Anonymous wrote:OP again and thank you for the suggestions. PP, I did talk to my MB as you suggested about taking a few of my PTO to get away for a long weekend and she was great about it. I do think it will help.

Thank you all again.

Great! Hope you plan something fun!

OP again and thank you for the suggestions. PP, I did talk to my MB as you suggested about taking a few of my PTO to get away for a long weekend and she was great about it. I do think it will help.

Thank you all again.

In my opinion, anyone working 50+ hrs a week caring for a young child would not be human if they didn't experience burn out.

Caring for a young child is very isolating, repetitious and physically/mentally draining. Sure, there are many rewards as well, but it is tough work.

You are constantly working hard to keep your charge entertained, safe, happy, clean, well fed, well rested + educated. This is an enormous responsibility here.

I am not sure if you are allowed to drive your charge anywhere, but if you are I would suggest asking your bosses if you can plan your daily outings. This will give you a chance to switch things up and do something new and different every now and then.

Also, I highly encourage you to join some playgroups w/other parents and/or nannies so you can have the opportunity to interact w/other adults from time to time.

Good luck. Hope this is helpful.

Anonymous wrote:OP here and thank you so much, everyone! I do need to check my diet and I could focus on losing a couple pounds. I do take my charge to two morning story times at the library, one Parent & Me class and a Music Together class. We go to the park every afternoon (weather permitting). So we are busy but maybe it is getting too routine for both of us. I was thinking about switching one of them out for a gym class for him - I think he would enjoy it and it would be a nice change for me.

I will also look into a weekend away. I hate to take any of my PTO just because my employers have no one else to cover for me.

Again, thank you all so much for the suggestions! I actually feel better just admitting that I am getting worn down a bit.

I just wanted to comment on this (I'm the pp MB who supported the mental health day concept.) As an employer, I so appreciate the thoughtfulness about how tough it is to arrange backup coverage. However, you have vacation and sick leave for a reason and your employers need to be prepared to allow you to use it. Presumably they have leave also, even if they don't have other back-up care options.

Planning for the nanny to be out is infinitely easier when there is time to plan. Try this, talk w/ your employers and say "I'm going to plan a couple of things using a couple of my days off, but I want to try to schedule that so it's as manageable as possible for you. What I'd like to do is use 2 or 3 of my vacation days in the next two months to create a couple of long weekends. I'm flexible on dates so if you let me know which days/weekends would be easiest for you I will plan around that."

If they can't manage that then they are not doing their job as employers. If you took that approach w/ me I would so happy to support you, and so appreciative that you were making it easy for me.

I am a nanny and I appreciate this thread and all the good advice. I am starting to feel like I am "just existing" - working to cover my living expenses and living only to work. I need to shake up my life as well. It is difficult when you work as many hours as a nanny does but I am determined to feel like I am progressing somehow.

I know I need to spend more time with my friends. I always think I am too tired but I have to get out of that mindset. Staying home and resting has done little for me.

Anyway, thanks for this thread, OP.

I can totally relate! I cried last week even! My boss got home and again asked "Do I have time to change?". Inside I was screaming "NOoooo its 7:02. You are 2 mins late. She asks me this every single day. Then after she is done changing I need to give the run down for the day and listen to any instructions she gives me for the next day. By the time I get out of there its like 7:30-7:45. Gahhhhh.

I was hoping the warmer weather and sunshine would make me feel better but so far it hasn't. No advice just sitting on the bench right next to you.

OP here and thank you so much, everyone! I do need to check my diet and I could focus on losing a couple pounds. I do take my charge to two morning story times at the library, one Parent & Me class and a Music Together class. We go to the park every afternoon (weather permitting). So we are busy but maybe it is getting too routine for both of us. I was thinking about switching one of them out for a gym class for him - I think he would enjoy it and it would be a nice change for me.

I will also look into a weekend away. I hate to take any of my PTO just because my employers have no one else to cover for me.

Again, thank you all so much for the suggestions! I actually feel better just admitting that I am getting worn down a bit.

Another MB here agreeing w/ the mental health day concept. But also, maybe there are longer terms things that might be worth exploring - a pool membership, an activity class for the toddler that gives you a break for a bit fairly regularly, etc...

If you came to me and said that you hoped to be with us for the long term, love my child and working for us, etc... but that you're just feeling a little burned out, I would totally work with you on that (and I'd also totally understand.)

The same thing would be true if you just said you needed to find a way to take bit of time off for rejuvenation in the next month or two. Then you could plan a long weekend with something totally different and fun - take a trip to see a good friend, go away somewhere overnight, etc... If you take some time, use it do really do something different - not just stay at home. The cognitive value of being out of your element, especially if you're doing something different and something you'll really enjoy, can increase hugely if some type of travel is involved.

Go whitewater rafting for a weekend or something like that.

Take good care of yourself OP - you'll be a better nanny for it and I'd support that. I'd FAR rather work with you to schedule a bit of time off, than have you call in sick unexpectedly, or just be kind of draggy around my child, etc...

What sorts of social activities do you have available during your long work week with your charge?

Could you take a vacation, even just a long weekend, away? Refresh & recharge? That plus a new activity for you to enjoy with your charge to change up the routine might help. That age requires a lot of energy, and for you to always be "on," so if there's some venue where the kid can get a lot of energy out without you knocking yourself out, that might help.

How is your health, OP? I was feeling very draggy so I went on a healthful diet and lost 20 pounds -- and felt energized. I kinda doubt it was the actual weight loss since I'm 5"10 and 20 pounds on me isn't even noticeable but I think it was the concept that I was changing something in my life that gave me my energy and passion back for everything including my job.

Good luck. You sound like a good nanny.

You don't say what your vacation package is so my advice may not work

I'm an MB. Mental health day. DS' nanny gets personal leave for the very point that we don't want her to burn out. She has accrued PTO time that she can use for whatever (vacation, personal, sick) which is separate from the time off she gets because we go away or holidays. If you have a set up where you can take a monday or Friday off, I strongly encourage it. We all need breaks now and then to preserve our sanity.

Like most nannies, I work 50 hours a week. I have been a nanny to my current charge for over 19 months (since his birth) and am just now beginning to feel a bit burnt out. How to I fix this? Our vacation is not until mid-August and the long summer ahead feels daunting.

I have always loved being a nanny and I am very devoted to my adorable charge. But I am tiring. It is not about the salary or my employers or my charge - I just need to regain my passion for the job.

Any suggestions would be appreciated - just, please... no crap, okay? I want to stay with this family and stay a nanny.