Anonymous
03/15/2014 15:00
Subject: I do not like how the nanny allows the children to play
Anonymous wrote:Cuz those people don't have four kids.Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Yeah, I believed it up to the crayon thing.
Why is it so hard to believe some people have neat and orderly homes?
Hahahaha! Yes. 4 kids young enough to all be home with the nanny ... the crayons came out of the box awhile ago.
Anonymous
03/15/2014 12:34
Subject: Re:I do not like how the nanny allows the children to play
Anonymous wrote:
Anybody else think the original post has troll written all over it?
Yes.
Definitely a troll. And not a good one.
Anonymous
03/15/2014 12:16
Subject: I do not like how the nanny allows the children to play
Cuz those people don't have four kids.Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Yeah, I believed it up to the crayon thing.
Why is it so hard to believe some people have neat and orderly homes?
Anonymous
03/15/2014 10:38
Subject: I do not like how the nanny allows the children to play
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Yeah, I believed it up to the crayon thing.
Why is it so hard to believe some people have neat and orderly homes?
Net and orderly is no where close to being so neurotic that you only allow your kids to color with ONE CRAYON AT A TIME or put clean sheets all over things (whatever that means). Either OP is a really ridiculous troll or has some serious control issues. Either way, life must not be too fun for them or their poor children...if they exist.
Anonymous
03/15/2014 10:33
Subject: I do not like how the nanny allows the children to play
Anonymous wrote:Yeah, I believed it up to the crayon thing.
Why is it so hard to believe some people have neat and orderly homes?
Anonymous
03/15/2014 09:58
Subject: I do not like how the nanny allows the children to play
Yeah, I believed it up to the crayon thing.
Anonymous
03/15/2014 02:50
Subject: I do not like how the nanny allows the children to play
Anonymous wrote:Anybody else think the original post has troll written all over it?
YES!!!
Anonymous
03/15/2014 00:32
Subject: Re:I do not like how the nanny allows the children to play
Seriously OP, it is not a big deal at all. They are kids, they are going to do silly things, you need to let them be kids, be creative, build forts, break them etc... The one rule you need to make sure the nanny and the kids know is that they need to clean up after themselves, and make sure they do not break or destroy anything or else there will be consequences. I would suggest you set up a play area or a play room for them filled with their toys and they can do whatever they want there (build forts, jump etc..., but they will have to clean up the play area or room at the end of the day, or else no play room for a day or two). The crayon thing should not be an issue at all, why are we even talking about that????? 
Anyways for the laundry, it is not the nanny's duty to do that (unless you are paying her extra), but I would say that on all the issues you stated above, it seems to be the first instance since the new nanny started working, so really I do not see any grounds for firing a perfectly great nanny that lets your kids be kids and seems to take good care of them. Just talk to her and see how it goes. It is really hard to find a great nanny, nothing will guarantee that your next nanny will be better than this one, and you will fire her and the cycle will keep going on because you won't find the perfect nanny. So, just work with the one you have, talk to her, mold her, shape her to fit your family, and if it gets too much for her tell her to be honest and open with you and talk to you and give you her point of view and suggestion on the kids etc. In addition to the parents, it takes a village to raise a kid. Hope it works out for you. 
Anyways for the laundry, it is not the nanny's duty to do that (unless you are paying her extra), but I would say that on all the issues you stated above, it seems to be the first instance since the new nanny started working, so really I do not see any grounds for firing a perfectly great nanny that lets your kids be kids and seems to take good care of them. Just talk to her and see how it goes. It is really hard to find a great nanny, nothing will guarantee that your next nanny will be better than this one, and you will fire her and the cycle will keep going on because you won't find the perfect nanny. So, just work with the one you have, talk to her, mold her, shape her to fit your family, and if it gets too much for her tell her to be honest and open with you and talk to you and give you her point of view and suggestion on the kids etc. In addition to the parents, it takes a village to raise a kid. Hope it works out for you.
Anonymous
03/15/2014 00:14
Subject: I do not like how the nanny allows the children to play
Anonymous wrote:Anybody else think the original post has troll written all over it?
Yes.
Anonymous
03/14/2014 23:48
Subject: I do not like how the nanny allows the children to play
Anybody else think the original post has troll written all over it?
Anonymous
03/14/2014 23:46
Subject: I do not like how the nanny allows the children to play
you have GOT to let the crayon thing go. When you buy a new box of crayons, pencils, markers etc just dump them into the same box and LET IT GO. Seriously. Let. it. go.
