Thursday, September 6, 2012

How to Talk to Your Employer About the Nanny Tax

According to the New York Times, an estimated 80 to 95 percent of American families that employ domestic workers, including nannies, are not compliant with state and federal tax laws. While there are a vast number of nannies that don’t object to or even prefer to be paid illegally, there are those who will not accept an off-the-books post. When you’ve found a post that seems to be ideal with the exception of the employers’ desire to pay under the table, approaching the issue frankly but respectfully may actually result in a favorable outcome; specifically one in which you get the job and are paid in compliance with tax laws.

Talk About the Advantages of Compliance

Navigating the complex regulations of nanny taxes can be a daunting prospect for employers, especially if they don’t see the benefits of doing so. Pointing out the ways that paying you in a legal, tax-compliant manner may be delicate work, but it can also pay off in the form of a high-quality post with a legal salary.

By paying you legally, your employers are eligible for tax breaks like a Dependent Care Account, and the federal Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit. They can also save money by making non-taxable contributions to your health insurance premiums, which they would not be able to do without filing as an employer. Furthermore, parents that pay their nannies legally are able to rest assured that they will never find themselves mired in a tax-related scandal as a result of evading nanny taxes; for affluent or high-profile employers, this can be especially important. Many political figures have taken a hit to the reputation over the years when revelations of tax evasion in relation to their nannies’ salaries came to light.

By taking advantage of all available tax credits and advantages, your employer’s added expenses may be as little as four percent of your annual salary. Many agencies and even do-it-yourself software programs exist to simplify the process as much as possible, making it less of a hassle than many employers realize to remain tax-compliant and on the right side of the law.

In addition to the ways that tax compliance benefits your employer, there are also significant benefits to you that may help to sway their opinion. Nannies that are paid legally and in compliance with tax codes are eligible for disability insurance and workers’ compensation benefits in the event of an injury or illness, unemployment benefits should their employers be forced to lay them off and can also draw Social Security benefits when they’re no longer able to work. Nannies who haven’t made contributions to Social Security are not eligible for these benefits, which can leave them utterly without income when advanced age renders them incapable of performing their duties. By simply paying your salary and the resulting taxes legally, your employer can ensure that you are always eligible for such benefits in the future.

Discuss the Risks of Tax Evasion

The red tape and piles of paperwork may seem never-ending when your employer is tax-compliant, but those headaches are nothing in comparison to the nightmare that being caught red-handed evading taxes would be. Nannies are typically only responsible for paying back taxes in the event of discovery; their employers may suffer a much more demeaning and disastrous fate. In addition to payroll taxes, non-compliant employers that have been discovered may also be responsible for interest and penalties that can be financially devastating; furthermore, they may even face up to $250,000 and five years of prison time. Reputations and, by extension, careers, may be permanently destroyed and there is no statute of limitations for failure to pay employment taxes. At any time in the distant future, your employers’ refusal to be compliant could come back to haunt them. For parents who find the paperwork overwhelming, there are payroll and tax service providers like Breedlove & Associates, HomeWork Solutions and GTM Payroll Services that specialize in nanny tax and payroll and can do all of the work for them.

Though the penalties may not be quite as stiff for nannies, there are still serious disadvantages that childcare providers who choose not to pay the proper taxes can face; namely, the loss of benefits and a history of employment that’s essential for securing a line of credit to purchase a home, vehicle or even to rent in most cases. You will not be eligible for unemployment benefits should your employer lay you off, and applying for those benefits anyway is the fastest way to ensure that both you and your employer are caught. Social Security retirement benefits and Medicare are also very likely to be out of reach for you, leaving you without income or health coverage when you’ve aged past the point of employment.

Reputable nanny agencies will almost always insist that any nannies they refer are paid in compliance with tax laws, but you must be able to confidently broach the subject if you’re seeking employment independent of an agency or if an agency provided incorrect information to the parents. Remember to keep your tone respectful and reasonable and discuss the issue in a matter-of-fact and unemotional manner.

