How do I get my nanny to take them out?

[Anonymous]

We've had a nanny for only a week now, so it hasn't been long, but when I ask what they did that day she always says they were home and played with the toys. I have a toddler and an infant and while that's fine for the infant, my toddler needs to get outside and run around. She doesn't seem to engage my toddler much at all. She's a really great nanny otherwise -- very kind and great with my younger one. How can I let her know that my older one really needs to get outside without sounding pushy?

[Anonymous]

You need to tell her how important it is for the older chil to get out. Is it a weather issue?

[Anonymous]

How do I say that without sounding pushy? No, most days the weather has been fine. Chilly but not freezing. And they all have coats/hats/gloves etc.

[Anonymous]

Don't worry about sounding pushy. Just tell her you want the toddler outside running around as long as it's not pouring rain. It's good for their bone and muscle development. Make sure she has the gear she needs to accommodate both kids...stroller, carrier, thermos for milk and things like that.

[Anonymous]

Getting a nanny to go out to do things with a toddler and an infant requires a little more involvement from the parents as well. You should ask yourself. Is your neighborhood walkable? Are there activities in proximity? Can you position fun things in the backyard?Is there a playground? Can you enroll the older child in a class, Kid Gym, library programs? Personally I could never work a nanny position with an infant and toddler if I wasn't able to drive them places and also have all those things I mentioned above. Your nanny isn't that good she should already have an activity schedule set up for the entire week so that parents and nanny know what the kids are doing every day. Hope she is at least getting her ready for pre-school.

[Anonymous]

I could have written the OP. We're having this same issue with our new nanny now (and our kids are even similar ages). She's been with us 3 weeks, so I'm hoping it naturally improves as she settles in and the weather gets better. I've also signed the toddler up for 2 classes, so that I know there's at least something a few times a week while I work on the underlying issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Getting a nanny to go out to do things with a toddler and an infant requires a little more involvement from the parents as well. You should ask yourself. Is your neighborhood walkable? Are there activities in proximity? Can you position fun things in the backyard?Is there a playground? Can you enroll the older child in a class, Kid Gym, library programs? Personally I could never work a nanny position with an infant and toddler if I wasn't able to drive them places and also have all those things I mentioned above. Your nanny isn't that good she should already have an activity schedule set up for the entire week so that parents and nanny know what the kids are doing every day. Hope she is at least getting her ready for pre-school.

There are two parks/playgrounds less than two blocks away. And we have a backyard where I have soccer balls, a t-ball set and other things sitting out. In terms of getting out, I don't expect anything but maybe a walk around the neighborhood or a trip to the playground once a day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I could have written the OP. We're having this same issue with our new nanny now (and our kids are even similar ages). She's been with us 3 weeks, so I'm hoping it naturally improves as she settles in and the weather gets better. I've also signed the toddler up for 2 classes, so that I know there's at least something a few times a week while I work on the underlying issue.

Yeah, our nanny drives, but at this point I'd prefer she do things walkable. At least until she's been with us longer.

[Anonymous]

Require it and make a daily plan of where she should go.

Manage her.

[Anonymous]

If you think this request is pushy, I'm wondering what you asked during your interview. Did you lay out any requirements at all?

It's really important to think of yourself as an employer with a job to be filled, not hoping Nanny Poppins is going to fulfill every need by reading your mind.

[Anonymous]

Every morning, say to nanny "why don't you go to playground X today?" and if that doesn't work after a couple days, say more directly "please take my kids to playground X today." She is new and still getting her bearings. Our nanny is not lazy, but needs a lot of direction. For the first couple weeks, she would have my kid play in the playroom even though we have many wonderful activities, both in and outdoors, that are very walkable. Around the third week, she said, you know, I think it would be good if we did something else. At the interview and at the start of her job, I told her where she should take my kid, but this wasn't enough. I had to walk nanny to couple playgrounds in the area and tell her on a rainy day "take DC to X play gym today." Once she'd been to the places a few times, she no longer needed to be told to go to them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Require it and make a daily plan of where she should go.

Manage her.

Yes, this. Kindly spoken, of course, but this is your desire and it should be followed. You can say, please take Larlo out for a walk and at least 30 mins at park before lunch and again after his afternoon nap. It's fine with me if the baby naps in the stroller. Please bundle them up warmly before heading out. Have fun!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do I say that without sounding pushy? No, most days the weather has been fine. Chilly but not freezing. And they all have coats/hats/gloves etc.

"Today please take Larlo and Larli to the playground two blocks away, and let Larlo run around and play for at least two hours. After his nap is ideal."

Then when it goes well, tell her "There's another playground one block away in the opposite direction. Please take Larlo and Larli to check it out tomorrow. Larlo needs to be outside playing there for at least an hour."

Then tell her, "I've made a basket of toys for Larlo to play with in the yard and put a blanket in there for Larli. I want the kids to spend at LEAST an hour outside each day with you."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We've had a nanny for only a week now, so it hasn't been long, but when I ask what they did that day she always says they were home and played with the toys. I have a toddler and an infant and while that's fine for the infant, my toddler needs to get outside and run around. She doesn't seem to engage my toddler much at all. She's a really great nanny otherwise -- very kind and great with my younger one. How can I let her know that my older one really needs to get outside without sounding pushytalk clear with her,you pay her for do her job.

[Anonymous]

2:00pm text to nanny: hey Mary. The weather is so nice today. Hopefully you are able to get out a little to nearby park for a couple hours after nap.

When you get home tell her this:How was the playground? Hopefully you guys can keep this going once or twice daily my kids love it on the weekends when we go. Thanks you so much Mary, you are so wonderful.