Do you always respond to texts from nanny family while off duty?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They will eventually look for a nanny who knows how to use her phone. Just depends how long you want this job?

So if I understand you correctly, nannies should NEVER even LOOK at their phones when their charges are around BUTTTT they need to be on call for you 24/7 because you are too lazy to look for Johnny's mittens or discern for yourself when the last time the diaper genie was emptied? Give me a effen break.

OP, you should not feel bad for one second. If you are gracious enough to respond, that is lovely, if you aren't able to it shouldn't be a deal breaker of any kind. I am pretty up front with new families on my off hours phone policy which is that unless it is an emergency, I am not answering texts or calls between the time I leave their house until 30 minutes before I arrive the next morning. It's a slippery slope to weekend texts and late night calls asking if I can go over to the house and check on the kids because DH hasn't answered his phone for a few hours (yes this really happened).

I would charge $200 for this wellness check!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My NF got lucky with me because they can reach me anytime. We often communicate after hours. I don't mind it at all. Luckily I don't hate my NF like the rest of you do, I appreciate the communication and planning we do.

I guess the best thing for everyone would just be finding the right type of family for you. If you are an older nanny why isn't very good with handling a cell phone then you might be better with an old fashioned family. But then if you are a younger more current nanny you could work with a younger family that does things differently.

Probably true. We have an older nanny who never uses her cell phone when she is caring for my child. For us, that alone is worth the very, very few times we have needed to call her on her off hours to ask a question. We are also (we being nanny, DH and I) very organized and keep a log of DS's activities, meals, diaper changes, etc and always have ten minutes to go over his day at the end of Nanny's day.

I would KILL for your nanny, PP. I'd get over not being able to reach her on weekends if our nanny would get off her damn phone when she is working.

How much time are you on your cell phone at work?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really just can't believe the attitudes of some of the nannies on here.... I honestly don't understand why you are in this profession.

And we don't understand why you bothered to have children.

My children are well behaved and brilliant, and my nanny is amazing and respected and happy, unlike all the bitter nannies on here.

Right! You are their mother and they are just Karens just like you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm an MB and I think your employers are being obnoxious and overstepping. You are not on duty when you're not at work and you shouldn't have to be responding to texts all the time.

I've contacted our nanny on occasion when I can't find the lovey and we're having a meltdown at bedtime, or if the kids are really sick and we're not sure she should come to work tomorrow. Or if she left her phone at the house and might need it.

I think something like that happens perhaps once every other month. Daily texts after hours are just obnoxious and uncalled for.

I'd try to train them out of expecting a response from you. Things like "Good morning- I just saw your text from last night, I usually turn my phone off when I'm home w/ my family." or "I tend to have pretty busy evenings and have the ringer off when I'm with friends, at class, out to dinner, reading, watching a show, going to bed early, etc...

Do that enough times and maybe they'll stop.

I'm sorry. It's obnoxious.

Meltdown at bedtime because you can't find a toy is not an emergency. Your kid, your problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I am perpetually disorganized. That said if I do nothing to move dc's lovey upon returning home then it is not at all unreasonable to me to call nanny to see if she knows where it last was. Items often end up having been left in her car.

I also text if I recall something over the weekend to communicate about Monday schedule (sometimes she works Monday and sometimes not). I do not expect immediate replies and do try to limit them but don't see a brief text that she can reply to much later as awful.

A toy is not an emergency. Your kid is a brat.