Taken From Nanny Jobs

10 Things Your Nanny Will Never Tell You

Your nanny spends more hours at your home that she does at her own. She spends countless hours with your children. Your relationship seems great and you work hard to communicate effectively. Your nanny tells you everything, right? Wrong. Even nannies in the best of employment relationships have some things that they won’t share with their employers. Here are ten of them:

1. Respect trumps money.

More than money, your nanny wants to be treated with respect. She wants to know that you trust and value her, and consider her an important part of your children’s lives. Respect your nanny by paying her legally, giving her the appropriate time off, treating her with kindness and letting her know when she’s doing a great job. Avoid minimizing her role, talking down to her and demanding she take on responsibilities that you haven’t agreed to.

2. Monday mornings stink.

For nannies, there is hardly a thing worse than coming in Monday morning to a child who has totally regressed in potty training, or any other area, over the weekend. If you’ve agreed to potty train, take away the pacifier or move your child to his own sleep space, it’s important for everyone that you follow through. Oh, and those dirty dishes you left in the sink, your nanny hates those too.

3. Forgetting my paycheck is not okay.

To nannies, asking for a paycheck feels like asking for a favor. The big difference is that your nanny has worked hard to earn her paycheck. Be sure to deliver your nanny’s paycheck promptly each week. Or better yet, consider using a payroll service that supports direct deposit. Doing so will make the business side of employing a nanny easier for everyone.

4. I question your priorities.

When you tell your nanny you can barely afford her salary and then hire a high-end landscape company to install an irrigation system in the lawn, your nanny may wonder what’s more important: quality child care or green grass. When you complain that you miss your children and can’t wait to get home, then call her and tell her you’re going to be late because a friend invited you for dinner, she’s going to wonder what matters most.

5. I hate when you take advantage of me.

Most nannies are more than willing to take on additional tasks from time to time. If your nanny sees that something needs to be done, like that mound of your laundry, she’s even likely to do it without being asked. If these occasional gestures turn into daily expectations, your nanny will feel like you are taking advantage of her and will resent you for it.

6. Disrupting the kids schedule because you feel guilty isn’t right.

You’ve come home late and the kids are asleep. Because you didn’t get to say goodnight, you decide to wake them. They aren’t able to go back to sleep right away, don’t get a good night’s sleep, and the next day your nanny has to deal with the aftermath: extremely cranky, overtired and unsettled children. Before disrupting your children’s schedule or routine, ask yourself who really benefits. If it’s not your children, consider leaving things alone.

7. I have my own life and family.

Your nanny is not part of your family. She has a life and family outside of yours that she is committed to. When you call her last minute to tell her you’ll be late, chances are that affects her plans and her commitments. When you call her on the weekend to see if she’s free so you can get some shopping done, you’re interrupting her. While most nannies will always do what they can to assist you, it’s often at the expense of their own family and friends.

8. When you don’t back me up it gives your kid permission to treat me like crap.

When your toddler bites your nanny and you tell him it’s okay, or when your 8-year-old screams “She’s not my mother, I don’t need to listen to her” and you do nothing about it, you are sending the message that treating your nanny poorly is acceptable. By backing up your nanny, you send the message that she deserves respect.

9. If you don’t discipline your kids you’ll regret it.

Many parents wonder why their children behave better for the nanny. It’s usually because the nanny has adapted a non-emotional style of discipline and is willing and able to follow through, even when doing so is inconvenient or hard. Working parents often feel guilty about leaving their children, so when they are with them, they overindulge them and refuse to “be the bad guy.” The result is children who walk all over their parents and treat them with no respect.

10. Money doesn’t buy love.

All those prizes and toys you come home with mean little or nothing if they aren’t backed with real, genuine and unconditional love. Sometimes the kids want to snuggle with more than a teddy bear mom gave them. They want to snuggle with mom herself. Make time for your children. That’s what they want and that’s what they need most.

