Reply to Typical Nanny Duties and "Light Housework"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]This is a spinoff of a thread that was recently revived, but I want to be more explicit so I can make sure our agreement specifies things appropriately.

Our nanny is responsible for all things kid related -- caretaking, pickups, activities, kid laundry, kid dishes/bottles/pans, meal prep (whether defrosting BM, prepping formula, making purees or older kid food), tidying toys/kids rooms and the like.  This would also include maybe seasonally or as appropriate setting aside toys that are broken/not played with, or clothes that are outgrown, for the parents to deal with.  I think of these as "typical nanny duties" --- is that a correct assumption?

Then, in the "light housework" category, this would be things like running/emptying the dishwasher as needed (which is a combo of kids stuff and adult dishes), taking out the kitchen trash or kids bathroom trash as needed (definitely no one else's), swiffer/stick vacuum meal crumbs (that kids created, if needed), wipe countertops, wash/fold household sheets/towels (occasionally, no adult personal laundry - most likely this is a load of kitchen linens and bathroom handtowels) -- things that in the normal routine of the household keep things running smoothly.

For sake of argument - "housekeeper" duties are the weekly deep cleans, fridge clean out, mopping, vacuuming, baseboards, bedding swaps, etc....

As I've laid it out above, is that fairly typical?  Unless "light housework" is specified, and somewhat detailed with types of tasks, it becomes a point of debate down the line.  Are any of the kid-related laundry/cleaning duties a-typical and therefore things that need to be equally spelled out and detailed in the agreement?[/quote]
Usually cleaning, cooking and laundry duties related to the child ONLY are not considered housework, light or heavy. This is a normal part of nanny duties.  Another normal part of nanny duties is cleaning up after herself and the kid at the end of the day. I.e. - did you cook his dinner? please clean up the kitchen after yourself.  Did you play in the playroom for two hours? Please straighten up the toys. Did you make a pillow fort in the living room? Please return the cushions to their regular upright position. Etc.

You venture into the "light housework" category when you go into duties that neither related to the child, nor to cleanup after their normal activities at home.  Such as vacuuming the floors, doing laundry for other family members, running a dishwasher, taking out the trash etc.  On this, there is no agreed upon list of duties, every family and nanny must come to an agreement on what is most useful for this particular family and not objectionable to the nanny.  For instance, our nanny ran the dishwasher and vacuumed the living room and the playroom, simply because that's where they spent most of their time and she wanted to make sure it's good for a crawling child.  That worked for us, we did not ask or need anything else as we had a cleaning lady come regularly. [/quote]

Here's a thought if you want a raise or to stay past preschool age, pitch in extra and it will be rewarding. In america no one owes you anything and to lazy around doing the absolute minimum will get you no where.[/quote]

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