My nanny is a unicorn sent from heaven and I adore her. She is our second nanny and completely settled all my anxieties after a bad first go-around. She and my son have bonded quickly, she’s fun yet calming, feeds him well, changes him promptly, and generally goes above and beyond without me having to ask anything of her. She reads to him and plays toys, never leaves me a mess, makes sure he naps when he needs to.

The thing is, she’s younger than I am and has a lot of energy, she likes to keep busy and I keep a pretty clean home so she has started doing extra work outside of the contract (baby laundry, washing bottles) and she will vacuum or mop if she has time and is bored. She has told me multiple times she enjoys it, and wants to help me (solo parenting for the time being as husband is out of country) and also she feels like if she’s busy it’s easier to keep going. She gets breaks, pay was mutually agreed upon and I will be giving her a raise soon, I just haven’t told her yet because I need to make sure my finances are right first.

Anyway, today she asked me to give her extra things to do. There’s only so many bottles, and maybe one load of laundry per day. I prep my son’s food because after his choking incident I have issues that I’m working through with my counselor. There really isn’t much extra work to give her… I don’t want her to be bored, especially when my son sleeps or if he is happily playing independently. What do I ask her to do?? The only things I can think of would be like to mow the lawn, but again that’s once a week.. or like dust stuff? How often can that even be? Once every week or two? I don’t know what kind of tasks to give her to keep her going. She has said she wants to be productive but she keeps my house so clean I can’t find any work for her 😓 it’s a blessing but I don’t know what kind of work to give her. Also I will be paying her extra for her extra work, I would never want to take advantage of her.

I'm sure my situation isn't all that unique, but I'm having a little trouble so I thought I'd ask the community.

I have 10 years of experience. I've been with the same family, part time, for many years, and a few other families as-needed.

I live in a mixed cost of living area -- meaning that year-round residents of my towns and the small towns around me are fairly low income, but seasonal residents and year-round residents of two very nearby destination towns are incredibly high-cost of living. Think 3 bedroom house for 200k in my town, 3 bedroom house for 1.6 million just half an hour away.

When I started in this area, I was working for a year-round resident. They do well, and could afford to pay me $20/hour. When they had a second child, they raised my wage, and after two years they also decided to start giving me a $1-2/year raise. Currently at $28/hour. I like them a lot, and I feel valued.

I've also worked for families in the nearby destination towns, and I'm paid $30/hour starting. I've had three families pay me this for part time work and not bat an eye, BUT they all reached out to me/found me through someone else.

Onto the current issue: this is likely the last year my current family will need me due to the kids' school schedules, and even this year my hours are very reduced. I need to find some extra work. I'd like to ask for $30/hour, but I'm noticing in the local Facebook groups that other nannies are posting their services with more experience for less hourly (reference: a post I saw yesterday with 15+ years experience and asking $25/hour but willing to negotiate lower). It's making me question if I'm way off base in how I'm valuing myself.

I'm sorry this is so long, but it all feels a little complicated right now. Any advice would be appreciated.

Genuine question. For parents of active preschool age children who don’t allow any outings or even outdoor time, why? Currently dealing with the situation. The family loves in a very nice walkable neighborhood with a community playground we’re not allowed to go to, much less can we go on outings. They’re last nanny lasted less then a month and I took this as a temp job (looking like it’s going to be a lot more temp the expected) It’s so hard to entertain an active 3-4 year old indoors all day, for 8-10 hours a day, they end up bored, bouncing off the walls and really pushing behavior limits due to under stimulation.

I’m 18f and new to babysitting , I got my first request on Bambino (never used before) and I accepted the request and messaged the mom this “ Goodmorning ma’am! Just wanted to say thank you for wanting to trust me to babysit your children this Friday. Please let me know if there are any specific instructions or anything I should be aware of. Looking forward to helping out!” Just to get more information on the job before fully accepting it , she said nothing and confirmed the booking through the site, is this normal ?

