Nanny share and house cleaners? Especially with covid!

[Anonymous]

We host a nanny share. Kids are around 1 year, both on two naps a day. Most days, but not all, their naps line up pretty well.

How do people handle house cleaners with a nanny share? Both pre-covid, and during covid.

Our cleaners only come monthly, and we we've been able to schedule around holidays so far so it hasn't been an issue, but today we had them come when the babies were here and it was kinda a disaster. We have two floors, so the cleaners started where the bedrooms are, and we were on the other floor (nanny, two babies, two of us WFH). Then they finished, and we switched. The timing theoretically worked out with nap time - but one of the babies (ours!) didn't nap at all when the cleaners were here. So now the schedule for the day is all crazy. Plus we (two adults and nanny) basically had to sit in the hallway near the bedrooms while the babies "napped" to stay clear of the cleaners (because of covid).

Covid obviously adds some craziness with staying away, having to wear masks the whole time, etc. But it's hard for me to imagine this working well even without covid. Other people must handle this - even with weekly cleaners. Is there some trick I'm missing here?

(before anyone gets on my case, the cleaners, the nanny share, and a once a month trip to Walgreens are our only covid risks, we're otherwise very careful)

[Anonymous]

My kids are older but I'd plan for the nanny to tuck the kids into a stroller and to go out for as much of the cleaning session as possible. They could nap or just ride or stop at a playground.

[Anonymous]

It’s only 1 day a month why worry about it? I’m sure today was chaotic but there is not much more you can do, you already did what you could.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids are older but I'd plan for the nanny to tuck the kids into a stroller and to go out for as much of the cleaning session as possible. They could nap or just ride or stop at a playground.

OP here. That’s basically what we’ve done when it’s just our baby on holidays. With two babies through, and one still had fairly short wake windows, and the slight day to day variance in schedules, there’s really only about two hours when they are both reliable awake in the middle of the day, and they both have to eat lunch in that window too. The cleaners take about 2.5 hours. So there is basically no way to do it without hitting somebodies nap.

[Anonymous]

It's one day a month. Suck it up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s only 1 day a month why worry about it? I’m sure today was chaotic but there is not much more you can do, you already did what you could.

OP here. For sure, one day a month, we can muddle through. But it occurs to me that this must be a common problem, so I’m interested in how others, particularly those with weekly cleaners, handle it. It’d be nice if it was a bit smoother next time, maybe someone out there has a good system.

[Anonymous]

Can the nanny/kids go to the other house that day?

[Anonymous]

We have a nanny not quite full time and schedule our cleaner once a month on a day she’s not working. Then we leave the house for 4 hours. It’s not ideal but it’s been working OK. It’ll be easier when the weather is warmer. Another option it seems is to hire a cleaning team with 2-3 people who can do it in 2 hours. It’s not that hard to be out that long.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s only 1 day a month why worry about it? I’m sure today was chaotic but there is not much more you can do, you already did what you could.

OP here. For sure, one day a month, we can muddle through. But it occurs to me that this must be a common problem, so I’m interested in how others, particularly those with weekly cleaners, handle it. It’d be nice if it was a bit smoother next time, maybe someone out there has a good system.

Okay, we have cleaners twice a week. When the kids were babies, we put them out on the balcony to nap when the cleaners were here. In the summer we made sure to put shade over them, and a fan blowing nearby.

[Anonymous]

Can't the nanny share go to the other house that day?

[Anonymous]

We have weekly cleaners, and a nanny at home managing a 2 year old and a 4 year old in remote school. Our nanny takes the toddler out on an adventure while the cleaners are here (usually to the Starbucks drive through for a cake pop) and we take the 4 year old up to our workspace on the third floor and he watches cartoons and does remote school from there until the cleaners have gone. We just don't have the cleaners do that particular space anymore until covid is over. We were trying to do a similar shuffle that the OP described and it was a mess, so we just chose an area and made that the hiding space while the cleaners are there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have weekly cleaners, and a nanny at home managing a 2 year old and a 4 year old in remote school. Our nanny takes the toddler out on an adventure while the cleaners are here (usually to the Starbucks drive through for a cake pop) and we take the 4 year old up to our workspace on the third floor and he watches cartoons and does remote school from there until the cleaners have gone. We just don't have the cleaners do that particular space anymore until covid is over. We were trying to do a similar shuffle that the OP described and it was a mess, so we just chose an area and made that the hiding space while the cleaners are there.

We do something similar- we have a basement and an attic that are lesser used than other areas and we have the cleaner trade off cleaning those areas each week and we hide out accordingly on the level that isn't cleaned that week

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have weekly cleaners, and a nanny at home managing a 2 year old and a 4 year old in remote school. Our nanny takes the toddler out on an adventure while the cleaners are here (usually to the Starbucks drive through for a cake pop) and we take the 4 year old up to our workspace on the third floor and he watches cartoons and does remote school from there until the cleaners have gone. We just don't have the cleaners do that particular space anymore until covid is over. We were trying to do a similar shuffle that the OP described and it was a mess, so we just chose an area and made that the hiding space while the cleaners are there.

We do something similar- we have a basement and an attic that are lesser used than other areas and we have the cleaner trade off cleaning those areas each week and we hide out accordingly on the level that isn't cleaned that week

This!

All bathrooms and main rooms are cleaned weekly. Bedrooms and the office are cleaned every other week. We ask that the bathroom and hallway by the bedrooms or the bathroom and hallway by the office be cleaned first, that way the kids have access if they need it.

[Anonymous]

Honestly the most first world problem ever!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly the most first world problem ever!

+1