May 11, 2023 Job Openings By Jenny No Comments

NEW FULL-TIME HOUSEHOLD MANAGER POSITION IN GILBERT, $25-$30/HR, ASAP!

gilbert, household, manager

NEW FULL-TIME HOUSEHOLD MANAGER POSITION IN GILBERT, $25-$30/HR, ASAP!
Power & Elliott: This fabulous professional returning family of ours is seeking a top notch proactive and  household manager to help keep their household running smoothly. Mom has her school-aged kids every other week so this is a hybrid nanny / household manager role in which the candidate will be caring for the kids afterschool every other week while also taking on household managerial duties and on the weeks the children are not in the home — the role is solely household management with a mixture of personal assistant duties as well. They have a casual yet very fast-paced atmosphere in their home. Mom is a busy professional business owner and also travels for business so she has a very demanding and variable schedule and is needing a multi-tasker who is flexible and disciplined and can juggle multiple hats — truly an extension of Mom to help in whatever capacity is needed in their fun and busy household. Mom works from home sometimes or is in and out or may be traveling. The family is seeking a household manager who will love and discipline and care for their kids in a similar way to the parents. Organization and the ability to juggle schedules and personalities is a must. Must be  proactive, take great initiative and be a happy and loving person. Must be good at enforcing boundaries for kids. Driving will be needed to pick up kids after school and for sports and after – school activities, errands, etc and a nanny vehicle is provided for the nanny’s use. The 2 children needing  after school care are an 11 year old son and a 9 year old daughter. Both attend the same school from 7:30AM-2PM M-F and the nanny will need to pick them up at 2PM from school and take them to after school activities and assist with homework help, snacks, children’s meal prep and the evening routine until 6PM. The 11 year old son is in jujitsu and does best when boundaries are enforced. The 9 year old daughter is a sweetheart who thrives in love and happiness and she is in dance and jujitsu. In August the 11 year old will be attending jr high at a different school. The family also has 2 older teenagers, a 16 year old daughter and an 18 year old son who are both driving and in high school. The teenagers are independent with their schedules and are very self-sufficient and will be in and out of the home every other week and they can also be utilized to help with driving their younger siblings to activities. The 16 year old has cheer and the 18 year old has gym and band practice. The boys also take piano lessons. The schedule is as follows: Every other week when kids are present in the home, it is a guaranteed 40 hours, M-F from 10AM – 6PM (with flexibility). Then every other week when the kids are not present in the home, the schedule can be a guaranteed 20 – 30 hrs (depending on how many hrs desired) and the schedule can be M-F from 10AM – 2PM or 4PM. On the weeks that the children are present, the nanny would arrive at the home at 10AM and from 10AM – 2PM she will take on household duties and then pick up the 11 and 9 year old from school at 2PM and care for them until 6PM. Mom can be flexible with start and end times according to the nanny’s availability, especially on the weeks that the children are not present. On the off weeks when children are not present, the schedule is solely household duties. The following household tasks and responsibilities are needed: keep closets organized and clothes caught up on as kids grow, help with (doctors and dentists appts), help with packing for trips, laundry, meals are cooked for kids 3 -4 nights a week, unpacking backpacks for after school download as well as packing lunches and repacking for next day; homework help, organizational projects, wash linens, organize and put together bedrooms and closets; clean out both the fridge/freezer and take inventory on what needs to be replaced, simple meal prep for mom when she is in town, keep a running list of household items that need to be stocked, daily tidying up, organization of maintenance of heavy traffic areas (kitchen, loft, living room, bedroom dressers, kids closets and loft closet), cleaning and organizing storage unit,
opening branding partnership mail and organizing products from Mom’s business, schedule and take cars to maintenance appointments and take cars to car wash, return items – both in-store and online, grocery shopping, household shopping, clothes shopping, gift shopping; book appointments for Mom and the kids; keep kid’s extracurricular activities up to date on the ical calendar, schedule house maintenance – plumbing, electric, pest, cleaners, decorate for events and help with birthdays and holidays. This is a fantastic opportunity for a candidate who is wanting to branch into household management and personal assistant roles and there is growth and advancement potential within this position. The family is desiring a longterm commitment of preferable 3 – 5 years. No Pets.  This family is NOT requiring the Covid-vaccine. Compensation: $25-$30/hr. Paid Vacation. Paid Holidays. Use of car. Interviewing now. Starts ASAP. (REF#HPGILBERT)

 

***To apply to this position, please email jenny@acaringnanny.com and use REF#HPGILBERT in title.***

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February 2, 2015 Blog By admin No Comments

2015 STANDARD MILEAGE RATES ANNOUNCED BY IRS

2015 Standard mileage rates are up!
Nannies and families, take note: The IRS has announced that the business reimbursement for business travel has gone up!

