Advice from a "newbie nanny"...

[Anonymous]

Once you get your groove going it won't be so bad. I'm by no means thin or athletic or strong but after a few weeks with each job I get into my groove and have a routine. The day goes like clockwork

[Anonymous]

I'm a fat mother of twins. I have shockingly good biceps.

You'll adjust OP. It is exhausting but you'll figure out a rhythm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yikes! Fifty hours per week with a toddler and an infant sounds like a huge undertaking.

Hopefully the money is worth it, because you are performing one of the toughest jobs in the world OP.

I am a SAHM with two of similar ages and it is certainly the toughest job I have ever had! And I am no "spring chicken" - I am 36 and have been in the executive work force for years and years.

+1 DH is an orthopedic surgeon - a very physically demanding speciality - and he said he needed a vacation and chiropractor after spending a week with our 2.5 and 6 month old!


To OP, as a mother I know how physically demanding your job is - every mother does and would agree that it is one of the toughest jobs there is.

I'm a nanny to two little ones and it's the easiest job I've ever had. I earn so much more and work so much less now that I ever have before I actually regret never getting into this sooner.

Unless you were a coal miner prior to becoming a nanny - if you think the job is easy, you are not doing it right. Period. End of discussion.

- signed, the mother of two toddlers.

You've clearly never worked in a hospital or nursing home. Now THAT is back breaking work.

[Anonymous]

Im a Nanny of a toddler and infant, its a very physical work specially when is done right. It involve a lot of squat, bent, climb, walk and so forth. One of the thing I do to keep muscles lose and relax is Yoga. I do it few times per day when the children are sleeping. Yes, being a nanny is very physical. Gook luck and welcome to the nanny world!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All the more reason for people to realize overweight nannies are not cut out for this profession. OP is a COMPETITIVE SWIMMER and suffering as a nanny, you think the COMPETITIVE EATER can do it?

I weigh close to 200 pounds and nanny for two toddlers and an infant. I have no trouble keeping up and we go on regular long walks to the park and other things we fat people aren't supposed to be able to do. Get a clue.

To OP: make sure you are lifting with your legs. You need to be basically doing squats every time you pick up a child. And for the infant-holding, make sure you are holding the baby up at your chest level when sitting to feed her (or lay her on a pillow or boppy) instead of having her on your lap and hunching over. I sometimes use a ring sling with older infants: place it under their butt, and even though you don't have an arm free (your arm needs to go behind their back to support them), it still takes the weight off your arm/elbow. I have a 20-lb 6 mo who loves to be where she can see, and it's really tough on my arms to jold her for extended periods. Finally: make sure you are doing yoga to stay loose and find a good chiropractor!

I'm about 200-225, and I nanny for ages 1-teen. I've never had a problem running to get kids out of trouble or to play tickle monster at the park so that they run. It's one of the many things my references are asked, and one of the things the parents evaluate during a trial period, but it's never been an issue. My weight is a genetic issue, not an eating disorder (I eat meat, fruit, vegetables and dairy, nothing processed... and certainly not in the quantities that many people assume).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All the more reason for people to realize overweight nannies are not cut out for this profession. OP is a COMPETITIVE SWIMMER and suffering as a nanny, you think the COMPETITIVE EATER can do it?

LOL. I'm obese and keep up with my own child just fine. Boy, that must offend you something fierce.

[Anonymous]

Anyone who isn't wiped out in the first weeks of a nanny job isn't doing their job right. I was very lucky that my first full-time nanny job out of college was with a newborn who grew as I got stronger - but even with a seven pound baby, the muscles in my upper back killed the first few weeks. As a PP pointed out, it is about holding your body in an unusual position for long periods of time. Nannies go from zero to a hundred with no hormonal rush (like mothers have).

You do get accustomed to it and grow in strength as the kids grow in weight.

Congrats, OP. Being a nanny is a wonderful and rewarding job!