Nanny "down time"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My charge naps anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half per day. It's hit or miss. I usually eat lunch, clean up the toys, wash any dishes he used and prepare his milk cups. I usually have a 30-45 min. window left and I will use that time to lay down and close my eyes. The guest room is right next to his room so a baby monitor is unnecessary and once he cries, I am right there immediately. Even if I do not fall asleep, just that period of getting off of my feel and resting, is a Godsend. My days are usually 10 hours straight and I NEED that break. My bosses totally get that too. I would hate to have the type of bosses who had a list of chores for me to complete during nap time. I actually had bosses who had lists Mon-Fri for me taped on the fridge. For example, Monday was vacuum the house during nap time, Tuesday was dust the living room, Wednesday was mop the kitchen floor, etc. I guess they felt since I was on their time, on the clock, I had to be always doing something productive. What they didn't get was that they were burning me out and that their child would be the one getting the short end of the stick in the end. Sad, but true.

There were times that their child just didn't nap for the typical hour or so, and I couldn't complete the chore I was supposed to complete. Then they would come home and ask why I didn't fold a load of laundry and I would respond that little Sally took a shorter than usual nap that afternoon and they would respond, "Well, that is highly unusual..She ALWAYS naps 2 hours a day when I am here.." as if I was trying to get out of doing my chores.

I'm 8:30. You sound wonderful. That employer in your example sounds insufferable.

[Anonymous]

I have never seen an employer say that a nanny shouldn't get an hour break. The nannies who expect to do homework, watch TV, nap or whatever for the other 2 hours a day are unprofessional and lazy.

Its reasonable that some days the child may not nap or things may get busy BUT its complete BS that there are all these infants and toddlers out there who never nap. In fact, nannies are most gifted at getting kids to nap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have never seen an employer say that a nanny shouldn't get an hour break. The nannies who expect to do homework, watch TV, nap or whatever for the other 2 hours a day are unprofessional and lazy.

Its reasonable that some days the child may not nap or things may get busy BUT its complete BS that there are all these infants and toddlers out there who never nap. In fact, nannies are most gifted at getting kids to nap.

Why is it lazy and unprofessional for a student nanny to use nap time for homework? I'll give you unprofessional maybe, but lazy? Student nannies are usually paid less than more experienced, career nannies, and this is one of the reasons why. Unless you're paying professional rates, I'm not going to feel guilty for doing my homework.

[Anonymous]

A student nanny may be paid less than a professional nanny because she lacks experience and education and is less marketable. The employer may also expect less of her such as being able to initiate her own ideas and activities with the kids. The employer may need to teach and train her more and give more direction. The extra value and expense of a professional nanny is that you don't have to do those things. The lower pay is not because you are paying the nanny to do her homework for 2-3 hours a day. Again, no one is objecting to a 1 hour break but beyond that is lazy and not doing your job. If you don't know that, you will not be successful in any future job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A student nanny may be paid less than a professional nanny because she lacks experience and education and is less marketable. The employer may also expect less of her such as being able to initiate her own ideas and activities with the kids. The employer may need to teach and train her more and give more direction. The extra value and expense of a professional nanny is that you don't have to do those things. The lower pay is not because you are paying the nanny to do her homework for 2-3 hours a day. Again, no one is objecting to a 1 hour break but beyond that is lazy and not doing your job. If you don't know that, you will not be successful in any future job.

I'm paid what I'm paid with the understanding that I will do a great job watching the kids, and while they sleep (and I provide necessary supervision) I will do my homework. It says absolutely jack squat about my future success. But please, continue trying to tell me, an anonymous stranger, why I paid what I'm paid, and what exactly my job is. Please.

[Anonymous]

The LO I care for takes two 2-2.5 hour naps per day. My job duties are specifically child related including laundry, meal prep, play room management, etc. Many times I'll go beyond my duties and take care of parents laundry, dishes, prep produce for the week for easy access, and even make dinner for the family. Still there are times that I have 2-3 free hours in a day. I am a nanny and not a housekeeper. While I don't mind going beyond to make things run more smoothly for the family, I'm not going to be cleaning the house from top to bottom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do employers handle their nannies down time? So, in my nanny share, for example, if the nanny has several hours a day when both boys (6 months each) are sleeping, is it appropriate for me to ask her to do things related to the boys? Like work on new toys, i.e. activity boards etc? She is taking classes at night and currently does homework.

If you hired a nanny, you would not need to "handle" much of anything.

Professionals know how to "handle" themselves.
Does someone need to "handle" you at your job?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do employers handle their nannies down time? So, in my nanny share, for example, if the nanny has several hours a day when both boys (6 months each) are sleeping, is it appropriate for me to ask her to do things related to the boys? Like work on new toys, i.e. activity boards etc? She is taking classes at night and currently does homework.

If you hired a nanny, you would not need to "handle" much of anything.

Professionals know how to "handle" themselves.
Does someone need to "handle" you at your job?

PP...I'm a nanny, and I find your overall position sounds crazy.

In my former life I worked as a public school teacher. We all had our degrees and qualifications and varying amounts of experience, but some teachers absolutely did need more "handling" from the administration than others. Those who couldn't handle behavioral problems were given extra training and/or classroom aides. Those who weren't getting grades entered on time were called in for meetings, reprimanded, and given some tools for organizing themselves better next semester. Those who didn't meet district targets had different PD than others that was specifically geared toward bringing up their students' test grades.

