Anonymous wrote:It's a miracle we all survived childhood. I know for darn sure there were not adult eyes on me at all times. I hope my mother feels super guilty for talking on the phone while I was playing, she should have been watching me!!!

Was your mother being paid to take care of you?

Grow up, Little Girl. If you want to be taken seriously as a nanny - act like a professional.

It's a miracle we all survived childhood. I know for darn sure there were not adult eyes on me at all times. I hope my mother feels super guilty for talking on the phone while I was playing, she should have been watching me!!!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a nanny and I completely understand why employers are now cracking down on a nanny's cell phone use. Watching a row of nannies on a bench at the park all texting furiously; texting during story time and texting and talking on the phone while pushing a stroller -- it is becoming absurd.

It pissed me off to see so many nannies ignoring their charges.

I'll say this again, because so many people don't get it: you don't know what they are doing, so please don't judge every nanny as the same. I'm a household manager as well as a nanny, just like a previous PP. My charges never nap, but I still have to find the time to do the sundry things that come with running a large household; would you prefer that I split attention while small children have fingerpaints and glue? Perhaps when I'm having children under 6 use knives to cut mushrooms for the salad? As I am perfectly capable of watching 5+ children in the park/playground while talking on the phone (I don't text as I can't do that and watch), I feel that is the most appropriate time for me to call for quotes on auto repair and getting rid of pests, follow up with the housekeeper that didn't show, schedule landscaping, etc. I also use that time to call the list I constantly update for new activities for the kids, schedule medical and dental appointments and (when I have a 24/7 job) I use 5 minutes daily to check in with my grandmother and great-grandmother (5 minutes for personal calls out of 24 hours doesn't seem unreasonable to me). I have never has a single one of my employers question my phone usage, whether they were paying for the phone or I was. Some employers feel the need to set a whole list of rules and micromanage the nanny, and they are entitled to do so; I am quite comfortable looking for a position in which I can do what needs to be done without someone constantly checking up on me or second-guessing decisions I've made.

PP that doesn't allow the nanny to carry a cell phone for emergencies even when leaving the house: I hope your nanny doesn't have a blow-out on the highway. Trying to keep kids in the car and change a tire is difficult enough on a backroad (I didn't have service), but at least there was a ditch for the younger kids to cross and then see who could make a bigger pile of rocks fastest by standing at the edge and tossing them down. I didn't have to worry about them getting hit; your nanny won't be able to do the same.

No, you are not capable of that anymore than someone is capable of texting and driving regardless of what they tell you. You should have 100% attention on your charges (if not playing with them) while you are out of a child-proofed area (like in a home). If you cannot find indoor, safe activities for your charges to do indoors while you are making your home-manager calls, then you are not much of a nanny.

And I seriously doubt the nannies I see texting furiously while their charges run around the park unsupervised are scheduling medical appointments anyway.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a nanny and I completely understand why employers are now cracking down on a nanny's cell phone use. Watching a row of nannies on a bench at the park all texting furiously; texting during story time and texting and talking on the phone while pushing a stroller -- it is becoming absurd.

It pissed me off to see so many nannies ignoring their charges.

You get what you pay for.

Huh? I am not paying for anyone, I am being paid.

Anonymous wrote:I am a nanny and I completely understand why employers are now cracking down on a nanny's cell phone use. Watching a row of nannies on a bench at the park all texting furiously; texting during story time and texting and talking on the phone while pushing a stroller -- it is becoming absurd.

It pissed me off to see so many nannies ignoring their charges.

You get what you pay for.

Oddly, in my experience, it is the foreign nannies who are the worst offenders on this. They are always on their smart phones texting someone.

I say what is fair will vary from nanny to nanny as well as family to family.

So this is just my own opinion, but not across the board for everyone.

As a nanny, when my phone rings and if I am nearby and not occupied at the moment, I answer and simply tell the caller I am working, but will get back to them once I return home. If it is an urgent call, such as from one of my kids or a business call that cannot wait (I.e., Dr's office, car insurance, etc.) then I usually take the whole call unless the child is fussing.

During nap time(s), I will use my phone as long as the sleeping child cannot hear my voice. This works better in larger home and/or homes where there is white noise in the child's bedroom.

Anonymous wrote:I am a nanny and I completely understand why employers are now cracking down on a nanny's cell phone use. Watching a row of nannies on a bench at the park all texting furiously; texting during story time and texting and talking on the phone while pushing a stroller -- it is becoming absurd.

It pissed me off to see so many nannies ignoring their charges.

I'll say this again, because so many people don't get it: you don't know what they are doing, so please don't judge every nanny as the same. I'm a household manager as well as a nanny, just like a previous PP. My charges never nap, but I still have to find the time to do the sundry things that come with running a large household; would you prefer that I split attention while small children have fingerpaints and glue? Perhaps when I'm having children under 6 use knives to cut mushrooms for the salad? As I am perfectly capable of watching 5+ children in the park/playground while talking on the phone (I don't text as I can't do that and watch), I feel that is the most appropriate time for me to call for quotes on auto repair and getting rid of pests, follow up with the housekeeper that didn't show, schedule landscaping, etc. I also use that time to call the list I constantly update for new activities for the kids, schedule medical and dental appointments and (when I have a 24/7 job) I use 5 minutes daily to check in with my grandmother and great-grandmother (5 minutes for personal calls out of 24 hours doesn't seem unreasonable to me). I have never has a single one of my employers question my phone usage, whether they were paying for the phone or I was. Some employers feel the need to set a whole list of rules and micromanage the nanny, and they are entitled to do so; I am quite comfortable looking for a position in which I can do what needs to be done without someone constantly checking up on me or second-guessing decisions I've made.

PP that doesn't allow the nanny to carry a cell phone for emergencies even when leaving the house: I hope your nanny doesn't have a blow-out on the highway. Trying to keep kids in the car and change a tire is difficult enough on a backroad (I didn't have service), but at least there was a ditch for the younger kids to cross and then see who could make a bigger pile of rocks fastest by standing at the edge and tossing them down. I didn't have to worry about them getting hit; your nanny won't be able to do the same.

I am a nanny and I completely understand why employers are now cracking down on a nanny's cell phone use. Watching a row of nannies on a bench at the park all texting furiously; texting during story time and texting and talking on the phone while pushing a stroller -- it is becoming absurd.

It pissed me off to see so many nannies ignoring their charges.

I'm a nanny and I use my cell phone when I need to, just like most grown-ups.

Anonymous wrote:I don't allow the nanny to use cell phones at all, emergency or not (because to a nanny anything can be an emergency to call her friends, even "omg I forgot to tell Charlotte to pick up a burrito for me this evening!"). If there was a true emergency she is allowed to use the home phone to call 911. I check the statement monthly to see if she has made any calls (since we don't use the home phone almost ever.)

If she was out and about she could ask a bystander to use their phone to dial 911.

That's a sitter, not a nanny.