I am needing some opinions on this...I have never technically traveled with the family I nanny for and they asked me to join them for a couple days while they are visiting a family member. I told them it worked for me schedule wise to come so they booked me a flight. They then fill me in that the family member they are staying with lives in a 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom apartment! This makes me very uncomfortable... Not only because I have not traveled with them yet but because it will be EXTREMELY tight quarters (The 2 young girls I nanny, their parents, the family member, and me). I will have ZERO privacy... who knows if I will even get any bathroom time to shower or anything! What would you all do? Ask for more compensation? Ask for a hotel room? (I know they can afford it!) Or just suck it up for a couple days??? I keep trying to tell myself it will be fine... but I am also thinking it may be DREADFUL!!! Any advice is much appreciated!
Wow. That is something they definitely should have mentioned to you. Obviously if they do not want to pay for a motel for themselves they will not pay for one for you. It is up to you, but remember this: it's a free country. If you don't want to do this, you don't have to.
ReplyDeleteI would not.
I would say that I can't accompany them unless I have my own room; if the family member wants to give up his/her room for you and they all want to camp out on the floor in the living room, fine; otherwise it's a hotel or I stay behind.
ReplyDeleteI would bring up the sleeping arrangement to the family and politely decline. Explain that as much as you would enjoy traveling with them, that you need your personal space. Also make sure that you outline a traveling arrangement in your contract. Make sure it states, pay, hours, room, meal plan and whether they will pay for any activities. Make sure you are firm on everything.
ReplyDeleteGood luck.
Great advice Boston Nanny.
ReplyDeleteYes, OP this will be dreadful!! I wouldn't do it. One bedroom and one bathroom. Ugh! You say the family can afford a hotel room. I wonder why they are not getting one. Are they that cheap?!
I agree with others, say you need your personal space.
ReplyDeleteOh lord, how cheap are these people that they won't pay for all of you to stay in a motel/hotel? DON'T go. You will be miserable.
ReplyDeletePerhaps the family is very close with the relative they are going to stay with and are choosing to stay there for reasons OTHER than being too cheap to get a hotel room? I nannied for a family for years, and traveled with them, and we often times stayed with relatives because they WANTED to, not becasue they were cheap. Depending on the situation, sometimes I got my own hotel room or private room at the relatives house, and sometimes we shared tight quarters. I guess it is different for every family/nanny situation and depends on how close and comfortable you are with your family. There was a time or two that I was not comfortable with the travng circumstances, and when I brought it up, immeidate changed were made to make sure everyone was happy. A happy nanny on vacation makes for happier kids, which makes for happier parents, which makes for a better vacation.
ReplyDeleteOP, if you are uncomfortable with the situation, you need to let them know, and hopefully you can all come to a solution. Keep in mind they have already purchased you a plane ticket because you agreed to go with them, which is probably not refundable. If you don't let them know how you feel, they may not realize you are uncomfortable with it, and you will set yourself to feel that way, even before you get there.
Best of luck to you! I know a lot of nannies do not enjoy travling with thier families, and while I agree it is a LOT of extra work sometimes, I loved traveling with my family, and I got to experience some truly amazing places because of it!
What kind of rational person would ENJOY a vacation with 6 people staying in a one-bedroom apartment? No way, these people are being cheap! If they can afford plane tickets, they can afford a couple of rooms at the Motel 6. OP, tell them the truth. If you go and stay in this apartment, you'll come to regret it.
ReplyDeleteI would probably be more sly about it and ask for the family member's address so I can find a hotel or hostel nearby. I'd tell them I'm a really light sleeper and there's no way I'd get any sleep under those conditions (in my case it's true) and if I don't get good sleep I won't be able to properly care for the kids during the day. I find it really bizarre that they didn't bring up the housing arrangements when they asked you to go. Note to self to ask about that if this ever comes up for me in the future!
ReplyDeleteWhile I don't mind staying in a room with mom boss or the children, there's absolutely no way I'd feel comfortable sharing a room with a man that wasn't my husband.
ReplyDeleteI'm very close with my family and have shared a hotel room with them, so it would not bother me but if it does I would speak up. I am surprised they aren't getting a hotel room in the first place since it is 1 bedroom!!
ReplyDeleteI know how you feel! I once went on a trip with a family of 4 and they were renting a 1bed 1bath apartment for every time they needed to travel to California for medical treatment for their handicapped children. I had a twin bed IN the living room!!!
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