how/what does nanny eat during the day?
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Anonymous
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Am a FTM with no experience at all with nannies and just hired one who seems great. I am putting together a contract and saw mention of buying food for the nanny. And then wondered how it works with meals for a nanny.
Our baby is 3 months old with severe reflux and some OT/PT needs. Please let me know your experiences. Thanks so much! |
Anonymous
| Please search the archives OP. this discussion has been had numerous times, and unfortunately for the poster looking for answers, always devolves into a flame war. There is no universal when it comes to this issue, you simply have to figure out what works for you and your nanny. |
Anonymous
| Nannies don't eat food, they must eat the blood of a pigeon |
Anonymous
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It's up to you (and the nanny) to negotiate.
Some nannies are completely responsible for bringing their own meals and snacks. This is especially true if MB/DB don't usually keep the kitchen stocked. In that case, it's nice to have drinks on hand that the nanny likes, if you feel so inclined. It's slightly different if the kids are older, but don't feel like you have to grocery shop for the nanny (unless she's live in). It would be nice to let her help herself to leftovers or some snacks -- fruit, veggies. I've read (on here) horror stories about nannies eating all the steaks or a bag of pricey chocolate, but I think those were fake. |
Anonymous
| Seems like some nannies expect to be fed, others like myself are happy with just some space to put our food. I would just offer her pantry/fridge space, drinks, and some simple snacks like pretzels or fruit. |
Anonymous
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I've been a live out for 8 years. Every family I have worked with has had an open pantry/fridge policy and I have still always preferred to bring my own food. I have a place in the fridge/pantry to store my own items and if I don't bring food for the day, I either order out or make something from the kids selection (chicken tenders, quesadilla, etc.).
Most of my employers have, over time, noticed what I stock for myself and started purchasing a few of my favorites as a nice gesture (yogurt, coffee, maybe soda, nothing fancy here) and it makes all the difference. Any professional nanny is not going to help herself to all of your snacks and drink the last of the milk, but it is nice to know that you recognize the amount of time we spend in your homes and make us feel welcome. Bottom line though, if your nanny lives out, 80-90% of their daily food should be purchased by them. |
Anonymous
This is spot on. I don't really care what the ultimate arrangement is, I'm probably going to pack my lunch, but it says something about the kind of employer you are if you go out of your way to make your nanny feel welcome in your home and vice versa if you make very clear that she isn't welcome. (I once had an employer go so far as to have it in the contract that I wouldn't eat their food! Guess how long that lasted!) |
Anonymous
| Nanny here. MB has made it clear that I am allowed to help myself to whatever I want. I am with my charges for 12 hours some days, although I am live out. I don't eat the last bit of anything, and for mealtimes I eat with the kids, whatever I made for them. I honestly think I don't even eat enough to make a dent in anything. |
Anonymous
| MB here. We have always made it clear to our nannies that they are welcome to help themselves to any of our food. For the most part they have always brought their own food and occasionally helped themselves to snacks. We only had one nanny who abused it (frequently ate the last of foods but would put the empty containers back so we didn't know it was all gone, eat leftovers we were planning for dinner etc) but she was very immature and not a good nanny so she was short lived. |
Anonymous
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MB here. I've known a lot of other moms who agreed to provide food for the nanny, only to find the arrangement problematic and a source of tension. The scenario that seems to work well for both families and nannies is to offer drinks and certain snacks and access to a few pantry staples on an emergency basis (e.g. a can of tuna or boxed pasta with red sauce that she can prepare if she forgets or doesn't have time to bring lunch some day). Beyond that, the nanny is asked bring in her own meals or groceries. In most of these cases, the nanny is either given dedicated space in the refrigerator or marks her items in some way (e.g., with her initials), so she doesn't have to scramble to pack a lunch each day.
If a nanny is cooking from scratch for school-aged kids, especially at dinner time, the expectations might shift. In that case, I would expect to provide enough of whatever she's cooking to feed her as well as the kids. |
Anonymous
| I would consider how you feel about food for your kid in this. As a nanny, I am all about making sure there is a healthy, whole-food, homemade family dinner on the table 5 nights per week, so families often invite me to stay and eat the meal I shopped for and prepared. Other families might think that this is wasteful if they would prefer pizza, burgers, packaged food, etc., or they might have very strong opinions about food that would be difficult for me to follow (kosher, vegan, etc.). So think about how you want to approach food with DC in less than 6 months, and factor that in. You should ask nanny her feelings about food, because baby will want to eat what she eats soon enough. |
Anonymous
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When I nannied I packed a lunch everyday, or planned on taking the kids for a walk so I could grab something.
But that was because I never knew what would be in the fridge and if there'd be anything that I could eat. It was easier to have my own plan. I would occasionally eat some fruit or cheese with the kids when they ate their snack. |
Anonymous
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I agree with most others here. You are not required to feed your nanny, but it is often a nice gesture. My last employers told me to eat any food I want. DB often told me, "food is meant to be eaten." I brought my own lunches, but they often told me to take a piece of cake or fruit. Or I would split an apple with the toddler. Especially while your baby is an infant, there is no reason you need to leave food for her. However, I can't imagine having someone cook and serve food in my house and not letting them eat any, though (with older kids). It's good to give her an area she can keep her food if she wants to bring enough for the week.
My current employers have told me to make coffee for myself, but I bring everything else. Personally, I would feel weird having someone else food-shop for me. |
Anonymous
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Totally up to you. I wanted her to feel like part of the family, so I told her to eat whatever she wants. It took her a few weeks to feel comfortable with that, but she is OK now.
The only downside is that now I have to be an adult and actually make sure I get to the grocery store on weekends ... because I felt like it wasn't right to say "help yourself to anything for lunch!" -- and then have a completely bare fridge. |
Anonymous
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MB here -- I told my nanny that she is welcome to anything in the fridge/pantry. I reinforce this by mentioning when I have leftovers she would like or tell her I bought something at Costco she'd probably like.
We don't keep a lot of snack food in the house, so she brings her own chips/cookies/soda. Somedays she brings a lunch, somedays she doesn't. It's pretty flexible. It would seem weird to me to put that kind of thing in a contract and create expectations. |