Why do MBs always insist that a nanny's job is to make their life easier?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MUTUAL respect is key here. It's rather disappointing how many parents seem to forget that little ingredient. It can so easily make (or brake!) the entire relationship.

I agree. But nannies forget also you know.

PS - break, not brake.

Yes, thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Correction, my job is not to make your life easier, it's to take damn good care of your children while you work and do any child related cleaning up after them. If you need someone to make your life easier, hire a personal assistant.


What you don't seem to understand is that taking "damn good care" of my children DOES make my life easier. Showing up on time, taking good care of my children, making sure they are happy and well cared floor and leaving my house in the condition you found it in are pretty basic things any halfway decent nanny should do and those are all things that make my life easier. Of course many nannies do much more than just those things and they are the nannies holding the long term highly paid positions. Making my life easier doesn't have to involve emptying my dishwasher or doing my laundry. It means doing your job as a nanny to the best of your ability so I know my children are happy and well cared for while I'm at work so I can do my job.


I agree with your post fully, but I think what OP was trying to get at is the frequently expressed attitude that a nanny's job is to make her MBs life easier as a vague and general idea. My job may be to make your life easier but I firmly believe that means only within a certain scope. It might make it easier for you if I did adult laundry, cooked gourmet dinners, or drove you to and from work each day, but that doesn't inherently make it my job. My job is whatever we agreed upon, and that's it. A lot of MBs construct basic childcare only jobs, paying an average rate for an average job, THEN start expecting anything under the sun that "makes their life easier" without any adjustment to compensation or consideration for the fact that your nanny signed up for the job you outlined for the reason. I don't do adult laundry or housekeeping, and I don't take jobs that include those duties.


PP here and I agree with your post too. I think there are a lot of MBs [/i]on DCUM[i] who certainly have unreasonable expectations but DCUM is not the real world in any way. I guess I'm just not sure what the point of the OP was exactly. The crazy MBs aren't going to read this post and say "you know what, you're right, I really shouldn't expect the nanny to do my laundry and make my bed." The reasonable MBs already know that and get irritated by posts like this that make it seem like all MBs are crazy. If you work for an unreasonable employer, I'm sorry, but then find a new job instead of coming on DCUM and acting like all MBs are the enemy. Maybe that wasn't OP's intention but anything that says MBs "always" do xx or "all MBs" just rubs me the wrong way just as I think most nannies are irritated by posts saying things like "ALL nannies are lazy" etc.

YES!!!!

Agreed! For the most part. Searching past threads, though, I have to say that there are NOT a lot of MBs with unreasonable expectations. The MBs here are pretty reasonable. Please link to threads where a true MB is crazy. I'd love to see it. Especially is they are real MBs. This board is famous for its nanny trolls.

[Anonymous]

what happened to the mother's helper!?! That is to help the mother -are there nonie of these on the site? There are many people who like to help moms in the afternoons by tidying up, cleaning up, etc. why kids are independent (usually older).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:what happened to the mother's helper!?! That is to help the mother -are there nonie of these on the site? There are many people who like to help moms in the afternoons by tidying up, cleaning up, etc. why kids are independent (usually older).

Mother's helpers have a completely different job from nannies. They spend most of their working hours helping while one or both parents are in the home, and often don't have the experience required to be a full-time nanny. Asking your 17-year-old neighbor to fold your laundry while you read to the kids is completely different from expecting your adult nanny with 10 years' experience to get your laundry done while also providing high-quality, structured and developmentally stimulating care to your children for 10 straight hours alone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Correction, my job is not to make your life easier, it's to take damn good care of your children while you work and do any child related cleaning up after them. If you need someone to make your life easier, hire a personal assistant.

