Email:

Christmas Day

I got an email from a Hoboken Nanny named Erica.  Here's her email:

"I have already taken all of my vacation for the year and to make up for it the family wants me to work on christmas.  Its a legal holiday and I celebrate christmas so I should have it off.  What do I do?"

Well, Erica, simply tell them you are not working.  If they also celebrate Christmas then there is no reason to have you work.  If they don't celebrate Christmas then you tell them that you do celebrate and have plans with family.  You need to tell them that it's a legal holiday that you would get off regardless of using your holiday time.  Case closed.

And Parents, wtf are you thinking asking your Nanny to work on a legal holiday?  You want her to work, then guess what?  Holiday pay kicks in.  Regardless if you celebrate Christmas.  It's a holiday.  You pay holiday rates for Christmas, New Year's Eve, and New Year's Day.  It's one thing to work on Kwanzaa or Hanukkah since those holiday's last for days.  It's another to work on Jesus' Birthday.  

DON'T FORGET TO COMMENT BELOW!  YOU CAN BE ANONYMOUS OR GIVE YOUR NAME.

HAVE A TOPIC?  EMAIL ME AT HOBOKENANNYSPY@GMAIL.COM

DON'T FORGET TO "LIKE" HOBOKEN NANNY ON FACEBOOK!

Pee Girl at Madison Park

I'm not sure what made me think of this but I have to tell you.  Over the Summer, I take my charges to Madison Park to play in the water.  And while I was applying sunscreen to the kids, I looked over and not 3 feet away from me was a little girl.  This girl had to be at least 6 years old.  She was nude from the waist down and she was just standing there peeing.  No, I'm not kidding.  Next to her was either her Grandma or Nanny.  I could not hold back my disgust for what was going on.  So, for the first time ever, I yelled at not only the girl, but the old hag watching her.  I was not nice because there is a Port-o-potty there for a reason.  

I get that every child in that park in the summer most likely pees in the water area.  That's fine because it goes down the drains(hopefully).  But what's not okay is when a kid, this girl, decided to pee near the fence.  But it wasn't even in the dirt area near the fence.  It was on the sponge part where people lay their things.  I felt bad for the people next to her because they only had towels on the ground.  

How f'ing sick is that?

My Mouth Dropped Wide Open

I was at Church Square Park earlier.  This other Nanny and I were talking and she asked me what to do about negotiating pay for a new child.  Before giving my advice, I asked her what she wanted to do. She told me that she's going to ask for double.  I asked her to say it again.  She said double.  I said "as in double per hour?  So, say you make $15, you're going to ask for $30 per hour?"  She said yes.  And my mouth dropped.  I told her good luck and I moved on.  

While, yes, Nannies should be making that amount.  Honey girl, no one will ever pay you $30 per hour here.  This is not NYC.  This is Hoboken.  While we were 1 mile away from NYC.  This is Hoboken.  

Does ANYONE, I mean ANYONE that is a child Caregiver make more than $25 per hour in this town?  

If you do, I want to hear from you.  

Comment below or email me at HobokeNannySpy@gmail.com

PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO "LIKE" HOBOKEN NANNY ON FACEBOOK!

THIS IS A GROUP THAT YOU WILL LOVE JUST AS MUCH AS THE BLOG!

XOXOXOXOXO

2013 BONUS SERIES

The Dogwalker

Man's best friend.  Your pup and it's dogwalker.  The person comes everyday and walks your number 1.5 in your life.  Or maybe the pup is your number 1 and your kids are 1.5.  Anyway.  Your dogwalker is also your employee.  You can't forget about the person who makes sure your dog doesn't pee or poop all over your floor or mink coat, or Tory Burch shoes while you're at work.  

So.  What to give?  

A dogwalker's holiday bonus is one week's pay. 

If there are a couple of different people who walk your dog, then split it, $50 a person.  But that all depends on how often each person is there.  

Don't forget to thank him or her in a card as well.  The card doesn't have to be as mushy as your card to your Nanny or Sitter because afterall, you probably never see your dogwalker.  But they are still a part of your puppy's life.

2013 Bonus Series

The Babysitter: Often or Occasional

Many families in Hoboken have a Babysitter.  Whether it is for after the Nanny leaves for the day or for a family with a child in daycare or school, and even when a stay-at-home Parent needs time away from the kid. Most Parents wouldn't be able to do anything without their Sitter.  So, they should not be forgotten at holiday time.  You may see your Babysitter once or a few times a week.  You may see your Sitter a few times a month, but that doesn't mean you can forget the holiday gift.  Does your Sitter love your kids? Is he/she reliable? Then, yes, you need to give a gift.

First, write a card. The same type of card as you would a Nanny(see below.) 

Second, the monetary amount should be, in my opinion, at least $100. Feel free to give more if you really love your Sitter.  What the Today Show said in my notes from 2009 was "at least one night's pay." But do NOT think it is acceptable to go out the night you give a gift and it be a cheap night. Say if you go out for 2 hours.  No.  That's like a slap in the face.  If you appreciate your Sitter(s) then show it.  If you have multiple sitters, well, you should give everyone a nice tip.

And third, give a gift card to their favorite coffee shop/somewhere else they would enjoy. We have 3 Starbucks and 3 Dunkin Donuts in town.  Surely the Sitters would love a gift card to get a cup of coffee so they can stay awake to watch your brats.