Nanny can’t figure out anything

[Anonymous]

We have had our nanny for approx 4 months. She can’t figure out how to work anything around the house correctly. She can’t unfold/ fold stroller or even take car seat out of it no matter how many times I’ve showed her. She doesn’t follow instructions on what settings to run the washing machine Or what detergent to use. She can’t figure out baby gates. Diaper genie insert loaded incorrectly often. Took her forever to learn the baby monitor, she could not understand how to set it up If it wasn’t already angled appropriately. Showed her how to use our echo to play music for baby, she could not do it. Anything with an iPad app, forget it. Just really basic baby things, I even wrote down instructions for her on some items and gave her a print out ( which I think she just took home). Her English is good and she has her own iPad that she uses for internet even! And on top of it she doesn’t really ask questions. Just getting to be really annoying because I feel like I have to have everything set up for her all the time.

[Anonymous]

Next time hire an American and educated nanny.

Seriously. If she cannot figure out how to open the stroller or use a washing machine, why in the world are you trusting her with your baby?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Next time hire an American and educated nanny.

Seriously. If she cannot figure out how to open the stroller or use a washing machine, why in the world are you trusting her with your baby?!

Ok unrelated but all over this board people always say any issue is the result of hiring a foreign nanny. We had over 50 applicants and 4 or 5 were American. And 3 of those were like 19. 90 percent of the applicant pool is not “American”.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Next time hire an American and educated nanny.

Seriously. If she cannot figure out how to open the stroller or use a washing machine, why in the world are you trusting her with your baby?!

This is all about common sense and "american" nanny doesn't guarantee that!

[Anonymous]

An actual nanny will cost more.

[Anonymous]

Did you spend some days at home working with her/orienting her? Or did you just explain everything in the morning before you left for work? I can see where some of these might require a few tries to get the hang of (high end strollers, for example).

[Anonymous]

OP, I am also a Nanny that is just clueless when it comes to all the stuff you mentioned.

I do admit, getting a car seat in + out of a car can be quite challenging for me as well as folding up certain strollers.

And I am an American who speaks perfect English too!!

For what it’s worth, I can follow the more simpler items to a “T” such as following instructions on using the washing machine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have had our nanny for approx 4 months. She can’t figure out how to work anything around the house correctly. She can’t unfold/ fold stroller or even take car seat out of it no matter how many times I’ve showed her. She doesn’t follow instructions on what settings to run the washing machine Or what detergent to use. She can’t figure out baby gates. Diaper genie insert loaded incorrectly often. Took her forever to learn the baby monitor, she could not understand how to set it up If it wasn’t already angled appropriately. Showed her how to use our echo to play music for baby, she could not do it. Anything with an iPad app, forget it. Just really basic baby things, I even wrote down instructions for her on some items and gave her a print out ( which I think she just took home). Her English is good and she has her own iPad that she uses for internet even! And on top of it she doesn’t really ask questions. Just getting to be really annoying because I feel like I have to have everything set up for her all the time.

That's funny. I'm a mother and I can't figure any of those things out. I'm glad you didn't pick me as your nanny. Your home has too many gadgets and too many options (which detergent to use? how many do you have?).
How many setting do you have on your dishwasher? Write down the one you want chosen and tape it above the DW.
Baby gates? Can't even tell you how many times I've stepped over the baby gates in different indoor parks because I couldn't figure them out.
Once had to squeeze new stroller in the front seat because I couldn't figure out how to fold it.
I couldn't play your Echo either or use a baby monitor (I am the baby monitor-never further than few steps).
I actually feel for her because I find all the gadgets painful.
Some people talk about educated nanny vs uneducated nanny, foreign nanny vs American nanny...
I got my bachelor's degree in America though my high school abroad was several times more rigorous. I'd say I'm fairly educated, speak 5 languages, and I'm raising 2 great trilingual kids, but all your gadgets would stomp me too.
As a paid nanny, I'd give it my best try, but anyone could see that gadgets and I don't get along and she might be the same way. Maybe she chose the career so she could be far away from the echos, computers, printers and what have you. I don't use most of the stuff you have and my kids are fine. (The carseat stays in the car and there's a smaller stroller in the trunk). We don't even use the diswasher -too loud and takes too long.
How is she as a nanny? How is she with the kids? How's her driving if she does drive?

