Do you watch TV while nannying?

[Anonymous]

The TV is on when I get here. MB watches TV in the mornings. I leave it on til she leaves than I turn it off or to music choice channels (toddler tunes, sounds of screen and stage classic or swing)


If I'm doing over nights I of course have the TV on after the kids are in bed and in the mornings

[Anonymous]

Goodness yes. The TV is usually on in the morning and, once MB and DB leave, I turn it off or switch it to soundscapes.

By then, my charge is usually down for her first nap. She sleeps for nearly 40-50% of the time that I'm on duty.

But from Verizion Fios on Demand to Netflix, Amazon Prime to Internet Streaming, I'm certainly not lacking in the TV/entertainment department, lol.

There are days where I watch something whenever the LO is sleeping, days when I prefer to read, and days when I scour the internet shopping, reading forums, checking up on FB, etc.

When LO is awake, I usually have the TV on toddler tunes or Pandora. If I need to leave the room to prepare a bottle and baby food, and she's being particularly fussy, I'll put on Nick Jr., Disney Jr., or Sprouts... She really enjoys Bubble Guppies, Jake and the Never Land Pirates, and other bright, happy shows.

Either way, the parent's don't mind what I do.

Win win for everybody!

[Anonymous]

i watch tv with the charge and when she is asleep. parents don't care. i turn it off a lot of the time too.

we watch kelly and michael in the morning too. oh well my boss doesn't see it as an issue. she talks better than other kids her age or older than her.

[Anonymous]

I wish I had the time lol

[Anonymous]

I currently nanny for twin 6 week olds so they still sleep pretty much all day. When they are asleep, I do have the TV on as my only requirement at the moment from the family is caring for them so when they are sleeping 4+ hours straight, I either watch some TV, read or surf on my iPad.

[Anonymous]

I have had bosses who said to do whatever regarding the tv. However, I don't like the background noise when the kids are around, plus would just have to be careful about what is on, and it isn't good to have tv on all the time. Then if I have a little quite time during a nap, I like it to be quiet! Peace for a little bit!

[Anonymous]

MB here. I dont want the TV on during playtime or with the kids at all. If the kids are asleep -I have no problem with my nanny relaxing a bit and watching TV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MB here. I dont want the TV on during playtime or with the kids at all. If the kids are asleep -I have no problem with my nanny relaxing a bit and watching TV.

I think you're mistaking this thread for one where MBs were asked how they felt about it. No one here did.

I don't watch any tv at either of my main jobs unless I'm working a date night. Then I'll watch on their Apple TV or from Netflix from as soon as the little one is asleep until the parents come home. No children's programming of any kind during the days either. Maybe half a dozen times when I've arrived and the tv has been on to some morning news show, I've left in on for 15-20 minutes after MB left.

However, I have one family that uses me as a sitter and they are my absolute favorite family ever in over 15 years of babysitting, plus 5 years of nannying, and they are very liberal with the tv. I love going there because 95% of the time, the tv goes off as soon as I get there - we usually play Clue, or charades, or some other activity concocted by the 7YO (18MO, 4YO, &YO boys). Occasionally we will play a game on the Wii - fencing, bowling, boxing and just once they watched one episode of Spongebob. But just the fact that I don't feel at all judged by the parents no matter what we end up doing, that they are just so laid back with me and with the kids and with each other, and they understand that television is an important tool of communication in our time and place and don't demonize it, it just makes it that much more fun just playing with the kids. I actually appreciate them so much I charge $2/hr less off my regular rate, too, just so I know I have the chance of going back more often. The key here being first, they don't expect me to run the house any differently than they do and they watch tv often. And second, the kids are awesome anyway - advanced readers (4YO listens and 7YO and I spend an hour reading chapter books aloud before bed), imaginative, generous and kind to one another and never aggressive or mean-spirited, articulate, polite kids. It's really made me question my own aversion to exposing kids to tv.

