Am I expecting too much of nanny?

[Anonymous]

Loving and fully engaged is way more important than enrichment, especially for a toddler. Your nanny sounds like a gem.

[Anonymous]

My cousin is one of those fabulous teacher-to-nanny folks. She charges one fee for nannying and a higher fee for tutoring. The tutoring /academic hours are set aside very clearly from the start. The MB sounds like the OP here so my cousin had to re-set the expectations and accompanying fees.

The clear expectation from both of them was that nanny would not be on her phone except when child/ren are napping. She is a professional, not a babysitter. Eyes on the child at all times.

[Anonymous]

I'm sorry, OP, but you sound a little nuts. Your kid is not a "project" to be maximized. DC is getting love and attention and that's everything at 20 months.

[Anonymous]

I think OP is a troll.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think OP is a troll.

Great. Then hit the report button in the corner. Jeff will check it out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She sounds great but you can certainly encourage new ideas for activities. Maybe buy some new items for arts and crafts or sensory bins and let her put them together and play with him. Tell her about this great new park or museum he might love. Buy some new books and things for a reading nook and let her help put it together. Give her a budget and ask her to pick out some items on Lakeshore that would encourage new skills specific to what you would like him to learn. She’s still getting to know the routine and your family, sounds like she is doing great so far and you just need to communicate better about additional things you would like. If it doesn’t get better by suggesting or encouraging activities then you can sit down and be more specific about what you want. If she still doesn’t listen then I’d look elsewhere but it sounds like she just needs some direction.

Dollars to doughnuts if OP takes your advise, nanny El be gone within a month. The kid is not even two!

That’s the best age to teach children, do you think they should wait until kindergarten?

I have my masters in Early Childhood Development and teaching happens with children that young organically. Yes, encourage her to talk, sing, and read more but let her follow your child’s cues. When I teach preschool teachers I tell them to use a new vocabulary word at least once a day and ask questions. Engage the toddler in “conversation”. Sing (especially songs with different tempos that the 4/4 of nearly all kids songs) and make up rhymes. Sensory bins are great if the toddler is barefoot and can play in them as they want. You might think scooping colored rice is fun but the child may want to walk on it or pile it - follow their lead.

It’s not about reading the books as much as exploring and talking about them. “ How does Gerald the giraffe feel when the lions laugh at him?”, “Isn’t Maxi silly when he puts on glasses?! Have you ever seen a dog wearing glasses?” “Look! There’s an upper case B! Your name starts with B. B says ba”.

Anything but a children’s museum or an art museum is a waste of time. Children need outdoor time picking flowers or playing in dirt. Do not structure everything.

When a child looks away from you they want to disengage. Respect that. Observing quiet exploration should be at least a third of a nanny’s time. The second third is talking about what they’re doing. The last third is direct play or engagement.

[Anonymous]

I love the above post!

It’s not about expecting too much from your nanny but rather expecting things that may not be in your baby’s best interest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is the best.

Your way is too much “engagement” - the kid is never curious because he knows someone will point out what he should notice. No love of learning, just circus tricks and anxiety.

This IS what your kid needs.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She is using a well-respected type of play-centered technique with your child. Child-led, reflecting on what the child is doing, and reinforcing how your child is using play to learn and master their world. Parent driven and teacher driven play and craft agendas can interfere with your child’s ability to learn and master their environment.

+2 op, she is trained and while it may not be what Instagram tells us it’s actually best for kids to not have constantly planned activities and the best sensory play is outside (even in a stroller, the sounds of the birds, the feeling of the wind and sun on your face). She sounds wonderful. Kids need space for explore and discover. It’s best for them to not have adults dictating all of their play, that is actually how they learn best.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She sounds great but you can certainly encourage new ideas for activities. Maybe buy some new items for arts and crafts or sensory bins and let her put them together and play with him. Tell her about this great new park or museum he might love. Buy some new books and things for a reading nook and let her help put it together. Give her a budget and ask her to pick out some items on Lakeshore that would encourage new skills specific to what you would like him to learn. She’s still getting to know the routine and your family, sounds like she is doing great so far and you just need to communicate better about additional things you would like. If it doesn’t get better by suggesting or encouraging activities then you can sit down and be more specific about what you want. If she still doesn’t listen then I’d look elsewhere but it sounds like she just needs some direction.

Dollars to doughnuts if OP takes your advise, nanny El be gone within a month. The kid is not even two!

That’s the best age to teach children, do you think they should wait until kindergarten?

I have my masters in Early Childhood Development and teaching happens with children that young organically. Yes, encourage her to talk, sing, and read more but let her follow your child’s cues. When I teach preschool teachers I tell them to use a new vocabulary word at least once a day and ask questions. Engage the toddler in “conversation”. Sing (especially songs with different tempos that the 4/4 of nearly all kids songs) and make up rhymes. Sensory bins are great if the toddler is barefoot and can play in them as they want. You might think scooping colored rice is fun but the child may want to walk on it or pile it - follow their lead.

It’s not about reading the books as much as exploring and talking about them. “ How does Gerald the giraffe feel when the lions laugh at him?”, “Isn’t Maxi silly when he puts on glasses?! Have you ever seen a dog wearing glasses?” “Look! There’s an upper case B! Your name starts with B. B says ba”.

Anything but a children’s museum or an art museum is a waste of time. Children need outdoor time picking flowers or playing in dirt. Do not structure everything.

When a child looks away from you they want to disengage. Respect that. Observing quiet exploration should be at least a third of a nanny’s time. The second third is talking about what they’re doing. The last third is direct play or engagement.

+1 great post

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She is using a well-respected type of play-centered technique with your child. Child-led, reflecting on what the child is doing, and reinforcing how your child is using play to learn and master their world. Parent driven and teacher driven play and craft agendas can interfere with your child’s ability to learn and master their environment.

+1 I have a child psych degree and one of my professors actually brought his 2yo son to class once a week and modeled exactly this for us. It sounds so simple, but he was a fantastic teacher and that class was the single best educational experience I had to help my nanny career. 16 years, 4 families, 7 kiddos and all are fantastic at occupying themselves, pretend play, exploration, problem solvers, and inquisitive. 5/7 kids have tested well above grade level across the board. I don't think it's a coincidence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is the best.

Your way is too much “engagement” - the kid is never curious because he knows someone will point out what he should notice. No love of learning, just circus tricks and anxiety.

This IS what your kid needs.

This!!!

[Anonymous]

I am SAHM and this sounds pretty ideal for a kid that age. Nobody in my house did true crafts till kindergarten. You could put together some sensory bins or art supplies to have as an option, but I don't think I would expect the nanny to create those activities, especially if she is engaging him in other ways.

[Anonymous]

A 20 month old crafting lmao

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A 20 month old crafting lmao

So did I!