Gas has been going down radically, and Costco’s posted rate today is $1.65. We’re all saving money every time we fill up. However, the IRS has announced that for business mileage, their rate has actually gone up slightly. Last year the rate was 56.5 and the new rate for 2015 is 57.5.
So you may be wondering why families will be paying more for errands their household staff run. Medical mileage as well as driving for volunteer work has stayed lower.
Beginning on Jan. 1, 2015, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car, van, pickup or panel truck will be:

The way the IRS sets the standard mileage rates is based on an annual study of the fixed and variable costs of using a car, including depreciation, insurance, repairs, tires, maintenance, gas and oil. The rate for medical and moving purposes is based on the variable costs, such as gas and oil. The charitable rate is set by law.
Why is the business rate up and the moving and medical rate down? The business rate adjustment takes into account all the costs associated with owning a car, including insurance and repairs, while the other adjustment primarily takes into effect oil and gas costs.
There is another option. The standard rates are the simple option for taxpayers to use. The other option is to claim deductions based on the actual costs of using a vehicle. In either case, you need to keep records to prove how far you drove and when and for what purpose.
Be sure to use these new rates to reimburse your nanny or household manager starting this month!
Beth

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December 29, 2014 Blog By admin No Comments

ONLINE NANNY SITES VS A NANNY AGENCY

What are the pros and cons of using an online nanny site vs a nanny agency? Your greatest concerns in life revolve around your children and home. When you need some extra help at home, a nanny or babysitter, how should you  go about finding the perfect one, the one just right for your family? 

Should you go with a ‘do-it-yourself’ online site? Or hire a service to do the sleuthing for you. What are the pros and cons of using an online nanny agency versus a full service agency? We checked with some experts in the industry and have some pros and cons to help you decide which way is best for your family.

Complete control. An online company gives parents complete control over the process. Some parents feel that they know their needs and their family better than anyone, and want to do it all themselves.

Price. An online service is much less expensive initially than an agency. Some online companies charge only $45 per month and a Phoenix nanny agency can be anywhere from $800 to $3,500.

Candidates. There are lots of candidates to choose from. There are outstanding, experienced candidates mixed in with others. Experience levels vary greatly. For example, Care.com requires candidates to have worked in three different homes at least one time each. Most ‘brick and mortar’ agencies require a minimum of one to two years experience outside friends and family.

Convenience. Since it’s all online, a parent can do a lot of the work after hours.

Cons of an online service

Time. Initially it may seem easy and some families find a great choice quickly and move forward, but others find it confusing because there are so many nanny candidates and it takes a lot of time to review resumes, interview candidates, call references, get quality background checks, get copies of Driver’s Licenses, proof of auto insurance, First Aid, CPR certifications and validate the knowledge base of each candidate.

 

One family was successful, but recounts: “I found someone good but it wasn’t easy. I spent a lot of hours interviewing and checking references…hours that I didn’t have. I saved some money, but if I had it to do over, I would find an agency that does more of the work.”

Another comment was, “I didn’t realize all the stuff that ultimately fell on my plate.” And again, “I had no idea that they don’t even meet the nannies. They have a lot of resumes but I gave up after a while. It was like finding a needle in a haystack.”

Pros of a Full-Service Agency

Streamlined Hiring Process: An agency has the ability to determine your needs and send candidates for interviewing within a day or two. Judi Merlin of A Friend of the Family Staffing Corporation in Athens, Georgia, tells us that her vetting process for nannies takes 15-20 hours.

“We have found that only 1 in 10 applicants successfully complete our process,” she adds.

There for you during and after the placement. One of the most valuable benefits of going with a nanny agency is being able to work with one person who will guide you through the process. One family in the Breedlove survey stated: ” I liked being able to do a lot of the work online to save time. But I thought most of their nannies were un-hireable and I didn’t have anyone to call when I needed help.” Mimi Brady of Westside Nannies in Los Angeles tells us: “Most agencies always provide ears to listen, even after a nanny has been placed, and this can be extremely helpful in working on glitches regarding training your new nanny and miscommunications.”

Back-up help and support. If a family uses an agency, they can call for a last minute substitute sitter in case of an emergency. If a placement doesn’t work out, most agencies guarantee the placement for three months.

