UPPER EAST SIDE — When Denise Burnham interviewed a nanny to watch her two children, she knew in an instant she had picked the right person.
For two years, Bunham's nanny has acted as a fifth member of her family, treating her children as her own and being available at a moment's notice.
But hiring a nanny takes a lot of footwork and negotiation even if the person is a perfect fit. Parents have to make hard decisions about salary, benefits, responsibilities and days off.
Many Upper East Side parents find their nannies through word of mouth, according to Limor Weinstein, who specializes in childcare and nanny services.
Weinstein, who is known as the Nanny Spy, has been working with parents for more than a decade in selecting nannies and even monitoring them. She also works with people on how to be successful nannies.
In her time living on the Upper East Side and working with families there, she's seen a number of differences in the ways parents deal with the nanny.
A majority of families pay an average of $800 a week, but that can increase the closer families are to Central Park. Some families even take their nannies on vacations to The Hamptons with them.
Burnham, who works for the federal government, said she pays her nanny $850 a week for 365 days a year and makes sure to give her time off for the holidays and the weekends.
"If someone shows that much love and attention in your children, you should show them love too," she said.
To track neighborhood trends on how locals are approaching nanny pay, benefits, and general issues related to child care, DNAinfo has put together a completely anonymous survey.
We're asking Upper East Side parents who've had a nanny or currently have one to fill out our survey so that we can report back on the findings.
And while we'd love for participants to fill out the entire survey, they can choose to answer as many questions as they like.
