Elementary School Kids and Household Help

[Anonymous]

I am curious what people do about household help with elementary aged kids. We have a full-time nanny and a part-time housekeeper, and it is getting hard to justify having them both. I am curious whether I would be better off with a PT nanny and keeping our PT housekeeper or a fulltime house manager/nanny. We both work full time, so we do need somebody around who can clean the house and do the laundry like our housekeeper, but also pick the kids up, cover the many days off from school, and run a few errands, although the errands part is probably the least of our needs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am curious what people do about household help with elementary aged kids. We have a full-time nanny and a part-time housekeeper, and it is getting hard to justify having them both. I am curious whether I would be better off with a PT nanny and keeping our PT housekeeper or a fulltime house manager/nanny. We both work full time, so we do need somebody around who can clean the house and do the laundry like our housekeeper, but also pick the kids up, cover the many days off from school, and run a few errands, although the errands part is probably the least of our needs.

Ahh such troubles - the mink or the sable?
We both work full time too, so we do need somebody around who can clean the house and do the laundry, but unfortunately that somebody is me. My husband and I work two jobs - professional and domestic. Weekends are for laundry, dusting, cleaning the toilet, etc etc What a drag it is. I should count my blessings, but I wish I had your dilemna. Enjoy your clean house and organized laundry.

[Anonymous]

Personally, I'd rather have one person do all the
things you listed rather than two part timers I'd also
consider costs into the equation as well. I don't have
elementary school kids yet, but couldn't just one
person working part time be able to do
all of the things on your list?

[Anonymous]

Find one person who can clean and do laundry in the morning while the kids are in school, and then who can pick them up from school and ferry them around in the afternoon.

[Anonymous]

I thought this post was about how to get you elementary school kids to help with the household chores. I hope you have your kids do a few things around the house. I would not want my DC's to form relationships with people that have never had to pick up their dirty clothes.

[Anonymous]

Cost-wise, it makes much more sense to have just one full-time person do all the work. Choose well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought this post was about how to get you elementary school kids to help with the household chores. I hope you have your kids do a few things around the house. I would not want my DC's to form relationships with people that have never had to pick up their dirty clothes.

They do have chores, which are much more extensive than just making sure their laundry makes it into the hamper. As I frequently tell them, they can't take Miss "X" to college with them because she works for me, so they are going to have to learn some things. When they grow up they can get their own Miss "X" if they choose a career that allows them to do so, but there are much better factors to consider when making career choices, like satisfaction and meaning from your work. Plus, since you have already formed a stereotype of me in your head, I might as well help you with it: they also learn to help out at our second home where we go some weekends, where we do not have any household help. That's where Momma runs the washing machine and Daddy runs the lawn mower and we all sweep, vacuum, and otherwise clean up before we go home.

I had hoped that, by posting in the older kids forum, I would find more people who had considered this question rather than relying on my one friend who is in the exact same boat and who has tried a different approach that isn't working well for her. My neighbor will be in the same boat, but her youngest isn't in elementary school yet, so she is watching me for inspiration on how to sort it all out.

For posters who are recommending one person, how have you dealt with the good nanny/bad housekeeper problem or the fact that it is hard to find nannies who are willing to clean? Or do you tend to look mostly for a housekeeper and worry less about the nanny part? The second approach is probably more realistic, but it concerns me.

[Anonymous]

Our fabulous nanny was happy to take on housekeeping responsibilities once our child started full time school. She does laundry, light cleaning, grocery shopping and errands. We still have a weekly cleaning lady who does the heavy cleaning, bathrooms, etc., but our nanny will pass the vacuum, change sheets, straighten up, clean the kitchen. We have told her that her no. 1 priority is our child, and we do not get upset if she doesn't have time to do any of the housekeeping items. I am so appreciative of her and think she is a really dedicated and hard worker. I do have friends who have similar situations and their nannies do as mine does. Have you asked your nanny to do some things around the house. If your kids are on the younger side, I'd still prioritize the nanny role.

[Anonymous]

We have a part time nanny who comes early on a couple of days to do laundry. She does my chores while our daughter does hers each day after school. She runs errands as needed. And she straightens up each day. We have a weekly cleaner who does the heavy lifting.

[Anonymous]

Hmmmm. I have someone come in every two weeks, and I have my child help with household chores.