Nanny activities during nap time

[Anonymous]

We have an easy one yr old who consistently takes 2 to 2.5 hour naps every day. Our nanny uses the entire time to eat and then watch tv. once a week she will straitened up the play room and fold 1 load of laundry I have previously done. Should she be doing more? I would be happy with her taking 1 hr for herself and using the other hour to work, but currently it feels like I am paying her to watch tv for two hours per day. Can I bring this up with her?

[Anonymous]

Well, it all depends on what you and the nanny agreed on prior to you hiring her. Is she meant to be doing more laundry? Or straightening up the playroom more often? Or anything else?

I’be been nannying for my current family for over three years and what they told me at the start hasn’t changed. They said they don’t expect me to do anything while he’s sleeping except unload the dishwasher if it’s been run. Other than that, they have never given me extra work to do, and I’ve offered.

The point is, I hope you both talked about other duties before she was brought on. If you didn’t, you may have to negotiate it with her now, and depending on the type and amount of chores, a possible pay raise may be in order.

[Anonymous]

Whoops, typo! I’ve*

[Anonymous]

What are her duties and is she fulfilling them?

[Anonymous]

I am a nanny with a great napper. When my charge is napping, I do all of her laundry, clean her playroom, set up afternoon activity (cook play dough, make slime, etc), bake muffins for her (I homemade her puréed when she was young) prevalent anything that I can for her meals, and keep track of her supplies and the house supplies. I also generally nap for 20 minutes!

[Anonymous]

Genuine question. Especially if a nanny cooks for the child, why can't she make extras for the parents, for example? Seems my friends who live outside of the DC area (major cities) all have nannies who cook, do dishes, do laundry, and straighten up the house (not deep clean/wash toilets etc, obviously) while also caring for the children. Of course, they don't cook and do laundry all day every day, but that's just how it's done.

[Anonymous]

Is she completing all tasks assigned by her contract? If not, she should be.

If she is completing all tasks efficiently than you have two choices.

Let it go.

Add more tasks and know this may mean you’ll be adjusting her pay rate to reflect added responsibilities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Genuine question. Especially if a nanny cooks for the child, why can't she make extras for the parents, for example? Seems my friends who live outside of the DC area (major cities) all have nannies who cook, do dishes, do laundry, and straighten up the house (not deep clean/wash toilets etc, obviously) while also caring for the children. Of course, they don't cook and do laundry all day every day, but that's just how it's done.

I don’t mind doing any of that as long as my pay reflects the tasks I perform.

You can’t expect one person to play nanny, cook and housekeeper than pay them $18 an hour.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Genuine question. Especially if a nanny cooks for the child, why can't she make extras for the parents, for example? Seems my friends who live outside of the DC area (major cities) all have nannies who cook, do dishes, do laundry, and straighten up the house (not deep clean/wash toilets etc, obviously) while also caring for the children. Of course, they don't cook and do laundry all day every day, but that's just how it's done.

Usually those things become daily expectations, and the nanny turns into a housekeeper just keeping an eye on kids. Btdt, I’m a nanny, first and foremost.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Genuine question. Especially if a nanny cooks for the child, why can't she make extras for the parents, for example? Seems my friends who live outside of the DC area (major cities) all have nannies who cook, do dishes, do laundry, and straighten up the house (not deep clean/wash toilets etc, obviously) while also caring for the children. Of course, they don't cook and do laundry all day every day, but that's just how it's done.

Usually those things become daily expectations, and the nanny turns into a housekeeper just keeping an eye on kids. Btdt, I’m a nanny, first and foremost.

Op here. She does the bare minimum. She will slowly fold load of laundry over like an hr while watching tv. Sometimes she will fold half the load and finish it the next day. No hustle at all. I feel like she is checking the box of doing 1 load of laundry for the week and that’s it. Her only responsibilities are baby related. She has never even vacuumed the play area or her room. She will sometimes unload the dishwasher ( 1-2 times a week). It just feels like she thinks when the baby is sleeping that is 100 percent her time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Genuine question. Especially if a nanny cooks for the child, why can't she make extras for the parents, for example? Seems my friends who live outside of the DC area (major cities) all have nannies who cook, do dishes, do laundry, and straighten up the house (not deep clean/wash toilets etc, obviously) while also caring for the children. Of course, they don't cook and do laundry all day every day, but that's just how it's done.

Usually those things become daily expectations, and the nanny turns into a housekeeper just keeping an eye on kids. Btdt, I’m a nanny, first and foremost.

Op here. She does the bare minimum. She will slowly fold load of laundry over like an hr while watching tv. Sometimes she will fold half the load and finish it the next day. No hustle at all. I feel like she is checking the box of doing 1 load of laundry for the week and that’s it. Her only responsibilities are baby related. She has never even vacuumed the play area or her room. She will sometimes unload the dishwasher ( 1-2 times a week). It just feels like she thinks when the baby is sleeping that is 100 percent her time.

That wouldn't work for me. Our nanny used nap time to clean up, eat lunch, do laundry, prep dinner for the baby, play with our dog, look for local activities good for the baby, look for toys for the next developmental stage, etc. Occasionally would nap for a half hour.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Genuine question. Especially if a nanny cooks for the child, why can't she make extras for the parents, for example? Seems my friends who live outside of the DC area (major cities) all have nannies who cook, do dishes, do laundry, and straighten up the house (not deep clean/wash toilets etc, obviously) while also caring for the children. Of course, they don't cook and do laundry all day every day, but that's just how it's done.

I don’t mind doing any of that as long as my pay reflects the tasks I perform.

You can’t expect one person to play nanny, cook and housekeeper than pay them $18 an hour.

I agree

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here. She does the bare minimum. She will slowly fold load of laundry over like an hr while watching tv. Sometimes she will fold half the load and finish it the next day. No hustle at all. I feel like she is checking the box of doing 1 load of laundry for the week and that’s it. Her only responsibilities are baby related. She has never even vacuumed the play area or her room. She will sometimes unload the dishwasher ( 1-2 times a week). It just feels like she thinks when the baby is sleeping that is 100 percent her time.

Hi, OP. Sorry, but you didn’t answer the main question a few of us have asked. That is: what are her agreed upon duties?

Based on this post, would I be right to assume that you both discussed (and agreed to) her doing one load of laundry a week, vacuuming the play area and child’s room, and dish duty? If you haven’t required these things from the get-go, then of course she will think when the baby is sleeping it is 100% her time.

It’s easier for us to help you when we have all the information, that’s all.

[Anonymous]

I would talk to her, OP. She should definitely be doing everything for your child (except vacuum the child's room - I have never been able to do that with a one-year-old because the baby is sleeping or I am engaging her). She needs to get the laundry done the same day. She needs to clean the playroom and disinfect toys. She needs to prepare meals for the baby.

[Anonymous]

I do nothing but relax when I the baby is sleeping. I work 12+ hrs a day and need the break. My boss encourages that!