What to do with nanny during my maternity leave?

[Anonymous]

So I am expecting my third and will be on maternity leave for 14 weeks. My older children will be in school full time. I am not sure what to do with my nanny as I am going to be home. She can definitely help out from 3 - 6 pm when all three kids will be home but what will I have her do from 8 am - 3 pm? It would be helpful to have someone around to help so I can sleep and recover (i am having a csection). I don't want to lose her and also don't think she wants to go part time for a few weeks. Do I just suck it up and pay her for three months even though I don't really need her?

[Anonymous]

Yes, you suck it up. You will need her around as you said so you can sleep and recover. And if one of your older chidden get sick, you are going to need her as well. If one of your older children has an activity they want you to be a part of, you will be able to do it while on maternity leave. While you don't think now that you will need her, when the time comes, you are going to wonder what you were thinking.

[Anonymous]

Yes. If you want to retain her you need to pay her whether she works or not.

As a nanny, I could not afford to have unpaid time off no matter how much I loved you and your family. I would have to find another job.

I have a second job as a reading tutor three evenings a week and my tutoring family has paid me for the entire summer that they are away just to insure that I don't take another student and not take back their child as my student when they return. I didn't ask for this and was shocked to get a $3,000 check from them before they left last week.

[Anonymous]

I would want to be paid during your leave but I would be open to taking on some alternative duties during that time with the understanding that all additional duties will end when I return to providing childcare during the day. Can you think of some other ways she could be helpful? Perhaps she can take on a household manager role so that you can get a break from the mundane, draining tasks like scheduling appointments and grocery shopping.

[Anonymous]

Your nanny might be willing to work with you, as a PP suggested.
Depending on her schedule/how far away she lives from you, she might be willing to do more of a split schedule. Come early, help get the kids out the door for school, get a break in the day, come back to help.

Or she could stick with her normal hours and help out in other ways: grocery shop, pick up/drop off dry cleaning, meal prep, wash baby clothes for you.

[Anonymous]

Could the nanny help out with cooking just while you are on leave? Could you ask the nanny how her responsibilities might change while you are on maternity leave to help you out?

[Anonymous]

As a nanny, I did what I could to help out my employer while she was on maternity leave - errands, a few general household chores that are not a part of my regular job and all of which ended when she went back to work (I didn't have time once she wasn't home to "help" me with baby care).

However, if she had even suggested cutting my hours/pay I would have looked for and found another job. I would give her he required two weeks notice but not change my mind. You are throwing down a huge red flag in even asking this question, OP.

[Anonymous]

I would even relish the opportunity to do some professional development. Are there any skills you would like her to learn? How about sending her to take some classes?

[Anonymous]

How about seeing if she'd be willing to shift her schedule for a couple of weeks while you are on leave - coming at 1 or 2 PM but staying until 7 or 8 PM when you'll really need the help with dinner, baths, and bed time etc. That may not work for her depending on her own family responsibilities, but then again she might appreciate having some extra hours in the morning/day to do errands of her own, etc. and be willing to stay late. It's only 14 weeks either way so it's worth asking. Otherwise or in addition, I also second the suggestions of asking if she could do groceries, errands, extra laundry, etc.

I think you have to pay her full salary either way - it wouldn't really be fair to her otherwise.

[Anonymous]

I would want to be paid during your leave but I would be open to taking on some alternative duties during that time with the understanding that all additional duties will end when I return to providing childcare during the day. Can you think of some other ways she could be helpful? Perhaps she can take on a household manager role so that you can get a break from the mundane, draining tasks like scheduling appointments and grocery shopping.

This is a great idea.

[Anonymous]

Thanks. All of these suggestions have been very helpful to me and will help with my conversation with her. AND you were all very positive. I posted this same question on the general board and people were plain rude, calling my dumb.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I would want to be paid during your leave but I would be open to taking on some alternative duties during that time with the understanding that all additional duties will end when I return to providing childcare during the day. Can you think of some other ways she could be helpful? Perhaps she can take on a household manager role so that you can get a break from the mundane, draining tasks like scheduling appointments and grocery shopping.

This is a great idea.

I think you could also propose reducing hours somewhat in exchange for doing somewhat less desirable things. So, for example, she could come in at 10 instead of 8 (but be paid the same amount she made when she came in at 8 before) but take on the task of shopping and cooking dinner for the family each night.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks. All of these suggestions have been very helpful to me and will help with my conversation with her. AND you were all very positive. I posted this same question on the general board and people were plain rude, calling my dumb.

They called you dumb because you are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks. All of these suggestions have been very helpful to me and will help with my conversation with her. AND you were all very positive. I posted this same question on the general board and people were plain rude, calling my dumb.

They called you dumb because you are.

Be gone, little troll - we have no time to play with you here.

[Anonymous]

Is this c-section 1, 2 or 3, OP?