A nanny at the weekend is best booked a week in advance, because Saturday evenings are the shifts most families want at the same time. With us the price depends on the number of hours per week, not on the day of the week: occasional bookings 199 kr an hour after RUT (the Swedish tax deduction for household services), regular arrangements from 165 kr. What makes a weekend shift a success is that the child knows the nanny from weekdays.
Saturday at five in a flat on Södermalm. The two-year-old had too short a nap, the four-year-old has been to a birthday party and is full of sugar, and you are due at a restaurant in Vasastan in two hours. Weekend shifts differ from weekday shifts in one way: the children have been with you all day and are not at all prepared for you to leave. Here is how to set up a weekend with a nanny so that it works for all three parties.
When a weekend nanny is a good idea
- Dinner for two. The classic Saturday night. Book the shift from an hour before you leave, so the nanny has time to take over calmly.
- A morning to yourselves. Sleep, exercise, run an errand without the pram. Many parents of small children say a free Saturday morning was what made the biggest difference in the toddler years.
- A birthday party, a funeral, a wedding. Occasions where the child should not or does not want to come along.
- Weekend work. Healthcare, retail, restaurants. Then the weekend is a working day, and a regular Saturday arrangement suits better than one-off bookings.
- A sick sibling. One child is at home, the other wants to go swimming. The nanny takes the healthy one.
How far ahead, and what applies around major holidays
For an ordinary Saturday, booking a week ahead is enough. Around jul (Christmas), New Year, påsk (Easter), midsommar (Midsummer) and during school holidays it is wise to book as soon as you know. We will say it straight: a Saturday evening in December booked on the Thursday of the same week is not something we can promise. If you already have a regular weekday nanny, it is a different matter. Then she is the one who takes the weekend if she can, and she often can at short notice, because she already knows how everything works in your home.
| Type of weekend shift | Typical length | Book by |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday evening, dinner out | Four to five hours | A week ahead |
| Morning, Saturday or Sunday | Three to four hours | A few days ahead |
| Whole day | Eight to ten hours | One to two weeks ahead, and the child should know the nanny |
| Evening around a major holiday | Four to six hours | As soon as you know |
| Overnight | From evening to morning | Two weeks ahead, only with a nanny the child knows well |
How to set up a Saturday evening
- Have the nanny arrive an hour before you leave. She has time to play, the children have time to settle, and you have time to get changed without a child clinging to your leg.
- Eat dinner together if you can. The nanny at the table, you too. Then you leave while the children are full.
- Leave the evening routine on a note. Bath or not, which book, lights out, what usually helps if someone wakes up.
- Say goodbye, briefly. A hug, a cheerful wave, the door. Not ten minutes in the hallway.
- Decide how you want to stay in touch. A text once the children are asleep is enough for most. More than that makes the dinner worse.
What does not work: booking from seven o'clock when the children go to bed at seven. The nanny walks into the most charged moment of the day without having had time to say hello. Give her an hour with the children awake, and bedtime goes better, and you get a whole evening instead of half of one.
Sundays: the forgotten shift
Saturday evening is what everyone thinks of. Sunday morning is what few people book, and it is often worth more. The nanny arrives at nine, takes the children to the park, Naturhistoriska (the Natural History Museum) or the swimming pool, and you get three hours at home without anyone asking for anything. For parents of small children, those are often the hours that make the following week manageable. Check current opening hours at each place before you send them off.
What the nanny does during the shift
The same as on weekdays: plays, reads, feeds, puts to bed. She does not clean or cook for you, but she tidies up after the children and washes up what she has used. Screens are according to your rules, not hers. If you want her to take the children out, say so, and say where. If you want them to stay at home, say that too.
The weekend price
With us the price list is built on hours per week, not on the day of the week. Occasional bookings cost 199 kr an hour after the RUT deduction, and anyone with a regular arrangement pays from 165 kr an hour depending on how many hours it adds up to. One child and two children cost the same. We take the RUT deduction off the invoice directly. If you have requests for particular experience or languages, we give you a quote. See the prices page for the full list.
How we do it with our families
Esther has a family in Nacka where she comes on Wednesdays. One Friday in September the parents asked whether she could take the Saturday, a whole day, because they were going to a wedding in Uppsala. She arrived at nine. The morning was Hellasgården (the nature reserve in Nacka) with a packed lunch, the afternoon building in the living room and a bath, and by seven both children were asleep. The note to the parents said what they had eaten, that the youngest had slept an hour in the pram and that the eldest had asked twice when mum was coming, and been happy with the answer. It worked because it was Esther. A new person would not have been given a whole Saturday with those children the first time.
Would you like a nanny who comes on the same days every week and whom the children know? Book a free first meeting with the nanny at your home, and we will work out a quote for your hours.
Read more: Evening and overnight babysitting · Regular nanny or occasional babysitting · A babysitter for weddings and parties · Prices
Frequently asked questions
What does a nanny cost at the weekend?
With us the price is based on how many hours a week you book, not on which day the shift falls. Occasional bookings cost 199 kr an hour after the RUT deduction, regular arrangements from 165 kr an hour. We work out the exact price at the free first meeting.
How far in advance do we need to book a Saturday?
Ideally a week, more around major holidays, school breaks and in December. Weekend evenings are the time most families want at once. If you already have a regular nanny, shorter notice often works, because she already knows the children.
Can the nanny take a whole weekend day?
Yes. Many families book a Saturday from morning to afternoon to fit in an errand, a course or simply some sleep. A whole day requires that the nanny already knows the children, or that you start with a shorter shift first.
Do we get the same nanny at the weekend as on weekdays?
Usually, if she is free. It is one of the advantages of a regular weekday arrangement: the child knows her, and a Saturday evening then becomes just one more shift instead of a new person.
Can the nanny sleep over?
Yes, overnight shifts can be booked. It requires that the children already know the nanny well and that you have gone through the night-time routines. Read more in our guide to evening and overnight babysitting.