cleaning up breakfast/dinner dishes

[Anonymous]

My employers often leave dirty dishes in the sink. I don't wash them because that's not my job. I'm an after school nanny. They do the dishes and I'm assuming they don't expect me to do them. I have a degree in education and I'm a childcare provider, not a maid. I do clean up after the kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My employers often leave dirty dishes in the sink. I don't wash them because that's not my job. I'm an after school nanny. They do the dishes and I'm assuming they don't expect me to do them. I have a degree in education and I'm a childcare provider, not a maid. I do clean up after the kids.

Good for you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nannies, does it bother you to clean up breakfast or dinner dishes if your MB preps a meal and gets the kids started eating before you got there? Lately, I have been noticing our date night babysitter is not cleaning up the dinner dishes, and I am wondering if it bothers our regular nanny as well that she has to clean up after the breakfast that I made.
It's not like I am expecting anyone to scrub pots and pans. It's typically spaghetti or pizza for dinner and cereal or yogurt and fruit for breakfast.

babysitters DO NOT wash dishes. Apparently, you do not understand the difference between a MAID and a childcare giver. You are a pig.

[Anonymous]

Nannies and babysitters ONLY clean dishes/messes made on their watch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nannies, does it bother you to clean up breakfast or dinner dishes if your MB preps a meal and gets the kids started eating before you got there? Lately, I have been noticing our date night babysitter is not cleaning up the dinner dishes, and I am wondering if it bothers our regular nanny as well that she has to clean up after the breakfast that I made.
It's not like I am expecting anyone to scrub pots and pans. It's typically spaghetti or pizza for dinner and cereal or yogurt and fruit for breakfast.

This is a child-related task so the nanny should have no problem cleaning up. Exceptions to this rule are big messes or meals that are not for the kids. On the other hand, it would be obnoxious to me if a mess was left and I was told not to worry about it. I'm going to clean it up if it's in my workspace because it will get in my way all day and my standard as a nanny is cleanliness. However, beware of this becoming a norm. A minor, child-related, occasional mess is okay but lots of nannies fear and hate the reality of things snowballing, so cleaning dishes one day might lead to it becoming what is expected, and then she starts being expected to do more without a pay bump.

I wouldn't want to leave our supper dishes to leave for the nanny to clean the next day, at all! If it's expected of the date night sitter then make that clear. If she doesn't do them I would. dI would also find a new date night sitter.

Breakfast dishes? Yogurt and fruit are easy enough to clean up after, especially if the kids are still eating when the nanny arrives.

[Anonymous]

I'm currently in a stand off with the family I work for over weekend dishes. They cooked eggs over the weekend and left the pan with burned eggs all over it on the stove. I've left it there and it's still there 5 days later! It's ridiculous because I make dinner every night for the whole family and they just leave everything for me to clean up the next day. They used to at least wash all the food off the pans and dishes but recently they stopped doing that. When I've spoken to them about it they rinse out the dishes for a couple days and then just go back to being lazy. I've been with them 2 years now and I'm getting close to the end of my rope with them. I've been quietly looking for a job for months now but no one pays as well as my current family.

[Anonymous]

It is your responsibility to either a). Ask your date night sitter to wash any dishes used during her stay or b). Wash them up yourself prior to the week nanny's arrival.

She shouldn't be responsible for doing any dishes that were dirtied over the weekend.

If your kids are eating breakfast when she arrives, I would say she is responsible to do their dishes once they finish as well as wipe down the table too. If pots/pans were used in cooking, I would say those are your responsibility.

[Anonymous]

I've run into this problem so many times as a nanny.
I'm a pushover, so I tend to just to the dishes and not say anything. However, I have since realized that all that does is make them take advantage even more. Leaving dirty dishes from the night before or even your breakfast is just plain rude, and it drives me insane. The family I am currently with are absolute slobs though, so idk why it surprises me. They leave their dirty clothes, old cups, old food, dishes everywhere and expect me to pick it up after them. If you've already tried talking to them, I'd say you either have to suck it up or quit. I've finally had enough of being treated like a maid instead of a nanny and am quitting. Best of luck.

[Anonymous]

I expect my nanny to put the kids dishes in the dishwasher, also her own, as well as wiping off the table when they're done. She doesn't. I'm lucky if they make their way back into the kitchen. Contrary to what DCUM thinks, I am not HER maid either. It's why when I find a replacement, she'll be fired.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I expect my nanny to put the kids dishes in the dishwasher, also her own, as well as wiping off the table when they're done. She doesn't. I'm lucky if they make their way back into the kitchen. Contrary to what DCUM thinks, I am not HER maid either. It's why when I find a replacement, she'll be fired.

So many nannies have agreed with you, PP, in writing basically the exact same thing. I have no clue where your "contrary to what DCUM thinks..." comes from on this thread or frankly most others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I expect my nanny to put the kids dishes in the dishwasher, also her own, as well as wiping off the table when they're done. She doesn't. I'm lucky if they make their way back into the kitchen. Contrary to what DCUM thinks, I am not HER maid either. It's why when I find a replacement, she'll be fired.

