Anonymous
Post 10/22/2014 21:31     Subject: Nanny not providing social and emotional development
Anonymous wrote:Your 6 months old baby is too young for story time.
Why don't you read him one story to see how he'll react and how stupid you'll feel for reading a story to a baby who doesn't understand what you're saying ...

Most of the other activities you mentioned are good activities.
Make a planning each week for the nanny with things she can do since she's not very engaging ...


Really? Current recommendations are to read to newborns. Yes, storytime could be a bit much but books are not.

I think OP the bigger issue is communication. Why is your nanny not doing the things you ask? I'd be more concerned about that than about the lack fo the activties you state. Oh, and your DH is confused. A great nanny SHOULD be an infant and toddler expert -- it's their job!
Anonymous
Post 10/05/2014 19:02     Subject: Nanny not providing social and emotional development
A lot of libraries have story times for babies, but I agree that unless it's walking distance, it's hard to deal with two babies. And babies should be read to from birth, but make sure you are providing age appropriate board books with very simple words and sentences. A board book at that age should not take more than 5 minutes to read.
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2014 21:29     Subject: Nanny not providing social and emotional development
Also, please don't send her to the library with two six month olds. I don't know what you think they will get out of it. All they will do is disrupt the other kids there.

Relax, OP. They are children, they don't need to be planned and organized into oblivion at six months old.
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2014 21:26     Subject: Re:Nanny not providing social and emotional development
We have asked her to read to our boys daily and engage them in developmentally appropriate play. For example, we provided her with an infant and toddler activity book and have asked her to do different activities with the boys, like take them to the library for story time or singalongs. One thing I asked her to do was to introduce them to other textures in these touch and feel books. Another activity was to play peek-a-boo, have the boys follow objects and hide them, alternate snapping, play with bottles that have different materials (sand, sequins, liquid).


Did you hire someone who is an absolute moron regarding children?

These things happen through regular play, OP. You hired a nanny. If you did a good interview, and some reference checks, you will have hired someone who knows what to do with an activity book, etc. All of the manipulatives you came up with aren't even necessary. Put them down with some toys and let the have at it. Make it fun, and they will be engaged and learn.

Perhaps your nanny knows this.

-Not a nanny, also not a new mom.
Anonymous
Post 09/21/2014 21:06     Subject: Re:Nanny not providing social and emotional development
I had the same problem with our previous nanny share, but the children were a bit older (about 14 months when we finally ended the share). By that age, I really wanted our daughter to have more interaction, and our nanny had her hands full with two children. She was doing her best, but she had a lot of feedings, changes, etc. So we just sucked it up and got our own nanny and were much, much happier.
Anonymous
Post 09/21/2014 19:25     Subject: Nanny not providing social and emotional development
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Have you ever cared for two 6 month-olds at once?
Do you know how necessary an exersaucer is?
Why don't you just speak to your nanny prior to just taking it away?
I never would have been able to pee in the first 9 months without it.


That is a little dramatic. I assume that the children at least have a cribs. It is possible to put them somewhere other than an extra saucer for those few moments. OP, The main thing is that you need to realize that two infants is a huge logistical undertaking. The activities you are describing are also not really necessary for development at this age. During their waking time, they should be working on gross motor development by having tummy time, working on problem solving by being placed with interesting toys or objects just out of reach, and should be working on social development by interacting with a loving and attentive caregiver. If you had reason to believe that the nanny was ignoring the babies or texting during their awake times, then that would be cause for concern. But the fact that she is simply not doing activities that you have deemed developmentally advanced is not a red flag. You are welcome to demand that for your child, but my guess is that the nanny will regard that level of micromanagement as intrusive, and you may find yourself with no nanny at all. Give it time. If you get to the toddler years and she is still not spending time on those kinds of activities, then I would broach the subject. But not prior to the children moving to a two-nap schedule.


