not to have a stranger living in their home. However, as you might imagine, live-in nannies quickly become more like a part of the family and this may not be much of an issue for you.
Live-in nannies are more likely not to have their own transportation. You may need to provide a car if you want them to take your child on outings and to activities.
Advantages of hiring a Live-Out Nanny
Having a live-out nanny gives you and your child a bit of space from the nanny and allows you to keep your privacy. If you would prefer that your child not form as deep of a bond with the nanny, hiring a live-out nanny may be the better choice.
Live-out nannies are more likely to have their own cars and can help you will responsibilities such as picking the child up from school and running errands.
Disadvantages of hiring a Live-Out Nanny
You will be dependent on her arriving on time in order to leave for work. She could be late for any reason including bad weather, traffic, etc. Plus, there won’t be as much flexibility for making schedule changes.
Live-out nannies tend to spend less overall time with the nuclear family, and as such there may be a lesser bond formed with the family. This could lead to shorter tenures by the live-out nanny on average, which could be a disruption to the children’s development and child rearing.
How to Find the Best Nanny in Los Angeles
You’ll be placing the care of the most precious person in the world to you in the hands of a new nanny. You want to make absolutely certain that you’ve chosen trustworthy hands. How do you find the best nannies in Los Angeles?
The best way is to partner with a trusted nanny agency. Families all over California have trusted us at Seaside Staffing to fill empty spots in their households with reliable help.
When it comes to nannies, we leave no stone unturned. Every nanny that applies with us must pass an extensive screening process. After they submit their resumé, we perform a telephone and subsequently, a face-to-face interview. We’ll research at least three documented references, do a social media verification, and require them to submit to fingerprint testing to the Trustline™ Registry.
From there we’ll assist with salary negotiations and executing employment agreements. We take all the work of finding an experienced nanny in Los Angeles out of your hands completely!
Ready to get started? Contact us here.
Sources:
CareerExplorer. “The Job Market for Nannies in the United States.” CareerExplorer, CareerExplorer, 14 Nov. 2019, www.careerexplorer.com/careers/nanny/job-market/.
McClure, Robin. “How Can Parents Tell They Hired a Bad Babysitter?” Verywell Family, 14 May 2020, www.verywellfamily.com/warning-signs-of-a-bad-babysitter-617111.
Trustline, trustline.org/.
GlassDoor. “Live In Nanny Salaries.” GlassDoor, 14 Dec. 2020, www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/live-in-nanny-salary-SRCH_KO0,13.htm
GlassDoor. “Full Time Salaries.” GlassDoor, 16 Dec. 2020, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/full-time-nanny-salary-SRCH_KO0,9_KE10,15.htm
