When cleaning up after the kids becomes cleaning up after the adults.

[Anonymous]

What do they pay you?

[Anonymous]

OP, don't clean the mess. Just clean the mess that the children make on YOUR time. The parents can't fuss and if they do simply tell them that the mess was there prior to your arrival. I think it's very rude of them to leave messes but yet they expect a tidy clean home when they return?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What do they pay you?

That is completely irrelevant. Even if OP is paid 20+ it still doesn't make it right for the parents to leave the weekend mess for nanny to clean.

[Anonymous]

PP again - Also, maybe they aren't expecting you to clean the mess.. Maybe they're messy people and assume you're willingly helping them out. Like I said in my previous post, don't clean any weekend messes and just stick to the messes made on your clock.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What do they pay you?

That is completely irrelevant. Even if OP is paid 20+ it still doesn't make it right for the parents to leave the weekend mess for nanny to clean.

If the OP is truly spending 50% of her work hours cleaning child-related messes, then something is wrong. Beyond that, I don't think this is a clear cut as some of you think. My nanny's job includes cleaning up after the children, managing their laundry and wardrobes, maintaining/sanitizing/assembling/otherwise caring for their toys and gear, stocking the changing areas and emptying diaper pails, etc. I have never differentiated between messes made on my watch and messes made on the nanny's watch. It's all her job, because I've hired her to assist me with all things child-related. Does that mean I leave her dirty kid dishes and bottles from a weekend, or other unsanitary conditions? Absolutely not. But do I expect her to launder the clothes the kids wore on the weekend, and organize any toys that were left out during her off-work hours, and sanitize germs left on toys or gear over a weekend? Absolutely. She and I are not doing the same job on alternating shifts, and my focus when I am in my home needs to be much broader than hers. I have never spelled this out by contract, but have never had a nanny who had a problem with this. If I did, I would likely replace her because my life is simply too busy for that kind of pettiness.

By the way, most professional jobs, including my own, work the same way. When I take time off, my boss deals with true emergencies, but most of the work that comes in during my absence simply piles up and waits for my return.

Bottom line is that nannies who only want to be responsible for cleaning messes made on their own watch need to make that explicit during the interview process. Most moms expect that kind of arrangement with occasional babysitters, but not with full time professional nannies.

[Anonymous]

Now I truly have seen it all! Thank you PP MB! I do the kids laundry 1-2 times per week as needed, and of course I don't filter out clothing that was worn on the weekend, but as for anything else, you wouldn't have to fire me-I'd quit if you expected me to come in Monday morning and clean all the toys played with over the weekend and whatever else you think you're too good to do because you pay a nanny during the week. Are you one of those moms from the other thread leaving the children in the same outfit Friday through Monday morning, because, you know, that's what you pay your nanny to do?

[Anonymous]

Some MBs are slobs.

[Anonymous]

New PP and nanny here with what has to be the ridiculous MB a few posts ahead of this one. ATM I'm sitting in your playroom looking at every.fucking.toy your children own spread all over this room, and the entire house. I left you Friday with an immaculate house and 48hrs later I return to a fucking pigsty. I adore your children but as a parent you fail. My obligation with you is up soon and while this time could be used to help teach your snowflakes to pick up after themselves, you have instead taught them "that's nanny's job."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What do they pay you?

That is completely irrelevant. Even if OP is paid 20+ it still doesn't make it right for the parents to leave the weekend mess for nanny to clean.

If the OP is truly spending 50% of her work hours cleaning child-related messes, then something is wrong. Beyond that, I don't think this is a clear cut as some of you think. My nanny's job includes cleaning up after the children, managing their laundry and wardrobes, maintaining/sanitizing/assembling/otherwise caring for their toys and gear, stocking the changing areas and emptying diaper pails, etc. I have never differentiated between messes made on my watch and messes made on the nanny's watch. It's all her job, because I've hired her to assist me with all things child-related. Does that mean I leave her dirty kid dishes and bottles from a weekend, or other unsanitary conditions? Absolutely not. But do I expect her to launder the clothes the kids wore on the weekend, and organize any toys that were left out during her off-work hours, and sanitize germs left on toys or gear over a weekend? Absolutely. She and I are not doing the same job on alternating shifts, and my focus when I am in my home needs to be much broader than hers. I have never spelled this out by contract, but have never had a nanny who had a problem with this. If I did, I would likely replace her because my life is simply too busy for that kind of pettiness.

By the way, most professional jobs, including my own, work the same way. When I take time off, my boss deals with true emergencies, but most of the work that comes in during my absence simply piles up and waits for my return.

Bottom line is that nannies who only want to be responsible for cleaning messes made on their own watch need to make that explicit during the interview process. Most moms expect that kind of arrangement with occasional babysitters, but not with full time professional nannies.

Bet you burn the good nannies out by the first anniversary

[Anonymous]

Laughing at the MB. Aren't you special? You're too busy being important to look after your own home on weekends! Part of your "mom" job is cleaning up after your kids when your nanny isn't there. See, how this works is you have more than one job. You have your out of the house job, where your boss doesn't do your work. Then you have your at home job, which involves looking after your house while you aren't at your paid job. Part of that is cleaning up after your little darlings, and teaching them to do so themselves in the process. You have a responsibility to your kids.

OP, this won't change. Clean up the mess the kids make when you're there, and leave the rest. Start looking for another job. It may take a while.

