Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At my last nanny job, we had classes 4 days a week. In the winter. In the snow. On Wednesdays, we even had a story time after our class that we had to hustle for. And then on the day we didn't have class, we had an arts and crafts day. It was a blast.

Anyone who says they have nothing to do with their charges is lazy.

I'm a teacher now, and I miss my nannying job like crazy.

You had classes that were, presumably, scheduled and paid for by your bosses. OP may not. This does not make her lazy. Every situation is different and you should know better than to judge so quickly.

Actually, no. Mb didn't schedule our classes. I did. I picked a few that were decently priced, and she gave me the to ahead and the money to do it. Most of our activities were free. We had story times, library classes, nature walks, free museum days, etc. the op is very uncreative and unmotivated. She seems to take no initiative. Nannying is probably not the best career choice for her.

You are very lucky to have access to all of those free activities and to have an MB who will pay for classes you suggest. Yes, it took a lot of initiative on your part, but the resources were available. Not everyone has access to these resources. Not everyone works for bosses who want their toddlers going on outings everyday. Not everyone can drive their charges. The possibilities are endless. This does not make someone a lazy nanny, they are just working in a restricted situation and it becomes harder to find new, creative ways to fill the days.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At my last nanny job, we had classes 4 days a week. In the winter. In the snow. On Wednesdays, we even had a story time after our class that we had to hustle for. And then on the day we didn't have class, we had an arts and crafts day. It was a blast.

Anyone who says they have nothing to do with their charges is lazy.

I'm a teacher now, and I miss my nannying job like crazy.

You had classes that were, presumably, scheduled and paid for by your bosses. OP may not. This does not make her lazy. Every situation is different and you should know better than to judge so quickly.

Actually, no. Mb didn't schedule our classes. I did. I picked a few that were decently priced, and she gave me the to ahead and the money to do it. Most of our activities were free. We had story times, library classes, nature walks, free museum days, etc. the op is very uncreative and unmotivated. She seems to take no initiative. Nannying is probably not the best career choice for her.

Why is OP getting so much flack for feeling unmotivated? Everyone feels like that sometimes, especially in a job that can be as isolating and monotonous as ours. I love my charges and my job, but I haven't had a day off since July. I'm dragging myself to Thanksgiving and hoping to reenergize. I'm not depressed. I'm actually quite happy. I'm simply run down. My charges are little so there's only so much we can do, and getting reimbursed for crafts or activites is like pulling teeth, so I am hesitant to do them. So we do free things; playgrounds, museums, ect. But it gets old.

Anonymous wrote:At my last nanny job, we had classes 4 days a week. In the winter. In the snow. On Wednesdays, we even had a story time after our class that we had to hustle for. And then on the day we didn't have class, we had an arts and crafts day. It was a blast.

Anyone who says they have nothing to do with their charges is lazy.

I'm a teacher now, and I miss my nannying job like crazy.

You had classes that were, presumably, scheduled and paid for by your bosses. OP may not. This does not make her lazy. Every situation is different and you should know better than to judge so quickly.

Agree with pp. Either laziness or lack of creativity.

OP is saying she's unmotivated, which sounds like she's low on energy = depressed. There's a problem here. It really bothers me that the nannies are so quick to deny she has a problem and act like this is totally normal nanny behavior.

At my last nanny job, we had classes 4 days a week. In the winter. In the snow. On Wednesdays, we even had a story time after our class that we had to hustle for. And then on the day we didn't have class, we had an arts and crafts day. It was a blast.

Anyone who says they have nothing to do with their charges is lazy.

I'm a teacher now, and I miss my nannying job like crazy.

I'm a big fan on sensory tables. Fill a bucket or table with all kinds of random things.

-potting soil with tiny dinosaurs in it
- pumpkin guts
- homemade slime
- colored sand with measuring cups
-leaves with plastic bugs hidden in it

I do baking projects with my one year olds, we bake cupcakes and I have them pour in all the ingredients taking turns. After they are baked I had them children knives and a tiny cup of frosting to let them "decorate" the cupcake. If I do a crockpot recipe, they add all the ingredients in and then with my assistance check on the food every few hours.
To kill time, every task I need to accomplish I involve them. They set up the table for each meal and help me clean up. One at a time they bring each item to their seat; placemat, cup, plate, etc. I also like to look at Pinterest for inspiration.

I found that the easiest way to get out of a rut is to plan each day like a preschool and involve the child in every aspect. Plan an outing, an art project, a science activity (baking and sensory table), circle time and a time for dramatic play. Also try to host holiday play groups with other nannies! You can do a thanksgiving day event where everyone brings supplies for an art project, special holiday treats and a game.

