Do I have a right to be peeved at this??

[Anonymous]

I am a nanny for a 19 month old cutie pie. He is adorable as heck and we have a ton of fun together.

I watch him about 30 hours a week, 3 days per week.

His mother is not comfortable letting me drive him places, but there IS a park and library within walking distance and I do have permission to take him anytime to either place or just for fun walks around the neighborhood.

The days I have him are long and I am not complaining by any means.
He takes very short naps each day, the longest between 45 minutes to 1 hour. Never longer. Enough time for me to straighten up, clean up breakfast dishes/mess, prepare his lunch and eat my own lunch.

I really would like a 1/2 hour each day aside from this to let him watch television.
You see after he eats lunch, he usually makes another mess (!) and I need to wipe up the high chair, sweep the floor, do the dishes and I like to make sure the toys are straightened up somewhat before his dad comes home. If allowed to watch a 1/2 hour of television after his lunch, it would great because he could be occupied/entertained and I could get all this done so when the parents get home, things would be more in order.

When I asked the father about it today, he told me that he didn't feel like it was a good idea.
He said they liked to keep screen time at a very small minimum and that they only let him watch 2 shows each day...In the evening when they got home from work. One before dinner, one after. He kindly said they didn't believe in paying their nannies an hourly rate just to plop their child in front of the "boob tube" all day. I told him I wouldn't abuse the privilege, that it would only be for 1/2 hour just so I could get some things done, otherwise he would be at my leg...For instance when I am trying to wash his lunch dishes, he pulls up a stool and tries to "help" me. Trouble is, I have to supervise him because I don't want him to fall down + hit his head on the hard tile kitchen floor. He likes to splash water all over the sink and play with the soap and bubbles, etc.

It's so annoying when I leave and Dad comes in and immediately turns on the T.V. as I walk out the door.

Am I wrong for being annoyed? Is this fair?

[Anonymous]

19 month olds should not be watching tv.

[Anonymous]

They're the parents and you're the employee. That's really what it boils down to to at the end of the day - what's fair doesn't really come in to play. Is it somewhat hypocritical of them? Yes. But that's how it goes.

With that being said, I have never had an issue with cleaning up from lunch without TV to distract my charge(s). You shouldn't need TV to get those things done.

[Anonymous]

You are wrong to be annoyed. If they do not want their child to watch tv with you, deal with it. You may not like it, but as your employer, they set the rules.

[Anonymous]

As a nanny, I have to agree with the others - you should not be angry or bugged - the DB was well within his rights. And a child under two should not be watching TV at all.

[Anonymous]

Once his high chair is clean, have him sit there with a few toys. If in the kitchen, put some Tupperware on the floor for him to play with. I'm not sure how their house is set up, but I'm lucky enough to work for a family with an open floorplan, so even if I am in the kitchen I can peek over and make sure baby is ok playing in the living room.

[Anonymous]

I think everyone is in agreement. I don't think you have a right to be mad about this. Almost all the working parents i have ever worked for restrict TV time while I'm there to save it for when they get home to unwind and get things done. Perfectly understandable as they were just at work for 8-10 hours and I was paid to entertain and care for their child. You should be able to distract him long enough to get some chores done after lunch without the use of TV. Try a picture book he can look through, telling him to build you the tallest tower with his blocks, coloring at his high chair, etc.

[Anonymous]

I don't think you need to sit him in front of the TV so you can clean. Why can't you let him play and just watch him while you clean? You should be able to multitask cleaning a counter while staying aware of what he's playing with

[Anonymous]

Can you give him 'quiet' activities during lunch clean up?
I've done this with my charges for a while.

Puzzles they can do
Books they 'read' to their lovies or each other
Blankets and babies
Playdoh (in high chair)

I put on quiet music, I let them know the activity ie puzzles are on the carpet. I can then clean up and do the dishes. If they want to help I let them. They love to put dishes in the dishwasher and take damp paper towels and "mop" the floor. They can stay really busy with that one.

[Anonymous]

I clean for 2 hrs every morning when I get to work because the house gets trashed when I'm gone. I do this everyday with a 1 yr old and 2 yr old. They just play with toys and entertain themselves.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, I would seriously rethink my opinion of my nanny if she proposed that she couldn't clean up after one 19mo without plunking him in front of the TV. The recommendation is no screen time at all until at least age two. There should be no reason why you can't involve him in "helping" you clean, or just do a quick sweep for then and go back again while he's napping or otherwise occupied. Kids at that age particularly like to be involved in assisting their care takers. Yes, more work for you, but that's what you're getting paid for. Sorry, OP, I think you were wrong to even ask.

[Anonymous]

Ok unlike the others I understand why you are peeved. My charge is one and I work 10 hour days as well. I know some kids do entertain themselves with toys but the boy I watch does not! I put him down in his play area and get him started playing before I leave to wash dishes and within a minute he is climbing my leg tripping over me in the kitchen, so I feel your pain. I think it is hypocritical that they use the tv to entertain him so they can prepare dinner and clean up without the hassle, yet you are expected to do without even tho you are only one person. So yeah sorry to hear that OP, can you put him in a pack n play while you clean up? That's what I started doing. Sometimes my charge will play happily in it and sometimes he cries but I get stuff some so much faster!

[Anonymous]

I wholeheartedly disagree that it's hypocritical to expect your nanny not to use the TV as a babysitter and then let your child watch TV yourself. The recommendation is not to let them watch TV at all, but if you're going to, obviously parents want to limit it to a show or two a day. They expect their nannies to prepare lunch and clean up and deal with the "hassle" of engaging their child because that's what they're being paid to do. Especially with a single toddler who still naps, it shouldn't be difficult. The parent spends all day at their job too, and then starts the second shift of making dinner and putting the kids to bed and then doing all the other stuff you have to do to run a household. If the parents want to use the one half hour of TV a day for themselves after having worked all day, that's not hypocritical.

If a nanny told me I was being hypocritical because I allow my kids to watch TV on Sunday mornings, but didn't allow her to use TV during the week, that would show me that we weren't on the same page regarding what her job is.

[Anonymous]

The difference with the parents is they are walking in the door and trying to get dinner, bath and bed done. Then clean, laundry and possibly more work. Nanny has 8-10 hours to accomplish what she wants with one child. That is her only job. Really, its not that hard.

[Anonymous]

OP, I don't mean to be rude, but I don't understand the issue here. You have one sweet toddler who is asleep approximately two hours out of the day, and you can't clean up after him and take your own break during those two hours?