[Anonymous]

PP here, OP maybe you need to print off some ads for housekeepers who come in on weekends and hand them to the parents next Monday when you come in to a pigsty. In the mean time I would simply set their mess to the side and leave it for them. If they comment, simply tell them that there must be a misunderstanding in your duties.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What do they pay you?

That is completely irrelevant. Even if OP is paid 20+ it still doesn't make it right for the parents to leave the weekend mess for nanny to clean.

If the OP is truly spending 50% of her work hours cleaning child-related messes, then something is wrong. Beyond that, I don't think this is a clear cut as some of you think. My nanny's job includes cleaning up after the children, managing their laundry and wardrobes, maintaining/sanitizing/assembling/otherwise caring for their toys and gear, stocking the changing areas and emptying diaper pails, etc. I have never differentiated between messes made on my watch and messes made on the nanny's watch. It's all her job, because I've hired her to assist me with all things child-related. Does that mean I leave her dirty kid dishes and bottles from a weekend, or other unsanitary conditions? Absolutely not. But do I expect her to launder the clothes the kids wore on the weekend, and organize any toys that were left out during her off-work hours, and sanitize germs left on toys or gear over a weekend? Absolutely. She and I are not doing the same job on alternating shifts, and my focus when I am in my home needs to be much broader than hers. I have never spelled this out by contract, but have never had a nanny who had a problem with this. If I did, I would likely replace her because my life is simply too busy for that kind of pettiness.

By the way, most professional jobs, including my own, work the same way. When I take time off, my boss deals with true emergencies, but most of the work that comes in during my absence simply piles up and waits for my return.

Bottom line is that nannies who only want to be responsible for cleaning messes made on their own watch need to make that explicit during the interview process. Most moms expect that kind of arrangement with occasional babysitters, but not with full time professional nannies.

I'm a nanny and I agree with this MB. I've been lucky never to work for families that took advantage of me so I understand why some nannies would be put-off by her description, but I still don't think PP MB deserves all the nastiness you guys are posting. I came in to work this morning and changed all the nursery linens, emptied the diaper pail that filled up over the weekend, took out the kitchen trash which was completely full, put away the clean dishes and started the dishwasher running for the dirty ones. All of those things accumulated during my weekend off, but it's my job to keep things here running smoothly. What did the parents do this weekend? They cooked a bunch of toddler meals and stuck them in the fridge, bought them some sand toys and took the kids to the beach, ran a charity 10K, had a date night, and attended a child's birthday party. Hardly sitting around being lazy and thinking of how they could best use my labor on Monday morning, so I don't mind taking care of anything they didn't fit in to their busy two days.

As an aside, I have a standard benefits package with two weeks vacation - one of their choice, one of mine. MB told me today I could choose both weeks on my own schedule, as well as have an extra-long (paid) weekend on the 4th of July. This is the kind of reciprocity that a good attitude and work ethic breeds. They also asked me to extend my contract even though they'd planned on starting daycare in the fall (presumably for multiple reasons but I do believe that with a grumpy, petty nanny their decision would have been weighted much more towards daycare). I don't doubt that some of you work for ungrateful or clueless parents, but changing YOUR attitude is the first step toward building a healthy and mutually beneficial relationship with them. Imagine if you were the parents, running around all weekend but the whole time worrying about having the house in pristine condition before your nanny arrives Monday morning. That's a miserable prospect! You're supposed to make their lives easier, not harder. To 8:59 - get the kids to pick them up! It only becomes nanny's job if you sullenly clean up all of those toys - leave them strewn about, make fun plans for the afternoon, then remind the kids you can't go out until they've tidied up their toys. Then put on some music and clean them up together. Done. No one can take advantage of you unless you let them.

OP, I stand by my original statement that you NEED to talk to your employers, because what they are asking you requires your consent - as it is a change in terms - and a higher pay rate as it is much more housekeeping. If they hired you for childcare and you're spending 50% of your time cleaning up, something is wrong and you all need to get on the same page one way or another.

[Anonymous]

I agree with the MB and the previous poster-- a nanny that can keep a great job has an attitude of helpfulness. No- I don't usually leave a big mess for her to clean on Monday morning but I also appreciate that she understands that the weekend is for ALL of us to take a break. I am not going to skip the park or pool with my kids on a Sunday afternoon to stay home and clean up for Monday. My nanny of 4 years has never once complained about this and that is part of the reason she keeps getting raises, gets 4 weeks of paid vacation and will continue to be appreciated. MBs just remember that there are wonderful, helpful, happy nannies out there-- look for them and you will have a happy long relationship. Someone who interviewed and told me she only wanted to assist with messes made during her hours had a list of things she refused to do would never get a call back!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP here, OP maybe you need to print off some ads for housekeepers who come in on weekends and hand them to the parents next Monday when you come in to a pigsty. In the mean time I would simply set their mess to the side and leave it for them. If they comment, simply tell them that there must be a misunderstanding in your duties.

Love it when anonymous posters give advice that is likely to get a nanny fired. Easy to do when your job is not on the line.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP again - Also, maybe they aren't expecting you to clean the mess.. Maybe they're messy people and assume you're willingly helping them out. Like I said in my previous post, don't clean any weekend messes and just stick to the messes made on your clock.

This is us, too. If I leave rinsed-off dishes or clutter in the living room, I don't expect the nanny to clean it up. Kids' stuff I would expect her to do along with the kids pitching in but the adult stuff is not her responsibility. That said, if she did it because she wants to help out or doesn't like the mess, I would be grateful and thank her!