Taken From Go Nannies

10 iPhone Applications to Help Manage Allergies

When a member of the family suffers from food or seasonal allergies, managing symptoms and reducing the likelihood of contact with known allergens is of the utmost importance. Fortunately, modern technology offers a slew of options for doing just that, with iPhone apps available in the famed App Store to do everything from tracking pollen counts to discovering potentially problematic food ingredients to reminding sufferers to take their medication daily, just to name a few. If you or someone in your care suffers from allergies, these 10 iPhone apps may prove to be helpful.

MyFoodFacts – Grocery shopping can be a mighty undertaking when someone in the household suffers from food allergies, however this app can make the task a bit less arduous. Tech-savvy shoppers can simply snap a picture of a product’s bar code with their iPhone’s camera and MyFoodFacts will return a detailed list of potentially allergenic ingredients. Sesame seeds, tree nuts, peanuts, egg, shellfish, soy, fish, wheat, and milk are among the app’s focus, helping shoppers avoid foods that could spur potentially serious reactions.
Allergy Advisor – Something of a one-stop-shop app for those suffering from respiratory allergies, Allergy Advisor offers pollen counts and weather forecasts for a user’s area, the ability to log symptoms and triggers, special storage for medical professionals’ contact information, and treatment/prescription refill alerts. The free app is, however, supported by ASTEPRO® nasal spray.
Allergy Track – The ability to track your respiratory allergies in order to accurately report symptoms and triggers to your doctor is at your fingertips with PLB Melody’s free Allergy Track app. Logging the intensity of symptoms and monitoring allergic episodes over a significant period also makes it easier for your allergy specialist to determine the impact that your allergies have on your daily life and build an accurate allergy profile for more effective treatment.
ZocDoc – When allergic reactions require non-emergency medical attention, especially when you or an allergic family member is away from home, ZocDoc can help you locate a doctor and book an appointment easily. Entering your zip code and insurance information will return a list of doctors that are in your network and their available appointment times, and with the tap of a finger your appointment is booked!
RxMindMe Prescription – Allergies that require medication can often go untreated during hectic times simply because taking medication slips your mind. RxMindMe allows you to create profiles for several members of the family, sends notifications to remind you to take your medication or administer it to a child, and track the remaining quantity of medication you have on-hand.
Allergy Alert – Free from Pollen.com comes Allergy Alert, an app designed to update users with pollen and allergy forecasts. Environmental forecasts like an asthma index also help those with allergies or children who suffer from allergies to stay informed about environmental factors that could exacerbate the condition and increase the severity of symptoms.
iEatOut Gluten Free & Allergy Free – Ordering safe entrees from a restaurant is no easy task for those that suffer from food allergies; fortunately, iEatOut allows users to select items from a variety of ethnic cuisines that do not contain known allergens or gluten. The app also helps users communicate their needs to wait staff regarding food preparation and ingredients.
Recalls Plus – Product recalls are no laughing matter; they can, however, be hard to keep up with. Using Recalls Plus takes much of the legwork out of discovering product recalls, especially those that are related to known allergens. While the app is very useful for parents of children who suffer from allergies, it also provides valuable safety recall information as well.
Air Quality Pro – Before planning an outing or trip to the park, allergy and asthma sufferers should determine whether or not their area is under an air quality alert. Air Quality Pro monitors the air quality index in major cities around the United States and returns forecasts that include detailed information and maps.
Cook it Allergy Free – Cooking delicious, allergen-free meals at home is easier than ever with the Cook IT Allergy Free app, which makes simple work of substituting allergenic ingredients with safe alternatives. Modifying favorite recipes to make them safe for those suffering from food allergies isn’t always easy, but this app does most of the work for you. Users can also share their allergen-free custom recipes through a variety of social networking platforms.

Using these apps can make a major difference in the way that you approach and handle allergy management, but it’s important to remember that these tools, like any others, are not infallible. There’s no substitute for the advice of a medical professional or your own personal experiences, so if an app suggests that a particular item is safe and you’re not completely convinced, you should always follow your instincts and knowledge base.

