How much down-time do you nannies get during the average day?

[Anonymous]

What would you like, OP?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In a nanny job, you don't need to "ask" anyone if you can sit down for "downtime" to eat or rest your feet, in a 10 hour day. You yourself learn when to (responsibly) best incorporate what you need.

[Anonymous]

what tasks are you doing so that in a 10 hour day you are going constantly? I am a nanny and even with 3 charges have time to eat my lunch and sit down once in awhile

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP you are close to the right argument but not there yet. You demand down time when an employer has abused you by asking for more housekeeping then is reasonable in a day. That is not the case here. As another PP said, you need to be proactive about managing you day. That may mean moving the first nap indoors. You can explain that napping in the same place every time is important for sleep training, which is true. You can also explain why some tasks that you have been doing as a favor are no longer possible. If they want those things to continue you suggest expanding your hours. But please do not approach them with any demands at the point. They have not earned that treatment.

A more experienced nanny would have handled the situation differently. With time you learn to balance your charges needs with your own so there is no either/or proposition. Your charge needs time outdoors but sleeping is not the developmental task that she should be practicing outside. You also need time outdoors. Resting is not the work task you should be doing outside.

I am a nanny.

Again, thanks. But the morning nap outside is non-negotiable. We are in San Diego and it is near perfect weather 365 days a year. It is just what people/parents do here when they don't have a backyard.

I'm off to work now - again, thank you all. I will think about your suggestions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP you are close to the right argument but not there yet. You demand down time when an employer has abused you by asking for more housekeeping then is reasonable in a day. That is not the case here. As another PP said, you need to be proactive about managing you day. That may mean moving the first nap indoors. You can explain that napping in the same place every time is important for sleep training, which is true. You can also explain why some tasks that you have been doing as a favor are no longer possible. If they want those things to continue you suggest expanding your hours. But please do not approach them with any demands at the point. They have not earned that treatment.

A more experienced nanny would have handled the situation differently. With time you learn to balance your charges needs with your own so there is no either/or proposition. Your charge needs time outdoors but sleeping is not the developmental task that she should be practicing outside. You also need time outdoors. Resting is not the work task you should be doing outside.

I am a nanny.

Again, thanks. But the morning nap outside is non-negotiable. We are in San Diego and it is near perfect weather 365 days a year. It is just what people/parents do here when they don't have a backyard.

I'm off to work now - again, thank you all. I will think about your suggestions.

That doesn't really make sense. I'm all for going outside for a walk when the weather is perfect, every day if that's the case but why can't DC take a nap at home and THEN go for a walk. As a PP said, outside time is very important but it's important so that DC can look around and see what's going on outside. NOT so he can sleep outside. You need to change that which will give you much more downtime. Also, as a PP said, you should learn to prioritize. You don't need to make pureed food everyday. Make a big batch once a week. Do laundry twice a week, not every day. I have 3 children, and our nanny has time to sit down and eat her lunch and relax every single day. There's no reason why you shouldn't if you have 1 child to take care of.

[Anonymous]

Why is it taking you so much time to make the purées? I would think you could make a week worth in one day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is it taking you so much time to make the purées? I would think you could make a week worth in one day.

How long does it take you, PP?

[Anonymous]

Where is off-the clock assumption coming from? Are you paid for 10 hrs or you work 10 hours and they pay you for 8? Or do you have a daily fee but the scope of your responsibilites expanded since you agreed on that daily fee? What is your pay structure?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is it taking you so much time to make the purées? I would think you could make a week worth in one day.

How long does it take you, PP?

NP here but I've never needed more than 30min once or twice a week to get all the baby food made, and often it can be done while the child is awake (for example, I'll chop things during nap and boil or blend them once the baby is up).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP you are close to the right argument but not there yet. You demand down time when an employer has abused you by asking for more housekeeping then is reasonable in a day. That is not the case here. As another PP said, you need to be proactive about managing you day. That may mean moving the first nap indoors. You can explain that napping in the same place every time is important for sleep training, which is true. You can also explain why some tasks that you have been doing as a favor are no longer possible. If they want those things to continue you suggest expanding your hours. But please do not approach them with any demands at the point. They have not earned that treatment.

A more experienced nanny would have handled the situation differently. With time you learn to balance your charges needs with your own so there is no either/or proposition. Your charge needs time outdoors but sleeping is not the developmental task that she should be practicing outside. You also need time outdoors. Resting is not the work task you should be doing outside.

I am a nanny.

Again, thanks. But the morning nap outside is non-negotiable. We are in San Diego and it is near perfect weather 365 days a year. It is just what people/parents do here when they don't have a backyard.

I'm off to work now - again, thank you all. I will think about your suggestions.

Well OP, it sounds like you have created this monster on top of accepting a job with unreasonable demands. Perhaps you can rest by reading a book at the park? I would not approach MB with any demands based on these facts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP you are close to the right argument but not there yet. You demand down time when an employer has abused you by asking for more housekeeping then is reasonable in a day. That is not the case here. As another PP said, you need to be proactive about managing you day. That may mean moving the first nap indoors. You can explain that napping in the same place every time is important for sleep training, which is true. You can also explain why some tasks that you have been doing as a favor are no longer possible. If they want those things to continue you suggest expanding your hours. But please do not approach them with any demands at the point. They have not earned that treatment.

