Our first nanny was really great, but had a physical issue (undisclosed at interview) that was interfering with her job. As she was on the older side already, and DC was just getting bigger and more physically demanding, we anticipated this to become a larger problem and decided we should end the relationship as soon as we could.

Our second and current nanny, I expect will leave us within the year instead of the 2-3 years we had hoped. So not a firing, but an earlier parting of ways than expected. There is nothing so awful about her, but she's just not that great either. DC will be in preschool soon and instead of adapting nanny's responsibilities (as we had discussed), we will let her know that we no longer need a nanny for the number of hours that she requires.

I've been a nanny for a very long time, and while I have been "let go" for pretty normal reasons a few times (such as the youngest child is now in kindergarten, or one parent got laid off and they couldn't afford me any longer, or the family moved out of state), I was only "fired" one time.

It was early in my nanny career and it was a position with 3 year old twins and a 6 year old boy with autism who was home schooled (mostly by the nanny). I'd worked with children with autism before and I'd done some home school work before, but I didn't realize how high needs/ low functioning their 6 year old was before I started the job (and I think the parents were a little in denial about that, too). I just wasn't up to the job, honestly, and I should have just quit. I felt like I was "helping them out" by sticking it out, but that really wasn't the case, because I wasn't giving the 6 year old the level of care he needed, and it just wasn't a good fit.

I am happy that they fired me, because that was a really tough job that I just wasn't cut out for. I learned a lot from that job, including what my personal limitations are, and also to ask a lot more questions up front (and have a couple trial days before officially starting). Also I was relatively young and inexperienced, and did not charge very much (in hindsight I should've been getting at least $5/hr more, minimum), so I'm hoping that it was also a learning lesson for that family (if you have 3 young kids, including a special needs child, and want your children home schooled, maybe don't just go for the candidate willing to work for the least amount of money).

Let a nanny go after 3+ years. She:

- was having health problems that resulted in her calling me to say she couldn't get off the couch and I had to come home (while caring for 3 year old toddlers)
- was unable to physically keep up with (and therefore keep safe) the growing kids
- was increasingly relying on us to help w/ her car repair needs, doctors appointments, family problems, etc...
- was terrified of any kind of weather
- resented that we didn't let her live-in with us

She was fantastic in the first 18 months and then began a gradual decline that we let go on too long. It was hard and sad.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I stared working as a nanny in 20003 . I worked 4 years with a family . in my second nanny job in 20008 .I got fire after 2 months working for that family because i went to the post office holding the baby in my arms without stroller.

Are you going to tell us why you did this? THere has to be a reason to be reckless? Wre you in a hurry?

I am missing something here... what is reckless about going to the post office carrying a baby vs a baby in the stroller?

Anonymous wrote:I stared working as a nanny in 20003 . I worked 4 years with a family . in my second nanny job in 20008 .I got fire after 2 months working for that family because i went to the post office holding the baby in my arms without stroller.

Are you going to tell us why you did this? THere has to be a reason to be reckless? Wre you in a hurry?

We had a nanny for our first kid, who we loved and who we still have a relationship with. However, when we were in need of a nanny again for our second child, we did not rehire her because she wasn't as energetic and proactive as we would have liked, and she used more than her allotment of PTO. While we would not have (and did not) fire her over that, it did prevent us from extending her a second offer.

She kept falling asleep so we had to let her go.

We moved.

Nanny wasn't comfortable being home alone with a man in the house. My husband has to work overnights and sleep during the day sometimes.

Nanny used our credit card for some personal items on several occasions.

I quit my job to SAH.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She kicked our dog.

OMG I would have fired her too

I would have reported her for animal abuse.

Anonymous wrote:She kicked our dog.

OMG I would have fired her too

She kicked our dog.

Family had serious money problems and they had to put their little boy in daycare. Everyone was heartbroken. I even offered to lower my hourly wage by $6 and work off the books but the DB is in the military and was too afraid they would get caught.

I have made it a priority to see my charge every single week since my last day. I am just a family friend but the little boy still calls me "Nanny".

We moved.

She had health problems that were ongoing, kept her out of work frequently, and were not going to improve (we actually made her part time).

The other two both moved on after a year (one for work in her college field, the other to be a SAHM).

1. uncontrollable rage/violence in a charge: I suggested that taking him to a psychologist to work through the cause of the anger was an appropriate response, to try to stop his violence towards his sister and me. I was summarily fired for voicing said opinion.
2. custody issues: When custody changes, it happens.
3. parent was downsized: When parents don't have money to pay the nanny, and they have the time to do with their own children, it happens.
4. personality conflict: New parental figure, existing nanny, it happens. We both tried, it didn't work.
5. taxes: Parents who agreed that it was on the books, had been deducting my taxes, then realized what their tax bill would be later. Lesson learned: I now make sure that they're aware of their tax obligations from the start, not just my deductions.

I stared working as a nanny in 20003 . I worked 4 years with a family . in my second nanny job in 20008 .I got fire after 2 months working for that family because i went to the post office holding the baby in my arms without stroller.