Boredom

[Anonymous]

How do you cope with the boredom of being a nanny?
We go on trips out and have plenty play dates but there are parts of the afternoon that just seem to go on forever.
How do you relieve the boredom or is it just a case of me being in the wrong job?

[Anonymous]

Since it appears that you do get out of the house as well as spend around other people, then perhaps you may be better suited for a job where you are around others more often.

There are certain parts of the day where things slow down & you may be homebound such as during napping.
If you are social by nature, then that time may give you cabin fever.

I am an older Nanny, so am a bit of a homebody.
I do not mind staying in but I know it would have bothered me a lot when I was younger.

[Anonymous]

I’m similar to the PP except I’m not older. I like being by myself, always have. Even when I take my charges out I rarely interact with other nannies. I’ve done the office job and hated being around other adults.

I’m usually exhausted by nap time after chasing 2 toddlers and cleaning up after them. My family also allows me to watch tv so that helps during nap time.

If you are a social butterfly it might be time for a new job or try to meet other nannies and set up play dates.

[Anonymous]

Motherhood is tedious. Being a nanny feels even more tedious. It is simply the nature of the job.

[Anonymous]

I’m very much an introvert, so nannying works well for me. It’s NOT a good choice for extroverts!

[Anonymous]

Do you mean you're bored when the kids nap ? Or during activities ?

I never get bored but I work from home so when the babies nap, I get to do a few things for myself (lunch, reading my mail, going online ...).

[Anonymous]

I bring stuff to do. I am an introvert and extrovert person. So if child is napping, I read or do some kind of art/crafts as I am an artist as well. I never feel bored but I have always been able to find something to do. Even when I watch TV I am usually loom knitting or working on my journals etc. I only do these things when child is napping or they are busy with other activities .

[Anonymous]

I am never bored but childcare is tedious. Children need consistency and routine which can be tedious. But it’s so rewarding! They change so fast and learn so quickly that it’s sort of miraculous!

[Anonymous]

Op, I think we all need you to go into a little more detail of what’s causing the boredom. We’ll probably be able to help you out better that way =]

As for my unsolicited job story, I felt the same as you. In my case, it was definitely me being in the wrong job. I’m not an extrovert by any means, I just didn’t enjoy the position.

I found childcare very boring most of the time and I realized that I don’t have as much patience for the antics of a typical 3-4 year old as I originally thought. Plus, the mother worked from home full-time so that was a whole other hurdle that made my job about 100x more difficult. The only times I was happy was if he fell asleep, and when I was finally in my car at the end of the day!