Let go by my nanny family today...

[Anonymous]

The MB and I kept butting heads over issues and it finally came to a head and she let me go with 2 weeks severance.

She was so strict with me and wanted me to stick to her schedule. She wanted me to take their baby for a walk in their neighborhood every morning at 10am. This drove me so stir crazy. I wanted to get out, go to the museum of zoo but she refused to buy passes so her baby and I could do that. Instead I drove and went for walks in the park each week, but she only wanted me to do outings in the afternoon, not morning.

Then there was the job creep. She would ask me to do more and more things. She wanted me to take out the baby’s nursery garbages or put in a load of laundry when he went down for his nap, she chastised me for taking a break on his nap and catching a snooze myself or scrolling my phone. I told her that if she wanted to add chores to my job duties she would need to pay me $25/hr, not the $20 she was paying me. Which is low to bring with!

Then she took issue with the times I did nice things for them. I decided to bake them cookies one day and was playing with her baby with some music on in the kitchen and she came out to tell me the noise was too loud as she was trying to work! She barely thanked me for the cookies. She was mad and always nickle and dimed me. She gave me money to buy baking supplies for their house ($75) because I told her I was running out of activities to do, then she refused to let me do it again a week later because it created “too many dishes” and I “wasn’t sticking to her schedule”

I honestly think she was nuts. She wanted me to stick to the same areas in her neighborhood for walks and never take her baby anywhere fun. She hated it when I left the house and would always demand to know where I was going and when I would be back.

Anyways, I guess this is just a rant but the audacity of these MB’s sometimes makes me wonder if nannying is even a good option for me in the long term.

[Anonymous]

You should be thankful that she let you go. It sounds like it was a nightmare for both sides.

[Anonymous]

She was an insecure control freak. Good riddance to her!!

[Anonymous]

Nice try troll.
If you aren't, she fired you because you suck at your job. Contrary to popular belief on here, you aren't being paid to do whatever you want to do. It's her kid, her rules. If you don't like them, don't accept the position in the first place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nice try troll.
If you aren't, she fired you because you suck at your job. Contrary to popular belief on here, you aren't being paid to do whatever you want to do. It's her kid, her rules. If you don't like them, don't accept the position in the first place.

Sounds more like the MB should’ve stayed home and raised her own kid. Don’t pawn your kid off on someone else if you are a control freak.

[Anonymous]

OP, you sound like a stressful person to be around. Everything you wrote was petty. I would have fired you, too.

[Anonymous]

I’m sorry, OP. You have to consider yourself lucky to get out of this situation. Your employer dies sound unbearable.

However, never make cookies or anything else for your employers in their kitchen. Never do more than what is stated in your contract and never try to renegotiate for more money for taking on more chores. Just don’t do it. Draw up your next contract more carefully, more detailed and very specific. Talk about what you would like to do in the day with your new charge in the interview. Basically pay close attention during your meeting with new couples.

And please stop using childish terms like “MB” and “nanny family” - they are your employers.

[Anonymous]

You wouldn't empty the diaper pail? That isn't job creep. That should absolutely be part of your duties.

$20/hr for ONE child is not low. I know everyone on this forum says you should easily command $30/hr for one kid, but that's not the case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You wouldn't empty the diaper pail? That isn't job creep. That should absolutely be part of your duties.

$20/hr for ONE child is not low. I know everyone on this forum says you should easily command $30/hr for one kid, but that's not the case.

I think OP meant take out the diaper pail WHILE the baby was sleeping in the same room. Granted, I put the diaper genie outside the bedroom door right before I put the baby down but I think OP’s point is that her employer wanted it done the second she said it regardless of the circumstance.

[Anonymous]

Ok OP, I understand you’re frustrated. I think you’re being a tad dramatic though.

There’s no way that baking cookies was for the baby. Babies don’t eat cookies, nor do they help make them. If you had said that you were banging pans with the baby and MB said it was too noisy, I’d be more sympathetic, because at least that would be more age-appropriate.

At an infant level, walking the same route every morning as part of a routine at the same time every day is very, very good for a child. You can talk about the things that stay the same, the things that vary day-to-day and the passing seasons. An afternoon outing that changes daily and permission to drive the infant sound great to me! But again, the outings should be about the child, not you. And she has a right to know where you’re going, though I err more to a shared calendar than constant texts.

Naptime is prime time to take out the diapers or start a load of baby clothes, obviously while carrying the monitor. If, after you get child-related chores done, you want to relax and do some web surfing, nbd. But I disagree about napping when your charge is napping. You aren’t up overnight like a sahm is, so you shouldn’t need to nap then, relaxing should be fine.

The worst to me is you “kept butting heads.” Raise an issue once, explain your thoughts and invite an explanation of theirs. They may decide to try yours, but they may not. No matter what, they are the parent, you aren’t. If you aren’t happy with how they want things done, find another position.

There’s a reason my interviews last at least an hour, frequently more. I would have covered all of the above and so much more, and since I look for parents of similar views, I don’t run into these issues. I suggest you do the same. You know you want to be less scheduled, not do any child-related housework, not have an MB ask questions, and go where you want, so try to find that.

[Anonymous]

You sound nuts. Their baby does not need a museum. Do that on your own time. She has every right to dictate the schedule. And, yes you should clean baby room and common areas you used. If you don’t cook or clean, no cookies. I’d be pissed too.

[Anonymous]

$75 for baking supplies. It should not cost that much and you should fully clean up.

[Anonymous]

Honestly I think you didn't respect her rules. Her baby, her rules. That fun it would be for you and not for the baby. A baby it's happy in a playground and if he/she still its a baby I don't think they will need hang out further than the neighborhood. And they way that you are describing sounds like You are sick being at home with a Home working Mom; and the only thing you wish to do it's get out of there. In other words, running away and trying to be outside and far the most time possible And baking cookies for the baby? What a weird thing to do.

[Anonymous]

Funny how this pattern of “Groupthink” is so popular on DCUM.

First there are a few kind responses.
Then ->> Someone will start ragging on the OP, then others follow suit.

So transparent.
I suspect sock puppeting or people are just too cowardly to think + write for themselves.

[Anonymous]

OP, you're a terrible nanny.

I am a nanny myself and I would have fired you as well.