Taken From A Pair

When Children Get Hurt in Their Nanny's Care

While it’s no secret that bumps and bruises are part of every childhood, even the most minor injury may cause a seasoned caregiver to become riddled with concern when a child is hurt on her watch.

When children get hurt in their nanny’s care they are at the mercy of their nanny to act fast, assess the situation, and administer appropriate care. Nannies must be prepared to deal with any injury that arises, and having an action plan in place can help her to do just that.

What steps should a nanny take after hearing the bloodcurdling scream that indicates trouble?

Step 1. Assess the situation. Take a deep breath and assess the situation. Is the child bleeding from a small scrape to the arm or does he have a gash that has so much blood flowing from it that it looks like it might need sutures? Is the child on the ground in a location and position that indicates he fell from a play structure or is he bent over holding his knee in an open area indicating he likely tripped and fell? Is he choking? Is he breathing? Is he conscious? Are there bumps or areas of swelling? Is there any visible injury? Can the child indicate where he is hurt? The answers to these questions, along with any other observations, will help you to determine the level of care a child needs.

Step 2. Attend to the child. Whether it’s giving a Band-Aid or administering CPR, it’s important that you act fast to minimize the damage. Now is the time to put your first aid and CPR training into action. If the child needs medical attention, call for help and contact the parents as soon as possible. Some children, regardless of how small their “ouchie” is, need lots of emotional comfort following an injury. Be prepared to hug the child and offer all of the affection he needs to bounce back from whatever affliction he is suffering from.

Step 3. Articulate the Incident. Be sure to write down any and all injuries that occur on your watch in your nanny log. Doing so provides important information for the parents to refer to should complications arise from a seemingly harmless incident. Documenting the injury may also help discredit any accusations of abuse or insinuations that you did not inform the parents or report the incident. Be sure to include the nature of the injury, the date and time, any first-aid or medical treatment given, and who was notified of the injury and when.

Step 4. Alert the parents. If the injury is minor, like a bump on the head or a scrape on the hand, and does not need medical attention, you may not have to make a special phone call to alert the parents of the injury. However, some parents may wish to be contacted if any injury, regardless of how minor it is, occurs. It’s a good idea to discuss when and how the parents wish to be contacted should minor routine childhood injuries occur before they actually do. Sometimes sending a quick text or email during your next period of downtime is an appropriate way to notify parents of non urgent injuries.

Step 5. Assess the cause. Did the child trip over a planter in the garden and chip a tooth? Did he scrape his head on the corner of a raised hearth? Did he get into medication that was not properly stored? While all risks can’t be eliminated, nannies can take steps to create the safest environment possible so that her charges are able to safely and freely explore and interact with their world.

While every nanny dreads a child getting hurt under her supervision, the reality is that even the most safety-conscious nanny will have a charge experience some type of injury while in her care. Knowing how to effectively treat an injury is essential.

Taken From National Nannies

7 Things Your Nanny Needs to Know About Your Child Custody Terms

In the unfortunate event of a divorce, families and their nannies are forced to acclimate themselves to an entirely new schedule. Adjusting to these changes can be difficult for an established nanny who has been with the family for years, and can be equally as confusing for a newly-hired childcare provider caring for the children of a couple whose divorce is very recent. If you’re divorced and employing a nanny, here are seven of the things you should make sure that your nanny knows about regarding the terms of your custody agreement.

