Reasonable expectations for a nanny.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Baby laundry seems like overkill, unless it’s a one-off diaper explosion or something.

This is a normal nanny duty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Baby laundry seems like overkill, unless it’s a one-off diaper explosion or something.

Nanny here and I have always done my charges laundry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, there will be no time for closets, etc, with 2 month old. It will be feedings, diaper changes, naps/rocking, and in those rare moments when baby is asleep for 45 min, you want your nanny to run and do laundry and stuff? so when the baby wakes up, she is already exhausted? I promise, best she will be able to do is to wash the dirty bottles she has used during the day, and picking up toys and stuff. There will be no time unless you are fine with baby crying while nanny calmly is organizing a closet, LOL

Really? I’m a sahm but I found that I had plenty of time during the day to do those things while the baby was napping or even sitting in the room with me awake. With additional children in the mix a different story and I’m not saying you should push chores on a nanny who is overwhelmed but I did not think getting this type of thing done was hard at all with a baby.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, there will be no time for closets, etc, with 2 month old. It will be feedings, diaper changes, naps/rocking, and in those rare moments when baby is asleep for 45 min, you want your nanny to run and do laundry and stuff? so when the baby wakes up, she is already exhausted? I promise, best she will be able to do is to wash the dirty bottles she has used during the day, and picking up toys and stuff. There will be no time unless you are fine with baby crying while nanny calmly is organizing a closet, LOL

Nanny here. With a work-from-home mother handling all the feedings, it’s definitely doable. At two months old, they take a long time to feed.

+1 An efficient nanny should have no problem with the duties outlined, including laundry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, there will be no time for closets, etc, with 2 month old. It will be feedings, diaper changes, naps/rocking, and in those rare moments when baby is asleep for 45 min, you want your nanny to run and do laundry and stuff? so when the baby wakes up, she is already exhausted? I promise, best she will be able to do is to wash the dirty bottles she has used during the day, and picking up toys and stuff. There will be no time unless you are fine with baby crying while nanny calmly is organizing a closet, LOL

Nanny here. With a work-from-home mother handling all the feedings, it’s definitely doable. At two months old, they take a long time to feed.

+1 An efficient nanny should have no problem with the duties outlined, including laundry.

For real, that’s light work. I’ve nannied in the past and this would be no issue. Babies really don’t need to be rocked in your arms 8hrs a day and diapers and feedings are not insurmountable hurdles to getting chores them. In terms of easiness, give me a baby over a toddler any day of the week.

[Anonymous]

I think your expectations are reasonable and fairly standard in the nanny world. Make everything clear upfront and write a contract.

And definitely talk about both staying fluid. If the baby has colic and needs to be held upright all day and walked around, obviously nothing else is going to get done.

And a note to you as the mother and employer who is working from home: if you plan to breastfeed your baby (at the breast) for every feeding, you better be available when your baby is hungry. It doesn’t matter what kind of zoom meeting you’re in or what kind of catastrophe is happening in your work - the baby comes first. If this isn’t always possible and your first priority then start the nanny on giving the baby one bottle of pumped milk every day and leave her another pumped bottle for emergencies.

[Anonymous]

I want those 2 hrs of nap for myself, haha. When am I supposed to have my lunch and relax and recharge? I am not a robot, and most parents understand that. I do put a lot of energy and thought into my childcare duties. Cannot imagine being used for simple physical tasks except very basic ones. After running at the playground, water play, etc, lunch, putting her to nap, quick clean up after lunch I think I do deserve the entire nap off!Never done any laundry or God forbids, closets.

[Anonymous]

...some nannies would rather do laundry then be engaging the kiddo, obviously. Doing laundry is way easier than taking care of the kiddo, and so nanny has a valid excuse for leaving the baby in his crib, lol. And some parents are obviously Ok with that. Many parents, however, think that they are paying for care and education, and I like to think they are the majority. After all, what is laundry... Anyone can do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:...some nannies would rather do laundry then be engaging the kiddo, obviously. Doing laundry is way easier than taking care of the kiddo, and so nanny has a valid excuse for leaving the baby in his crib, lol. And some parents are obviously Ok with that. Many parents, however, think that they are paying for care and education, and I like to think they are the majority. After all, what is laundry... Anyone can do it.