How is that dramatic? The cribs in my home are 2 floors above where the children play.
How is it better to lug 2 infants up 2 flights of stairs when I could place them in an exersaucer for the 90 seconds it takes me to pee?
This is hardly damaging to their development. Why is a crib better than an exersaucer?


and this is why ladies and gents, there is a need for nannycams. To answer the question: because it's assumed you wouldn't leave the baby in the crib for the whole day. If you stick the kid in the exersaucer for their entire awake time, one could assume you're just lazy.


What you are saying would be valid if I had said I keep them in an exersaucer for all of their awake time.
I place them in the exersaucer for 90 seconds while I urinate.
Anonymous
Post 09/21/2014 11:05     Subject: Re:Nanny not providing social and emotional development
Anonymous wrote:I sit my charge in the bimbo chair for story time. It is really awkward to try to turn the pages and not get close enough to her hands for her to rip them while also supporting her posture. She gets plenty of lap time while we play with rattles and other toys. I would be upset if MB just took the chair away because it goes a long way toward making my day easier.



Ha! Spell check got me again. Bimbo chair.... Lol.
Anonymous
Post 09/19/2014 12:06     Subject: Re:Nanny not providing social and emotional development
I sit my charge in the bimbo chair for story time. It is really awkward to try to turn the pages and not get close enough to her hands for her to rip them while also supporting her posture. She gets plenty of lap time while we play with rattles and other toys. I would be upset if MB just took the chair away because it goes a long way toward making my day easier.
Anonymous
Post 09/18/2014 13:52     Subject: Nanny not providing social and emotional development
Wow. Just wow.

Your nanny has her hands full just caring for two six month olds. Feedings (Babies need to eat more often at this age due to small tummies plus they cannot feed themselves yet), diaper changes, constant supervision so they do not hurt themselves, consoling when crying, etc. And yet you also have this other curriculum you want her to follow for social and emotional development as well??! How many hats do you expect her to wear for God's sake OP?

And to take two 6 month old babies to story time is outrageous! All they will do is whine and ruin it for everyone else. What six month old will sit still for even one whole story and listen to it?

I think YOU need to attend a workshop on child development because honestly, any reasonable person out there knows that a library is the LAST place a six month old belongs.
Anonymous
Post 09/18/2014 12:24     Subject: Nanny not providing social and emotional development
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Have you ever cared for two 6 month-olds at once?
Do you know how necessary an exersaucer is?
Why don't you just speak to your nanny prior to just taking it away?
I never would have been able to pee in the first 9 months without it.


That is a little dramatic. I assume that the children at least have a cribs. It is possible to put them somewhere other than an extra saucer for those few moments. OP, The main thing is that you need to realize that two infants is a huge logistical undertaking. The activities you are describing are also not really necessary for development at this age. During their waking time, they should be working on gross motor development by having tummy time, working on problem solving by being placed with interesting toys or objects just out of reach, and should be working on social development by interacting with a loving and attentive caregiver. If you had reason to believe that the nanny was ignoring the babies or texting during their awake times, then that would be cause for concern. But the fact that she is simply not doing activities that you have deemed developmentally advanced is not a red flag. You are welcome to demand that for your child, but my guess is that the nanny will regard that level of micromanagement as intrusive, and you may find yourself with no nanny at all. Give it time. If you get to the toddler years and she is still not spending time on those kinds of activities, then I would broach the subject. But not prior to the children moving to a two-nap schedule.


How is that dramatic? The cribs in my home are 2 floors above where the children play.
How is it better to lug 2 infants up 2 flights of stairs when I could place them in an exersaucer for the 90 seconds it takes me to pee?
This is hardly damaging to their development. Why is a crib better than an exersaucer?


and this is why ladies and gents, there is a need for nannycams. To answer the question: because it's assumed you wouldn't leave the baby in the crib for the whole day. If you stick the kid in the exersaucer for their entire awake time, one could assume you're just lazy.