Taking your nanny on vacation with you overseas may seem like a no brainer, but you will need to be prepared for a few things when you are away. A few of those things are basic and will need to be completed prior to your departure, but some may need to be decided on the fly. I do recommend that you have a conversation with your nanny prior to you leaving, as it will ensure that you both enjoy the trip that you will be taking.
Here are 8 things that you will need to do when you travel internationally with your nanny:
1. Make Sure Your Nanny’s Passport is Up to Date and Obtain Necessary Visas
While you may have been busy working on your own family’s passports and visas, it is also necessary for you to make sure that your nanny has their own up to date passport and visa. Since your nanny is not the one taking the vacation, you should pay the fees for the passport and visa.
2. Determine Which Expenses You are Paying For
There are many expenses for vacations and since you are taking your nanny with you, many of their expenses should be paid for by you. The expenses that definitely need to be paid by you include airfare and other transportation, accommodations, meals that everyone eats together, and activity and admission fees where everyone is together. You should talk to your nanny about who will be covering their meals when they are on their own, as well as those personal activities or admission fees. You may even want to consider covering Wi-Fi expenses, as well as phone calls home, so that they can keep connected to their loved ones.
3. Consider Your Accommodations
It may be cheaper and easier for you to have your nanny sleep in the same room as your children, but your nanny will be better off with their own room. They will sleep better, plus have a place to retreat to quietly once the kids are in bed.
Your best option is to get a suite with multiple rooms for all of you or two suites that are next to each other, so that your nanny can stay in one with the kids and you can have the other one. However, your nanny may have a preference, so definitely check with them to see what would make them more comfortable.
4. Consider Compensation
Your nanny may be working more hours when you are traveling internationally and even if they are not, they are still dealing with being away from home. Extra compensation may be necessary for this trip unless the two of you make other arrangements. Your nanny may forgo extra money if you are willing to pay for all their meals and activities or at least are willing to give them a few hours off for a couple days, so they can venture out on their own.
5. Create a Schedule
Your nanny will have an easier time adjusting if there is a schedule in place at the beginning of your international trip. This will allow your nanny to know what hours they have to themselves and which hours they need to make sure that they are available. This will ensure that you have plenty of romantic dinners when you want them. This is also the best way to show your nanny how much you appreciate them and schedule their downtime accordingly. You should plan for a couple hours of free time each day and maybe even a full day towards the end of your vacation.
You may want to set up blocks of time when your nanny will be occupying your children on their own and then have them find places to take them. This will allow them to do some research and decide which attractions they think the kids will be interested in. Of course, you can also offer suggestions, especially if there are one or two places that you really want your children to see.
6. Determine Responsibilities of Your Nanny
Being away from home may mean that the lines are blurred a little with who is responsible for what. At home, you may be responsible for bedtime every night, but when you are traveling internationally, you may want your nanny to take over a few times. It may also be important to clarify who is in charge of discipline when you are all together, as your nanny might be used to being the disciplinarian all the time back home. This is also the time to let your nanny know if they are responsible for any chores like they are at home or if they do not have those duties while you are all traveling.
7. Give Your Nanny a Notarized Medical Form
You never know when a medical emergency will arise, but if it happens when you are out with your spouse, you want to make sure that your child can be treated. A notarized medical form will ensure that your nanny can make decisions until you arrive at the hospital.
This ensures that everything that needs to be done is, even if you are an hour away. This form should list any medical issues that your child has, as well as any medications that they are on. Even though your nanny knows this information, they may be a little distraught at the time, and this will be helpful to have written out. And of course, don’t skip on travel insurance for your nanny and the entire family.
8. Discuss Safety Issues for the Destination
Traveling internationally sometimes means abiding by certain safety rules and you will want to review them with your nanny. This may include the fact that everyone should only drink bottled water and that no one should take a taxi or wander around certain areas that are known as being unsafe.
When you keep these eight things in mind, you will find that it is easy to travel internationally with your nanny. I find that it is always best to keep the lines of communication open with your nanny, as that way you both know what to expect to each other.
