Are you trying to find and keep a nanny in Thailand or, in general, abroad? Well, childcare is a sensitive topic. Not only because it is fraught with so many prejudices but also because it is so difficult to find a good solution. But let me say up front: in my opinion, no one should have to justify hiring a nanny abroad. You don’t have to work full time to have the right to time without children.
But how to find a nanny abroad as a Digital Nomad Family? How do you overcome language barriers, and what is essential? We have had long-term nannies, short-term babysitters, women from agencies, and those who were recommended to us privately. I have attached my experiences and tips from Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam.
Brainstorming: What Do You Actually Want?
Before you start actively searching, you should be clear about your needs.
You should answer the following questions:
- When should the nanny come? Do you have specific requirements, or are you flexible? Will the nanny have a room with you, or will she spend the nights at home (live-in / live-out)?
- What do you want regarding age, gender, and nationality (beware of missing work permits for foreigners!)?
- What experience should the nanny bring with her? Is a young woman in love with children enough for you, or should it be a trained carer/educator or a former au pair?
- How important are recommendations from previous employers?
- Which languages should the nanny be able to speak?
- How much money are you willing to spend per month (here, it helps to find out about the usual hourly wages in the region beforehand and, if necessary, to offer a share of the travel costs)?
- Should there be a trial period? How far in advance are you willing to pay the wage (one month, from week to week)?
- Should the nanny also take over household tasks?
- How long should the employment last?
The Search for the Nanny in Thailand
There are numerous ways to get a nanny – and of course, there are extremely large regional differences. In Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam, two methods have proven successful for us: Asking around in person and making Facebook posts. Both have advantages and disadvantages: Asking around in person is more time-consuming. On the other hand, recommendations are precious.
Facebook posts, on the other hand, are written quickly. You have all the information in black and white and can scan everyone who applies online in advance. The significant disadvantage: No matter how an applicant presents himself on the Internet, you usually don’t know exactly what to expect and to whom you have given your personal data.
My tip: Combine personal and online searches. This will increase your chances of finding the perfect nanny abroad!
And then there are babysitting agencies. These are primarily professional companies that provide well-trained staff by the hour. This is a service that is more expensive but also practical. Because these nannies often bring their toys and have good pedagogical knowledge.
Getting to know each other
When you have put together a selection of possible candidates, invite them and get to know them. It was always important to us that the whole family was there. Because if someone has a bad feeling, that’s not a good sign. In addition, you can find out whether the future nanny gets along with all family members. A baby-crazy woman doesn’t help anyone if she can’t do anything with the 5-year-old.
My tip: Let the candidate come to your home and choose a time when all the kids slept enough and are full. Of course, this is not always possible, for example, if you have just moved.
Ask your kids who they liked best and why. Then, sleep one night over the different candidates’ impressions and tell them who gets the job the next day. However, we have had cases where we felt a clear YES or NO within the first 5 minutes and communicated it as well. Finding a nanny in Thailand, or anywhere else, has much to do with trust and gut feeling.
Be sure to get an ID card and take a picture of it. If something goes wrong, you can go to the police with it.
The Training of the Nanny
Now we come to the probably most exhausting part: the training! I don’t like this part at all because I don’t like to be the “strict boss”. Unfortunately, this leads to me not communicating my wishes clearly enough and being disappointed in the end when the person does things differently than I had imagined. Therefore, communicate clearly from the beginning what you want and how exactly it should be executed, preferably in writing. This can look like this:
Believe it or not, we’ve had nannies who thought Coke was great for toddlers, and Netflix was the hit for babies. But that was our mistake. We didn’t communicate clearly how we envisioned parenting and feeding.
My tip: If you don’t speak the language, use Google Translate to clearly communicate your wishes. Thais, for example, are so polite and shy that sometimes they just nod and smile without understanding exactly what you mean. With a suitable translation tool, misunderstandings can be avoided.
The Working Relationship
Your nanny has settled in, and the kids are happy? Congratulations! The topic of “Finding a nanny abroad” is over for you. Now a few essential tips so you can keep your great nanny for a long time.
Payment
I prefer to pay the salary in advance via bank transfer because you have a written receipt for the payment. Wise has proven to be the best. Even better: a local bank account.
Tip
As with any service, it is appropriate to tip when providing childcare. We have added about 7% tip to the monthly salary. However, many families handle the issue a bit more flexibly with gifts. For example, the nanny’s child gets a new bike, or there is a massage voucher.
Overtime
It is fair to compensate for overtime with a higher wage. For example, if you pay 100 Thai Baht per hour, you should offer about 150 – 200 Baht per overtime hour. Of course, you can discuss and decide this individually. Often, we had no chance to pay for overtime because our nannies waved us off in a friendly way. That is just the wonderful mentality in Southeast Asia.
Illness
Recently, our nanny had a scooter accident. Luckily nothing bad happened to her, but still, she was out of action for a week. Of course, she did not have to make up for this lost time. However, we had also heard of work relationships where nannies were not paid when they were sick. I think it depends on your relationship and mutual trust.
Vacation
The work ethic in Southeast Asia is quite different from the one we know in Western countries. A 6-day week is normal here, as well as 2 weeks of vacation per year. If you hire a nanny for only a few months and she has unlimited time for you, then, in my opinion, you don’t need to plan for paid vacation. However, if you employ her for 6 months or longer, you should already talk about it and offer a few weeks.
I really wish every family to find a great nanny. Because nothing is better than coming home and hearing happy laughter in the childrens’ room.
What are your experiences with finding a nanny abroad? Where were the difficulties? Did you have any real failures? Leave me a comment! Thank you for reading!
Check out the biggest mistakes we made as a Digital Nomad Family and how to avoid them!
Very useful, Thanks!
Thanks a lot, Aimee! I’m glad the article helped!😍