Should I be concerned? Phone usage by new nanny

[Anonymous]

We just hired a nanny for the summer. She just graduated from college and is not a professional nanny, just someone with extensive babysitting experience, and will work a permanent job in her field in the fall. Our hiring process was a little chaotic due to unforeseen business travel (mine) and I haven't had a chance to go over all the family policies with this new nanny. One thing I did mention in passing was "no electronics" and how I didn't want my 2 yo DD to be playing with her phone. Today is her first day and I saw on the nest cam that the nanny was on her phone practically NONSTOP for the half hour that they were in the living room. While DD played with her toys and play doh, the nanny was glued to her phone and just occasionally looked up to hand DD some toy. At one point, DD sat down beside her and started staring at the phone. Then nanny told her they were going to have lunch and they moved to the table. Then it continued same as before; as DD fed herself, nanny was glued to her phone and just looked up occasionally.

I didn't emphasize or elaborate on the no electronics policy so for now, I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt. But I'm worried because it's obviously a bad sign that she appears addicted to her phone. I'm going to go over the family rules this evening, then see if she repeats her nonstop texting/phone surfing tomorrow. I guess that will give me the answer, but I feel myself already making judgments against her. Like I just don't see how any decent nanny/babysitter could think this behavior is okay. But OTOH, it seems like whenever DD spoke to the nanny, she would respond so it wasn't like she was completely ignoring her, but right after she responded in a few words, she would go straight back to her phone. And FYI the reason I hired her and not a professional nanny is because I was looking for someone who speaks my family's language (I'm U.S born, but grandparents and extended family speak another language) and that limited my candidate pool to a very small group, mostly college students/grads.

Aside from spilling my guts, I'm posting to see if any MB/DBs has ever had a nanny who went from nonstop phone use to little-to-none per your instructions? Just to give me a little hope before I see how she does tomorrow.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, I don't think she's going to change. Or if she does, she'll quit.

[Anonymous]

Maybe something was going on in her life that day. I've had days I was unproductive at work due to trying to hire a nanny. Checking emails, what not. At the local Arlington playground on weekends, some parents are glued to their phones. Phone usage happens, obviously the degree is the issue.

So I would tell her the rule and give her 3 days. If she's addicted, she will still stay glued and it won't work.

[Anonymous]

Does she know that you are watching her?

I've said this many times & still believe it to be true.

Younger Nannies tend to view their phones as extra limbs.
J/K.

But the majority of them ARE addicted to their smartphones.

Older Nannies...Not so much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does she know that you are watching her?

I've said this many times & still believe it to be true.

Younger Nannies tend to view their phones as extra limbs.
J/K.

But the majority of them ARE addicted to their smartphones.

Older Nannies...Not so much.

+ 1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does she know that you are watching her?

I've said this many times & still believe it to be true.

Younger Nannies tend to view their phones as extra limbs.
J/K.

But the majority of them ARE addicted to their smartphones.

Older Nannies...Not so much.

OP here. The cameras are in plain sight and pretty hard to miss. I haven't mentioned them yet, but will after I've seen how she handles her phone now that I've told her explicitly that she's not allowed to use it for personal use outside of 10 minutes total.

As to your comment about young nannies, does this mean that any young nanny I hire, I should expect and tacitly allow them to use their cellphone excessively as our nanny did? That's a bleak prospect.

[Anonymous]

The cell phone addiction with younger nannies is real. Set very strict - I will fire you if you don't - rules about cell phone use. The nanny may use her phone when the child is nappy for personal calls and at no other time during the day. If you see her on the phone while the child is awake, she had better be about your child - setting up a play date or ordering supplies.

I fought this battle with our first nanny. Thank God our second nanny, 58, is a grown up and leaves her phone in her diaper bag and only takes it out to take pictures of DD and send them to me.

[Anonymous]

I thought you had to make nanny aware if you were filming them?
She isn't a professional nanny, playing with young kids for long amounts of time gets very boring. You need a professional and you need to tell them they are being filmed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The cell phone addiction with younger nannies is real. Set very strict - I will fire you if you don't - rules about cell phone use. The nanny may use her phone when the child is nappy for personal calls and at no other time during the day. If you see her on the phone while the child is awake, she had better be about your child - setting up a play date or ordering supplies.

I fought this battle with our first nanny. Thank God our second nanny, 58, is a grown up and leaves her phone in her diaper bag and only takes it out to take pictures of DD and send them to me.

What happened with the first nanny? It sounds like the "battle" didn't go well...?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought you had to make nanny aware if you were filming them?
She isn't a professional nanny, playing with young kids for long amounts of time gets very boring. You need a professional and you need to tell them they are being filmed.

OP here. The new nanny was glued to her phone literally in the first hour of watching DD on her first day. She arrives about a half hour before DD's nap ends and I told her she would have to wake her at X time. I started looking at the living room camera a few minutes after X time.

[Anonymous]

Again, did you tell her she was being filmed?

[Anonymous]

OP, we hired a 23 yr old guy nanny and he's barely ever on his phone.

[Anonymous]

Op you are breaking the law by filming this woman without her consent. And it sounds like you can hear them also going by your op which is also illegal.

By the way what more would you like for a non professional nanny to be doing while your child plays and is in her own world? I have a 3 yr old son that adores playing independently and whenever I try to "play with him" he hates it because I'm disturbing his imaginary set up. So when I have a sitter over for date nights or a few hours through out the week I don't mind that she browses her phone when he is playing as long as he is engaged. When he eats he shouldn't be talking so I don't mind that either. Our sitter or mothers helper, does put it away during crafts and story time though when she is doing an adult led activity or when I look out on them when he is playing in the back yard. But I guess I just don't see what the big deal is? Should she just stare at your daughter and be bored when your daughter is obviously wrapped up in being a kid?

I remember growing up I would always be playing with my toys at certain times of the day and a grownup didn't need to sit right there in my face watching me. My mother etc could be fixing dinner, crocheting, watching Oprah, making calls, or ironing for the next day. My babysitter would talk on the phone to her boyfriend until I actually needed her for something.

I just don't see the big deal if your daughter is safe and entertained.

[Anonymous]

Pp here I also want to make it clear that I don't see the big deal if there are adult led activities the new nanny is doing where she isn't on her phone. But during independent play and meals your nanny is bored.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Again, did you tell her she was being filmed?

This is OP. She is not being filmed. Our cameras do not record, you can view them only in real-time.