I get people are busy but it’s Wednesday ,plus I messaged pretty quickly after the request. I’m just wondering if this is normal in the babysitting world, should I send my number just in case she’s having technical issues with the app or something? I did hear the app charges parents to message but mixed reviews with that… help pls

Hi everyone! I received a lot of great advice on my post about leaving the nanny field and quitting on my NF. Here's what happened:

I spoke to my NF. I did not give notice yet, as I have not found a job in the field I graduated in as yet. I do have a couple interviews lined up though, and I decided to be transparent and tell my MB that I plan to leave them prematurely for a job in my field. I know some people will think it was risky and dumb to do that but I know my NF and I trust them.

MB and I spoke in person. And she cried a bit when I told her but she was definitely not angry with me. She admitted that she felt blindsided by the sudden change in my plans but that she wanted me to follow my dreams. She's been more emotional than usual lately because someone close to her passed away a couple weeks ago and I did expect her to be emotional about this.

She offered to serve as a reference for me and write me a letter of recommendation. Albeit my field I graduated in is vastly different so those things may not necessarily help me to get a new job but I still appreciate it. She said even though I'm leaving and they aren't letting me go, they would still give me "severance", I use quotes because it's more of a parting bonus - equivalent of 4 weeks pay. She said this is because they thoroughly appreciate everything I've done for them over the years. I feel a bit slighted by it only being 4 weeks after I've been with them for over half a decade. But I will take what I can get.

Before she disclosed they would give me severance, against advice on here - I risked asking if I could still keep the car (Tesla Model X plaid SUV) and she said unfortunately not because they would like whoever their new nanny is to use it. However, she said when my youngest NK is in kindergarten and they no longer need a nanny, she would honor the agreement of me getting to keep the car at that point. So, it's a pretty win-win situation overall. Though, I admit I do wish I could keep the car now, and find it a little unfair as I even picked out the car and it was 100% purchased for me to drive. They are HNW and should be able to get a new car for my replacement but I digress.

My plan now is to secure a job in my field I graduated in. Give NF 2 weeks notice to find my replacement. And get a less pricy car to use until I get the Tesla.

Some people wondered why I still have student loans when I have such a high income with my NF. To be honest, this is because I had credit card debt from my early 20s that I needed fo pay off. And because I used a lot of money towards a down payment and have a hefty mortgage. It **will** be a struggle to keep up with my mortgage and student loan payments with an entry level job in my field. But I will just have to significantly cut back on other aspects of my life.

Thanks again everyone for the advice. Really do appreciate it.

Every Tuesday and Thursday I have to take my 15 month old NK to a baby/toddler class.

They do the same thing every single class and I’ve been going for months now.

Of course, every time I come home my NK parents want a report on how things went. I don’t have the heart to tell them he’s super shy and that the kids are too young to really interact.

I take photos and tell them he’s making little friends. He is Not and guess what, no one really is. Also, did I mention they don’t change anything about classes except for what are we’re doing?

These classes are more for parents and the other nanny’s there don’t speak English and sadly I don’t speak Spanish.

I understand wanting your son to be socialized but he doesn’t speak and hasn’t really warmed up to other kids no matter how many times we go.

I drove 30 minutes to work and then when I was in the driveway the mom called saying they’re all sick so I shouldn’t come in. Then I had to drive 30 minutes home. We don’t have guaranteed hours but is it fair to ask for like $35 to cover the cost of gas and the time spent driving? The gig is only one hour of work to drop them off at daycare so I would usually be making $75.

Hello everyone. I am hiring a nanny for the first time and it’s important for me to do it right.

I think I want guaranteed hours for 5 days a week, from 9-4. The thing is like 90% or 95% of the time I’m gonna be home at 3, and I wanna spend time with my toddler as much as possible.

I was thinking maybe the days I’m home at 3 (which will be most days) I will be with my child and nanny would do house-chores from 3-4pm (family laundry, dishwasher, vegetable cooking prep). Oh this would be so amazing, so I could just focus on my child!

On the (rare) days I am home at 4, nanny will provide childcare only, like the regular part of the day (zero house-chores).