If you  have any questions about the process of finding just the right nanny or babysitter for your family, we’re glad to help. You can give us a call at 480-946-3423 or fill out a Family Application to start your personalized search today.

Cons of a Brick and Mortar Agency

Price. It is definitely more expensive to hire a nanny or babysitter though an on-line service, but time and having a stress-free experience are more valuable to many families than the money they would save.

Loss of control. Some parents prefer to be in charge of the whole process themselves.

Pros of a Do it Yourself Website

Failure Rate. One out of three online hires results in a failed placement, according to a study by Breedlove, a nanny tax service. There is also the consideration of a failed placement and children who have grown to like a nanny or babysitter only to have them leave. There is also the fear factor of meeting a person in your home who may not be who they seem.

Each family’s budget, time constraints and priorities are what will determine the best way to go about hiring a nanny or babysitter. The bottom line for every family is the safety and well-being of their children.

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September 23, 2013 Blog By admin No Comments

5 WAYS TO HONOR YOUR NANNY FOR NATIONAL NANNY APPRECIATION WEEK SEPTEMBER 22-28!
National Nanny Appreciation Week is September 22-28, 2013. Nannies do a remarkable service in loving, nurturing, training and educating the children in their care as if they were their own, as well as easing the day to day burdens of the parents by performing countless household tasks.

When families show appreciation to their nannies, it only heightens the relationships and creates a desire in the nanny to want to give even more.
It’s easy to take your nanny for granted, because you work hard also, you’re very busy, and you pay her well. However, unless you’re giving your nanny lots of verbal appreciation, she may feel like you have no idea how hard she’s working.
Consider taking her out for a family dinner and giving her a card and a gift. Just think about how much more

difficult your life would be without her!

Here are 5 ideas to spark your thinking about how to honor your nanny.

  1. Give her a paid half or full day off or a cash gift.
  2. Give her a weekend at your summer cabin or a paid vacation.
  3. Designer purse or spa gift certificate.
  4. Handmade card and or video created by the children.
  5. Specific and heartfelt verbal praise

It’s easy to forget to say thank you. If you’re a Mom blessed with a great nanny, or if there is a nanny in your past, take time out during the 2013 National Nanny Appreciation Week to let her know how special she is to you and your children. We at Caring Nannies are so grateful for all the terrific nannies and babysitters and mother’s helpers for their hard work and dedication!

Beth Weise

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February 25, 2013 Blog By admin No Comments

OSCARS FOR NANNIES! 2013 SPARKS AWARDS celebrating everyday nannies doing extraordinary work

Caring Nannies is proud to present the first annual SPARK Awards for Excellence in Nanny Care. The SPARK Awards celebrate everyday nannies doing extraordinary work to support parents, care for children and strengthen families. Each of the two award categories, Enthusiastic Newcomer and Seasoned Veteran, showcase individual excellence in nanny care demonstrated by exceptional childcare, impactful work, and a positive, encouraging attitude.

Winners will be chosen through a combination of online public voting and a selection commitee. They will be honored at their local National Nanny Training Day event on Saturday April 20th. Each SPARK Award winner will receive a gift package including a cash prize.

Select Association of Premier Nanny Agencies across the nation have generously come together to be the collective sponsors of the 2013 SPARKS Awards. APNA’s commitment to exceptional client service and quality nannies are the perfect companion to the mission of the SPARK Award.

What qualities are we looking for?

A nanny with SPARK:
has a Service-minded or “How can I help?” outlook.
acts in a Professional way.
has a positive Attitude about her job and her role as a nanny.
is Resourceful and knows where to go for information, ideas and support.
is Knowledgeable and understands how to foster a child’s healthy development.
Anyone can nominate a nanny, including herself. Just go to the nomination form and provide the nanny’s name, city and state and email address. She’ll receive an email letting her know she’s been nominated and inviting her to complete the nominee submission form and submit the necessary supporting materials. Let her know so she’ll be looking for the email. Contact our office or laura Brawley of Nanny Biz Reviews if you need help. All forms, including a two minute video entry are due by Wednesday, April 3 and voting closes on Friday April 5th.

Here’s more information
SPARK Award FAQ
nominate a nanny
confirm your nomination
complete your nominee submission application
upload your submission video
check out the great prizes
see all the amazing prize contributors
donate a prize
view all the APNA agency sponsors
help spread the word about the SPARK Awards
find a National Nanny Training Day event in your local area
Thanks, Laura Brawley for all your hard work in creating this “Oscar Award” for our hard working Nannies!

