Reasonable Cleaning Expectations

[Anonymous]

I'd like to have a conversation with our nanny about cleaning up after the kids, but I wanted to make sure I wasn't being unreasonable first. We do a nanny share hosted at my house and the babies are 10 months and 12 months old, so I know she has her hands full. I do not expect our nanny to do any cleaning that is not related to cleaning up after the kids, but I've been noticing that she isn't fully cleaning things that are related to daily activities. I'd like to ask her to do the following:
- After lunch, make sure to rinse all food in the sink into the garbage disposal and run the disposal; give the sink a quick wipe if food is stuck to the edges
- Make sure to clean the bottom of the high-chair tray and clean the high chair (I've noticed food stuck in the crevices on the bottom of the tray and the high chair looks like it got a quick wipe, but not a full clean)
- Check that food from lunch isn't stuck to the side of the kitchen island; if it is, wipe down
- If a lot of food got on the floor, wipe/vacuum/mop that area
- Once a week, clean the play mat in the playroom
- Once a month, wash toys that can be washed with soap and water; wipe others with toy cleaner
- Overall, help to organize the playroom and keep things consistently in the same spots so the kids can learn where their toys are and where they should be put away (I know they're too young to clean up, but I think it's good to start showing them)

Does this all sound reasonable? As a general question, what do your nannies do in terms of daily/weekly/monthly cleaning? Should I have different expectations when doing a share vs. solo?

[Anonymous]

Definitely different expectations with a share. Unfortunately!! Our nanny barely has time to eat her own lunch and she needs at least a 30 min break during nap time if she can .

[Anonymous]

I think the daily stuff at the top of your list is fine. The other things I think involve more “ cleaning” and are probably hard to do when she’s basically almost got twins to take care of. Not trying to be a jerk but you could do those things on the weekend when you only have one kid..

[Anonymous]

Play mat does not need to be cleaned every week, that is ridiculous. It is cleaned by hand and it is a lot of work to do it every week. Also, nanny does not need to mop or vacuum, just clean up the food with a wet paper towel. Tray/highchair must be cleaned every time with soap and hot water, highchair wiped with wet cloth until clean. Your nanny sounds sloppy to me, but again, it depends on how much you are paying. Like, if you are only paying $30 for 2 kids, then be happy with what she does and pray she does not leave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd like to have a conversation with our nanny about cleaning up after the kids, but I wanted to make sure I wasn't being unreasonable first. We do a nanny share hosted at my house and the babies are 10 months and 12 months old, so I know she has her hands full. I do not expect our nanny to do any cleaning that is not related to cleaning up after the kids, but I've been noticing that she isn't fully cleaning things that are related to daily activities. I'd like to ask her to do the following:
- After lunch, make sure to rinse all food in the sink into the garbage disposal and run the disposal; give the sink a quick wipe if food is stuck to the edges
- Make sure to clean the bottom of the high-chair tray and clean the high chair (I've noticed food stuck in the crevices on the bottom of the tray and the high chair looks like it got a quick wipe, but not a full clean)
- Check that food from lunch isn't stuck to the side of the kitchen island; if it is, wipe down
- If a lot of food got on the floor, wipe/vacuum/mop that area
- Once a week, clean the play mat in the playroom
- Once a month, wash toys that can be washed with soap and water; wipe others with toy cleaner
- Overall, help to organize the playroom and keep things consistently in the same spots so the kids can learn where their toys are and where they should be put away (I know they're too young to clean up, but I think it's good to start showing them)

Does this all sound reasonable? As a general question, what do your nannies do in terms of daily/weekly/monthly cleaning? Should I have different expectations when doing a share vs. solo?

The first two tasks are reasonable; the rest you’d have to do it yourself.
Also, if you’re paying top $ for a share ($35/hour) I’d kindly ask if by any chance she has time she could help out with something else. Doubtful she’d agree to do anything else if she’s not getting enough $ and taking care of two kids is a whole lot of work.