Thank God I have never met a nanny who would rather do laundry than play with a baby! OP can avoid a nanny like that by hiring well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I want those 2 hrs of nap for myself, haha. When am I supposed to have my lunch and relax and recharge? I am not a robot, and most parents understand that. I do put a lot of energy and thought into my childcare duties. Cannot imagine being used for simple physical tasks except very basic ones. After running at the playground, water play, etc, lunch, putting her to nap, quick clean up after lunch I think I do deserve the entire nap off!Never done any laundry or God forbids, closets.

You do you, I suppose. I am the nanny for two very active toddlers and have never felt the need to nap when they are napping. I can easily handle their laundry. Maybe you need a check up with a good doctor, PP. Seriously.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:...some nannies would rather do laundry then be engaging the kiddo, obviously. Doing laundry is way easier than taking care of the kiddo, and so nanny has a valid excuse for leaving the baby in his crib, lol. And some parents are obviously Ok with that. Many parents, however, think that they are paying for care and education, and I like to think they are the majority. After all, what is laundry... Anyone can do it.

Thank God I have never met a nanny who would rather do laundry than play with a baby! OP can avoid a nanny like that by hiring well.

It’s a 2 month old, she’s not exactly chasing the baby around the park. Honestly, I would worry that a nanny that couldn't fathom completing minor tasks while watching an infant over the course of an 8hr day is incompetent in other areas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I want those 2 hrs of nap for myself, haha. When am I supposed to have my lunch and relax and recharge? I am not a robot, and most parents understand that. I do put a lot of energy and thought into my childcare duties. Cannot imagine being used for simple physical tasks except very basic ones. After running at the playground, water play, etc, lunch, putting her to nap, quick clean up after lunch I think I do deserve the entire nap off!Never done any laundry or God forbids, closets.

You do you, I suppose. I am the nanny for two very active toddlers and have never felt the need to nap when they are napping. I can easily handle their laundry. Maybe you need a check up with a good doctor, PP. Seriously.

Same. You are ripping off your employer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I want those 2 hrs of nap for myself, haha. When am I supposed to have my lunch and relax and recharge? I am not a robot, and most parents understand that. I do put a lot of energy and thought into my childcare duties. Cannot imagine being used for simple physical tasks except very basic ones. After running at the playground, water play, etc, lunch, putting her to nap, quick clean up after lunch I think I do deserve the entire nap off!Never done any laundry or God forbids, closets.

You do you, I suppose. I am the nanny for two very active toddlers and have never felt the need to nap when they are napping. I can easily handle their laundry. Maybe you need a check up with a good doctor, PP. Seriously.

Same. You are ripping off your employer.

(Other pp is, not you)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I want those 2 hrs of nap for myself, haha. When am I supposed to have my lunch and relax and recharge? I am not a robot, and most parents understand that. I do put a lot of energy and thought into my childcare duties. Cannot imagine being used for simple physical tasks except very basic ones. After running at the playground, water play, etc, lunch, putting her to nap, quick clean up after lunch I think I do deserve the entire nap off!Never done any laundry or God forbids, closets.

I think you need to get your blood work checked, PP. I have twin toddler charges and run my butt off but never felt the need to nap or recharge for two hours! And laundry takes minutes of actual activity.

You seem unwell.

[Anonymous]

to all PPs: you all seem to have reading comprehension problem! I was responding to a nanny who was talking about consolidating naps, and how she is running around organizing closets or whatever else she is doing, so I then said that I need those 2 hours of CHILD's nap to have my lunch, coffee break, and relaxation time, all to myself. No nap for me, just to calm ya' all down. Also, small tasks are completed during that time like taking care of our "outside" bag, and sorting through any wet swim clothes if any, etc. To all good nannies out there, the burn out is very, very real. Also, a lot depends on a child. Some are easier and don't mind playing by themselves while their nanny is forced to perform household tasks. Others do not nap much and at other times require all of you. Some families go through tough times and rather had their kid happily attached to a happy, long term nanny. Yes, I sometimes rock them to sleep. I have no time to "organize" the closet. Or maybe I am lucky with my employers.