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December 13, 2012 Blog, Uncategorized By admin No Comments

A GOAT AND TWO CHICKENS

Share the true spirit of Christmas and be a part of helping children in 3rd world countries.
A Goat and Two Chickens for $100

We’re giving our nannies and families the opportunity to help children in third world countries get a goat and two chickens. Our goal is to raise $100, but if we go over, we’ll buy more for a second or third family. Click HERE to see more about the huge impact this makes for a family (i.e. the manure goes into the vegetable garden) and to donate directly to World Vision.
Please tell us how you give back to the community, and we’ll add $4.00 more to the goat fund!

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November 5, 2012 Uncategorized By admin No Comments

NANNY BOOT CAMP

On Saturday November 3, Caring Nannies held it’s four hour Nanny Boot Camp.

This free course is designed for all nannies placed or being placed through Caring Nannies, and empowers them with greater skills and professionalism and gives families a higher level of care and service. Caring Nannies offers three training events per year, and we require our nannies to attend two.

Nanny Boot Camp is an ongoing event and our goal is to see every nanny have a chance to attend. It covers communication, boundaries, constructing a Working Agreement, developing a weekly Play Plan, using the Nanny Log, improving children’s behavior, consistency, age appropriate activities, child health and safety, discipline techniques, establishing routines, defining your role. We teach using role-playing, discussing typical scenarios that come up and the ethical way to handle them, practice writing out a typical curriculum for several ages, conflict resolution, developing a resume and portfolio, and interview success.

Comments from attendees included these: “Thank you for the time, caring and thoughtfulness that went into your Nanny Boot Camp today. You have helped all of us to step up a notch in our chosen profession. I value that you understand our genuine service and love for the children and families we serve while we carry on that service in a pretty hidden manner and are often not openly valued. I believe we all get that, and recognition, and appreciation are not our motives…. was kinda fun to hear that you ‘get it’.”

“Thank you for helping us serve that much better.”

“It’s great to hear from other nannies and real experiences. I appreciate your kind support to us. Your continued education and conferences equals professional nannies!” and “You’re making us feel valued as nannies. We nannies work pretty much alone and without support.”
We applaud the nannies who gave up their Saturday morning to increase their skills, and connect with us and others in their profession! These are people who keep on learning, growing and stretching to be the best of the best! Thank you for coming! We know there were many others who wanted to come but had problems with  scheduling, and we’ll host another class early next year.

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October 29, 2012 Uncategorized By admin No Comments

CARING NANNIES IN DC FOR 2012 APNA CONFERENCE

Jenny Riojas, Placement Counselor at Caring Nannies is pictured with the staff from ABC Nannies in Denver, CO and The Help Company in CA.

JENNY REPRESENTS CARING NANNIES AT 2012 APNA CONFERENCE IN WASHINGTON DC
On October 11-13, I was privileged to attend the 2012 Association of Premier Nanny Agencies (APNA) annual conference in Washington DC with top-notch nanny agencies from all over the US. Dynamic professionals in the domestic staffing industry networked, shared, and generated ideas to better serve our families and nannies in our own Phoenix community.

We shared ideas about how to exceed client expectations, how to attract top candidates and communicate our vision, expectations and boundaries effectively with our nannies. We want to create a common feeling of pride and belonging and to detail our commitment to them. Events like this help us stay on top of the lastest background checks, providing high quality customer service, and ways to improve our service to our trusted, loyal families. Belonging to APNA (Association of Premier Nanny Agencies) and the INA (International

Nanny Association) and DEMA (Domestic Estate Managers Association) signifies an adherence to rigorous standards and ethics in the direction we take our business. Caring Nannies is continually striving to improve our offerings and give each family the top-notch help they deserve.
We have a vision to be the premier agency in Arizona and we’re so grateful to our wonderful nannies and valued families for bringing us to the place we are now.
We feel that we are not only building a business but building friendships as well.  Since we are the only agency in AZ affiliated with APNA, we have much pride in attending these national conferences and implementing all that we learn to continue to be at the top of our industry.
I reunited with old friends, made new friends, toured the sights of Washington DC, and enjoyed a fulfilling, successful weekend!

Jenny exploring the White House and DC while attending the 2012 APNA conference.

