Doing MB and DB's laundry...

[Anonymous]

It doesn't happen often, but every once in a while MB will ask me to do their laundry as well. I don't mind, but it feels weird folding their undergarments! Does anyone else feel kinda weird about doing MB/DB laundry?

[Anonymous]

You just bite he bullet and do it. It's a small bump in your job that blows, everyone has those.

[Anonymous]

MB here - our previous nanny INSISTED on doing our laundry - I said no initially, but it was SUCH a huge help. She was of the mindset - the more I can help, the more time you can spend with your kids. Our current nanny doesn't do our laundry, and while that is okay, as a busy working parent I miss that help.

[Anonymous]

The one family I'm working for this summer has me do the laundry for the whole family. It gets on my nerves because I'm there two days a week, and I'm literally the only one doing their laundry. If my shift ends on my last day of the week before a load is done in the dryer it stays there until I come back five days later. Once I had to take the kids to swim lessons for two weeks, and we stayed at the pool for the rest of the day after that, and there was two weeks' worth of laundry waiting for me upon return!

I do find it incredibly odd to be folding MB and DB's laundry, especially their underwear. It's definitely not something that I would feel comfortable having someone else do for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MB here - our previous nanny INSISTED on doing our laundry - I said no initially, but it was SUCH a huge help. She was of the mindset - the more I can help, the more time you can spend with your kids. Our current nanny doesn't do our laundry, and while that is okay, as a busy working parent I miss that help.

There are services specifically designed to do your laundry if you truly find yourself too busy to find a few hours a week to wash your own dirty clothes. Your previous nanny was way too nice and kind of creepy IMO, who really wants to fold their boss' underwear?
This isn't one of those tasks that falls under making your life easier so you can "spend time" with your kids.

[Anonymous]

The one family I'm working for this summer has me do the laundry for the whole family. It gets on my nerves because I'm there two days a week, and I'm literally the only one doing their laundry. If my shift ends on my last day of the week before a load is done in the dryer it stays there until I come back five days later. Once I had to take the kids to swim lessons for two weeks, and we stayed at the pool for the rest of the day after that, and there was two weeks' worth of laundry waiting for me upon return!

I do find it incredibly odd to be folding MB and DB's laundry, especially their underwear. It's definitely not something that I would feel comfortable having someone else do for me.

Right. They leave two weeks laundry in the dryer for you. Sure.

[Anonymous]

Infant nanny here and while I don't do the majority of MB or DBS laundry, if there's something in the mixed baskets in the laundry room I'll toss it in. It's mostly DBS things that end up in there, but on occasion MBs as well. It's such a non issue. I have several chunks of free time during the day (charges are infants) and it's literally 5 extra minutes of my time. Same with unloading the dishwasher or tossing some pasta on to boil or chopping vegetables. It's not rocket science (to me) and I'm of the same mind as the PPs former nanny. Anything *I* can do to ease up the evenings for MB and DB, well why not. I go home to a quiet house and an older child. They come home to a noisy house with 2 babies, after working all day. So I pitch in extra. I'm paid neither above market nor below. Middle of the road pay for above average nanny care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Infant nanny here and while I don't do the majority of MB or DBS laundry, if there's something in the mixed baskets in the laundry room I'll toss it in. It's mostly DBS things that end up in there, but on occasion MBs as well. It's such a non issue. I have several chunks of free time during the day (charges are infants) and it's literally 5 extra minutes of my time. Same with unloading the dishwasher or tossing some pasta on to boil or chopping vegetables. It's not rocket science (to me) and I'm of the same mind as the PPs former nanny. Anything *I* can do to ease up the evenings for MB and DB, well why not. I go home to a quiet house and an older child. They come home to a noisy house with 2 babies, after working all day. So I pitch in extra. I'm paid neither above market nor below. Middle of the road pay for above average nanny care.

You are like our nanny. I've never asked her to do my laundry, nor do I expect it, but on occasion she has thrown my laundry in when she was doing the kids. I've also never asked her to unload the dishwasher and usually try to do it myself but if she sees me doing it she usually tells me to leave it and she will do it. Because she goes above and beyond so often I am much more willing to be flexible with her if she needs something in return.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MB here - our previous nanny INSISTED on doing our laundry - I said no initially, but it was SUCH a huge help. She was of the mindset - the more I can help, the more time you can spend with your kids. Our current nanny doesn't do our laundry, and while that is okay, as a busy working parent I miss that help.

There are services specifically designed to do your laundry if you truly find yourself too busy to find a few hours a week to wash your own dirty clothes. Your previous nanny was way too nice and kind of creepy IMO, who really wants to fold their boss' underwear?
This isn't one of those tasks that falls under making your life easier so you can "spend time" with your kids.

Sure it is. That doesn't mean you have to do it though. I don't think it's the nanny's job to do my laundry because that has nothing to do with child care but don't pretend it's because it wouldn't make my life easier. I absolutely would be able to spend more time with my kids if I didn't have to do a ton of laundry on the weekends.

[Anonymous]

The manny only does the kids laundry, including their sheets and towels. Sometimes we leave stuff in one of the machines and he'll move it along to the next step, but I'm really careful to never make him touch underwear.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The manny only does the kids laundry, including their sheets and towels. Sometimes we leave stuff in one of the machines and he'll move it along to the next step, but I'm really careful to never make him touch underwear.

do you really have to say manny?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

The one family I'm working for this summer has me do the laundry for the whole family. It gets on my nerves because I'm there two days a week, and I'm literally the only one doing their laundry. If my shift ends on my last day of the week before a load is done in the dryer it stays there until I come back five days later. Once I had to take the kids to swim lessons for two weeks, and we stayed at the pool for the rest of the day after that, and there was two weeks' worth of laundry waiting for me upon return!

I do find it incredibly odd to be folding MB and DB's laundry, especially their underwear. It's definitely not something that I would feel comfortable having someone else do for me.

Right. They leave two weeks laundry in the dryer for you. Sure.

I totally believe you as this has happened to me as well. Some people are just slobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Infant nanny here and while I don't do the majority of MB or DBS laundry, if there's something in the mixed baskets in the laundry room I'll toss it in. It's mostly DBS things that end up in there, but on occasion MBs as well. It's such a non issue. I have several chunks of free time during the day (charges are infants) and it's literally 5 extra minutes of my time. Same with unloading the dishwasher or tossing some pasta on to boil or chopping vegetables. It's not rocket science (to me) and I'm of the same mind as the PPs former nanny. Anything *I* can do to ease up the evenings for MB and DB, well why not. I go home to a quiet house and an older child. They come home to a noisy house with 2 babies, after working all day. So I pitch in extra. I'm paid neither above market nor below. Middle of the road pay for above average nanny care.

Now you sound like a great nanny!

[Anonymous]

You are a nanny and a nanny does children's laundry. You are maid or laundered. Stop job creep t h e minute It starts..

[Anonymous]

I always let my employers know upfront that I don't do adult laundry and I don't cook family dinners. My current employer is absolutely fantastic and we've developed a great relationship based on respect so if MB tosses something in the washer/dryer that morning and it's not done by the time she leaves I'll move it along or fold it for her because it's a rare occurrence.