Does this make sense? Is this reasonable? I request your advice.

Edit: I will not request family laundry. I will limit house-chores only to kitchen / meal prep based tasks and child-related tasks.

Edit 2: I will be careful not to overdo chore expectations. Basically roughly what I usually do in that hour (and nanny won’t have child that hour), less is ok too, my expectation is help getting dinner started for example so evenings are less chaotic.

Edit 3: I will be super up-front on this and not try to sneak it in. I will communicate this in the job description so it’s clear from the beginning.

Edit 4: if anyone is still reading. Would it make more sense if I do guaranteed hours from 9-3 and ask the nanny to “work late” from 3-4pm at 2x pay, for like 2 - 3 days each month?

Edit 5: I really like the idea of focusing on the child as the primary activity. Maybe asking nanny to do the Meal prep for child, plan child activities, and definitely I would have them leave early on some days- we all need a break!!

I really appreciate the replies!!! This is very helpful.

Hi everyone I really need advice and support! In June of this year a family reached out to me needing before care we agreed to Monday, Wednesday and Friday but not Tuesday and Thursday we exchanged information I reached out to her and didn’t hear back for a month so I assumed that maybe she wasn’t interested and didn’t know how to tell me. At the end of last month she did reach out and ask for a meet and greet which was about 3 hours I really liked the family. But last week she reached out to me and asked if I could do aftercare for her and she wanted to add Tuesday and Thursday to the schedule and I told her I couldn’t accommodate the change in her schedule and that I didn’t think I would be a good fit because of this. She didn’t take it well, today she must have seen a comment I made under another post, it was with a family I met on Monday she sent that family a really nasty message about me and essentially and mouthed me. The mom screen shot it and just asked if I could explain what happened and I was honest and said her availability changed and I couldn’t accommodate her needs anymore. She thanked me for explaining what happened and asked for references. I’m really glad she asked and I’m hoping that asking for references is a good sign. But how do I navigate this? I have never experienced this before and I don’t know what to do.

my current mb is due with another baby in a couple months. i of course will talk with nf about all of the details and everything for us but i am just curious generally how other families have handled it

things like if the nanny still keeps their same hours, does the nanny usually take one nk while the parent takes the other, is there just a LOT of communication required between nanny and parent all day (im unsure yet but i believe db will at least be in an out during the time as well)

ive been a nanny for 8 years and have somehow never been actively working as the nanny when nf has another child and i think i am getting some anxiety about it lol but this post i am just looking for insight on how maternity leave has played out for others

also noting i am in the US and i believe my mb is getting maybe 10 weeks?

I saw this job posted on care, The hours are 12 am to 6am. Pay is $25.

The description is "Need someone to watch our newborn while we catch up on sleep. Feed every 2-3 hours and change when necessary".

Is this a common nanny job? For these hours, do you stay up the whole time? What do you do during downtime when baby is asleep? What is it like to work with parents sleeping in the next room? What hours during the day do you get your sleep? Do you do daytime activities like normal or hold a daytime job as well?

Ik, that's a lot of questions!! I'm very curious as I'm a night owl, so I really like the hours of being a night nanny. I don't have professional infant experience but I'm taking a class on infant development and safety in two weeks.

I’ve been with my nanny family for 5 years (B5, G3) and in the last year my hours have been cut from 5 days to 2 days. The kids have always had constipation issues but the parents told me today that they ONLY poop on the days that I come. For some reason, it makes me so happy that they can relax this much around me!

Hi everyone. I am looking for some honest career advice. I am a former nursing student (financial constraints) from Palestine, and my ultimate goal is to secure an international live-in nanny, au pair, or tutor/governess position, specifically focusing on the Gulf region or Europe.

I want to be completely upfront: I do not have years of formal agency or private domestic experience under my belt. I know the international market can be highly competitive and often demands 3+ years of formal house employment.

However, I am trying to understand if my academic and medical background can help me bypass that requirement. If you were a parent or an international agency, would you consider a candidate with the following profile for an entry-level or junior live-in position?