Scheduling Basics – Whether your nanny is just coming on board after a divorce or if she’s been working for you since before you separated from your ex, she will need to have a basic idea of your custody and visitation agreement. This especially holds true if she won’t be working during the time your children spend with a non-custodial parent so that she is able to build her own schedule as well.
Which Parent They Work For – Some divorced parents will make separate childcare arrangements and others will make them together. When divorced couples share a nanny the arrangements can be complex and require a nanny to provide care at both parents’ homes. As such, your nanny will need to know who her primary employer is and what, if any, instructions they’ll be expected to follow from the other parent.
Right of First Refusal Provisions – Provisions that grant non-custodial parents the first chance to care for their children when the other parent is unavailable are called “right of first refusal” provisions, and are relevant to your nanny because it can limit her work if they exist in your custody agreement. These provisions are put in place to allow a non-custodial parent to maximize the time they spend with their children, giving them precedence over a babysitter or nanny. If your nanny’s schedule could potentially be altered due to your ex’s insistence on watching the children when you’re unavailable, she should be informed as soon as possible.
The Particulars of Your Parenting Plan – In the majority of divorce cases that involve the custody of dependent children, the parent who has physical custody is also the one charged with making decisions regarding childcare and schools, and often determines what is considered “reasonable” regarding visitation schedules. Your nanny should be aware of which parent makes these decisions and the ways in which they will affect her as spelled out by your parenting plan.
About Supervised Visitation – In some unfortunate cases, a non-custodial parent is awarded visitation only under supervision, either by an agreed-upon party or a person designated by the court. Often the result of substance abuse or violence on the part of the non-custodial parent, these situations can be particularly tricky for childcare providers. If your ex-spouse is only allowed access to your children under supervision, your nanny should be informed so that she doesn’t inadvertently facilitate an unsupervised visit.
If a Parent Has No Visitation Rights – Should your ex-spouse’s visitation rights be stripped and sole custody awarded to you in your divorce agreement, this information should absolutely be passed along to your nanny. Child Find(R) of America estimates that up to 78% of kidnappings are committed by non-custodial parents; if there’s any chance at all that your ex could be considering the option of abducting their children, your nanny needs to know so that she can be vigilant, both for the well-being of your children and to ensure her own physical safety.
Pick-Up and Drop-Off Protocol – Some divorces are more amicable than others, with parents more than capable of comporting themselves in a civil or even friendly manner long enough to arrange drop-offs and pick-ups. Others may find that keeping their temper or bitterness in check, even for a brief period of time, is almost impossible. In these cases, you may opt to arrange for these meetings to be handled by your childcare provider, but she should be well aware of that situation and given the chance to accept the arrangement in advance. You and your ex-spouse should agree, if on nothing else, to keep conversation civil and refrain from making snide comments about one another to the nanny, who is essentially a neutral party despite who signs her paycheck.

Like every marriage, every divorce is different. There will be particular situations applicable only to you and your family and others that are dictated by the laws of your state; regardless you should make sure that your nanny is left as well-informed as possible to prevent any confusion or melodramatic scenes in the future.

Taken From Nanny Background Check

How Nannies Can Help Ease Separation Anxiety in Young Children

Many young children experience separation anxiety when their parent leaves for any amount of time, whether it’s short or long. At around 8 to 9 months of age, children begin to learn and understand that mom and dad are permanent figures in their lives, and may become upset when they can no longer see them. Nannies can ease the anxiety children feel when their parents leave by understanding why the anxiety happens and how best to make the child feel secure that their parent will, in fact, return.

What is separation anxiety?

Infants start off life not realizing that the world is full of objects and people that are constants in their world. Around 8 to 9 months of age they begin to understand that their parents, toys, and other items may not be in sight, but they still exist somewhere. That knowledge and understanding is also the beginning of separation anxiety, as they now want the person or item to return when it is gone.

As infants get older, their anxiety can become more exaggerated. They may begin to cry or cling to the parents when they fear they are leaving. All children are different and some may never experience much anxiety at all, while others may continue this behavior for years. The problem can worsen when parents allow the behavior and feed into it by changing plans or admitting guilt and remorse to the child when leaving.

Ways Nannies Help to Ease Anxiety

Nannies can help children overcome the anxiety they feel when their parents leave in a variety of ways. Each child is unique and will respond to different tactics but there are several general techniques that can be applied. Learning what can trigger the anxiety and different ways to cope are the first steps in decreasing, and hopefully eliminating, separation anxiety.

