I say this is a gray area.

I am not very good in the cooking area so I prefer the parents to either have something already prepared for me to heat up or something simple for me to prepare for the child for their meals. I.e., pasta, eggs, rice, etc.

Anything made from scratch and taking too much time would be something that I would be uncomfortable doing and I would be considerate enough to discuss this during an interview so the parents could use this in determining whether or not I would be a suitable match for their family.

However I must add, to balance everything out, to make up for my lack of cooking skills, I have excellent organization skills and love to organize drawers, closets, cabinets and pantries!

Anonymous wrote:13:39 here. What do you mean by cooking OP? My post was based off of the assumption that you meant actual cooking. If you mean making sandwiches, cutting fruit, and eggs for breakfast, then disregard my post. Yes your nanny should be able to put together a basic meal. No not every nanny is a cook.

I meant cooking from scratch but very simple one. Like some baked vegetables. I think it's really easy. Just put veggies to an oven and add some cheese.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It depends on what you mean by cooking. I handle breakfast, lunch and sometimes dinner for my charges who are toddler twins but I don't make fancy meals for them. We do eggs, oatmeal, french toast, etc. for Breakfast which isn't heavy cooking. For lunch I'll make mac & cheese, grilled cheese, turkey roll ups, egg salad, etc. Again...not heavy cooking. When I do dinner (maybe 2-4 times a month), I'll make them pasta or grill some chicken, etc. If you mean simple things like this, then yes...it is part of the nannies job. If you are expecting her to cook your kid gourmet meals, then no.

I don't think anyone expects a nanny to cook gourmet meals for a toddler. However, I have never encountered a nanny who did not regard cooking as part of the job. Whether that means mac&cheese and sandwiches or a healthier mix of meats and vegetables is up to the employer to prescribe.

Not everyone knows how to cook, or has the desire to cook, so it is best to discuss your needs up front and not act based on assumptions. I really enjoy cooking and I prepare all of my charge's meals from scratch and have since he was eating purees. My employers love that I can cook, and occasionally cook for them as well, but I recognize that not all nannies do what I do. If they were to go out and hire another nanny they would need to be explicit as to what they mean by cooking.

Anonymous wrote:It depends on what you mean by cooking. I handle breakfast, lunch and sometimes dinner for my charges who are toddler twins but I don't make fancy meals for them. We do eggs, oatmeal, french toast, etc. for Breakfast which isn't heavy cooking. For lunch I'll make mac & cheese, grilled cheese, turkey roll ups, egg salad, etc. Again...not heavy cooking. When I do dinner (maybe 2-4 times a month), I'll make them pasta or grill some chicken, etc. If you mean simple things like this, then yes...it is part of the nannies job. If you are expecting her to cook your kid gourmet meals, then no.

I don't think anyone expects a nanny to cook gourmet meals for a toddler. However, I have never encountered a nanny who did not regard cooking as part of the job. Whether that means mac&cheese and sandwiches or a healthier mix of meats and vegetables is up to the employer to prescribe.

It depends on what you want/need and negotiate OP.

Cooking for your child certainly could fall within the parameter of a nanny's responsibilities, but it doesn't have to.

Our nanny definitely does a fair amount of cooking, she also does a lot of reheating of things I prepare, or simple assembly of things like fruit, cold cuts, yogurt, veggies, sandwiches, etc...

Also, if you have very specific dietary requirements or preferences you need to be very clear about that. Not all nannies will be able to (or interested in) manage all diet approaches.

Yes, of course your child's nanny should cook food for him when he is in her care.

It depends on what you mean by cooking. I handle breakfast, lunch and sometimes dinner for my charges who are toddler twins but I don't make fancy meals for them. We do eggs, oatmeal, french toast, etc. for Breakfast which isn't heavy cooking. For lunch I'll make mac & cheese, grilled cheese, turkey roll ups, egg salad, etc. Again...not heavy cooking. When I do dinner (maybe 2-4 times a month), I'll make them pasta or grill some chicken, etc. If you mean simple things like this, then yes...it is part of the nannies job. If you are expecting her to cook your kid gourmet meals, then no.

Preparing meals, yes. This means sandwiches, eggs, pastas, grilled chicken, and so on.

Batch cooking only if you asked or negotiated for it. Not every nanny knows how to make chili or casserole.

13:39 here. What do you mean by cooking OP? My post was based off of the assumption that you meant actual cooking. If you mean making sandwiches, cutting fruit, and eggs for breakfast, then disregard my post. Yes your nanny should be able to put together a basic meal. No not every nanny is a cook.

I disagree that anything you can manage to tie to the children is the nanny's job, but I do think that you can define your particular job to be whatever you like it to be within reason.

If you have not already hired a nanny, you can certainly make cooking for the child part of the job duties, and you'll need to look at candidates that can and are willing to do some cooking.

If you already have a nanny, and this was not an aspect of the job that you agreed upon up front, you can reasonably approach her about it, but you may find that she cannot cook, or isn't interested in doing so. At that point you will need to decide if this is a deal breaker for you, and that she may not be a good fit for your needs any longer.

As you can see, it is best for everyone to be clear on their needs and expectations at hiring. Changing job requirements after the fact could result in a mismatch of needs.

Yes, they should cook for the toddler for the meals the nanny is with them for. But if you expect them to cook gourmet meals for your toddler or make home made baby food you should probably discuss that in the interview. I usually tell any nanny candidates that I expect them to make the children breakfast and lunch and give them some examples of the things they like to eat. For us it's nothing complicated, peanut butter and jelly, grilled cheese, eggs for breakfast. That kind of thing.

Anonymous wrote:Is cooking for toddler part of nanny's job?

Should we expect our nanny to do it?

ANYTHING related to the kids is the nannies job. If you can in any way tie something to the children you can require her to do it, legally. I tell my nanny since I'm the one that puts the kids to bed and does baths and stuff (she leaves at 6) that she needs to unload the dishwasher we start in the morning so I have time to focus on the kids when I get home.

Good luck OP.

Is cooking for toddler part of nanny's job?

Should we expect our nanny to do it?