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January 22, 2012 Blog By admin No Comments

Boundaries With Nanny–Balancing The Invisible Line

The irresistible series, Downton Abby, touted as an “instant classic” by the New York Times, is airing on Masterpiece Theatre on Sunday nights in January on PBS. This is a revision of the extremely popular Upstairs, Downstairs that ran in England for years in the 70’s, and is all about boundaries.The upper class family upstairs and the other whole world of the servants below, and the class line between them is an education for all nannies and household staff. As World War One begins, the boundaries are abruptly softened.
Lady Mary Crawley asks Anna, the Head Housemaid, for advice in her love life and Anna demurely replies that it would not be for her to say, but she does instructively convey how she feels about her own lost love: “There will never be another for me.” And when a visiting military commander  is threatened by the spirited Irish chauffeur, Branson, the message must go through a ladder of servant levels until Mr Carson, the butler deftly and smoothly averts the attack without any of the dinner guests realizing what just happened, while we’re sweating it out watching.
Understanding boundaries, called “that magic line” which is never to be crossed, by the real world famous butler, Charles McPhearson, is key to the domestic professional, whether a nanny, mother’s helper, baby nurse, chef, personal assistant, butler or estate manager.

One of the many reasons why Caring Nannies only interviews candidates who have 2-3 years

of nanny experience is that they have experience distinguishing these important boundaries. The home environment is fraught with grey areas.A less experienced nanny will not pick up cues when she should melt away or not give an opinion.

Years ago, I helped several families as a baby nurse, and would often touch base with the mom when I came in. One evening, when I came in  the Mom was chatting with a friend and I sat down on the couch to visit with them. The ladies froze, and I realized I’d missed a cue.
One of our nannies was a live-in nanny for an NBA player, and when  just she and the Mom were together, they were best friends. But when visitors arrived, the nanny was instantly relegated to the ‘servant’ role. An experienced professional will take this in stride and not take it personally.
It’s challenging, because what we love to hear when collecting references  is: “She became like part of the family.” That’s what we all want. We want someone to care for our children and homes as though it were their own. But at the end of the day, they do go home. Accomplishing this balance takes the finesse of a tightrope walker, but this is one way that nannies and domestic staff are completely different from any other professional. The exxperienced ones get it.  We’ve had nannies fired for working out in the master bedroom (it was the mirrored closet doors that inspired her), for giving unwarranted advice, and for following their own protocol rather than the parents.
Tips for nannies and household staff:
Remember that the employer is the boss, and they are paying you to follow their preferences.
Assume that the family needs lots of space and boundaries. They are not hiring a friend. Don’t chit-chat with them about your life. If you’re asked a question that crosses your boundaries,  deflect it sweetly with a smile. Be friendly and professional.

If you have concerns or see a better way of doing something, bring up those concerns privately, not in front of the children or others. If they are not open, drop it and cheerfully continue with their way. In general, give no unsolicited advice unless the children are in danger. As one of our Moms’ reiterated last week, “If you feel you have a better way of doing something, please do it my way or come to me and let’s talk about it.” Your job is to discern needs spoken and unspoken and work with a servant’s heart so that when the employee walks through the door at day’s end, they are free to enjoy their children and home knowing that the major issues of the day have been dealt with.
The longer you’ve been a professional and the more you know, the harder it will be for you to do it their way unless you have that essential servant’s heart. You’ll be accustomed to doing things the way you know is best. Also, you have the recent experience of your last

family, and will naturally want to have the same kind of relationship/ rules/experience that you had before. Be ready to adjust to the new family worldview. Remember: Expectations ruin relationships.

How the family can help:

Be precise in your expectations, definite about messes and schedules. You’re the boss, so be assertive about it. Not easy for most of us. Start the relationship with a written agreement that details duties, hours pay, how discipline is to be handled, mileage compensation, family rules, etc.
It is difficult to become friends with your nanny or housekeeper and then come to them with problem or constructive criticism. Be warm and friendly, but keep back a bit of reserve. The best scenario is when you truly like the person you’ve hired, and you do feel like they could be your friend or a family member, since they are rendering such a vital service to your family.
Schedule formal monthly meetings with your nanny. Obviously, you will touch base daily or weekly, but these longer, more structured meetings will give you an opportunity to take more time to de-clutter any problems in the relationship. A shy caregiver may need more time to open up, and you may need moments of silence to share what is bothering you as well.  Caring Nannies has tools that can help, but you have to opt into a monthly email reminder. We provide tips on how to get started, annual and semi-annual performance reviews and much much more!

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Caring Nannies has been matching nannies with families since 1983. Whether you are a seasoned nanny or just starting, we will help match your passion with a dream job you’ll love!

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