Nannies - PLEASE READ

[Anonymous]

I love this board for general information, (sometimes) great advice and an anonymous way to vent and hopefully spread the news on something that seriously needs to stop.

I have a wonderful nanny, but I am finding her on her cell phone during work hours much more than I feel is acceptable. Sometimes I pop in during the day since I work right down the street, and I can hear her ending a conversation (once she hears me). I've caught her texting when she didn't realize I was there. I drove by the park the other day and noticed her talking on her phone while my youngest was crawling around and my oldest was swinging alone (much further from her). I pulled over and continued to watch from my car and after about 15 minutes, she was still on the phone and my kid was crawling all over the place, the other was in another direction. Both were basically unsupervised, I had to leave and I absolutely hated leaving knowing my kids were in her care and not being supervised. I regret leaving, I should have just gone and said something but wasn't sure how I wanted to handle the situation. I pay and treat my nanny extremely well and was really taken aback by what I saw. I've seen several other nannies on their phones at parks, libraries, walking, etc etc. It's always been a pet peeve of mine and I trusted my nanny was smart/aware enough to not use her cell phone unless necessary.

I KNOW there are some amazing nannies out there, but I also know there are nannies who are constantly on their phone with children in tow. PLease please be respectful and responsible and keep the cell phone and texting use to an absolute minimum and only when necessary. Either that, or find a job that doesn't require taking care of another human being.

I'm trying to avoid using the computer, or texting much in front of my children, as I feel it does make them feel they are less important than whatever is on the computer or phone. It really annoys me that I"m paying someone to care for my kid while she has a phone attached to her ear or hands.

Needless to say, I'm in the process of looking for other arrangements. But please if you are a nanny who is using your cell phone frequently, please reconsider and recognize that you are contributing to a negative stereotype for all nannies and it seriously needs to change before a child ends up harmed or much worse.

[Anonymous]

I agree with you to a certain extent. , when I'm at work and the kids are playing at home together the first thing I do, as long as my copies are done, is play on my phone. I rarely text or take phone calls during work unless it is an emergency. But, I also use my phone a lot to answer questions my charges ask me that I don't know the answer to. This happens at least a few times a day since I talk to and interact with them a lot. They ask me all sorts of weird and obscure questions like what to rollie pollies eat, why do whales have barnacles, stuff that I would never look up on my own. In fact any time I tell my charges I don't know the answer to a question of I don't immediately say I'm going to look they ask me to Google it for them. During my down time while on my phone I'm usually looking for projects, science experiments or something relating to my charges. In my typical 9 hour day, I'm probably on my phone about an hour of the day and 75% of it is related to my charges. So, I would also like moms to know even if a nanny is on their phone it may be something for her job. Our the mom will text me, or I'm taking a picture of them to send to the parents. But, never would I spend 15 minutes on my phone out in public. In my mind too many things could go wrong!

[Anonymous]

OP, talk to her and tell her how you feel. You aren't asking anything unreasonable. No way would I be on the phone for 15 min with a crawler.

[Anonymous]

OP, I agree with you. This is important. Just curious, what is the "extremely" good wage that you pay her?

[Anonymous]

OP, you're absolutely right that this is unacceptable. The only time I'm talking on my phone in public (to anyone other than the parents) is when I am walking - I carry the toddler in a backpack so it's a hands-free time for me and given where we live, many of our walks are over 30 minutes long. Even so, I'll only talk on the phone for maybe 20-30 minutes a WEEK when walking and the rest of the time I'm talking to my charge. You should talk to your nanny very seriously about this behavior, it warrants a formal warning.

[Anonymous]

OP, this is your situation with YOUR nanny. It's really not fair to presume the rest of us are doing it, and then to chastise us about it. I am not like this, nor do I see many nannies constantly on the phone, and I don't appreciate the generalization or the attitude that because you employ a nanny, you have a right to tell us all how to do our jobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, this is your situation with YOUR nanny. It's really not fair to presume the rest of us are doing it, and then to chastise us about it. I am not like this, nor do I see many nannies constantly on the phone, and I don't appreciate the generalization or the attitude that because you employ a nanny, you have a right to tell us all how to do our jobs.

Agree!!

