How much cleaning/tidying does your nanny do?

[Anonymous]

Just curious what kind of cleaning and tidying most people’s nannies do? I am not at all expecting my nanny to scrub toilets, but she does the very bare minimum to clean up after my kids.

My first nanny would run the dishwasher when it was full and then put the dishes away, take the trash and recycles out when full and clean the kitchen pretty well at the end of each day since she had used it to make the kids dinner. She would also change the kids’ sheets weekly and even proactively wash their duvet covers/blankets. She also did their laundry of course, pretty much daily, and organized their drawers to pull out clothes that no longer fit or were stained. Is that going way above and beyond what should be expected?

New nanny does the kids’ laundry 1-2x per week, makes meals for them and keeps the house tidy looking. While she will put dirty dishes she uses or from the kids in the dishwasher, she never turns it on to run it so I will often come home to a pile of dishes in the sink that don’t fit. I have showed her how to do it and even mentioned for her to turn it on when full but it doesn’t happen. Or, sometimes I will run it in the morning but it doesn’t finish before I have to leave and she never unloads it and piles dirty stuff in the sink. That’s just one example... just trying to see if most nannies are doing much more.

[Anonymous]

She is doing what a nanny should do. It is not her job to run your dishwasher and put dishes away because this is your job! Nannies are not maids. Your other nanny did this out if the goodness of her heart. If you want your nanny to also be your maid then put it in your contract and pay accordingly for her maid duties.

Nannies take care of children and child related duties, nothing more.

[Anonymous]

Our nanny made it clear in her interview that she does “anything and everything” that relates to the child. She shops and cooks for DS, does his laundry, picks up toys and books at the end of the day and does his dishes. If one or two of our dishes are in the sink, she washes them by hand.

She does not empty our dishwasher as she never uses it for DS. And no general housekeeping at all. She is engaged with playing with, reading to and caring for DS which is what we wanted. For an educated nanny, this seems to be fairly standard.

[Anonymous]

Pretty much none. We hired a former preschool teacher as our nanny and she keeps the kids occupied with fun projects and cleans up after their projects but nothing else. She doesn’t make their food or do any dishes or laundry. We have three kids aged 6 months to 5 so she has her hands full.

We have exactly what we wanted, OP. What we think is best for our kids. All of our expectations where spelled out in her contract.

Did you make your expectations and job responsibilities clear in the beginning?

[Anonymous]

Our nanny picks up the kids' toys to keep the rooms tidy and she washes the kids' dishes by hand. If clothes get dirty, she puts them in the hamper. That's it. She does not prepare food, do dishes or laundry.

[Anonymous]

Nanny here. I do my charge’s laundry, go through his drawers and closets for clothes he’s out grown, change linen and wash duvet covers, make all his food and wash his dishes by hand.

I never touch the dishwasher. I make sure his playroom and bedroom are tidy but don’t clean (vacuum, dust, etc).

I basically “leave the campsite” as I found it. If the parent’s stuff is all over when I get there, it’s still all over when I leave.

[Anonymous]

I started helping with the dishwasher, swiffering, trash and recycling and now it’s my job. New family, I will know better and just do nanny duties.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I started helping with the dishwasher, swiffering, trash and recycling and now it’s my job. New family, I will know better and just do nanny duties.

+1. Same with my last job. Never again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I started helping with the dishwasher, swiffering, trash and recycling and now it’s my job. New family, I will know better and just do nanny duties.

+1. Same with my last job. Never again.

Job creep. At your next contract renewal time tell them you want extra pay for this or you at no longer do these. Also, this would be over and above your yearly increase as a nanny.

[Anonymous]

Never, ever housekeeping What fools these desperate (immigrant?) women are.

Professional nannies (like me) take care of and educate children. Cleaning is parents' job or housekeeper's job.

Housekeeping duties? Add $10/hr to your rate.

[Anonymous]

These posts are so annoying.

Just talk it over with the nanny and pay accordingly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These posts are so annoying.

Just talk it over with the nanny and pay accordingly.

Really? This thread doesn’t annoy me in the least and I am easily annoyed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Never, ever housekeeping What fools these desperate (immigrant?) women are.

Professional nannies (like me) take care of and educate children. Cleaning is parents' job or housekeeper's job.

Housekeeping duties? Add $10/hr to your rate.

You are hateful. Undocumented women working as nannies are NOT fools - they are exploited and just trying to provide for their families. I know two undocumented nannies who are wonderful nannies and deeply love their charges. You are horrible for saying they are fools when they actually have no recourse or choice.


And frankly, your grammar is too juvenile to be considered a professional nanny tasked with educating children.

[Anonymous]

I agree that your former Nanny went above + beyond in her Nanny duties.
But that certainly doesn’t mean your current Nanny should do the same just because your previous one did.

I am a Nanny & I will wash any dishes used during my shift, bottles included.
I also will pick up any and all toys/books/games/puzzles, etc. that are played with during my stay.

I do not operate the dishwasher, do any laundry or get rid of any clothing in the children’s dressers/closets.

I am an excellent, meticulous organizer and if I have a lot of downtime (such as if child takes a 3+ hour nap, etc.), then I may organize toy bins, bookshelves, etc.

I find that when I do a little “extra” while on duty - the parents tend to expect me to do it as part of my regular duties and they tend not to appreciate it as much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree that your former Nanny went above + beyond in her Nanny duties.
But that certainly doesn’t mean your current Nanny should do the same just because your previous one did.

I am a Nanny & I will wash any dishes used during my shift, bottles included.
I also will pick up any and all toys/books/games/puzzles, etc. that are played with during my stay.

I do not operate the dishwasher, do any laundry or get rid of any clothing in the children’s dressers/closets.

I am an excellent, meticulous organizer and if I have a lot of downtime (such as if child takes a 3+ hour nap, etc.), then I may organize toy bins, bookshelves, etc.

I find that when I do a little “extra” while on duty - the parents tend to expect me to do it as part of my regular duties and they tend not to appreciate it as much.

Well said.