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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Didn't read the whole thread, but I assume it includes a lot of talking about how you can't work 60+ hrs per week and be a good mom.  To that I say, whatever.

I am a nanny and have worked for many high-flying DC couples who both work 50-80 hrs per week.  You are in a better position than some since you can control your schedule.

First, if your nanny isn't AMAZING, you may need to upgrade.  Many nannies view their job as childcare only--essentially what a daycare worker would do but with a smaller ratio.  the nannies who make life work for families like yours view their role as managing EVERYTHING pertaining to the kids.  Amazing nannies take on A lot of the mental work of childrearing so that more of your time at home is actually spent with your kids.

On a typical week, I:
handle all kids' laundry
clean up any messes we make
Handle family grocery shopping
Do a dry-cleaning run
Plan, shop for and cook all kids' food, including leaving prepared meals for over the weekend
Plan and execute activities for each day
Parents walk into freshly bathed kids in their pajamas and a family dinner on the table.  They eat as a family and do the bedtime routine.

I also tackle longer-term projects. In the last month I have: 
packed all of the children's things for a family vacation
Scheduled the kids for their flu shots
Taken the kids for haircuts
Taken the kids shoe-shopping
Planned and executed a birthday party
Worked with the kid to create thank-you notes for their party guests
Researched classes for this fall for the toddlers
Researched preschools in our area for next fall

Next I will start rotating the kids' clothes as fall approaches and, now that they are back from vacation, I will focus more intensely on potty-training.

Instead of having to plan an entire birthday party, MB talks to the kid about what they want for their party, tells me the gist, I do some research and send her a spreadsheet and, pending approval and the guest list, I make it happen.

Depending on the level of outsourcing you can afford, a lot of people also have a household manager.  Often this will be someone with a nanny background who can step in as backup care for the kids in a pinch but whose normal duties would include personal assistant-like tasks such as dry cleaning, pharmacy, or other errands, filling out forms, phone-tree hell calls, etc., but who would also handle things like finding, hiring and supervising someone to clean the gutters or fix that broken gate, supervising a weekly cleaner, walking the dog, etc.

I also find that a lot of parents get stressed trying to be home for bed 7 nights a week.  If that is the case, the best solution I have found is to intentionally choose 1-2 night per week to work late and take the pressure off.  Friday nights work well for this since you can use the night as a date night or one of you can go to happy hour if the other parent has to work, etc.[/quote]

PP - you are one of the nannies that really is worth the "high end" nanny salaries that are quoted in the nanny board sometimes.   I think too many other nannies think they are entitled to them without doing the things that you do, but you seem worth the type of rate that you must be charging.     [/quote]

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