How common is it?

[Anonymous]

How common is it for the family you work for to give you an early day if they finish early? If your MB/DB have an extra day off do you also get the day off(paid)? If they come home early, and are hanging out at the house do they let you go for the day or make you stay till your end time?

[Anonymous]

I'm a live in nanny but all families I've worked for let me go early if they come home early. I have guaranteed hours so I'm still paid. Typically 3-4 times per month I'm off a few hours early. Sometimes I get the whole day off if they are leaving on a Friday for a weekend getaway.

[Anonymous]

It looks really bad if they're home lounging around while you do the parenting work. Really bad.

[Anonymous]

I can understand wanting to leave early sometimes, but I would caution against doing it on a regular basis, unless your boss makes it clear that it is time for you to go.
My current nanny hangs around and we chat and play games with the kids together, or she takes them and I do chores or vice versa. I like that. It makes me feel like she likes her job and she likes our family. I like having the warm fuzzies for the person taking care of my kids, and it makes me feel better about doing nice things for her in return.

This was kind of an issue with our previous nanny. My husband is a physician, and once every couple of weeks, he has 30 hours on call in the ICU (which usually means little to no sleep), and he comes home at noon. Our nanny would be very judgmental when he went to sleep instead of letting her go home. That, paired with a few other things, ultimately ended up in us firing her, even though she did well with the kids.
By the way, it made me feel weird when she ran out the door as soon as I got home too. I KNOW that she doesn't have anywhere else to be (since she was scheduled to be at work for the next hour), and it was hard not to take that personally.

[Anonymous]

My weekend job is with a SAHM and she is always around. Honestly, I love her company. My weekday nanny position has the MB home once or twice a month and I still work. Sometimes she comes to our usual "events" (park, story time, music together, etc) and sometimes she stays home. I just work as if she wasn't there.

So no - I am never given time off just because the parents happen to be home.

[Anonymous]

You work when you are being paid to work. You are a nanny and not a teenage babysitter. Do not even think of getting off early just because the parent of your charge comes home. You do your work and continue as if they weren't there.

- signed, a nanny.

[Anonymous]

I say yes and no. There will be a few times a month MB or DB will get home early. Sometimes they will let me go earlier and other times they will want to run errands or go to the gym. I love my family and if MB gets home hours before my end time, I will stay for 15-30 minutes and chat, and then appreciate the afternoon off. Other times they will get home 20-30 minutes later and we stay chatting.

My charges grandparents sometimes like to come down. I'm often able to leave well before my end time, but I enjoy their parents and usually stay for 1 - 3 hours, or end time. Last week I stayed late but MB's mom was there. She is in her 70's and can't handle an active 7 month old, so I was there. MB and DB got home and DB said I can stay and chat if I wanted to. They offered wine that I declined, but it was nice to stay and just chat with all if them.

I do not expect early end times but it's appreciated on a very nice day or when I would like a little extra time to get ready for a social outing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You work when you are being paid to work. You are a nanny and not a teenage babysitter. Do not even think of getting off early just because the parent of your charge comes home. You do your work and continue as if they weren't there.

- signed, a nanny.

Exactly, nice to hear from a nanny who behaves like a professional! You are being paid for the time you are there, and it is not your business what your employer chooses to do with their time. I say this as a MB who does let her nanny off early sometimes, if I get home early and don't feel like I need the time to rest, go to the gym, organize, etc, but that's a bonus not an obligation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It looks really bad if they're home lounging around while you do the parenting work. Really bad.

Nonsense, not your job to judge your employers. Do what you are paid to do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It looks really bad if they're home lounging around while you do the parenting work. Really bad.

Nonsense, not your job to judge your employers. Do what you are paid to do.

It does look bad when it's a constant thing, and they would rather spend time watching t.v than with their kids. I am a nanny and I definitely don't expect to get off early. Most days even when I get off on time I stay and chat with MB/DB. With that said I would feel silly being there when they have family over/they are both home/one is home but is just lounging around. The kids I watch are easy, you can lounge a chill with out me there. I guess it depends on the situation but I hate feeling like they are making me stay just bc they want every $$$ out of me.

[Anonymous]

We always let our nanny go early if her work is done and we get home from work early (with her pay, of course). She also gets those extra days/weeks around the holidays. She appreciates this, and it builds goodwill for those times we do need to ask a favor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It looks really bad if they're home lounging around while you do the parenting work. Really bad.

Nonsense, not your job to judge your employers. Do what you are paid to do.

It does look bad when it's a constant thing, and they would rather spend time watching t.v than with their kids. I am a nanny and I definitely don't expect to get off early. Most days even when I get off on time I stay and chat with MB/DB. With that said I would feel silly being there when they have family over/they are both home/one is home but is just lounging around. The kids I watch are easy, you can lounge a chill with out me there. I guess it depends on the situation but I hate feeling like they are making me stay just bc they want every $$$ out of me.

Then you should be using that time to get kids' things organized, plan for the next week, tidy up, etc. If you are 'feeling silly" being there then find something productive to do!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It looks really bad if they're home lounging around while you do the parenting work. Really bad.

Nonsense, not your job to judge your employers. Do what you are paid to do.

It does look bad when it's a constant thing, and they would rather spend time watching t.v than with their kids. I am a nanny and I definitely don't expect to get off early. Most days even when I get off on time I stay and chat with MB/DB. With that said I would feel silly being there when they have family over/they are both home/one is home but is just lounging around. The kids I watch are easy, you can lounge a chill with out me there. I guess it depends on the situation but I hate feeling like they are making me stay just bc they want every $$$ out of me.

yes, like any employer they want every $$$ they are paying for. this is reasonable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can understand wanting to leave early sometimes, but I would caution against doing it on a regular basis, unless your boss makes it clear that it is time for you to go.
My current nanny hangs around and we chat and play games with the kids together, or she takes them and I do chores or vice versa. I like that. It makes me feel like she likes her job and she likes our family. I like having the warm fuzzies for the person taking care of my kids, and it makes me feel better about doing nice things for her in return.

This was kind of an issue with our previous nanny. My husband is a physician, and once every couple of weeks, he has 30 hours on call in the ICU (which usually means little to no sleep), and he comes home at noon. Our nanny would be very judgmental when he went to sleep instead of letting her go home. That, paired with a few other things, ultimately ended up in us firing her, even though she did well with the kids.
By the way, it made me feel weird when she ran out the door as soon as I got home too. I KNOW that she doesn't have anywhere else to be (since she was scheduled to be at work for the next hour), and it was hard not to take that personally.

Bullshit

[Anonymous]

I agree with the PP above. You are not a babysitter. A nanny works whether the parents are home or not. Just do your job and stop sounding like a child. You were commissioned to work from 8 to 6 (or whatever hours were agreed upon) and you work from 8 to 6 regardless of what employer comes back to his/her home.