How much down-time do you nannies get during the average day?

[Anonymous]

I think this is a case of first time parents AND a first time nanny. Rookies all around, learning as they go.

Babies should nap in their cribs - not on walks as a daily solution. Babies should get daily fresh air - and stimulation and sunlight - just not as a routine nap.

Food/cleaning/basic childcare maintenance stuff should be manageable at least in part while a child is awake. Kids can play on a mat, in an exerciser, in a jumper seat, in a highchair, for 10 or 15 minutes while laundry is folded or food is pureed.

Nannies and parents find ways to eat, bathe, care for the child, maintain the house, run errands, have a quick phone call, send an email, etc... It takes managing the day and needs, managing the workload efficiently, and being organized.

A professional nanny can astonish a FTM with her competency, calm and juggling skills. You'll get there OP (if you want to). If you're a nanny in 5 years I bet you'll look back on this first job and laugh at some of what you put yourself through.

- MB

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP you are close to the right argument but not there yet. You demand down time when an employer has abused you by asking for more housekeeping then is reasonable in a day. That is not the case here. As another PP said, you need to be proactive about managing you day. That may mean moving the first nap indoors. You can explain that napping in the same place every time is important for sleep training, which is true. You can also explain why some tasks that you have been doing as a favor are no longer possible. If they want those things to continue you suggest expanding your hours. But please do not approach them with any demands at the point. They have not earned that treatment.

A more experienced nanny would have handled the situation differently. With time you learn to balance your charges needs with your own so there is no either/or proposition. Your charge needs time outdoors but sleeping is not the developmental task that she should be practicing outside. You also need time outdoors. Resting is not the work task you should be doing outside.

I am a nanny.

Again, thanks. But the morning nap outside is non-negotiable. We are in San Diego and it is near perfect weather 365 days a year. It is just what people/parents do here when they don't have a backyard.

I'm off to work now - again, thank you all. I will think about your suggestions.

Well OP, it sounds like you have created this monster on top of accepting a job with unreasonable demands. Perhaps you can rest by reading a book at the park? I would not approach MB with any demands based on these facts.

According to OP it wasn't a job with unreasonable demands. She just started doing things the parents hadn't asked her to do.

Walking a sleeping baby so they get sufficient outdoor time is unreasonable to me. But, it might have been workable if OP hadn't gone and added being a power ranger to her job duties.

I agree but we don't know if it's the parents or OP who wants to morning nap during the walk. She seems to like the nap/walk even though many posters have said she needs to do the walk when the child is awake.

... And not come here complaining about being tired.

Exactly.

[Anonymous]

OP, when my DC was a baby (less than 1) and taking 2 naps a day I took him for a walk almost every day. We don't live somewhere with good weather 365 days/year so there were times I had to plan the walk earlier or later in the day before it got too hot. I also had to work around my older DCs school drop off and pickup schedule and somehow I still managed to take him for a walk when he was awake and not during his nap time. There's absolutely no reason why the walk has to be during nap time unless the parents are completely unreasonable and aren't willing for you to do this. Take him for a walk, point things out to him, talk to him, THEN he will benefit from being outdoors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP you are close to the right argument but not there yet. You demand down time when an employer has abused you by asking for more housekeeping then is reasonable in a day. That is not the case here. As another PP said, you need to be proactive about managing you day. That may mean moving the first nap indoors. You can explain that napping in the same place every time is important for sleep training, which is true. You can also explain why some tasks that you have been doing as a favor are no longer possible. If they want those things to continue you suggest expanding your hours. But please do not approach them with any demands at the point. They have not earned that treatment.

A more experienced nanny would have handled the situation differently. With time you learn to balance your charges needs with your own so there is no either/or proposition. Your charge needs time outdoors but sleeping is not the developmental task that she should be practicing outside. You also need time outdoors. Resting is not the work task you should be doing outside.

I am a nanny.

Again, thanks. But the morning nap outside is non-negotiable. We are in San Diego and it is near perfect weather 365 days a year. It is just what people/parents do here when they don't have a backyard.

I'm off to work now - again, thank you all. I will think about your suggestions.

Well OP, it sounds like you have created this monster on top of accepting a job with unreasonable demands. Perhaps you can rest by reading a book at the park? I would not approach MB with any demands based on these facts.

According to OP it wasn't a job with unreasonable demands. She just started doing things the parents hadn't asked her to do.

Walking a sleeping baby so they get sufficient outdoor time is unreasonable to me. But, it might have been workable if OP hadn't gone and added being a power ranger to her job duties.

I agree but we don't know if it's the parents or OP who wants to morning nap during the walk. She seems to like the nap/walk even though many posters have said she needs to do the walk when the child is awake.

... And not come here complaining about being tired.

And disobey her employers? Are you sure?

[Anonymous]

Op I did the same thing to myself mostly because I prefer to be constantly moving/productive. I had to force myself to reevaluate things when I started to feel burnt from the busy 10 hour day. Now I let the kids watch 1 half hour show after lunch so I can eat my own lunch as undisturbed as possible. When I take them to the pool I play for awhile in the water and then take a short break to watch them from a chair. I know your charge is young and these ideas won't apply, but the point is that I have weaved mini "breaks" throughout my day in order to function properly. You've got to figure out what those instances will entail and let yourself rest sometimes. You can't possibly do EVERYTHING.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP you are close to the right argument but not there yet. You demand down time when an employer has abused you by asking for more housekeeping then is reasonable in a day. That is not the case here. As another PP said, you need to be proactive about managing you day. That may mean moving the first nap indoors. You can explain that napping in the same place every time is important for sleep training, which is true. You can also explain why some tasks that you have been doing as a favor are no longer possible. If they want those things to continue you suggest expanding your hours. But please do not approach them with any demands at the point. They have not earned that treatment.

