While kids are at preschool

[Anonymous]

My youngest started half day preschool and nanny drops her and older kids at school. She has no child supervising until noon when preschool ends and she picks them up. What is reasonable to have nanny do during these 2 hours? Sometimes she just takes a 2 hr break unless I specifically ask her to help with something - like laundry or dishes. I’m okay with a 1 hr break but paying her for 2 hrs to go hang with a friend or do her own errands doesn’t sit well with me. Am I being unreasonable?

[Anonymous]

When my youngest was in half day preschool, I used the child-free 2 hours to go to the grocery store, prep dinner, do laundry, clean up the kitchen from breakfast, tidy, etc. Not all on the same day, of course, but enough to keep the house running smoothly. Occasionally I used the time for a doctor appointment or met a friend for coffee.

[Anonymous]

Have her do the kids laundry, clean the kids rooms, sort outgrown clothing, grocery shop, meal prep.

[Anonymous]

Kid laundry, organizing toys, pulling out toys/books/clothes kids have outgrown, making shopping list of kid foods needed, prepping kid snacks, etc.

[Anonymous]

Those two hours should include the following:

Washing kid bedding and towels (once a week per kid)

General kid laundry

Clean kids rooms and playroom

Sorting outgrown toys/clothes/shoes to donate or throw away

Preparing sacks

Preparing sensory activities for preschooler (make playdoh or sensory bin)

[Anonymous]

I would not manage her time ("1 hour is okay, 2 hours is not") but rather her tasks. It it reasonable to up her responsibilities now that she has more time - kids laundry, cleaning kids rooms, sorting outgrown toys and clothes, errands, light meal prep, are all potentially reasonable (though probably not all of it).

But if she chooses to work a bunch 3 days a week and rest for two hours one day a week and meet friends for lunch one day a week, I wouldn't get into that. Manage to outcomes for this kinda stuff.

[Anonymous]

Yes you are being unreasonable. You are paying for her availability. Let her be for 2 hours, good grief.
I was a Nanny for 7 years for a family and yes I got free time once the kids started school. I had worked 11 hour days though for 2 years before getting 2.5 hours off twice a week. I earned it. They knew I was always available during the core hours so still paid me FT.
I’m now a parent and we overpay a sitter once a week now to take DD to soccer. We only need 90 mins bur pay for 3 hours to make it worth her while. We need the reliability. Don’t be cheap on childcare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes you are being unreasonable. You are paying for her availability. Let her be for 2 hours, good grief.
I was a Nanny for 7 years for a family and yes I got free time once the kids started school. I had worked 11 hour days though for 2 years before getting 2.5 hours off twice a week. I earned it. They knew I was always available during the core hours so still paid me FT.
I’m now a parent and we overpay a sitter once a week now to take DD to soccer. We only need 90 mins bur pay for 3 hours to make it worth her while. We need the reliability. Don’t be cheap on childcare.

No, she is paying her to work. One hour break is fine, not two.

[Anonymous]

Ask to to load/unload the dishwasher, do some laundry, but yeah you are being unreasonable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes you are being unreasonable. You are paying for her availability. Let her be for 2 hours, good grief.
I was a Nanny for 7 years for a family and yes I got free time once the kids started school. I had worked 11 hour days though for 2 years before getting 2.5 hours off twice a week. I earned it. They knew I was always available during the core hours so still paid me FT.
I’m now a parent and we overpay a sitter once a week now to take DD to soccer. We only need 90 mins bur pay for 3 hours to make it worth her while. We need the reliability. Don’t be cheap on childcare.

No, she is paying her to work. One hour break is fine, not two.

Then she an have a nanny for the afternoon and find someone else for the mornings so she doesn't have to pay for those two hours. Good luck with that. Let us know how it goes.

[Anonymous]

She’s your nanny, not your maid, housekeeper or personal chef. You are paying her for reliability and availability so keep that in mind. However, you can have her do child related tasks, like their laundry and their snacks and meals. Don’t try and squeeze every bit of value out of her by having her do your laundry and cook your meals. If that is agreed to, then you should up her compensation.

If you don’t wanna pay her, then look for two separate people, a morning babysitter and an afternoon babysitter.

[Anonymous]

You do not have to pay her for those two hours…..unless she is on call and will be the only one available if the preschool calls and needs someone to pick up your child.

You can give her chores to do at home such as laundry, folding, ironing, running the dishwasher + running errands.

[Anonymous]

household managing tasks are paid at much higher rate than nanny's in this area

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:household managing tasks are paid at much higher rate than nanny's in this area

What rates??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes you are being unreasonable. You are paying for her availability. Let her be for 2 hours, good grief.
I was a Nanny for 7 years for a family and yes I got free time once the kids started school. I had worked 11 hour days though for 2 years before getting 2.5 hours off twice a week. I earned it. They knew I was always available during the core hours so still paid me FT.
I’m now a parent and we overpay a sitter once a week now to take DD to soccer. We only need 90 mins bur pay for 3 hours to make it worth her while. We need the reliability. Don’t be cheap on childcare.

I agree.
It is okay to look for different ways to stretch your dollar when it comes to finding a great bargain regarding grocery shopping or perhaps even pricing a family vacation.

But when paying someone to care + love your children so you can work…..??
This shouldn’t even be in your thought process.

At all.