[Anonymous]

Op here. I did take 3 days off for her to shadow me and to show her everything. We just have two detergents , a gentler one for baby. Yes we do have a lot of gadgets because of my husband but they are here and she needs to use them (ie nest thermostat). I guess what is frustrating is she doesn’t ask questions so I always have to come across something done incorrectly for me to see I need re-explain it to her. It’s also small things like resealable packages torn open not as intended etc so I don’t know if it’s just lack of attanetion to detail. I do encourage her to ask any questions etc, she just doesn’t. She’s doesn’t drive baby yet, and frankly I’m kind of scared she wouldn’t use the car seat correctly. And yes she came highly recommend with 15 plus years experience.

[Anonymous]

I would get a new nanny. This would drive me crazy.

[Anonymous]

I agree with the 14.10 poster. I too have a childhood studies degree and 12 years experience but am stumped when it comes to gadgets and setting anything up. Your main priority should be how she is with the kids not how well she can operate a device. You have your priories all wrong in my opinion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have had our nanny for approx 4 months. She can’t figure out how to work anything around the house correctly. She can’t unfold/ fold stroller or even take car seat out of it no matter how many times I’ve showed her. She doesn’t follow instructions on what settings to run the washing machine Or what detergent to use. She can’t figure out baby gates. Diaper genie insert loaded incorrectly often. Took her forever to learn the baby monitor, she could not understand how to set it up If it wasn’t already angled appropriately. Showed her how to use our echo to play music for baby, she could not do it. Anything with an iPad app, forget it. Just really basic baby things, I even wrote down instructions for her on some items and gave her a print out ( which I think she just took home). Her English is good and she has her own iPad that she uses for internet even! And on top of it she doesn’t really ask questions. Just getting to be really annoying because I feel like I have to have everything set up for her all the time.

That's funny. I'm a mother and I can't figure any of those things out. I'm glad you didn't pick me as your nanny. Your home has too many gadgets and too many options (which detergent to use? how many do you have?).
How many setting do you have on your dishwasher? Write down the one you want chosen and tape it above the DW.
Baby gates? Can't even tell you how many times I've stepped over the baby gates in different indoor parks because I couldn't figure them out.
Once had to squeeze new stroller in the front seat because I couldn't figure out how to fold it.
I couldn't play your Echo either or use a baby monitor (I am the baby monitor-never further than few steps).
I actually feel for her because I find all the gadgets painful.
Some people talk about educated nanny vs uneducated nanny, foreign nanny vs American nanny...
I got my bachelor's degree in America though my high school abroad was several times more rigorous. I'd say I'm fairly educated, speak 5 languages, and I'm raising 2 great trilingual kids, but all your gadgets would stomp me too.
As a paid nanny, I'd give it my best try, but anyone could see that gadgets and I don't get along and she might be the same way. Maybe she chose the career so she could be far away from the echos, computers, printers and what have you. I don't use most of the stuff you have and my kids are fine. (The carseat stays in the car and there's a smaller stroller in the trunk). We don't even use the diswasher -too loud and takes too long.
How is she as a nanny? How is she with the kids? How's her driving if she does drive?

If you were a career nanny, you would know that part of the job is being careful, attentive and observant as you integrate yourself into a new household. I might not know how to use a baby device or monitor by default, but I do know that it is my job to care the baby in an environment populated with these things and to make my boss’ life easier, not harder. In the age of google, it is not hard. I look up and read the manual on the car seat, stroller, monitor and other devices. It is pretty standard that you don’t use harsh or highly-scented products on babies, so it is common sense to simply look at the label on detergeant and know that the “free and clear” bottle is for the baby. And it is part of the job to be able to remember preferences about dishwashers and so on. I don’t think this stuff is all default common sense, but the awareness that 1) it is your job as a nanny to figure stuff out and 2) there are lots of good sources for that info that don’t burden your employer.

[Anonymous]

American nannies are lazy like hell

[Anonymous]

I'm a nanny and admittedly I can get overwhelmed with gadgetry, so if I'm not sure how to do something I google it and figure it out. Is that not something your nanny can do??

I'd find someone else. It'd be one thing if it was one or two things, but everything is a bit much.

[Anonymous]

Lol I had problems unfolding the stroller too. We not all have experience with all kind of strollers and the OCD methods you use at your home. You will never be happy with any nanny.