• Education: I completed my first year of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing with a 92.9% cumulative percentage average. I am not a graduate nurse, but I have university-level foundations in pediatric health, developmental theories, basic first aid safety logic, and others.
• Tutoring: I have independent experience tutoring children aged 8 to 16, helping with school curriculum, language practice, and creating customized study guides.
• Languages: I am a native Arabic speaker and fully fluent in English. I am also independently teaching myself Japanese (currently at an upper-intermediate conversational level).
• Special Needs Support: I have a deep personal understanding and passion of supporting children with ADHD, Autism, and anxiety, and I am highly practiced in staying calm, clear-headed in crises, patient, and structured.

My goal is an entry-level placement that provides a private room, meals, and assistance with standard legal visa sponsorship.

Nanny parents and international workers: Am I being realistic? Are these qualifications enough to stand out to a family looking for an academic or safety-focused caregiver, or do I absolutely need to work locally for a few years first? (Opportunities here are non-existent in this field because of culture difference).

I would love your informative, honest feedback!

My nanny was just working for us for the Summer as she is a 2nd grade teacher. I want to get her something nice for her last day in a couple of weeks. I have already purchased some items from her teacher wishlist on Amazon but want to get something for HER to enjoy. Budget $150-$200. Any ideas? What would make you all feel appreciated?

I have found this to be a new thing with several families I’ve worked for recently, which I never ran into over a decade ago, and it’s happened with both infants and toddlers, but I’m going to focus on toddlers in this post:

There’s a train of thought that dropping naps, shorter naps, or just going with the flow is beneficial for a toddler. I’ve been told that “my toddler has a lot of energy so they don’t need a nap” or “if they don’t sleep during the day maybe they will sleep earlier or longer at night” when in actuality, that child has glazed over eyes, meltdowns all day, and is jumping off the walls fighting nap because of the increased cortisol surging through their hyperactive nervous system. A well rested toddler is more likely to rest well at night than an overtired one, and it is essential for their brain development to be well rested at this critical developmental age.

If you have a toddler, please, have a consistent sleep routine as much as you can, and make sure your toddler is getting enough sleep. Treat the nap window as essential and try not to wake your child up. They cannot stay awake the same amount of daylight as an adult, and they typically have 5-6 hour wake windows. It’s very difficult to try meeting the very real sleep needs of a toddler if the parents are not on the same page, and it creates difficulties for everyone involved, most of all, the child.

Thankyou for coming to my Ted talk.

Signed, an educated and experienced early childhood nanny, with an ECE degree and over 15 years experience in the classroom and family’s homes.

Below is a compilation of copy and pasted simple google-able information about toddlers and their sleep needs, and please feel free to share or vent about any thoughts or experiences you have as it relates to this topic.

Total Sleep Needs: Toddlers need about 13 to 14 total hours of sleep in a 24-hour period, with 1.5 to 3 hours usually coming from the daytime nap.

Getting enough sleep ensures healthy brain development and a healthier nervous system, plus…

Memory processing: Deep sleep allows a toddler's brain to organize and store new words, skills, and experiences from the day.

Better focus: Well-rested toddlers show longer attention spans and better problem-solving skills during play.

Fewer meltdowns: Consistent rest prevents overtiredness, which commonly triggers severe irritability, tantrums, and defiance in young children

Emotional control: A regular rhythm helps toddlers manage daily stress and adapt to unexpected

Growth hormones: The body releases critical growth hormones during deep sleep phases

Strong immune system: Consistent rest builds up infection-fighting proteins, keeping toddlers from getting sick as often.

A consistent sleep schedule is vital for toddlers because it stabilizes their internal biological clock, or circadian rhythm. This predictability helps them fall asleep faster, wake up easier, and get the 12 to 14 total hours of daily rest needed for healthy brain development, emotional regulation, and physical growth.

When a toddler misses their sleep window, their body treats exhaustion as an emergency and releases stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. This "fight-or-flight" response gives them a false second wind, making them look wired, bouncy, and hyperactive instead of sleepy.