[Anonymous]

Pp, $35 is not a top dollar for share.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd like to have a conversation with our nanny about cleaning up after the kids, but I wanted to make sure I wasn't being unreasonable first. We do a nanny share hosted at my house and the babies are 10 months and 12 months old, so I know she has her hands full. I do not expect our nanny to do any cleaning that is not related to cleaning up after the kids, but I've been noticing that she isn't fully cleaning things that are related to daily activities. I'd like to ask her to do the following:
- After lunch, make sure to rinse all food in the sink into the garbage disposal and run the disposal; give the sink a quick wipe if food is stuck to the edges
- Make sure to clean the bottom of the high-chair tray and clean the high chair (I've noticed food stuck in the crevices on the bottom of the tray and the high chair looks like it got a quick wipe, but not a full clean)
- Check that food from lunch isn't stuck to the side of the kitchen island; if it is, wipe down
- If a lot of food got on the floor, wipe/vacuum/mop that area
- Once a week, clean the play mat in the playroom
- Once a month, wash toys that can be washed with soap and water; wipe others with toy cleaner
- Overall, help to organize the playroom and keep things consistently in the same spots so the kids can learn where their toys are and where they should be put away (I know they're too young to clean up, but I think it's good to start showing them)

Does this all sound reasonable? As a general question, what do your nannies do in terms of daily/weekly/monthly cleaning? Should I have different expectations when doing a share vs. solo?

The first two tasks are reasonable; the rest you’d have to do it yourself.
Also, if you’re paying top $ for a share ($35/hour) I’d kindly ask if by any chance she has time she could help out with something else. Doubtful she’d agree to do anything else if she’s not getting enough $ and taking care of two kids is a whole lot of work.

Paying top dollar for a service you are actually getting (quality child care) does not make it an automatic pass to ask your nanny to help with something else. This is how resentment and burn out begins and typically ruins the entire relationship with you r nanny. OP take advice with a grain of salt and be weary of taking advice that involves pushing boundaries to nickel/dime and level out or "get back your money" your nanny. Conducting a nanny share is extremely mentally and physically exhausting even for the most experienced mary poppins nanny. She is a human being. The entire time she has your children she is "ON". The only time she can turn her mind & body "off" for a mental and food/water break is during their naps (and sometimes that doesnt even happen should parents come in the way of that....many stories of how parents do this and it ultimately helps nobody)..and even then she has to split her break between eating, watching monitor, cleaning up after children or laundry or toy cleaning. She is not guaranteed an actual break where she can leave the house to get time to herself. To even "ask if by any chance she could help with something else" can come off inconsiderate and leads to the question...when else can she find time?
You decide to pay top dollar for the work that your nanny is able and capable of giving you as far as the children and to show appreciation for her value. You don't pay top dollar to entice your nanny to accept job creeping. You can do that ofcourse but eventually expect potential burn out or resignation on the horizon.

[Anonymous]

The first 2 are reasonable- the rest are unrealistic. This comes along with a nanny share and being the host.

[Anonymous]

Share saves you a lot of money, so please clean up other than 2 first things yourself.

[Anonymous]

I appreciate the honest feedback! I wasn't sure how to adjust my expectations with a share. We pay $40/hour, so I do feel we are paying a good rate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd like to have a conversation with our nanny about cleaning up after the kids, but I wanted to make sure I wasn't being unreasonable first. We do a nanny share hosted at my house and the babies are 10 months and 12 months old, so I know she has her hands full. I do not expect our nanny to do any cleaning that is not related to cleaning up after the kids, but I've been noticing that she isn't fully cleaning things that are related to daily activities. I'd like to ask her to do the following:
- After lunch, make sure to rinse all food in the sink into the garbage disposal and run the disposal; give the sink a quick wipe if food is stuck to the edges
- Make sure to clean the bottom of the high-chair tray and clean the high chair (I've noticed food stuck in the crevices on the bottom of the tray and the high chair looks like it got a quick wipe, but not a full clean)
- Check that food from lunch isn't stuck to the side of the kitchen island; if it is, wipe down
- If a lot of food got on the floor, wipe/vacuum/mop that area
- Once a week, clean the play mat in the playroom
- Once a month, wash toys that can be washed with soap and water; wipe others with toy cleaner
- Overall, help to organize the playroom and keep things consistently in the same spots so the kids can learn where their toys are and where they should be put away (I know they're too young to clean up, but I think it's good to start showing them)

Does this all sound reasonable? As a general question, what do your nannies do in terms of daily/weekly/monthly cleaning? Should I have different expectations when doing a share vs. solo?

Who is watching two babies while she does all of this? You are crazy. Go ahead and tell her and don't be surprised when she quits on the spot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I appreciate the honest feedback! I wasn't sure how to adjust my expectations with a share. We pay $40/hour, so I do feel we are paying a good rate.

You are... and you're getting the childcare that matches, not the cleaning that would come at the expense of the children.

