To be fair there are colds where you're sniffly and colds that feel like the plague. Not being OP's nanny it is impossible for us to know how bad she is actually feeling and whether taking time off is/was appropriate or not.

If she needs to take a sick day for a cold, you are right to be concerned, OP. if she doesn't have the ability to work on snow days or days when she has a minor cold, you should probably find a hardier nanny.

Or her, not him.

Nanny here. In my opinion, watching tv takes the same amount of effort as sitting next to a kid doing puzzles or coloring. Sure, I have days were I don't feel good so that just means activities like sensory bins and art projects, not banging on pots and pans.

I have a WAH DB. EVERYTIME he comes out of his office, he turns all three tvs in the house on. He won't even watch them he just likes the noise. It drives me insane! The only two times I've turned the tv on were when the new Pope was elected and to watch the women's ice skating Olympics.

I would probably just remind your nanny that you limit screen time during the day or even make suggestions "I know you aren't feeling well so I pulled out some puzzles and crayons which should keep him occupied for a while".

You know what, you're right I'm obsessing over this thing when I should just be working.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can't have it both ways OP. You're mad about all the time she's had off, you're behind at work and wanted her to come in. She came in. She's sick. Give her a break. Take a look at all the threads in the archives where MBs rant about nannies wanting a sick day for every little thing and how they'd rather they come in, but take it easy. Figure out what you want and communicate it, because right now she's basically damned if she does and damned if she doesn't.

I would have preferred that she just tell me that she was too sick to care for my child, so that I could have arranged for back up care. But I totally admit that I didn't specifically communicate that to her, so I think I'll do that today.

I do feel bad that I'm getting annoyed, because I know it's not her fault. At the same time, I feel like she could still let my child do more than watch tv all day long, even if she is sick. No matter how sick I am, I still have to work and take care of our child, and not just let her sit in front of a tv ALL day. A couple hours, ok. But all day? I'd be happier if she could just go lay down on the couch, and let my kid play with some toys. But she is a little rigid in some regards, particularly with letting my kid do her own thing.

OP, you say you would have preferred she just take a sick day, but in this same thread you've complained about the amount of sick and snow days she's taken. It doesn't sound like you'd be happy either way. What you really mean is you'd rather she not be sick. I'm sure she feels the same. She's human. Get over it. Your kid will live to see another day despite the TV, and if you want to get your dollar's worth, I suggest getting off of DCUM and get to work.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can't have it both ways OP. You're mad about all the time she's had off, you're behind at work and wanted her to come in. She came in. She's sick. Give her a break. Take a look at all the threads in the archives where MBs rant about nannies wanting a sick day for every little thing and how they'd rather they come in, but take it easy. Figure out what you want and communicate it, because right now she's basically damned if she does and damned if she doesn't.

I would have preferred that she just tell me that she was too sick to care for my child, so that I could have arranged for back up care. But I totally admit that I didn't specifically communicate that to her, so I think I'll do that today.

I do feel bad that I'm getting annoyed, because I know it's not her fault. At the same time, I feel like she could still let my child do more than watch tv all day long, even if she is sick. No matter how sick I am, I still have to work and take care of our child, and not just let her sit in front of a tv ALL day. A couple hours, ok. But all day? I'd be happier if she could just go lay down on the couch, and let my kid play with some toys. But she is a little rigid in some regards, particularly with letting my kid do her own thing.

OP, you say you would have preferred she just take a sick day, but in this same thread you've complained about the amount of sick and snow days she's taken. It doesn't sound like you'd be happy either way. What you really mean is you'd rather she not be sick. I'm sure she feels the same. She's human. Get over it. Your kid will live to see another day despite the TV, and if you want to get your dollar's worth, I suggest getting off of DCUM and get to work.

Anonymous wrote:You can't have it both ways OP. You're mad about all the time she's had off, you're behind at work and wanted her to come in. She came in. She's sick. Give her a break. Take a look at all the threads in the archives where MBs rant about nannies wanting a sick day for every little thing and how they'd rather they come in, but take it easy. Figure out what you want and communicate it, because right now she's basically damned if she does and damned if she doesn't.