The furniture thing...again, not a big deal. Kids have a lot of energy. Four kids have a relentless amount of energy. Are they given appropriate outlets for that energy? If not, expect that they'll be building forts and what not. Normal kid stuff, not a big deal unless they're doing something truly destructive or harmful. Make them each fort kit w/ a sheet or two, clothes pins, table cloth clamps, rope etc and let them create some super fun kid memories while also working together constructively on a mutually beneficial project. Then when it's time to clean up, they put everything back into their respective fort kit bag. Done.
The only one I agree with is the clothes. And even then I'd probably say meh, your clothes, your problem.
The furniture thing...again, not a big deal. Kids have a lot of energy. Four kids have a relentless amount of energy. Are they given appropriate outlets for that energy? If not, expect that they'll be building forts and what not. Normal kid stuff, not a big deal unless they're doing something truly destructive or harmful. Make them each fort kit w/ a sheet or two, clothes pins, table cloth clamps, rope etc and let them create some super fun kid memories while also working together constructively on a mutually beneficial project. Then when it's time to clean up, they put everything back into their respective fort kit bag. Done.
The only one I agree with is the clothes. And even then I'd probably say meh, your clothes, your problem.
Anonymous
03/14/2014 22:35
Subject: I do not like how the nanny allows the children to play
I think you need to focus less on what she's doing with the kids (which sounds fun and creative!) and more on how the house is restored after the fact. If a family asked me to police that the children were only using one crayon at a time, I'd start looking for a new job ASAP. If a family asked me to make sure the kids helped organize and put away the art supplies once we were done, I'd have no problem with that.
Anonymous
03/14/2014 21:08
Subject: I do not like how the nanny allows the children to play
I think it's probably better to get a new nanny, but I would talk to her first and see if anything changes.
Anonymous
03/14/2014 21:07
Subject: I do not like how the nanny allows the children to play
I think it's always good to first try to correct the issue before immediately calling quits. While I understand maintaining an orderly home, I think you also need to look at your own behavior. Some of the things you commented about sounds like severe OCD. My own mother suffered from it and would get upset about many of the things you find unacceptable. I agree that dangerous behavior like jumping on furniture is a no-no, the crayon thing is a little controlling.
Anonymous
03/14/2014 20:57
Subject: I do not like how the nanny allows the children to play
DH and I run a very orderly home. With four children, you have to, in order for things to run smoothly. DH's mother used to watch the children during the day but it got to be too much for her so we hired a nanny last month.
We explained how we prefer our house to be kept and she agreed that's how she keeps her home too. We stressed that she is to have the kids clean up after themselves with her help. We stressed this to them as well - that they are not to take advantage or leave any messes for her. I've noticed though, that she allows them to do things DH and I do not. We do not jump on furniture. We do not take all pillows and cushions off the couches, bring all other pillows in the house to the living room, overturn chairs, throw clean sheets over everything, etc. When they color, they take out a crayon, use it, and then put it back before choosing another. Not only did the nanny not encourage the children to maintain this, but today I found all the crayons in a heap in a box with fat and thin markers, colored pencils, erasers, etc. We agreed the nanny would do one load of laundry each day, and she was told if she folds and puts the piles of clean, folded clothes on the beds of the children, they will put everything away properly. I found clothes unfolded just shoved in drawers.
DH feels this is completely unacceptable, as do I. He wants to handle this by hiring someone else and firing her. I want to handle it by going over the way things are done here again and asking her to fix the messes over her next two work-days. DH does not think this will be productive. Obviously we will be having a big talk with the children this weekend about following our family rules whether or not there's someone there to enforce them. Which one of us is more reasonable?
We explained how we prefer our house to be kept and she agreed that's how she keeps her home too. We stressed that she is to have the kids clean up after themselves with her help. We stressed this to them as well - that they are not to take advantage or leave any messes for her. I've noticed though, that she allows them to do things DH and I do not. We do not jump on furniture. We do not take all pillows and cushions off the couches, bring all other pillows in the house to the living room, overturn chairs, throw clean sheets over everything, etc. When they color, they take out a crayon, use it, and then put it back before choosing another. Not only did the nanny not encourage the children to maintain this, but today I found all the crayons in a heap in a box with fat and thin markers, colored pencils, erasers, etc. We agreed the nanny would do one load of laundry each day, and she was told if she folds and puts the piles of clean, folded clothes on the beds of the children, they will put everything away properly. I found clothes unfolded just shoved in drawers.
DH feels this is completely unacceptable, as do I. He wants to handle this by hiring someone else and firing her. I want to handle it by going over the way things are done here again and asking her to fix the messes over her next two work-days. DH does not think this will be productive. Obviously we will be having a big talk with the children this weekend about following our family rules whether or not there's someone there to enforce them. Which one of us is more reasonable?