[Anonymous]

I've been in shares. Here's my 2 cents.

- After lunch, make sure to rinse all food in the sink into the garbage disposal and run the disposal; give the sink a quick wipe if food is stuck to the edges
This is a reasonable request.

- Make sure to clean the bottom of the high-chair tray and clean the high chair (I've noticed food stuck in the crevices on the bottom of the tray and the high chair looks like it got a quick wipe, but not a full clean)
Most high chairs don't get a "full clean" after every meal (3-4 times a day). So I think if she's doing a quick wipe down, that's adequate. If you want a through clean, that's on you to do (and probably only has to be done once or twice a week).

- Check that food from lunch isn't stuck to the side of the kitchen island; if it is, wipe down
This is a reasonable request.

- If a lot of food got on the floor, wipe/vacuum/mop that area
This is a reasonable request, WITH good materials and flexibility. So, get a Bona mop or similar, and an easy to use dustpan/broom combo, and be aware that whether this is done will depends both on how much food gets on the floor AND how the day is going for her.

- Once a week, clean the play mat in the playroom
Nope. Unreasonable. Occasional tasks like this are on you.

- Once a month, wash toys that can be washed with soap and water; wipe others with toy cleaner
Nope. Unreasonable. Occasional tasks like this are on you. Also - totally unnecessary by the way.

- Overall, help to organize the playroom and keep things consistently in the same spots so the kids can learn where their toys are and where they should be put away (I know they're too young to clean up, but I think it's good to start showing them)
Organizing the playroom is on you. Keeping things consistently in the same spots is potentially reasonable IF all the toys (minus one or two in active use right then) are in their correct spots every morning before she starts work. I would approach this by, on Monday morning, telling her you've reorganized the playroom, and doing a quick walk through of where stuff is. Don't expect 100%, especially the first week, but keep making sure everything is how you want it when she arrives, and she'll learn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've been in shares. Here's my 2 cents.

- After lunch, make sure to rinse all food in the sink into the garbage disposal and run the disposal; give the sink a quick wipe if food is stuck to the edges
This is a reasonable request.

- Make sure to clean the bottom of the high-chair tray and clean the high chair (I've noticed food stuck in the crevices on the bottom of the tray and the high chair looks like it got a quick wipe, but not a full clean)
Most high chairs don't get a "full clean" after every meal (3-4 times a day). So I think if she's doing a quick wipe down, that's adequate. If you want a through clean, that's on you to do (and probably only has to be done once or twice a week).

- Check that food from lunch isn't stuck to the side of the kitchen island; if it is, wipe down
This is a reasonable request.

- If a lot of food got on the floor, wipe/vacuum/mop that area
This is a reasonable request, WITH good materials and flexibility. So, get a Bona mop or similar, and an easy to use dustpan/broom combo, and be aware that whether this is done will depends both on how much food gets on the floor AND how the day is going for her.

- Once a week, clean the play mat in the playroom
Nope. Unreasonable. Occasional tasks like this are on you.

- Once a month, wash toys that can be washed with soap and water; wipe others with toy cleaner
Nope. Unreasonable. Occasional tasks like this are on you. Also - totally unnecessary by the way.

- Overall, help to organize the playroom and keep things consistently in the same spots so the kids can learn where their toys are and where they should be put away (I know they're too young to clean up, but I think it's good to start showing them)
Organizing the playroom is on you. Keeping things consistently in the same spots is potentially reasonable IF all the toys (minus one or two in active use right then) are in their correct spots every morning before she starts work. I would approach this by, on Monday morning, telling her you've reorganized the playroom, and doing a quick walk through of where stuff is. Don't expect 100%, especially the first week, but keep making sure everything is how you want it when she arrives, and she'll learn.

PP just to add - I would not do this all at once. Start with the kitchen stuff. "Hey - I notice some times some food stuck to the island here and in the sides of the sink. If you could wipe that up as needed, that'd be great. You can also run the disposal if there's food in the sink - the switch is here, just make sure you run water while it's going. We've also found Larla is making more of a mess around the high chair lately, so we got this new broom/dustpan and mop here, if she's made a big mess on your watch, you can use these to do a quick spot clean."

Then give it... a month? Or at least a couple weeks. Then present your newly organized playroom and give her a tour.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I appreciate the honest feedback! I wasn't sure how to adjust my expectations with a share. We pay $40/hour, so I do feel we are paying a good rate.

Each family in a share is paying $40? Why not hire 2 nannies?