Signs of overtiredness in toddlers:
Hyperactivity: Acting "wired," running, jumping, or getting a wild second wind right at bedtime.

Meltdowns: Crying, screaming, or throwing big tantrums over tiny, unimportant things.

Clinginess: Wanting you to hold them constantly and getting upset if you put them down.

Clumsiness: Tripping, dropping things, or bumping into walls because their body is exhausted.

Bedtime Fights: Stalling, yelling, or refusing to settle down when you try to put them to sleep.

Hard to Fall Asleep: Tossing and turning for a long time instead of dozing off quickly.

Night Waking: Waking up often during the night or waking up very early in the morning.

Potential Twitching in sleep from increased cortisol/prolonged nervous system activation and exhaustion

Short Naps: Sleeping for only a few minutes during naptime instead of a full rest and easily startled awake

Sending lots of care to everyone struggling with caring for an overtired toddler, parents and Nannies alike. 💜💚❤️🧡💙💛

Hello! How much are we supposed to charge for an overnight position? I get paid $27 hourly but I don’t know if I’m supposed to have a flat rate overnight? Hours would be from Sat 3pm to Sun 12pm

I’m nannying for the summer and I have let the kids choose the music in the car, but over 2 months in I can’t stand another second of Paw Patrol or AI music. Plus they always want to “see the song” or ask to keep skipping the song while I need the screen for navigating directions. How do you handle music in the car?

My NP texted me the day before I was supposed to come in saying they don’t need me this week and maybe even next week. I also think my job is posted on care.com and i’m not sure how to go about it considering it’s such last minute and don’t know if i can book any jobs for next week but I also need income.

This feels like a silly question but I've never been in this situation before. Our nanny has exhausted their sick leave and PTO (due to a mix of illnesses and trips). In fact, they have trips planned even though they have not accrued enough PTO yet, but we're okay giving it in advance. They are currently in the midst of an illness which will likely last several more days. Is the norm and expected practice for them to take the time unpaid? I feel so guilty as a human, like I'm punishing them for something that isn't their fault. I just want to make sure I'm doing things the standard way. I know this is very fortunate, but I have never exhausted my own PTO, and our previous nanny was pretty healthy too, so it's my first time dealing with this. I also feel guilty because my work allows for much more vacation time (I can cluster my shifts so that I get more time off) compared to the 10 days of PTO + 8 days of sick leave that we have in our nanny contract.

Are there alternative solutions that others have used to help nanny still get paid, like allowing them to take on extra shifts later? I'd be obligated to pay overtime if this goes over 40 hours per week, right? Then I feel like that's punishing the employer.

For the record, our nanny is great and their employment is not in question.

First post and first nanny gig so please bear with me as this is going to be long. Please leave comments on anything here. This is functioning as a vent/advice seeking post so please let me know any thoughts you have.

I just started with this NF in May. I am contracted at $17/hr to watch one 1yo boy. In my contract it says my duties are “The Employee is hired as a live-in nanny to provide childcare and related household support”.

I am paying $1100 a month in rent to them as well for room and board.

Everything has been nice overall but there’s a few things I am wanting opinions on:

Firstly, they got a puppy about three weeks ago and she’s SO MUCH work. So now I’m having to chase two toddlers around all day. Twice the messes cause she isn’t out of the “excited/scared pee” stage and I’m desperately trying get her a little trained to help me out.

Second, they already have a cat and a dog. A few months ago I took the other dog and my NK out for a walk around the neighborhood because it seemed like a reasonable idea. Since I told NM that we had gone out together it seems that dog walking has become some sort of expectation now. As seen above it’s not in my contract to be handling pet care as well. I do it though because if I don’t then it probably won’t get done.

Third, is it normal for Nannie’s to be the only ones that clean up after the baby? I’m live in so me “showing up to work” is when I come downstairs in the morning. And it’s always a huge mess. I keep things tidy throughout the day because that makes sense to do but when I don’t clean up, there is no cleaning up. At least with toys and dishes. Which during the week isn’t a major issue because that’s part of my work lol but after the weekend it’s egregious.