Anonymous wrote:
How would you know that OP makes a great effort because she takes a walk or two and goes to swimming lessons that she's most likely required to go to by her employers. You sound like OP sockpuppeting. If not you're both lazy. Thank Goodness I have great childcare, LOL.

How did you know that OP is depressed? I was unaware it's possible to make a diagnosis based on a few sentences over the internet.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You sound depressed and unhappy. It might be time to consider a career change, or a job change. It's not fair to the kids to have unmotivated, low energy nanny.

Oh please, OP doesn't not sound depressed or unhappy. She gave lots of examples of things her and her charge do. OP makes a great effort.

OP I definitely find that this time of year I feel a bit boxed in myself. It is wet outside, and I begin to realize the long winter months are coming.

You are NOT alone.

Is it possible to plan a few more outings? Everyone always says to go to the library, but we hit up the local Barnes and Noble each week. If my charge gets a bit too loud, no big deal!

I really do not have any other suggestions. I will try to think of more.

Keep your chin up! You got this!

I'm in the same position. I really do think it's the time of year, life is so much better when you can go outside everyday!

And to the nasty MB, please, let us know, in your expert experience, how you would creatively and constructively entertain a two year old every day short of trekking from activity to activity without becoming a little bit restless. If you have the answers, I am sure we'd all love to know. It gets tiring and, yes, you do get in a rut.

But, OP and PP, after the library wears out I usually have one open play place we can go to on a whim, we go to pet stores to look at animals, target is always a nice 20 minute (plus driving time!) distraction, and in the winter we just do stay in more.
As for inside:
-Set up a fort or tent and make lunch a pic-nic
-do a baking project
-we also work on a hunch of big projects in pieces-10 minutes a day- so there is always something that needs to be colored or glued
-get bundled and go for a rain walk with the goal of getting as wet and muddy as possible
-some MBs might not go for this, but we take all of the couch cushions off and make a sort of pillow island (this is a great arena for dance parties too)
-I also like to take on organizing projects on inside days (playroom and closets) that way I am in the room semi engaged, but the time goes much quicker
-window crayons are the most amazing invention ever for toddlers!

That's all I've got for now. Good luck!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You sound depressed and unhappy. It might be time to consider a career change, or a job change. It's not fair to the kids to have unmotivated, low energy nanny.

Oh please, OP doesn't not sound depressed or unhappy. She gave lots of examples of things her and her charge do. OP makes a great effort.

OP I definitely find that this time of year I feel a bit boxed in myself. It is wet outside, and I begin to realize the long winter months are coming.

You are NOT alone.

Is it possible to plan a few more outings? Everyone always says to go to the library, but we hit up the local Barnes and Noble each week. If my charge gets a bit too loud, no big deal!

I really do not have any other suggestions. I will try to think of more.

Keep your chin up! You got this!

How would you know that OP makes a great effort because she takes a walk or two and goes to swimming lessons that she's most likely required to go to by her employers. You sound like OP sockpuppeting. If not you're both lazy. Thank Goodness I have great childcare, LOL.

Anonymous wrote:You sound depressed and unhappy. It might be time to consider a career change, or a job change. It's not fair to the kids to have unmotivated, low energy nanny.

Oh please, OP doesn't not sound depressed or unhappy. She gave lots of examples of things her and her charge do. OP makes a great effort.

OP I definitely find that this time of year I feel a bit boxed in myself. It is wet outside, and I begin to realize the long winter months are coming.

You are NOT alone.

Is it possible to plan a few more outings? Everyone always says to go to the library, but we hit up the local Barnes and Noble each week. If my charge gets a bit too loud, no big deal!

I really do not have any other suggestions. I will try to think of more.

Keep your chin up! You got this!

You sound depressed and unhappy. It might be time to consider a career change, or a job change. It's not fair to the kids to have unmotivated, low energy nanny.

First thing I always recommend to both parents and nannies, is to eliminate the idiot box. There's (almost) nothing worse for young children. Allow your child time to do nothing, and be ok with it. They should not be entertained every waking moment. Let them experience their own creativity for a change.
What kinds of things do you enjoy doing, OP?

I'm feeling similar. I'm not as connected with these charges due to their behavior, which stems from their mom. I really need to motivate myself to have more fun and be more patient. No advice, other than to be sure that you are happy with what you put into the world every day.

Nannies, what do you do when you feel bored and unmotivated at work? The house is always tidy when I leave and I'm trying to make each day fun and engaging for my almost 2yo charge, but I feel tired, lazy, and have been relying on "free play" and TV way more than I'm comfortable with lately. Nap time is a god send each day. I need a way to motivate myself to be a better nanny! We do lots of books, colouring and play dough, she has lots of great open ended toys and we go on lots of walks. There are playgrounds nearby but they are all wet and freezing and will be for the next 5 months. We also have swimming lessons and library story time 1x per week.