How do you know that the "nannies" you see on the phone are nannies?

I seriously hate when people assume that.

Do you go up to each one and ask if they are nannies, parents, aunts, uncles, neighbors, grandparents, etc.?

Go talk to your nanny - explain it. If anything fire her and get a new nanny.
Don't come on here anonymously and shame others you don't even know.

[Anonymous]

People who see me out with the kids I nanny for would probably think I text a lot. What they don't know is 75% of the time I'm texting or emailing the parents back. I use my phone to check local events calendars, see what time things open, arrange play dates and stay coordinated with two different schools since I volunteer in their classrooms. I probably talk on the phone a total of 15 minutes a month unless the baby is asleep. There are probably 15 minutes a day I'm texting my husband or checking facebook out of my 11 hour day. So if the kids think the world doesn't revolve around them for those 15 minutes so be it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, this is your situation with YOUR nanny. It's really not fair to presume the rest of us are doing it, and then to chastise us about it. I am not like this, nor do I see many nannies constantly on the phone, and I don't appreciate the generalization or the attitude that because you employ a nanny, you have a right to tell us all how to do our jobs.

I'm a nanny and I see nannies (and yes, I know they are nannies because I talk to them) on their phones ALL the time. So sad when kids come up to me -- they want me to play with them since their nanny is ignoring them.

[Anonymous]

I go on my phone when the kids are happily playing together for a short amount of time per day. Before i get flamed...MY Mb is OKAY with it and wants them to be able to entertain them selves and she really doesn't care. Of course I play with with too! Also during there tv time during the day. I really can't stand some of the shows. I'll interact during the show but ill browse Facebook.
However when we are out in the community and at the parks I never on my phone. Only to take pictures. It's not safe. There is one nanny who takes her charge to story time and se will sit on a chair in the library reading a magazine.... Her charge comes up to me and asks me to read him a book every week. She also sits at the back of the story time room to read a magazine and listen to her iPod. I sure hope her mb is okay with that

[Anonymous]

No, she shouldn't be texting or on the phone while working. However, don't tell me what I should or should not be doing, I definitely know what is not appropriate. I don't need your condescending attitude.

[Anonymous]

Professional nannies know that OP is absolutely correct-not only is it inappropriate to have your phone glued to your ear when working, but it DOES make other nannies look bad, like it or not. And I think the PPs who responded know full well the OP was not talking about conversations with parents or researching kid activites. I'm a nanny and I know when I go to any park or even walking on the street I see one if not more nannies talking on the phone while ignoring their charges. We all know it's true. If you aren't one of these nannies, that's great. If you are, stop with the bullshit excuses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Professional nannies know that OP is absolutely correct-not only is it inappropriate to have your phone glued to your ear when working, but it DOES make other nannies look bad, like it or not. And I think the PPs who responded know full well the OP was not talking about conversations with parents or researching kid activites. I'm a nanny and I know when I go to any park or even walking on the street I see one if not more nannies talking on the phone while ignoring their charges. We all know it's true. If you aren't one of these nannies, that's great. If you are, stop with the bullshit excuses.

That's right. These nannies always come up with excuses and it gets old. Learn to take responsibility for your actions and quit justifying why you're right. Dumbasses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Professional nannies know that OP is absolutely correct-not only is it inappropriate to have your phone glued to your ear when working, but it DOES make other nannies look bad, like it or not. And I think the PPs who responded know full well the OP was not talking about conversations with parents or researching kid activites. I'm a nanny and I know when I go to any park or even walking on the street I see one if not more nannies talking on the phone while ignoring their charges. We all know it's true. If you aren't one of these nannies, that's great. If you are, stop with the bullshit excuses.

1) How do you know they're nannies if you just see them walking down a street?

2) Are you really suggesting we need to be entertaining our charges while we're walking down a street? Every time? Really?

[Anonymous]

I just did,I think you are right!
I have been a nanny for 20 years. And I never had this problem,always I keep my cell on my car,I don't want nothing bother me when I take care of the kids.some nannies doesn't love their job.
Sometimes I rear some nanny say like that,oh! I have lots benefit,lots this lots that and good nannies like me ,never have a good family,I can't understand that .I wish one day I found the family that have mora consideration for me and other nannies like me.