napping nanny

[Anonymous]

we have a nestcam for security purposes, which I told my nanny about when she first started a year ago. I never check it but there have been a slew of break ins in our neighborhood so I've peaked in a few times today. Well, this morning less than an hour after she arrived, she laid down on the couch, turned off the lights and covered herself with a blanket. I don't think she was sleeping, but my 2 kids were both awake and I could hear my 6 month old crying on and off. I assume he was in his bouncy chair (couldn't see the kids on the camera). I don't mind relaxing after a long day or if the kids are napping, but 30 minutes into a Monday when both kids are up- not ok. Do I fire her right away or wait until I find someone else? I know she loves the kids and they are not in grave danger, but I can't tolerate this. What would you do?

[Anonymous]

It's is unlikely that you picked the one day she is sick, but came in anyway, but maybe that's what happened. Maybe she has a migraine. I don't know.

I would probably wait a few days just in case this is a really unusual occurrence, and check it every morning for the rest of the week.

[Anonymous]

Could have been a migraine or could have been upset and needed a few moments.
Just keep an eye on it and if it happens again, talk to her about it. If she knows she is on cam, I doubt she was just being lazy.

[Anonymous]

Nanny here and fire her. If she were so sick she is unable to work she should have called you or your husband to come home. Totally unacceptable.

That said, my sweet charge is napping right now and I have finished cooking and her laundry, and with my employer's blessing, I am going to take my daily 20 minute nap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nanny here and fire her. If she were so sick she is unable to work she should have called you or your husband to come home. Totally unacceptable.

That said, my sweet charge is napping right now and I have finished cooking and her laundry, and with my employer's blessing, I am going to take my daily 20 minute nap.

My, my, aren't you just too wonderful for words!

[Anonymous]

I used to have to be at work at 6.30am so sometimes would doze on the couch when the kids were napping the afternoon. I would never do it when the kids were awake. Personally I would fire her. Unless when you get home and ask how her day went she says she ahasnt been feeling well or was dizzy or something. Try questioning first without sounding accusatory and then go from there.

[Anonymous]

I'd check one more day and then have a talk and it's her. Napping when the kids are awake especially when there's one crying is not ok ever. Napping when they nap, sure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nanny here and fire her. If she were so sick she is unable to work she should have called you or your husband to come home. Totally unacceptable.

That said, my sweet charge is napping right now and I have finished cooking and her laundry, and with my employer's blessing, I am going to take my daily 20 minute nap.

My, my, aren't you just too wonderful for words!

Thank you! Yes, yes, in fact I am too wonderful for words! How very sweet of you to notice and comment on it.

[Anonymous]

your nanny turned off the lights and covered herself with a blanket while your small children were awake and fussing in a different room???? I am stunned by this. I would fire her immediately.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:your nanny turned off the lights and covered herself with a blanket while your small children were awake and fussing in a different room???? I am stunned by this. I would fire her immediately.

Yep. I am not sure if she was actually asleep but she was laying down covered with the lights off. we have an open floorplan so technically the kids were visible to her, if she was in fact awake.

I have decided to watch another day and I have been in tears all day long. She parked my 3 year old in front of the tv for 2 hours, she swatted him away like a fly while he tried to talk to her and she sat on the couch texting (this may make me more angry than the nap) and she has fed my 5 month old by propping the bottle under her chin so that she could two hand text. she has had her phone in her hand every time I've looked. I am absolutely beside myself. She will be fired at the end of the week but I am struggling to find a new full time nanny.

[Anonymous]

Call a good agency, OP, and please hire a legal nanny. If you cannot afford an experienced and educated nanny, then your children would truly be better off in daycare.

I am a nanny and I feel bad for your little ones. I am only on my phone now because my charge is napping.

[Anonymous]

Wow.
She sounds like a very lazy & incompetent Nanny for sure.

It is so weird that she would do all those things that you mentioned knowing full well that she was being filmed.

I guess add clueless to her characteristics too.

I know firing her will leave you high + dry until you find someone else, but I wouldn't want to leave my kids w/someone so lazy and uncaring.
Seems she sees childcare as easy money and considers your two children her little "ca$h cows."

Can you or your husband take some time off work to search for a replacement?
Perhaps you can contact a good domestic agency and find someone soon.

So sorry about this.
Good luck moving forward.

[Anonymous]

Thanks all. She is very highly paid and legal. She came to us on a recommendation from a friends wonderfulnanny who is her sister. I guess it does not run in the family. My question, do I pay severance? She has only been with us full time for 3.5 months. Part time before that. I agreed to two weeks paid vacation, but she had to be with us for five
Months. I may do it just to make her go away as quietly as possible, but I really don't feel like I have to given her actions are pretty awful.

[Anonymous]

Wow, sorry, OP. Seems like she forgot about the cam... Hope you find a decent nanny soon.

[Anonymous]

Nope. nonsecerance sonce she's fired for cause. I'm so sorry op. Good luck with another nanny. There are good ones out there.