Many families have lofty expectations of the many ways their entire family’s quality of life may be improved by adding a nanny to their household team – and they’re not wrong!
As families get into the nuts and bolts of hiring a nanny, there are still unanswered questions – who will provide coverage when the nanny is sick or using their paid time off? How will weekends or travel be covered? And, most importantly, is the schedule of the role going to be too much for one person to maintain long-term without facing burnout? Questions such as these are leading many families to pursue a rotational (often simplified to ROTA in the nanny industry) schedule. Read on for some of the many reasons families have shared with us why a rotational schedule works well for them!
You Can Work With Candidates With A Variety Of Skill Sets
At Adventure Nannies, we end up speaking with a few families every month who are looking for a Japanese-speaking, Montessori-trained nanny who can play the saxophone and has an EU passport. No problem, right? If your family has specific “nice to have” traits (such as years of experience, specialized skills, language knowledge, or musical/creative backgrounds), a rotational team of nannies will allow you to hire people based on their strengths and find creative ways for your kids to be exposed to a wider range of experiences and backgrounds. You might find that a RIE-certified nanny may not be well-versed in preparing paleo or keto meals for your family – however, focusing on specific skills you desire and opening your situation up to the possibility of multiple caregivers checking those boxes will lead to a much more dynamic and well-rounded team, creating a wealth of out-of-the-box experiences for your kids while ensuring the needs of your household are still being met.
ROTA Roles Are Attractive To Top Candidates
Many career nannies who have been in the industry for 10+ years recognize the unique constraints and demands a traditional nanny role can put on their life, and appreciate or seek out rotational schedules as their opportunity to continue on in their chosen career without sacrificing their family, health, or other pursuits. The ability to achieve a genuine work/life balance makes rotational roles extra attractive to highly experienced nannies, which often results in a swifter placement.
ROTA Schedules Promote Longevity
Due to the on/off nature of rotational schedules, many nannies stay in rotational positions for 3-5+ years. This continuity of care provides the opportunity for consistent, supportive, and nurturing relationships between nannies and children. The schedule lends itself to avoiding burnout and employees are able to take advantage of their downtime to travel, see family, or pursue hobbies or other interests without feeling like they need to choose between these priorities and their job. Many career nannies will actually use their off time to invest in continuing education or engaging in personally and professionally enriching opportunities that would be difficult to balance with a traditional schedule.
ROTA Schedules Create Full Coverage Without Schedule Gymnastics
While some families may be initially hesitant about bringing on two full-time nannies, what they often realize when hiring one full-time employee is that they will inevitably need support for any number of fill-in situations: date nights, sick days, nanny’s PTO or parental leave, weekends, or other extenuating circumstances. This often leads to parents building their own roster of babysitters or texting friends or colleagues asking for introductions to their nannying or babysitting network (information that some families are hesitant to give out.) Building a ROTA team enables you to have the flexibility to build a schedule that works for your family and changes week-by-week, because it ensures that someone will always be available to jump in the moment your family needs a helping hand, without needing to enlist grandparents, neighbors, past babysitters or nannies, or other outside help.
Rotational Support Is Great For Families Who Travel Frequently Or Have Multiple Residences
One of the reasons that Adventure Nannies has become so many families’ first destination when building a rotational team is that we source candidates from across the United States. Families who travel frequently or move between multiple properties throughout the year often struggle to find nannies who are willing to be away from their own homes and families for significant lengths of time, or who find the act of traveling for work with their nanny family too disruptive for their day-to-day lives. Having a rotational team of nannies can simplify extended travel or geographical shifts throughout the year, by allowing everyone on your team ample time to spend at their own homes during their off time.
In conclusion, while rotational nanny positions have been around for quite some time, they are definitely having a moment right now as more and more families begin to think outside the box in terms of finding flexible support to meet their family’s needs as they move closer to their ideal schedules and lives – and we are all for it! Rotational schedules and building rotational teams, when done correctly, can give parents the peace of mind and freedom they’ve been seeking while also creating a sustainable, balanced position that a nanny will be able to remain in for years to come.
What questions do you have about hiring a rotational nanny? We would love to be a resource for you as you build the talented, experienced, and supportive dream team that your family needs. Click the button below to learn more!
Interested in learning more about Adventure Nannies? Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, and check out the other posts on the blog!
Do you have what it takes to be an Adventure Nanny, Newborn Care Specialist, or Private Educator? Apply Now!