Nannies can become familiar with the child before the first separation. Once hired, the nanny most likely will want to talk about setting up some time to play with and get to know the child before their first day of caring for them alone. This will go a long way in making the child more comfortable with the nanny. If the nanny is hired when the child is only an infant, there may be very little, if any, separation anxiety when a parent leaves for the day, since they will have always been with the nanny and feel safe with them.
Nannies can learn the child’s routine. Nannies will want to know what the child is used to and adhere as close as possible to their normal routine. Consistency will make the child feel more secure, even when the parents are away. Going about the day as they always have will let them know that everything is the same as usual, just minus mom and dad.
They are respectful of the child’s feelings. Nannies should be there to listen and soothe the child. When the child is upset they need to know that someone they trust is there for them. Nannies should listen and be patient with a child who is experiencing anxiety. They should also answer any questions about when their parents will return directly and honestly, but should not bring up the subject themselves.
Display calmness and confidence. Children need to know someone is in charge who is able to protect and care for them. Their anxiety is partly due to fear of losing the people that usually make their world safe. Having a nanny that is calm and confident sends the message to the child that he is safe and will be well cared for.
Distract them but don’t trick them. Seasoned nannies know that having a fun activity to do right after the parent leaves can help distract them, but they know better than to try and deceive a child. Using distraction while a parent is leaving is generally not a good idea. First off, it generally just delays the inevitable once they realize the parent is gone. Secondly, they now may feel like the parent and the nanny tried to trick them and this could lead to trust issues. Experienced nannies know better than to use such techniques and will find ways to positively engage the child.

For most children, separation anxiety is a passing phase that generally goes away as they get older. Usually by pre-school children quickly adjust to being with new people and in new environments.

Taken From Hire a Nanny

30 of the Best Blogs on Choosing a Preschool

Beginning preschool marks a very important milestone in a child’s life. For those children that have one parent who stays home or that are under private, in-home care and have not attended daycare, it’s often their first experience with spending structured time outside of the home without a parent or primary caregiver present. Choosing the best preschool for your child depends largely upon your understanding of the different types of preschools, and what method will suit the needs of your family. These 30 blog posts all center around choosing the right preschool for your child through advice, information, and personal experiences.

Different Preschool Methods and Philosophies

Parents encountering the need to choose a preschool for the first time may not realize that there are actually several different methods and philosophies subscribed to by various preschools. The curriculum that your child will be following is greatly influenced by these methods, so it’s important to familiarize yourself with the options available to you. These five blog entries are dedicated to explaining and comparing the most popular preschool philosophies.

Montessori Method

A 2011 article by the Wall Street Journal revealed that a high concentration of America’s successful innovators in their fields, the “creative elite,” attended Montessori schools during childhood. Emphasis on collaboration and self-directed learning free from grades or traditional tests are the hallmarks of the Montessori method, and are discussed thoroughly in these five blog posts.

HighScope Method

The HighScope program focuses on “active participatory learning,” giving kids the chance to interact with ideas, objects, and people in a hands-on, personal way. A large part of the HighScope method is the emphasis on planning and reviewing, while encouraging independence and self-reliance.

Reggio Emilia Method

Much of the Reggio Emilia approach to early education is based around the theory that a child’s learning environment plays a significant role in how and what he learns. Under the Reggio Emilia approach, the classroom is called “the third teacher,” and is carefully designed for optimal learning and comfort. These five blogs explore the Reggio Emilia method.

Waldorf Method

Early childhood education under the Waldorf method is based on principles of imitation and example, providing children with guided play and productive work, and also encouraging imagination in young children. Nature, local traditions, and folklore also play a significant role in the Waldorf approach.

Finding the Best Fit

Whether you’re inspired by the imaginative approach favored by the Waldorf method or the beauty of Reggio Emilia learning spaces, it’s important to compare every aspect of each approach to determine which best suits your child’s needs. These five blog entries are dedicated solely to helping parents choose just the right preschool for their child, and are full of information on the subject.

After comparing the ideas and theories set forth by these bloggers you should be well on your way to choosing your child’s new preschool. Tour the various options in your area, and don’t be afraid to ask questions while you’re visiting to determine whether or not you think that it’s a good fit for your family.

Taken From Find a Nanny