Just because someone is trained and qualified to do a job does not mean that they're done learning, improving, and growing their skills, so to suggest that a nanny who isn't 100% perfect simply IS NOT A NANNY is insane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do employers handle their nannies down time? So, in my nanny share, for example, if the nanny has several hours a day when both boys (6 months each) are sleeping, is it appropriate for me to ask her to do things related to the boys? Like work on new toys, i.e. activity boards etc? She is taking classes at night and currently does homework.

If you hired a nanny, you would not need to "handle" much of anything.

Professionals know how to "handle" themselves.
Does someone need to "handle" you at your job?

PP...I'm a nanny, and I find your overall position sounds crazy.

In my former life I worked as a public school teacher. We all had our degrees and qualifications and varying amounts of experience, but some teachers absolutely did need more "handling" from the administration than others. Those who couldn't handle behavioral problems were given extra training and/or classroom aides. Those who weren't getting grades entered on time were called in for meetings, reprimanded, and given some tools for organizing themselves better next semester. Those who didn't meet district targets had different PD than others that was specifically geared toward bringing up their students' test grades.

Just because someone is trained and qualified to do a job does not mean that they're done learning, improving, and growing their skills, so to suggest that a nanny who isn't 100% perfect simply IS NOT A NANNY is insane.

I think you are confused. OP wasn't talking about ways to enrich her children's experience or her nanny's qualifications, she wanted to know what kind of tasks she should come up with to fill her nanny's "down time". She should have said micromanaged...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have never seen an employer say that a nanny shouldn't get an hour break. The nannies who expect to do homework, watch TV, nap or whatever for the other 2 hours a day are unprofessional and lazy.

Its reasonable that some days the child may not nap or things may get busy BUT its complete BS that there are all these infants and toddlers out there who never nap. In fact, nannies are most gifted at getting kids to nap.

What exactly is this respondent trying to say?? Is there some subliminal message here? How are nannies more "gifted" than say a parent in getting a child to nap?? Please elaborate because I don't get what the hell you are saying and am quite offended to tell you the truth.

I think many college students find being a nanny a great job to do while pursuing a degree. It allows them to study during nap time as well as have some flexibility regarding their hours. I think it is wonderful for families to encourage a nanny to study during the child's nap times. Families should support a nanny who is working AND going to school at the same time because that is not an easy thing to do. People should encourage others to further their educations and better themselves and for a family to allow a nanny to use a child's nap time to do her homework, that is a wonderful perk. After all, she is providing a HUGE service to the parents. She is allowing them to go to work everyday, with the security that their child is in good hands and will be fed, clean, well-rested, entertained, educated, safe and loved. Allowing an hour or two of study time is a drop in the bucket compared to what a nanny does for them.

[Anonymous]

The nanny profession is not like other professions in that there are usually little to no benefits included in the job description.

Even a cashier at Walmart gets a store discount on merchandise.

A McDonald's worker gets 1/2 off a Big Mac for God's sake.

So why can't a nanny get an hour of homework time?

[Anonymous]

There are plenty of benefits to being a nanny. It isn't hard work.

If you want to spend your free hour doing homework, have at it. The issue is spending more than a reasonable break doing homework.

If your charge spends 2+ hours napping and you believe you are entitled to that time (or more) to do your homework, then I won't hire you. I don't pay you to do your homework.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are plenty of benefits to being a nanny. It isn't hard work.

If you want to spend your free hour doing homework, have at it. The issue is spending more than a reasonable break doing homework.

If your charge spends 2+ hours napping and you believe you are entitled to that time (or more) to do your homework, then I won't hire you. I don't pay you to do your homework.

And after all child related tasks are done I suppose you expect your nanny to clean up after you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are plenty of benefits to being a nanny. It isn't hard work.

If you want to spend your free hour doing homework, have at it. The issue is spending more than a reasonable break doing homework.

If your charge spends 2+ hours napping and you believe you are entitled to that time (or more) to do your homework, then I won't hire you. I don't pay you to do your homework.

If it isn't hard work...do it yourself.
It's hard when parents have to do it but "it isn't hard work" when a nanny does it.
I'm almost positive that most nannies would be happy you're not hiring them.
Nobody enjoys working for an asshole.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are plenty of benefits to being a nanny. It isn't hard work.

If you want to spend your free hour doing homework, have at it. The issue is spending more than a reasonable break doing homework.

If your charge spends 2+ hours napping and you believe you are entitled to that time (or more) to do your homework, then I won't hire you. I don't pay you to do your homework.

You're completely entitled to that opinion, and no one is saying you aren't. I am also entitled to lower my rate from that of a professional nanny and to seek out families that will be SUPPORTIVE of my academic endeavors. They aren't hard to find, but I'm not surprised to see its a rare quality of a DCUM MB. You all are notoriously awful, just like the nannies you hate on. None of my employers have ever expressed being butt hurt that I don't do a whole bunch of extra BS (not in my contract) during nap simply because the time exists. I do my homework, and I do my job. That's all that matters to them.