I Thought I Had The Perfect Job Until Today.........................................................
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Anonymous
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I have been a nanny for a lovely two year old little guy for about fourteen months.
I am not allowed to drive him anywhere, but they have a small toddler playground/park a few blocks from the home that I take him to once or twice a day. Our days together are long, nine hours. So we will do the park in the morning after wake-up and breakfast, and again later in the afternoon after nap and lunch. I have taken him there every single day that they have employed me and they have always asked me when they come home if I have taken him, and I always respond that yes, I did...But I never really thought much about it until today. So...For the first and only time we didn't go to the park. No specific reason. We just got caught up playing in the house and had fun doing in-house stuff. He didn't get bored and neither did I. Well when MB arrived home, she asked me about my day, etc. then asked about the park. I laughed & stated that we actually for the first time ever didn't make it today. She looked irked and asked why not? Again...No specific reason really...We just didn't, I told her. Well she then stated what a beautiful warm and sunny day it was today (we live in So Cal, every single day is warm + sunny, we don't have any season but summer here!) and that it was a shame that we wasted it in the house. I assured her he was okay, then she started telling me she is paying me to engage and interact w/her son and part of that is taking him outdoors on a daily basis and that I should be doing that every day. I was so taken aback, I apologized...For what....I do not know...And left. I expected her to text me later and apologize, but she never did so I am guessing she believes I am in the wrong. For the record, this was NEVER discussed in detail nor written in a contract upon hire. And today was the first time, bar none, that we stayed indoors. Granted it wasn't raining or anything. But still...... Now I feel like a bad nanny, but another part of me is angry at my boss because after fourteen months of giving 120% to this job, now I feel like I just took 10 HUGE steps backward. |
Anonymous
| LA nanny here- Your boss really needs to relax. We don't even go to the park more than twice a week and my boss doesn't care. We set up play stations outside in the yard so sometimes we skip the park. Does your boss think the only place to interact with the child is the park??? |
Anonymous
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What the age your boss?
Maybe she's is this crazy mother's,or she going to have a menopause,I had this experience before,but the problem was menopause,you know older couple..... |
Anonymous
| She's being ridiculous. You take him to the park twice daily. It isn't a big deal that you stayed inside for a day. I might bring it up with her again, reiterating what you guys spent your day doing and that you in fact were engaged with in, just in the house. |
Anonymous
| Your MB is insane for reacting like this. Be careful, she really sounds weird, I'd be cautions if I were you. Next time she'll give you a warning if you forget to pick up a toy or something. |
Anonymous
| Guys this is the underline and italics troll. Ignore. |
Anonymous
| Going to the park all the time can get boring and honestly is the same as staying inside all day long. Kids need variety |
Anonymous
| Going to the same park every day isn't so great either, your mb is nuts. At 2 years old he would really benefit from visiting new places, museums, going to classes and playgroups...she's the one hindering him by not letting you drive anywhere. |
Anonymous
| You have every right to be angry about how your MB handled the whole situation. When I started reading the part in your story where you take your charge to the park twice a day sometimes I thought, "dang, that's a lot!" Going to the park normally isn't too fun for the nanny, so in my book you go above and beyond. If there's one or two days in over a year you don't make it to the park, who cares? |
Anonymous
| Your MB is insane. Sunshine is great but he should be introduced to more than just the park at that age. My charge is younger but I take him out almost all day. We are out walking, at the park, zoo, museum, and so forth. There has been a few times where we played inside if it was especially hot or he had new toys. Never once did my MB care. I could see her being upset if I wasn't active and out with him majority of the time, but that isn't the case. We are out 4-5 hours of my 10 hour day. We are only in for his naps, feedings, and the hour before his first nap in the morning. She needs to lay off. |
Anonymous
| Sometimes, your boss will be dissatisfied with something you do and will tell you. This is normal. You didn't know she had a certain expectation, but now you do. Let it go. |
Anonymous
Okay Elsa. 
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Anonymous
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Maybe she does feel that you need to be out each day but she should have said it nicer. She could have just said 'I'm glad you had a good day but i'd prefer it if you took him out at some point each day as I feel fresh air is important' instead she reacted quite strongly.
I would use it as a time to call a review and talk about the situation. Ask if you can think up together more places to go as you feel he needs more than the park. Or maybe ask if you could do the park once a day and stay in the rest so you can do crafts etc |
Anonymous
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I think that expecting you to take the child to the same location park is a bad employer. I am sorry to be so blunt, but sooner or later that child will bore of that park.
Children of that age crave diversion just as adults do and I am pretty sure there are plenty of other kid-friendly activities to do in the area. Living where you live is highly metropolitan I am sure so your options are endless. If I had a job where I only had ONE option overall to take my charge and it was that option and the house, I would have to find another job. That is just me however. I tend to like to make up my own routine for the day. While I am strict w/scheduling the naps at the same time and try to keep meal times around the same time every day, regarding daily outings, I like to switch things up a bit and the element of surprise excites the child because my charge never knows what I have planned for the day. Your poor charge knows what a predictable day you have. The same park. Blah. Poor parenting on their end. Good nannying on yours. |
Anonymous
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As a nanny...No two days should ever be the same, thus you and your charge fall into a rut.
Falling into a rut leads to a bored nanny. Bored nanny = Unhappy child. |