So many nannies have agreed with you, PP, in writing basically the exact same thing. I have no clue where your "contrary to what DCUM thinks..." comes from on this thread or frankly most others.

+1 How many nannies writing that they always do their dishes and their charges dishes will convince you that the majority of us agree with you, PP? I am sorry you hired a bad nanny but DCUM is not disagreeing with you on this from what I have read.

As a nanny I have always done all of my charges dishes without hesitation. I am also not a dick so if a stray coffee cup is left or a juice glass of course I wash those as well. I am not unusual in this, I promise you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a nanny forum where nannies rule. So yeah, the answer you get is "you are terrible person, not fit to have a nanny, how dare you!"

Truth is, yeah, typically nannies don't do that but depending on how much you are paying, kids' ages, and other aspects of the job environment, there are plenty of nannies happily cleaning dinner dishes for job safety.

Do you think it's taking advantage somehow? I mean, the other option is just to have the nanny make dinner or breakfast. I am not going to wake the kids up early/take off work early so they can eat breakfast/dinner and I can have the dishes done by the time the nanny gets there. I always felt like I was making her job easier by prepping the meals myself, but maybe not.
The kids ages are 1, 3, 5, and 7. I don't live in DC, so the rate is hard to compare.

Why can't you clean up as you go along? This is what I do and it isn't difficult. I would have a fit if nanny left a mess for me and I'm sure she feels the same. A nanny is NOT a general maid for lazy parents. A nanny takes care of childten and does cleaning related to them, not their lazy, shiftless patents.

OP here. I can't clean up because the kids are still eating when I go, and the dishes are still I use. Honestly, I do kind of feel like she is leaving a mess for me when I get home and the kids dinner dishes are still sitting on the table.

I do them before I go to bed. I don't leave them there all weekend for the nanny to do. Who would do that?

[Anonymous]

OP here, and thank you for your responses. From the noted vitriol about cleaning up any mess not made by the nanny, I have decided to just let her be in charge feeding the kids and cleaning up. That way there is really no question or feeling that she is cleaning up my mess. As an added bonus, I get to spend a few extra minutes playing with my kids and reading them stories before I go to work, rather than worry about getting food on the table

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a nanny forum where nannies rule. So yeah, the answer you get is "you are terrible person, not fit to have a nanny, how dare you!"

Truth is, yeah, typically nannies don't do that but depending on how much you are paying, kids' ages, and other aspects of the job environment, there are plenty of nannies happily cleaning dinner dishes for job safety.

Do you think it's taking advantage somehow? I mean, the other option is just to have the nanny make dinner or breakfast. I am not going to wake the kids up early/take off work early so they can eat breakfast/dinner and I can have the dishes done by the time the nanny gets there. I always felt like I was making her job easier by prepping the meals myself, but maybe not.
The kids ages are 1, 3, 5, and 7. I don't live in DC, so the rate is hard to compare.

Why can't you clean up as you go along? This is what I do and it isn't difficult. I would have a fit if nanny left a mess for me and I'm sure she feels the same. A nanny is NOT a general maid for lazy parents. A nanny takes care of childten and does cleaning related to them, not their lazy, shiftless patents.

OP here. I can't clean up because the kids are still eating when I go, and the dishes are still I use. Honestly, I do kind of feel like she is leaving a mess for me when I get home and the kids dinner dishes are still sitting on the table.

I do them before I go to bed. I don't leave them there all weekend for the nanny to do. Who would do that?

Of course your nanny should have done those dishes, OP. No question.

I have been a nanny for many years and this is standard behavior/responsibility.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nannies, does it bother you to clean up breakfast or dinner dishes if your MB preps a meal and gets the kids started eating before you got there? Lately, I have been noticing our date night babysitter is not cleaning up the dinner dishes, and I am wondering if it bothers our regular nanny as well that she has to clean up after the breakfast that I made.
It's not like I am expecting anyone to scrub pots and pans. It's typically spaghetti or pizza for dinner and cereal or yogurt and fruit for breakfast.

If the children are eating the meal when I arrive, of course I do the dishes. It is part of my job. I will not, however, last long in any job where there are dishes or any mess left over from the day or meal before.

This.

I'm an MB. I virtually never leave the nanny any of our dishes to clean. But, if the kids are up early enough that I am giving them b'fast when the nanny gets there, then she finishes that up, including clean-up. Likewise, if the kids aren't done w/ dinner when I get home then the nanny leaves on time and I handle the dinner clean-up.

Neither of us generate huge messes to clean up and we're both thoughtful and careful about how we leave things. So it works out just fine. Sometimes I'm putting a dish in the dishwasher that the nanny used. Sometimes she's sticking my glass from last night in, etc... but it's fully a two way street.

We are the same. I almost never leave dishes for our nanny although sometimes she has started when I'm still doing breakfast. She always cleans those dishes, although I never ask and I would not at all be bothered if she left them. Our nanny doesn't prepare dinner as part of her duties, so those dishes are never an issue. It's my job to clean them.