I would have preferred that she just tell me that she was too sick to care for my child, so that I could have arranged for back up care. But I totally admit that I didn't specifically communicate that to her, so I think I'll do that today.

I do feel bad that I'm getting annoyed, because I know it's not her fault. At the same time, I feel like she could still let my child do more than watch tv all day long, even if she is sick. No matter how sick I am, I still have to work and take care of our child, and not just let her sit in front of a tv ALL day. A couple hours, ok. But all day? I'd be happier if she could just go lay down on the couch, and let my kid play with some toys. But she is a little rigid in some regards, particularly with letting my kid do her own thing.

When I'm sick and home with the kids, I let them watch WAY too much TV. It makes me cringe, but it's the only way. WWYD if you were a SAHM and wasn't feeling well?

You can't have it both ways OP. You're mad about all the time she's had off, you're behind at work and wanted her to come in. She came in. She's sick. Give her a break. Take a look at all the threads in the archives where MBs rant about nannies wanting a sick day for every little thing and how they'd rather they come in, but take it easy. Figure out what you want and communicate it, because right now she's basically damned if she does and damned if she doesn't.

Thanks for the responses everyone.

A few hours later, and a little more perspective... I think I've been a little frustrated because it's been a long winter.... a couple sick days here and there and TONS of snow days. Days she couldn't come in to work (no fault of her own), and I still felt obligated to pay her, while I am unable to get my work done or receive any pay. And plus I pay her for holidays and give her paid time off. It's just been a long, long winter. In addition, my work has been very up and down, and she has no flexibility in her schedule, which means that on the weeks that my work load is double, she can't come in any extra hours. And the weeks that I have almost no work, I still have to pay her. All very big financial hits that has left me rethinking the financial sense in keeping her, so maybe I am just a little sensitive right now in terms of not getting enough for my dollar. We pay her a very competitive rate.

So yes, although I realize she is sick and she came in anyway to help me out, and I know this is something she doesn't do every day (normally she is great, and attentive). It still doesn't change the fact that it really pains me right now to see that I'm paying her good money to have sit and watch tv with my daughter all day.

Anonymous wrote:If she is that sick, you should let her go home. What is she sick with?

I am stuck now, because I need to get my work done by the end of the week and I'm already behind. But I may just send her home after she puts LO down for a nap.

She has a regular cold, I think. She works with a lot of kids, so she is sick all the time. She's only called out sick a couple of times though.

If she is that sick, you should let her go home. What is she sick with?

She probably felt like she had to come in because you had so much work to do. My boss does this all the time. However I wouldn't watch TV all day. Maybe suggest something like coloring, going for a walk because it's nice out.

If this has only happened one time where she had the tv on longer then you want then I would let it go. She is sick and came in so you could work.

Ok, I just need to vent and someone to talk me down from the ledge. I work from home, and a nanny comes in for a little more than half a day to watch my 2 year old while I work. She is sick today, but came in. She was sick yesterday as well, and told me about an hour after coming in that she wasn't feeling well, and asked if she could go home, so I sent her home. I have a ton of work to get done this week, so I although I'm grateful she came in today, but if I knew she were that sick, I would have preferred to arrange for back up care. I told her she could watch a little tv with my 2 year old if that would make her day go easier. Well it's been nearly 4 hours, and they've been sitting on the couch watching tv non-stop ALL DAY. I guess I wasn't explicit, but I can barely concentrate on my work because I'm thinking about how much tv my kid is watching. I guess you could say we are pretty conservative with her screen time - we limit it to 30 minutes to an hour a day at most. I feel like whisking my kid up to my office and letting her sit and do a puzzle or something while I work, while the nanny naps. I feel like that would be time better spent. If I don't say anything now, there will probably be another hour and a half of tv watching today, which I'm not cool with. Should I say something?

Also, while I do plan to pay her for yesterday when she went home sick, and today as well - I wanted to get an opinion on whether this is expected/standard?