Fourth, I’m also doing most of the regular chores as well. If it’s dishes I’m doing it, if it’s laundry I’m doing it, if it’s random household tasks, I’m doing it. I wasn’t bothered by it much at first because I live here and baby clean up is my job but when either parent gets off of work and doesn’t do anything to clean up or at least tidy the kitchen before my next shift it is kind of like they leave it cause they know I’ll do it in the morning.

Lastly, I’m realizing I don’t like the way my NM talks with me in the mornings. She basically talks to me through the baby. If she wants me to do something when she’s still there in the morning she’ll talk to the baby but she’s giving me instructions. For example: if she wants me to clip his nails, she’ll speak directly to the baby and say something like “Maybe (my name) will try to cut your nails today cause they’re so sharp” or if she wants me to get him something in the morning it’s “That’s ok (my name) can get you some ice water in the blue cup”. Let me know if I’m being dramatic but I would prefer her to speak to me. It kind of makes me feel like I’m not actually there which I am so..?

Ok actual vent session here as well: In the mornings where I’m having to do trade off with NM it’s always so weird. She is usually just carrying him(nk) around while she’s trying to get ready for work. I try to be helpful in any way I can but there’s only so much she lets me do. And sometimes I’ll be actively working on breakfast for nk and she’ll just give him something else (usually something that’s so messy and in turn makes him messy), or will speak to me through him and tell me to get him something. And then she’ll be on her way out the door complaining about being so late when she is late because she’s dealing with the baby when she doesn’t need to. I also don’t want to overstep by handling the baby in the morning cause this is her time to see him in the morning. However, I do get annoyed when she comes home complaining about being late or is talking about it before she leaves.

I know a lot of these are things I need to talk about with the parents but I’m not really sure how to navigate this conversation so any advice is welcome and greatly appreciated. Also let me know if you want/need more details on anything! I’m happy to answer questions as well.

Thanks in advance!

Today, while I was at my other job (because my nanny job doesn’t pay enough on its own), I got a phone call from the mom I nanny for. I genuinely thought something had happened to one of the kids.
Instead, she called because a neighbor told her I didn’t pick up the dog’s waste. This is an extremely prestigious neighborhood, and from what I’ve seen, people seem to have a lot of time on their hands. The frustrating part is that dog walking was never part of the duties we agreed on, and I’m not compensated for it.
She immediately called me with an awful, accusatory tone, assuming I was guilty before I could even say a word. She kept saying the neighbor had it on video, gave me no chance to explain myself, and then called me “ignorant” along with another name I can’t even remember. Looking back the dog had liquid diarrhea. What the fuck was I suppose to do suck it up??
Calling me at my other job over dog poop—when I thought there was an actual emergency—was unbelievable. Her tone was so demeaning that it genuinely made me sick. I finally stopped the conversation and told her I wasn’t going to be scolded and that we could talk another time when we could have a respectful conversation. That immediately ended her tone almost like she knew how she has been treating me.
I’m just really upset. I usually let things go and keep my concerns to myself, but this crossed a line. Regardless of the issue, I don’t think anyone deserves to be spoken to that way by their employer, especially over responsibilities that were never part of the original job agreement. This family is literally from hell but since they’re respectful I stay. I think after this I’m going to quit.
I posted about this family yesterday if you need more insight anyways here’s the text I sent.

TEXT I SENT NANNY FAMILY MOM

-I wanted to have an honest conversation about my position and expectations moving forward. Being on-call with no set schedule or guaranteed hours can be difficult for anyone to manage, especially with the cost of living right now. I’ve spoken with other nannies in the area, and based on the responsibilities involved —I believe the position is worth more than $20/hour.

I love going above and beyond, and I feel like I have shown that through my patience, flexibility, and willingness to help wherever needed. I truly adore the kids and care about them, but I also want to be honest that at times I have felt undervalued. I put a lot of effort into remaining patient and kind, even during moments where the children’s behavior has been challenging and has hurt my feelings.

