New job, what am I suppose to do all day?

[Anonymous]

I just got a new job as a FT nanny to four children who are excessively home-schooled. I prefer working with infants and toddlers, but I'm new to the area and the family is nice and the pay as well.

The children are all school age, and do "online schooling" through some program about 4 to 6 hours a day. I'm their for about 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. What the hell do I do? These are bright kids, pretty self reliant and I feel like when I go to try to "help" they get annoyed. MB said that they are good at keeping up with their workload, it's self pacing but all four are ahead of their grade level. I pretty much make sure they don't need any help and don't kill themselves. I make them lunch, and sometimes dinner. They are old enough to bath themselves and get ready for bed by themselves. I've tried to initiate activities, but they usually prefer to read and play outside (which is fantastic, most kids prefer video games). I feel so disconnected to them, essentially useless and lazy. I don't know what to do with myself all day. I miss being exhausted going into the store after work with macaroni handprints all over my outfit. I feel like I'm just there because they are too young to stay by themselves, they are extremely independent and I'm just like awkwardly trying to get them to do stuff with me, like "interact with me child, I need interaction!"

I do some light housework, but I'm done within a few ours....ugh...what should I do?

[Anonymous]

You do seem to liking writing, and you apparently have a wicked imagination, so why not start on that novel?
If that doesn't work, you may need a different job. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

How about taking some online classes yourself?

Honestly, this sounds like an easy gig, but dull. If you want to work with young children, start looking for another job. I can't imagine they'll have a hard time finding someone else, and you have plenty of hours in the day to look.

[Anonymous]

What are the children's age and gender?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You do seem to liking writing, and you apparently have a wicked imagination, so why not start on that novel?
If that doesn't work, you may need a different job. Good luck.

Seriously..your posts are getting really old now. Shut up and stop posting this on every post.

[Anonymous]

Maybe what they need help with is not academics, but in socializing. Why not ask the parents if you can set up playdates with non-siblings, or take them on field trips that correspond with what they're learning?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You do seem to liking writing, and you apparently have a wicked imagination, so why not start on that novel?
If that doesn't work, you may need a different job. Good luck.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You do seem to liking writing, and you apparently have a wicked imagination, so why not start on that novel?
If that doesn't work, you may need a different job. Good luck.

Seriously..your posts are getting really old now. Shut up and stop posting this on every post.

+1

[Anonymous]

I like the idea of taking them on field trips.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You do seem to liking writing, and you apparently have a wicked imagination, so why not start on that novel?
If that doesn't work, you may need a different job. Good luck.

Do you realize how annoying you are? Every single thread, every single one. Stop.

[Anonymous]

ask the kid what kind of activities they'd like to do...baking? Birding? Find out what their interests are and go from there. Get a book and enjoy your free time when you have it and find some cool projects to do when the kurds are ready to interact with you.

[nannydebsays]

Going further on what PP's have said:

Can you do projects related to what they are studying, or go on field trips, or arrange play dates, or just take them to various playgrounds, or do random stuff based on their interests?