A more experienced nanny would have handled the situation differently. With time you learn to balance your charges needs with your own so there is no either/or proposition. Your charge needs time outdoors but sleeping is not the developmental task that she should be practicing outside. You also need time outdoors. Resting is not the work task you should be doing outside.

I am a nanny.

Again, thanks. But the morning nap outside is non-negotiable. We are in San Diego and it is near perfect weather 365 days a year. It is just what people/parents do here when they don't have a backyard.

I'm off to work now - again, thank you all. I will think about your suggestions.

MB here just to second what other posters have said. For one, this really doesn't make sense. Babies need awake outdoor time to look around and discover things but going for a walk while the baby is sleeping is in no one's best interest - yours, the baby's, or the parents come sleep training time. If they are the ones insisting on it, you should do some research on baby sleep habits and discuss it with them. If the reason you both prefer it is because it gets the baby to sleep, you should research alternative methods of getting a baby to sleep. But bottom line is at this age babies should sleep in their cribs and this should be part of your downtime/housekeeping time. Also agree that purées can be made in a few big batches for the whole week, laundry can be done once or twice a week, etc. Part of this should be you learning to manage your day and your time better and part of it should be talking to the parents about what is reasonable and feasible. You haven't said what other tasks you have that take so long, but other question is, can you do some of them with the baby's "help" - letting the baby watch from somewhere safe while narrating what you are doing?

[Anonymous]

Do your bosses have a balcony? When my DD was under 1, she often was put out on the balcony for her naps. Voila! Fresh air!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP you are close to the right argument but not there yet. You demand down time when an employer has abused you by asking for more housekeeping then is reasonable in a day. That is not the case here. As another PP said, you need to be proactive about managing you day. That may mean moving the first nap indoors. You can explain that napping in the same place every time is important for sleep training, which is true. You can also explain why some tasks that you have been doing as a favor are no longer possible. If they want those things to continue you suggest expanding your hours. But please do not approach them with any demands at the point. They have not earned that treatment.

A more experienced nanny would have handled the situation differently. With time you learn to balance your charges needs with your own so there is no either/or proposition. Your charge needs time outdoors but sleeping is not the developmental task that she should be practicing outside. You also need time outdoors. Resting is not the work task you should be doing outside.

I am a nanny.

Again, thanks. But the morning nap outside is non-negotiable. We are in San Diego and it is near perfect weather 365 days a year. It is just what people/parents do here when they don't have a backyard.

I'm off to work now - again, thank you all. I will think about your suggestions.

Well OP, it sounds like you have created this monster on top of accepting a job with unreasonable demands. Perhaps you can rest by reading a book at the park? I would not approach MB with any demands based on these facts.

According to OP it wasn't a job with unreasonable demands. She just started doing things the parents hadn't asked her to do.

Walking a sleeping baby so they get sufficient outdoor time is unreasonable to me. But, it might have been workable if OP hadn't gone and added being a power ranger to her job duties.

I agree but we don't know if it's the parents or OP who wants to morning nap during the walk. She seems to like the nap/walk even though many posters have said she needs to do the walk when the child is awake.

... And not come here complaining about being tired.

And disobey her employers? Are you sure?

If that's really the case then she needs to talk to them about it but OP hasn't made it clear if it's the parents that feel strongly about it or if she just wants to do it that way. Even if it's the parents who want it that way she still should sit down and explain why it's better for the baby to nap in the crib and go for a walk when he's awake. If she's already done that THEN she can complain about being tired.

[Anonymous]

I typically have 2-3 hrs during nap time. I do laundry and light cleaning during that time but that usually takes up 30 minutes.

[Anonymous]

Op, You are being a martyr. You don't have to accomplish all these tasks. You can condense them and then you will have more time.

Are you the nanny who was doing the never-ending ironing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do your bosses have a balcony? When my DD was under 1, she often was put out on the balcony for her naps. Voila! Fresh air!

You put your daughter out on a balcony by herself for naps?

[Anonymous]

OP here - thank you and ouch! I am learning.

Yes, my employers insist on the baby's morning nap in his stroller. His afternoon walk he is away and learning. This has been his schedule since he was a newborn.

My employers also don't want me to freeze baby food. His food is made fresh every day and from fresh produce.

Thanks - I'll work it out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here - thank you and ouch! I am learning.

Yes, my employers insist on the baby's morning nap in his stroller. His afternoon walk he is away and learning. This has been his schedule since he was a newborn.

My employers also don't want me to freeze baby food. His food is made fresh every day and from fresh produce.

Thanks - I'll work it out.

Somehow I seriously doubt they do all that when you're not there.
Oh yeah, they don't need to; they're the "parents."

[Anonymous]

Op, you can't really ask for a break as you do your own time management for the most part. If there is now too much to even have time to eat and take a break then you need to either re prioritize or reorganize your day and increase efficiency.

If you are already at maximum efficiency then the conversation with them needs to be that you have taken on too much and you can't keep up the pace. You should be prepared to let them know what you can stop doing that won't particularly negatively impact them. Seeing as you took on more, you should also take the lead on what to back out of.

[Anonymous]

I get about an hour and a half down time, but it is hit or miss. Sometimes my charge will nap forty-five minutes or sometimes I'll get lucky and it will be two hours. It's a toss up. You know how it is with kids.

You should NEVER have to do extra work off the clock OP. This is a huge no-no.

I have a question for you. Why did you begin initiating tasks for this family w/out them asking you first?

Bad idea. Because going forward, you then created a monster.

Once Pandora's Box has been opened, it is nearly impossible to shut.