Junk Food Nanny
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Anonymous
| As a nanny I can see both sides to each argument. This topic should have been discussed upon hiring. If it is "sooo important" (Jesus people, its nutrition, it SHOULD be sooo important) then the family should have brought up their eating habits. Like I said, nutrition is very important learned by modeling at young ages. That's why doctors tell you to eat with your kids when they are eating. The parents don't have a right to tell the nanny what to eat, but I wonder how much the nanny cares about the kids health by gorging on Cheetos and cookies everyday. She's setting them up for bad habits and they'll think eating these daily is acceptable. It shouldn't be. That's one reason why theres an obesity epidemic with our children. Nanny, take better care of yourself. If you can't change your eating habits maybe its time to find a family that cares less. |
Anonymous
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I am surprised at the reactions!! You guys act as if two preschoolers are going to be ruined for life and get addicted to hot Cheetos when they're older because their nanny ate them. I completely understand wanting kids to eat healthy, be active, etc but there's no need to take it too far (speaking broadly now). It's one thing if you want to control how you and your young kids eat, but you cannot control what a grown woman eats. Period. Especially if what she's eating is NOT all that bad in the first place! (yes, "bad" is subjective, but I'm talking like, she's not sitting down to eat only hoho's and a whole BAG of Cheetos in a sitting. It's a sandwich or crackers and cheese with some chips "aka hot Cheetos [no worse than ruffles, imo]" on the side. Get a grip.)
Anyway, I still get that some people are super into being ultra-health conscious. Still doesn't mean those people can dictate what someone else eats. Even IF that someone is your nanny, yes. To the PP who made the comparison to smoking-well, all i can say is, I feel sorry for your neuroticism if you really think that's the same thing. (btw, taking a smoke break once a day "would" cause harm to the kids--secondhand smoke. What comparable "harm" is there in this situation??) Children are smarter than what we give them credit for. Even 3-4 yr olds understand that people eat different things, and "mommy wants them to grow up as healthy and strong as they can be" so that's why they eat gros- I mean, healthy, food. 
If the MB wants to fire her nanny over this, as another PP suggested, by all means, she has the right to. If this is an essential trait of what she wants in a nanny, then she is certainly able to try again in the hopes of finding a better fit. However, there is going to be some give and take. A nanny can be a superior nanny (and I'm not saying that the OP is, necessarily), but she will never be you, no one is exactly alike. If you are trying to find perfection, good luck trying to find that. |
Anonymous
In a nanny situation I feel that a boss does have a right to make requests, or as you put it, mandates about what type of food is brought into the employer's house, especially if the food is being consumed in front of the children. Would you feel the same if the nanny was working for a family who kept kosher and she was required to provide her own food to keep and prepare at the house that adhered those guidelines? Healthy eating habits are very important to some families. As a nanny I feel that part of my responsibility is to model healthy eating habits for the children. I do feel that eating habits should be addressed during the interview process so that a nanny can determine if her eating habits are a good fit for the family. If a nanny knows up front that a family has healthy eating habits and that the family wants the nanny to bring her own for then the nanny needs to give the family a heads up about her food preferences if they are different than that of the family. Issues arise when there is a mismatch in eating habits. The mismatch can go both ways...I wouldn't accept a job with a family who allowed their children to eat junk food on a daily basis. At this point OP can decide if talking with her MB is worth it. Her MB's request is a reasonable one, and while it would be nice for her MB to help out by allowing OP to eat some of the food in the house it may not happen. Talking with her MB might open up that opportunity, but ultimately OP needs to decide if changing her eating habits is worth it to keep her job or if she prefers to find a new family who either A) provides food for the nanny or B) doesn't care what the nanny eats. FWIW, if OP was open to changing eating habits it can be done relatively inexpensively for those who complain about the cost. No one said OP has to start buying organic. Swapping out the fruit snacks for a piece of fresh fruit is easy. Nuts, yogurt, string cheese, turkey slices, baby carrots, etc... are healthy things that are not outrageously expensive. PLEASE NOTE: I am not saying OP should change her eating habits...that's her business. Just pointing out it doesn't need to be expensive. |
Anonymous
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Phssh....
If she wants you to eat healthy food, she can buy it for you. |
Anonymous
| At my office, we are not allowed to have popcorn or fish, because of the smell of them cooking in the microwave. That's my employer telling me how to eat. That's because I'm on their property for work, and they have guidelines about what they will and won't allow on their property. No different here, so the free country control freak people need to just stop. |
nannydebsays
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I think that it's important for you, the nanny, to model good eating habits. I eat much better at work, frankly, than I do at home *because* I want to be a good role model.
In your situation, I'd say something like, "MB, I understand your concern, and I will be happy to make myself lunch and snacks from the food you purchase to serve the kids, so that they can see me eating healthy foods." If she complains about buying food for you, you can then explain that you do not shop at health food type stores, and do not plan to make that change. TBH, it sounds as if your MB is drawing a line in the sand, and if you draw your own line, you may wind up leaving this job. |
Anonymous
| My employers would freak if I ate Oreos and Cheetos in front of their kids.. |
Anonymous
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She can't dictate what you eat. Ridiculous!
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Anonymous
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As pps, I can see both sides, though I don't think I have ever worked for a family that apparently eats THAT healthy. Most families I work with have some organic items, as well as a few junky things too.
I think since it wasn't talked about in the interview, yes, your mb should provide meals if she is going to change what you eat while working. |
Anonymous
| Until recently I was not a healthy eater at all. However, I work for a family who is very health conscious. It was never something that we discussed but I do not eat junk good in front of the kids. I believe part of my job is to set a good example. That being said, I'm not required to bring my own food. My employers have always allowed me to eat their food. I do the grocery shopping so it's easy for me to have healthy options I like. |
Anonymous
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I actually find trader joes cheaper than a regular store.
I mean - Greek yogurt for 99 cents! I starting shopping there when my MB kept telling me it's cheaper. My MB is kinda a health nut, shops at TJ (but also Costco for bulk items). Normally I don't eat a lot during the day but when I get home I sometimes do. I really,like the premade meals from TJ  most days I get home and I'm just to tired to think about cooking. TJ-chicken curry with some quinoa yum.
Of course my MB says I can eat anything in the house - though I don't give her a list she has seemed to learn what I like. I don't think she can tell you to eat healthier, but she can say the Cheetos and cookies are out (just like the post about smells). Just so you know I spend about 75 dollars every two weeks at trader joes and that is in southern California. |
Anonymous
| Model healthy food choices for the children and bring healthier things to eat. |
Anonymous
| OP, she cannot dictate what you eat! This os beyond reason and even if she buys the food she wants you to eat, you don't have to eat it. She is crazy and you need to tell her that what you eat is none of her effing business. |
Anonymous
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To the "free country" brigade: yes, she is free to have nothing but ice cream for lunch, just as her employer is free to fire her. Now that we've addressed our freedoms...
I would offer to eat what the children eat on their dime. If she objects, then explain that you are willing to change your eating habits, but not your shopping habits. She may fire you anyway, but you've then been more than reasonable and she is more likely to offer a good reference. |
Anonymous
| Just get a new job so the "parent" can raise her children exactly as she wishes. Done. |