Nannies & Driving

chicagobride_07 · March 2014

If you have a nanny, what is customary, having her drive your car or her using her own? If she uses her own, does she have a car seat permanently installed?

How do you handle insurance if she drives your car? My insurance mentioned I wouldn't need to add her if it was just occasional use. That makes me worry. To add her is $280/year, however.

She will be driving my LO max once per week (likely more like once every other week), 15 miles round trip, to a physical therapy appointment.

If she uses her car we plan to reimburse for mileage (IRS established rates).

Would love to hear the best way to approach this in a fair and safe fashion.

MrsAshleyH10 · March 2014

I think it's up to you how to handle the car situation. If it were me, I'd probably just have her drive my car, then you don't have to worry about purchasing and installing another car seat (and whether or not she's willing to keep it installed permanently).

You don't need to add her if she is just occasionally using the car with your permission. Insurance follows the vehicle.

Xstatic3333 · March 2014

I'm a former nanny/babysitter and I've only ever used my own car. Personally, I'm much more comfortable driving my own car, especially with precious cargo. That said, I've always had clearly safe, practical, reliable cars in good condition. If your nanny's isn't, have her use yours. I wouldn't have cared if I had to use theirs, just prefer to use my own.

Mileage reimbursement is kind-my employers just tended to "round up" when I drove. I put the car seat in every time I drove. I tend to camp, dive, and other equipment-heavy things on the weekend, so permanent installation would not have worked for me.

Overall I think your plans sound fair and good!

SkilledSailor · March 2014

Hi, lurker here. I'm a nanny and am like @Xstatic3333. I prefer to drive my own car simply because I am use to it. However I work for two differently families and they handle my driving differently. For one family I occasionally drive their car. I am not on their insurance since it is just occasional. For the other family, I arrive a few minutes earlier on days I am driving their child to install the car seat. I do know nannies that have car seats permanently installed but they drive the kids around to classes every day. I think it depends on what the parents and nanny are comfortable with.

Flamingo86 · March 2014

Lurker here.

I am a PT nanny and I pick up the child I watch from school (about 1 mile from their house). I use my car and have a booster that I keep in the back seat although sometimes I remove it if I am hauling people/stuff on the weekends.

They reimburse me for mileage. I should add that my car is reliable and has excellent safety ratings.

Good luck!

formerlyGDaisy09 · March 2014

I was a nanny, almost 10 years ago (wow that makes me feel old!). I drove the two kids around on a daily baisis, the younger one needed a booster seat, we installed it in my car at the beginning of the week and I left it at their house over the weekend (so it could go back in their 2nd car for weekend driving).

I got reimbursed at the standard rate for miledge every week, they usually rounded up to the nearest $1 or $5 (I can't remember). It seemed fair.

That said, for occasional driving with your permission, you don't have to add her to your insurance, if that's the route you want to go.

If the whole driving thing made you really uncomfortable, or you couldn't work it out with her you could look into organizations where PTs come to you. My sister is a PT that works with kids age 3mos to 3 years, she goes to their homes and finds that it is much easier to work with the kids and get them to do what they need to do using their own toys.

brij2006 · March 2014

I nannied for 2 different families, and they each handled it differently.

The one had me put the carseat in my car and reimbursed me for mileage. Although I only drove him around once every other week.

The other family would leave me her SUV (she had a convertible she drove without the kids), and I would take that to get groceries, playdates, classes, preschool, etc.

It all depends on how often she would be using it. If it's just once every other week and she has a reliable car, then reimburse her for the use and go that way.

Apollo11235 · March 2014

I'm a PT nanny now and worked as a live-in nanny a few years ago.

When I was living with the previous family, they only had one car seat and never took it out, so I drove him in their car sometimes. It was not often enough to need to be put on their insurance - maybe once a week on average?

Now, I live 20 min away from the family I nanny for, and this is what we've done: for the first few months, Mom would install their (only) car seat in my car on days I planned to take the kiddo out anywhere. Then when they found a seat the liked at a good price, they bought one to keep in my car. I saw a car seat technician for training on how to use it and install/remove it, and I take it out maybe once or twice a month to drive people on the weekends, then put it back when I need to drive her anywhere. Usually, the driving I do is pretty much on my way somewhere, but when I go out of my way to take her somewhere, they give me the federal rate for mileage.

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