Lisa Marie Presley with Twins

Star Lisa Marie Presley is in the spotlight, but not for a good reason.  She’s facing legal action from her $650 a day nanny, Christine White.

Why?

Christine White the main caregiver for Presley’s 10-month-old twin daughters, Finley and Harper, is claiming that she’s been forced to work seven-day-weeks without any overtime pay, meal breaks, or even a few moments of rest.   While the Lisa Marie Presley example is the extreme and Mrs. White may have exaggerated her situation, it is important to make sure that you don’t overwork your nanny. Here are a few tips to help you maintain a successful relationship with your nanny.

1. Good Communication is Key: If you’re hiring a nanny for five days a week, make sure that she knows that.  If you’re not clear in the interview, you might find that she doesn’t have enough time set aside for you and your family. Good communication allows your nanny to get comfortable with you; so that she can speak up if she’s has issues or concerns.

2. Lateness is Bad: It’s not setting a good precedent to be late on an ongoing basis.  If your doctor’s visit runs over one time, that’s fine, but if you’re coming home late every night of the week, your caregiver might just decide that another family might be better for her.

3. Food is Expected: There’s a depressing scene in The Nanny Diaries where the nanny (Nan) is forced to eat a meal quickly in a bathroom since she’s not sure if she’s on a nannycam and not sure if she can eat anything on the job.  Make sure this is not you.  Your nanny should be able to eat food anytime, and it’s normal to set aside food for both her and the kids while she’s working.

4. Breaks are Important: No one can be the Energizer Bunny.  Caregivers need breaks.  It’s very unusual for a caregiver to work more than six days a week, eight hours a day.  If you need to ask a nanny to work more, make sure to compensate her accordingly, and find a way to give her some relief (i.e. a friend visiting the house, a playdate, an offsite visit to a Gymboree class, etc.)

5.  Be Aware of Unusual Strain: If a nanny is sitting for twins or multiples, it’s twice as easy to get burned out. Having an exhausted nanny isn’t good for your family–the more tired she is, the more distracted she might be with the kids. To make sure that you provide her relief, try using another sitter occasionally so she can have a little time off.

Photo credit: People Magazine

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 15th, 2009 at 9:30 am and is filed under Celebrity Sittings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.