|
|
|
 Travel & Outdoors | June 2008 
Traveling Nannies: More Vacations Include These Helpers
 Karina Bland - The Arizona Republic
go to original
| | Taking a nanny on vacation is becoming more popular among affluent families. Parents say the expense is worth the extra set of hands when traveling with small children. | | |
When Kerry Davis of Gilbert plans a vacation for her family of four, she always includes one more: the nanny.
Whether skiing in Park City, Utah, or playing on the beach in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, having a nanny along to help with the children means she and her husband, Nathan, can relax and really enjoy their vacation.
"When we're relaxed, we are so much more fun and focused on what matters: our children," Kerry Davis says.
Plus, the couple get a little alone time for a romantic dinner out or late-night stroll.
Taking a nanny on vacation is becoming more popular among affluent families. Parents say the expense is worth the extra set of hands when traveling with small children.
Child-care companies and hotels are capitalizing on the idea, providing caregivers who can watch the children as parents enjoy anything from a meal to a day of snorkeling.
"If you can afford it, bringing a nanny along can provide huge flexibility," says Sheila Marcelo, a mom as well as CEO of Care.com, a nationwide online child-care directory, and an expert on baby-sitter issues.
This time of year, her Web site gets thousands of queries from parents asking about taking nannies on vacation.
At A+ Nannies Inc. in Scottsdale, requests are pouring in for summer nannies, including what they call "travel" nannies to vacation with families. And most local resorts offer some sort of sitting services for kids, such as the daylong Coyote Camp at the Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort in Phoenix, so Mom and Dad can hang alone by the pool.
Someone you trust
Stephanie Vitanza, a Scottsdale child psychologist, has taken her infant son and his nanny on business trips. She's thinking about taking her nanny on vacation as well.
"I think it's a good thing from a safety perspective," she says. "You don't have to worry about trying to find someone who is screened properly that you can trust and who knows your child's routines in a strange place."
But she does caution parents not to leave all the child-care duties to the nanny while traveling, or it's no longer a family vacation.
Kerry and Nathan Davis, for example, love traveling with their kids, 8-year-old Kennady and 3-year-old Trenton. But they also love the adults-only time that comes with having their nanny along.
"Just to get a date night while you're on vacation is so nice," Kerry Davis says.
Taking a nanny on vacation can be expensive. Parents pay salary on top of the fees related to kid-friendly activities, such as admission to SeaWorld or Disneyland, souvenirs and meals.
And nannies need their own space, Kerry Davis says, so expect to get two hotel rooms, a two-room suite or a time-share with a separate bedroom for the nanny.
Time alone
"We see it as an investment," says Lacy Gambee-Hamada of Gilbert, mom of 9-year-old Taylor. A second daughter is due to arrive at the end of June.
She and her husband will take a nanny on vacation for the first time when they return to Aruba. Last time they were there, Gambee-Hamada noticed families, mostly from the East Coast, who had nannies in tow. With a baby on the way, she told her husband, "We really should look into that."
It's not that they don't want to spend time with their children; it's just that it would be nice to have some time alone together.
"You get the best of both worlds," Gambee-Hamada says.
Eliza Abercrombie is the Davises' new nanny. She'll travel with the family this fall to Mexico and to Utah to ski this winter.
"I think it's exciting," the 18-year-old says.
It will be fun to see new places, she says, and she enjoys being with the children, who adore her. She says she likely wouldn't get to go to those vacation destinations if not through her job.
Some nannies specialize in vacationing with families, says Hilary Lockhart, owner of A+ Nannies Inc. and a former nanny herself.
"They like having the variety of working with different children," she says.
Lockhart recently found a nanny for a family spending the summer in Hawaii, Colorado and California. Although that may sound glamorous, caring for children is hard work, no matter where you are.
Most importantly, Lockhart says, sharing a family vacation creates shared memories and more tightly bonds nanny and kids. |
| |
|
Vallarta Weddings
Tell a Friend
Site Map
Print this Page
Email Us