A more experienced nanny would have handled the situation differently. With time you learn to balance your charges needs with your own so there is no either/or proposition. Your charge needs time outdoors but sleeping is not the developmental task that she should be practicing outside. You also need time outdoors. Resting is not the work task you should be doing outside.

I am a nanny.

Again, thanks. But the morning nap outside is non-negotiable. We are in San Diego and it is near perfect weather 365 days a year. It is just what people/parents do here when they don't have a backyard.

I'm off to work now - again, thank you all. I will think about your suggestions.

Well OP, it sounds like you have created this monster on top of accepting a job with unreasonable demands. Perhaps you can rest by reading a book at the park? I would not approach MB with any demands based on these facts.

According to OP it wasn't a job with unreasonable demands. She just started doing things the parents hadn't asked her to do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What would you like, OP?

OP, please get some clarity here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP you are close to the right argument but not there yet. You demand down time when an employer has abused you by asking for more housekeeping then is reasonable in a day. That is not the case here. As another PP said, you need to be proactive about managing you day. That may mean moving the first nap indoors. You can explain that napping in the same place every time is important for sleep training, which is true. You can also explain why some tasks that you have been doing as a favor are no longer possible. If they want those things to continue you suggest expanding your hours. But please do not approach them with any demands at the point. They have not earned that treatment.

A more experienced nanny would have handled the situation differently. With time you learn to balance your charges needs with your own so there is no either/or proposition. Your charge needs time outdoors but sleeping is not the developmental task that she should be practicing outside. You also need time outdoors. Resting is not the work task you should be doing outside.

I am a nanny.

Again, thanks. But the morning nap outside is non-negotiable. We are in San Diego and it is near perfect weather 365 days a year. It is just what people/parents do here when they don't have a backyard.

I'm off to work now - again, thank you all. I will think about your suggestions.

Well OP, it sounds like you have created this monster on top of accepting a job with unreasonable demands. Perhaps you can rest by reading a book at the park? I would not approach MB with any demands based on these facts.

According to OP it wasn't a job with unreasonable demands. She just started doing things the parents hadn't asked her to do.

Walking a sleeping baby so they get sufficient outdoor time is unreasonable to me. But, it might have been workable if OP hadn't gone and added being a power ranger to her job duties.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP you are close to the right argument but not there yet. You demand down time when an employer has abused you by asking for more housekeeping then is reasonable in a day. That is not the case here. As another PP said, you need to be proactive about managing you day. That may mean moving the first nap indoors. You can explain that napping in the same place every time is important for sleep training, which is true. You can also explain why some tasks that you have been doing as a favor are no longer possible. If they want those things to continue you suggest expanding your hours. But please do not approach them with any demands at the point. They have not earned that treatment.

A more experienced nanny would have handled the situation differently. With time you learn to balance your charges needs with your own so there is no either/or proposition. Your charge needs time outdoors but sleeping is not the developmental task that she should be practicing outside. You also need time outdoors. Resting is not the work task you should be doing outside.

I am a nanny.

Again, thanks. But the morning nap outside is non-negotiable. We are in San Diego and it is near perfect weather 365 days a year. It is just what people/parents do here when they don't have a backyard.

I'm off to work now - again, thank you all. I will think about your suggestions.

Well OP, it sounds like you have created this monster on top of accepting a job with unreasonable demands. Perhaps you can rest by reading a book at the park? I would not approach MB with any demands based on these facts.

According to OP it wasn't a job with unreasonable demands. She just started doing things the parents hadn't asked her to do.

Walking a sleeping baby so they get sufficient outdoor time is unreasonable to me. But, it might have been workable if OP hadn't gone and added being a power ranger to her job duties.

I agree but we don't know if it's the parents or OP who wants to morning nap during the walk. She seems to like the nap/walk even though many posters have said she needs to do the walk when the child is awake.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP you are close to the right argument but not there yet. You demand down time when an employer has abused you by asking for more housekeeping then is reasonable in a day. That is not the case here. As another PP said, you need to be proactive about managing you day. That may mean moving the first nap indoors. You can explain that napping in the same place every time is important for sleep training, which is true. You can also explain why some tasks that you have been doing as a favor are no longer possible. If they want those things to continue you suggest expanding your hours. But please do not approach them with any demands at the point. They have not earned that treatment.

A more experienced nanny would have handled the situation differently. With time you learn to balance your charges needs with your own so there is no either/or proposition. Your charge needs time outdoors but sleeping is not the developmental task that she should be practicing outside. You also need time outdoors. Resting is not the work task you should be doing outside.

I am a nanny.

Again, thanks. But the morning nap outside is non-negotiable. We are in San Diego and it is near perfect weather 365 days a year. It is just what people/parents do here when they don't have a backyard.

I'm off to work now - again, thank you all. I will think about your suggestions.

Well OP, it sounds like you have created this monster on top of accepting a job with unreasonable demands. Perhaps you can rest by reading a book at the park? I would not approach MB with any demands based on these facts.

According to OP it wasn't a job with unreasonable demands. She just started doing things the parents hadn't asked her to do.

Walking a sleeping baby so they get sufficient outdoor time is unreasonable to me. But, it might have been workable if OP hadn't gone and added being a power ranger to her job duties.

I agree but we don't know if it's the parents or OP who wants to morning nap during the walk. She seems to like the nap/walk even though many posters have said she needs to do the walk when the child is awake.

... And not come here complaining about being tired.