What you don't seem to understand is that taking "damn good care" of my children DOES make my life easier. Showing up on time, taking good care of my children, making sure they are happy and well cared floor and leaving my house in the condition you found it in are pretty basic things any halfway decent nanny should do and those are all things that make my life easier. Of course many nannies do much more than just those things and they are the nannies holding the long term highly paid positions. Making my life easier doesn't have to involve emptying my dishwasher or doing my laundry. It means doing your job as a nanny to the best of your ability so I know my children are happy and well cared for while I'm at work so I can do my job.

I agree with your post fully, but I think what OP was trying to get at is the frequently expressed attitude that a nanny's job is to make her MBs life easier as a vague and general idea. My job may be to make your life easier but I firmly believe that means only within a certain scope. It might make it easier for you if I did adult laundry, cooked gourmet dinners, or drove you to and from work each day, but that doesn't inherently make it my job. My job is whatever we agreed upon, and that's it. A lot of MBs construct basic childcare only jobs, paying an average rate for an average job, THEN start expecting anything under the sun that "makes their life easier" without any adjustment to compensation or consideration for the fact that your nanny signed up for the job you outlined for the reason. I don't do adult laundry or housekeeping, and I don't take jobs that include those duties.

Nannies who feel like the OP have a weak ego and are insecure with their profession. They think when MB's say "Your here to make my life easier", that they're being looked at as second class citizens. I don't see any MB's asking for rides to work. I'm sure if they can afford a nanny they can afford transportation.

Also, when you say they start expecting these extra tasks do they really actually tell you it's now part of your job or do you assume that's how they feel? Do you get bonuses at the end of the year? Do they get you gifts or do nice things for you that isn't part of your compensation? Do they let you run your own errands during your work day? It works both ways. The "bad" employers are in the minority yet i always see nannies on here acting like most are horrible.

You all need to put down your egos, get some self respect and stop looking down on your profession. The parents aren't doing it, you guys are and you don't even realize it!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Correction, my job is not to make your life easier, it's to take damn good care of your children while you work and do any child related cleaning up after them. If you need someone to make your life easier, hire a personal assistant.

What you don't seem to understand is that taking "damn good care" of my children DOES make my life easier. Showing up on time, taking good care of my children, making sure they are happy and well cared floor and leaving my house in the condition you found it in are pretty basic things any halfway decent nanny should do and those are all things that make my life easier. Of course many nannies do much more than just those things and they are the nannies holding the long term highly paid positions. Making my life easier doesn't have to involve emptying my dishwasher or doing my laundry. It means doing your job as a nanny to the best of your ability so I know my children are happy and well cared for while I'm at work so I can do my job.

I agree with your post fully, but I think what OP was trying to get at is the frequently expressed attitude that a nanny's job is to make her MBs life easier as a vague and general idea. My job may be to make your life easier but I firmly believe that means only within a certain scope. It might make it easier for you if I did adult laundry, cooked gourmet dinners, or drove you to and from work each day, but that doesn't inherently make it my job. My job is whatever we agreed upon, and that's it. A lot of MBs construct basic childcare only jobs, paying an average rate for an average job, THEN start expecting anything under the sun that "makes their life easier" without any adjustment to compensation or consideration for the fact that your nanny signed up for the job you outlined for the reason. I don't do adult laundry or housekeeping, and I don't take jobs that include those duties.

Nannies who feel like the OP have a weak ego and are insecure with their profession. They think when MB's say "Your here to make my life easier", that they're being looked at as second class citizens. I don't see any MB's asking for rides to work. I'm sure if they can afford a nanny they can afford transportation.

Also, when you say they start expecting these extra tasks do they really actually tell you it's now part of your job or do you assume that's how they feel? Do you get bonuses at the end of the year? Do they get you gifts or do nice things for you that isn't part of your compensation? Do they let you run your own errands during your work day? It works both ways. The "bad" employers are in the minority yet i always see nannies on here acting like most are horrible.

You all need to put down your egos, get some self respect and stop looking down on your profession. The parents aren't doing it, you guys are and you don't even realize it!!

Clueless.