Do You Need To Provide Food For Nanny?

Do You Need To Provide Food For Nanny? Do you have a nanny coming to babysit? Are you in a dilemma whether or not to provide some food for your nanny? These are common and very often not discussed with the employer.

In the majority of the cases, the employer need not provide food for a nanny, however, this is one thing that every nanny and employer should discuss beforehand. This will clear the terms in regards before the on-boarding or hiring process.

What’s the regular norm of providing food for a nanny?

When planning to employ your nanny outside family and full-time, it is often considered that they would pack their meal and have them. This is similar to your child’s school staff or your landscaper.

However, when hiring a nanny, you might not be sure that food is expected or you want to provide food for your nanny or not. It is better to discuss at the time of hiring with the nanny. However, there is no real norm to do so.

Nanny types based on their work times:

• A part-time working nanny would generally bring their food or will eat with kids if they are involved in the meal preparation too as part of their job.
  
• A full-time might pack up her lunch and eat occasionally as the need arises when there are late or overworking hours of work.
  
• A night nanny would have finished her dinner as it’s nighttime. Your newborn or kids are sleeping and just a snack would do the job. Keeping a snack aside is good.

What to do if you have to provide food for the nanny?

If you consider general politeness, you might consider offering food or providing food for a nanny. This etiquette varies from one person to another anyways. Some employer provides meals to let the nanny help themselves for food in their house.

Some others would encourage the nanny to prepare her food making use of their groceries. These are some ways that you can provide food for a nanny if the deal is to provide food. This is because juggling between work and children, getting lunch for you and your family itself is a big chore.

At times, making from scratch is in itself a big deal. The same would be applicable for the nanny too. But, some people like nannies getting into their things while others do not.

Some points to follow if you need to provide food for a confinement nanny:

• Make food for the whole family with a little extra portion for your nanny. This portion can be stored in the fridge or in a hot pack for her to eat.
  
• Make it clear to your nanny what she can have and what she shouldn’t touch. It’s not recommended to say “Help yourself with anything in the cupboard or fridge.”
  
• You can always communicate what you are putting aside for your nanny or discuss the previous week of your menu that matches your family menu. This can let her bring her delicacies in case she is not interested in that day’s food.
  
• Some nannies could be vegan and vegetarian. If you are a non-vegetarian or having a non-vegetarian or dairy food that day, communicate so that she will have an option of making her food that day.
  
• Set aside some dedicated food for your nanny like fruits or snacks in a dedicated nanny space. You can also label it nanny when placing it in the fridge.
  
• If you feel, all this is hectic for you, talk beforehand to include a meal allowance instead of providing food.
  
• You can put a meal or two at work in your contract to be precise about the deal.
  
• For late or overworking nannies, it would be good to provide dinner along with your kids.

Reasons why nanny wants or do not want food at the employer’s house

Several nannies by profession like to bring their meals. Though some have trouble eating outside their family food, others do not mind having food at work.

Some feel awkward and uncomfortable getting into others cupboards, while others feel good to have freshly prepared meals. In some cases, making own food at someone else’s house is time taking, some have dietary restrictions, some are vegan or vegetarian strictly, and other issues.

Some nannies prefer eating what the kids have to encourage the kids to eat them too while for others it is just to satisfy the hunger.

Do You Need To Provide Food For Nanny? – Conclusion

It is totally on the employer and the nanny’s agreement when they are hiring a nanny. Whatever agreeable to both of them is the final. There is no legality associated with it.