Maintaining the charges' clothing is almost always part of a nanny's job. If the clothing needs to be ironed to look presentable, then ironing is also part of the job. A lot of it can be avoided by getting stuff out of the dryer and smoothed out fast, but some is just unavoidable. I do think that more higher-end kids' clothes (especially girls' dresses) are 100% cotton these days, and other than most knits, 100% cotton does tend to need ironing.

Anonymous wrote:I have been a nanny for a long time. Seven years ago I took off seven years to finish my degree and work in a preschool. I've been back to nannying since January and I have been shocked by how much ironing is now involved in my job! I've always believed that the kids laundry was a part of my job and sometimes ironing is needed - but never this much! Every thing my charge wears seems to need ironing and not just her little dresses. Shorts, shirts, pants - did they stop making permanent press baby clothes when I was away?!!!

I love my job and of course will keep ironing but did something happen in the last seven years that made kids clothes all need ironing? Even with immediate removal from the dryer her clothes really are so crumpled looking and wrinkled they are unwearable unless they are ironed. She's only 9 months!

1. It's possible that the clothing is higher maintenance.
2. Do they have a newer washing machine that is High Efficiency? (needs HE laundry detergent)? it won't have a rod down the middle, and it will self-adjust the amount of water based on the weight of the clothing. I do, and I found when I first did the laundry at home that the darned thing will SET IN wrinkles in the washing machine! I don't know why! The temptation with the HE washing machine, because it can take a huge load, is to put that huge load in the dryer, and that's where your problem is. So do the huge laundry load, but then separate by 1/2 to 1/3 the amount that goes in the dryer. That way the dryer will take the wrinkles out. Sounds crazy, but it's true. My sister takes her huge washer load, throws it in the dryer, and voila! Super dry clothing, but EVERYTHING needs to be ironed, including socks and underwear, LOL! (not that she does it, the kids just all look wrinkled) So figure out if that's it. Might not be, if you are doing only baby's laundry than you won't have super large loads. Perhaps you are putting the dryer on too high a setting for the type of clothing? Change the dryer setting to something shorter/less hot/something or other. I certainly would NOT want to be ironing all those clothes!

Anonymous wrote:I never do my charges laundry. In fact, today I took the kids clothes out of the dryer and set them on top so I could use it to dry something of mine and then I tossed their clothes back in. I don't believe folding clothes is part of being a nanny. Caring for the kids is completely separate for "doing everything related to the children" and if you let them become merged then that is your own fault.

It is fine if you don't want to do a particular task, but in most cases being a nanny means maintaining the children's spaces and things. This includes clothes, bedding, toys, vacuuming bedrooms and cleaning on and around their seats after mealtimes. These have been standard nanny duties for as long as there have been nannies and while everyone has the right to negotiate their own preferences (I don't/can't iron to save my life), saying "it's your own fault" is pretty rude/weak. Most parents paying a good wage will rightfully expect those things be done.

Anonymous wrote:I never do my charges laundry. In fact, today I took the kids clothes out of the dryer and set them on top so I could use it to dry something of mine and then I tossed their clothes back in. I don't believe folding clothes is part of being a nanny. Caring for the kids is completely separate for "doing everything related to the children" and if you let them become merged then that is your own fault.

If you are working with multiple children, you're probably on your toes most of the time just like any fulltime mother would be. But if there's only one baby, you have lots of time to take care of the baby's laundry, and they're things are so darn cute! But ironing? No.

I never do my charges laundry. In fact, today I took the kids clothes out of the dryer and set them on top so I could use it to dry something of mine and then I tossed their clothes back in. I don't believe folding clothes is part of being a nanny. Caring for the kids is completely separate for "doing everything related to the children" and if you let them become merged then that is your own fault.

Anonymous wrote:Wow..What 9 mos. old needs to have so many of her clothes ironed??

C'mon OP, spill the beans here. Are you the nanny for Kimye??

All kidding aside, I can understand certain garments needing ironing, like if the child were to be photographed or attend a special event.
However, for the most part, a 9 mos. old could care less if her clothes are wrinkly or not.

Seems the parents are more concerned than the baby is.

I say I hope you are being paid a very pretty penny for this work.

Ironing a baby's clothes is not typical of a nanny's job duties.

No! It's the nanny wanting to do all this nonsense.

Our nanny doesn't even know where our iron is. She often leaves the clothes either in the washer or dryer over night also. You sound like a gem to even want to iron.

OP, I think you are putting way too much into this. Maybe you have some OCD issues? If you take things out of the dryer right away you shouldn't be having this issue. I've almost never had to iron a piece of children's clothing.

I don't iron anything. I let the parents know upfront

Wow..What 9 mos. old needs to have so many of her clothes ironed??

C'mon OP, spill the beans here. Are you the nanny for Kimye??

All kidding aside, I can understand certain garments needing ironing, like if the child were to be photographed or attend a special event.
However, for the most part, a 9 mos. old could care less if her clothes are wrinkly or not.

Seems the parents are more concerned than the baby is.

I say I hope you are being paid a very pretty penny for this work.

Ironing a baby's clothes is not typical of a nanny's job duties.