How much time is reasonable to leave a 9 month old in a play pen in a 6-8 hr day?

[Anonymous]

OP, how much experience does your Nanny have with infants? How much Nanny experience overall? Is she being paid what her experience level warrants, or what she thinks she is worth?

I ask because what you report seeing via nanny cam sounds like a bored caregiver. And inexperienced/disconnected/unconcerned nannies tend to get bored with the reality of a nanny job with an infant, especially when nanny and baby are homebound.

No, it is not normal for a good experienced Nanny to need specific hourly directives on how to spend her work time. If that is what you feel you need to do, I think your energy might be better used discussing the issue with your nanny, officially putting her on probation and specifying what you WANT to see her doing. If that doesn't work, replace her.

And generally I use a playpen to contain a crawler/9 month old when I am actively cooking to avoid accidents, when I have to use the bathroom, and if I have to complete a task that would make keeping baby safe difficult. I let babies explore within safe boundaries, and use a playpen less than 15 minutes in an 11 hour day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here: The problem is that my schedule is not attractive to many nannies. I'm a full time nurse. I have to work a rotating schedule for now in a new unit. Every week I work different days and sometime different hours. I sent emails to about 30 nannies describing our scheduling needs and received only two interested responses...one of which backed out because they found another family with a set schedule. Most responses I received said they were already working full time for a family or that their schedule would not work with mine. So that is why we feel like we are stuck and have to work with the nanny we have.

Hospital daycare.

I have worked in 7 hospitals, from community based to safety net to magnet status and not ONE has had a daycare. Maybe it's a reality on Grey's Anatomy but this is certainly not the case in the real world.

They exist in the real world. The 7 hospitals you have worked at (or Googled) are not the only hospitals in the real world.

Proof?

I'm not doing your homework for you . It is your responsibility to end your ignorance through education. Hop on Google you can find some near you. I am from up north and can think of 3 off the top of my head. Challenge your self. Your thinking is shockingly insular for someone who works in hospitals.

[Anonymous]

I have to agree with the poster who stated that your nanny is doing all of this while knowingly being filmed.

It doesn't add up.

Usually if a nanny knows she is being filmed, she steps up her game BIG time.

I think you are lying to us about her knowing she is being filmed so there is no bias in our responses to you.

Also, your logic about the baby sitting in a poopy diaper has no similarities to the actual baby in a playpen because a baby who sits in a poopy diaper is at risk for a skin condition which physically harms his skin.

A day where the baby spends a few hours in a play pen will not physically or mentally harm him at all. Not that I say it's a wonderful idea, I am not.

But by the next day, he won't even remember.

[Anonymous]

OP...I can't get past page 1. You need to get your priorities straight and you have no business managing people. I would have fired that nanny so fast her head would spin.

[Anonymous]

I guess I'll differ a bit from PPs. I think independent play is very important. To that end I would not have an issue with 3 hours of playpen with toys if the baby is dry, fed and not crying. Obviously it would not need to be 3 hours straight in one stretch. Having said that, I would expect some chores to be done during the time the baby sleeps or plays independently, such as baby laundry, bottles cleaning, any baby food prep plus some additional one-off things. I am not paying to watch tv or text, you need to be very explicit on that. If you can, set up a parental control on the cable box, so she can't watch anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I guess I'll differ a bit from PPs. I think independent play is very important. To that end I would not have an issue with 3 hours of playpen with toys if the baby is dry, fed and not crying. Obviously it would not need to be 3 hours straight in one stretch. Having said that, I would expect some chores to be done during the time the baby sleeps or plays independently, such as baby laundry, bottles cleaning, any baby food prep plus some additional one-off things. I am not paying to watch tv or text, you need to be very explicit on that. If you can, set up a parental control on the cable box, so she can't watch anything.

If I had such little faith in my nanny who is watching my young children that I had to put parental controls on the television I would need my head checked.

Badparentingchoices101#

[Anonymous]

OP here. We have several VERY obvious cameras installed into the walls of our living room ANd we told the nanny we had them in the interview. I'm not lying! This nanny knows she is being filmed! I think maybe I've just been too nice or friendly with this nanny and now she figures she can get away with this behavior.

[Anonymous]

I think she's bored.

[Anonymous]

Op here. Our nanny is 66 and a mother of four. I think she was a stay-at-home mom/wife most her life but now she is divorced and has to work. She has a teaching degree but said its hard to find a job at her age. She has nannied part-time for two other families for 6 months before starting with us.

She is very good with our daughter when she wants to be, I just think she's decided to start slacking.

[Anonymous]

Op here again: it seems like being bored with a baby is a repeated problem for us. Our last nanny was bored and surfed her iPad all day to "pass the time."

[Anonymous]

OP...are you for real? This sounds crazy. What kind of actual parent even has a hard time making a decision of what to do? How is this even a question ? I think you are the one bored.

[Anonymous]

Who wouldn't be bored to tears staring at a baby all day? There are only so many diapers and bottles to do. Then what? Read a board book 68 times?

[Anonymous]

Op still hasn't said what she's paying ........

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op still hasn't said what she's paying ........

OP?

[Anonymous]

Yes, OP please disclose what you are paying this nanny because this may make or break your story.

If we hear that you are paying this nanny $30/Hr. to sit w/your baby in a playpen most of the day, then collectively we all can agree that this is just outrageous.

However if you admit you are only paying her $30/Day to watch your baby, then collectively we all can agree that you deserve what you have.

So money is a very important component here.