[Anonymous]

OP here, it sounds like most of you don't watch it at least while the children are awake. It also sounds like a lot of you are busy doing other things and don't have time for TV. My nanny only watches the children and doesn't do other chores around the house. My nanny has the tv on for most of the day often while my children are awake, and it concerns me with our infant as I read it's not good for them under 2 years old. I work from home one day a week which is how I know the tv is on a lot. She does not try to hide it from me, and I have never said anything, but it's starting to bother me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here, it sounds like most of you don't watch it at least while the children are awake. It also sounds like a lot of you are busy doing other things and don't have time for TV. My nanny only watches the children and doesn't do other chores around the house. My nanny has the tv on for most of the day often while my children are awake, and it concerns me with our infant as I read it's not good for them under 2 years old. I work from home one day a week which is how I know the tv is on a lot. She does not try to hide it from me, and I have never said anything, but it's starting to bother me.

You have every right to ask her not to have the TV on while the children are awake. Does it bother you if she watches during nap time?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a tv junkie but I don't watch at work. Not just because I would rather it be quiet during downtime, but also because there is nothing good on during the day. I like to watch certain tv shows and I record them on my Tivo. I would prefer to spend my tv hours watching these shows and not just anything that is on. I don't channel surf or try to find something that is on. I also don't like to be interrupted while watching a good show, and so this does not always happen at work. I prefer to leave it until I am at home and can watch what I want without being disturbed.

This!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish I had the time lol

This!!

I watch triplets who are on the same schedule but sometimes that doesn't happen. We have two naps a day. Strive for 45 mins nap one and 1.5 hours for nap 2.

But during naps I'm cleaning and prepping food for meals (all food is homemade).

They are 10 months.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish I had the time lol

This!!

I watch triplets who are on the same schedule but sometimes that doesn't happen. We have two naps a day. Strive for 45 mins nap one and 1.5 hours for nap 2.

But during naps I'm cleaning and prepping food for meals (all food is homemade).

They are 10 months.

OP again, can I hire you????? You sound like a gem!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MB here. I dont want the TV on during playtime or with the kids at all. If the kids are asleep -I have no problem with my nanny relaxing a bit and watching TV.



I think you're mistaking this thread for one where MBs were asked how they felt about it. No one here did.

I don't watch any tv at either of my main jobs unless I'm working a date night. Then I'll watch on their Apple TV or from Netflix from as soon as the little one is asleep until the parents come home. No children's programming of any kind during the days either. Maybe half a dozen times when I've arrived and the tv has been on to some morning news show, I've left in on for 15-20 minutes after MB left.

However, I have one family that uses me as a sitter and they are my absolute favorite family ever in over 15 years of babysitting, plus 5 years of nannying, and they are very liberal with the tv. I love going there because 95% of the time, the tv goes off as soon as I get there - we usually play Clue, or charades, or some other activity concocted by the 7YO (18MO, 4YO, &YO boys). Occasionally we will play a game on the Wii - fencing, bowling, boxing and just once they watched one episode of Spongebob. But just the fact that I don't feel at all judged by the parents no matter what we end up doing, that they are just so laid back with me and with the kids and with each other, and they understand that television is an important tool of communication in our time and place and don't demonize it, it just makes it that much more fun just playing with the kids. I actually appreciate them so much I charge $2/hr less off my regular rate, too, just so I know I have the chance of going back more often. The key here being first, they don't expect me to run the house any differently than they do and they watch tv often. And second, the kids are awesome anyway - advanced readers (4YO listens and 7YO and I spend an hour reading chapter books aloud before bed), imaginative, generous and kind to one another and never aggressive or mean-spirited, articulate, polite kids. It's really made me question my own aversion to exposing kids to tv.

I would never hire someone so rude to watch my kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MB here. I dont want the TV on during playtime or with the kids at all. If the kids are asleep -I have no problem with my nanny relaxing a bit and watching TV.



I think you're mistaking this thread for one where MBs were asked how they felt about it. No one here did.

I would never hire someone so rude to watch my kids.

That's okay, I'm very happily employed!

Look, I appreciate people wanting to sound off their opinions, but all that happens on this forum is people get embroiled in angry, bitter arguments where everyone is left annoyed. In the threads where people follow the OPs lead in only answering/responding to the stated question, things remain significantly more civil. It's a lesson I'd love everyone to learn, MBs and nannies alike.