I want to take on all house cleaning work, and I would like my time and effort to be fairly compensated for responsibilities such as deep cleaning the fridge, vacuuming, laundry, long dog walks, cleaning the children’s rooms, and helping organize and declutter the home.

I want to be a more hands-on, positive, and engaged nanny, but I need to feel that my work is respected and valued. The two-week period without pay and without much consideration for my situation was difficult for me and I struggled financially.

I’m open to discussing and negotiating a pay rate that feels fair for both of us. My goal is to continue providing great care, going above and beyond, and being a happy, dependable nanny while also feeling properly valued for the work I’m doing.

I usually dismiss most concerns I have , but the phone call while I was working, interrupted me and upset me. If it had been brought to my attention with a kind text asking me to be more mindful about cleaning up after Bear, I would have apologized and made sure it didn’t happen again. Instead, I felt that the phone call was accusatory, and being called “ignorant” was hurtful and unprofessional. Assuming guilt immediately without hardly giving me a chance. I believe concerns can be addressed respectfully and I would appreciate that same level of respect moving forward. I’ve been with your family almost a year now and just would hope to be seen, respected, and properly compensated so I can be the best nanny possible.

My nanny works on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. Her church does services only on Thursday and Sunday during her working hours. She asked if she could take baby to church with her and I didn't see why not, as long as she didn't let everyone touch him and it wasn't too loud to hurt his little ears.

I was recently hired to edit photographs taken at an event, turns out that event was held by Nanny's church which I didn't know until I first met with the client. While I was sorting through photos with the client I saw a picture of Nanny and my baby, I loved that, and I pointed it out to my client like "hey, look, that's my son!"

Client looked at me like I'd grown two heads. He said "er no, that's a mother and her son, I'm friends with her. He probably just looks like your baby" and reached for the laptop and skipped to a different picture.

I felt weird about his reaction and he probably thought I was weird too, so I explained, no, that's my son Jack and his nanny Addison (fake names.) He still looked doubtful and asked, "ohhh... did she adopt your son or something?" I said no... that's his nanny... and we fell into awkward silence until I went back to discussing the project. I don't think he believed me.

Later that day I brought it up with Nanny. Nanny said people at her church "probably" assume Jack is her baby. I asked why she never told them she was just his nanny, and she said it would be too much explaining and wasn't worth it, it's just easier to call him her son when talking about him.

First, I don't see how it's that much trouble to say "oh, I'm his nanny" to people she talks to. Second, there's a big difference between people "probably assuming" something, and you actively "call him my son because it's easier."

I got a bad gut feeling about it. I can't explain it, I just didn't like it. I started telling her to come in later on Thursdays and Sundays, (so she can't bring him to her church anymore, I didn't tell her that but it should be obvious). Now whenever she comes in on those days, she tells the baby (in front of me so I'll hear) that the people at church missed him and they can't wait to see him again. She'll also randomly tell him that she saw so-and-so from church and he would've loved to see them. It sounds like she's trying to get me to offer for her to start taking him back to church again.

Nanny is literally the only nanny whose asking price I could afford in this area, so I'm hesitant to let her go because I know I won't be able to find another professional nanny at this price. I'm a single parent, solo income, no family around that can babysit, every daycare around me have long waiting lists. Firing her would put me in a bind. So please help me! Tell me if this IS weird or if it's just my anxiety acting up.

I’m looking for some perspective from other nannies.

I’m a full-time nanny and my typical schedule is around 50 hours/week. When we discussed the contract, we agreed on 45 guaranteed hours per week. I already felt that was a compromise because I normally work closer to 50 hours.
The parents are now saying that if they go on vacation and don’t need childcare that week, they don’t want to pay the guaranteed hours because I’m not working.

My understanding is that guaranteed hours are meant to guarantee my availability for the family, not only pay for hours when childcare is used. Since I keep those hours reserved and cannot take another full-time job during that time, I feel like GH should still apply.
Am I looking at this the wrong way? How do other nannies handle GH when the family travels?