Anonymous
10/19/2017 20:13
Subject: Re:Where do you allow your nanny to drive?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I'm not interested in being micromanaged. With that said, I understand that it takes time to develop trust. However, I won't take a job if I'm not allowed to plan our days, including outings, no matter how far. I'm only hired by parents who understand that I do have common sense, I know enough to prioritize healthy food and naps over outings, and education is nothing without physical and emotional growth as well.
Education does not require trips all over the DC area. Somehow schools manage it just fine in one building and one playground.
Are you not familiar with field trips as a concept? I’m not even this poster but fyi you are incoherent. Go home. You’re drunk.
Field trips aren’t a weekly or even monthly occurrence. Nor are they “required” to educate a child. You nannies are quite dense.
Anonymous
10/19/2017 11:31
Subject: Where do you allow your nanny to drive?
I want my nanny to take the kids all over. I worry, of course, but I hired a good driver, and I want them to enjoy everything the area has to offer. My oldest is 7 now, and my youngest is 2. I am so glad I got over my fear of someone else driving them; they've gotten to enjoy places we could only get to rarely as a family, and places that bore me, but that they (or the nanny) enjoy.
The first few times were hard. But now, I know she's at least as good a driver as I am.
The first few times were hard. But now, I know she's at least as good a driver as I am.
Anonymous
10/18/2017 22:09
Subject: Re:Where do you allow your nanny to drive?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I'm not interested in being micromanaged. With that said, I understand that it takes time to develop trust. However, I won't take a job if I'm not allowed to plan our days, including outings, no matter how far. I'm only hired by parents who understand that I do have common sense, I know enough to prioritize healthy food and naps over outings, and education is nothing without physical and emotional growth as well.
Education does not require trips all over the DC area. Somehow schools manage it just fine in one building and one playground.
Are you not familiar with field trips as a concept? I’m not even this poster but fyi you are incoherent. Go home. You’re drunk.
Anonymous
10/18/2017 16:59
Subject: Re:Where do you allow your nanny to drive?
Anonymous wrote:I'm not interested in being micromanaged. With that said, I understand that it takes time to develop trust. However, I won't take a job if I'm not allowed to plan our days, including outings, no matter how far. I'm only hired by parents who understand that I do have common sense, I know enough to prioritize healthy food and naps over outings, and education is nothing without physical and emotional growth as well.
Education does not require trips all over the DC area. Somehow schools manage it just fine in one building and one playground.
Anonymous
10/18/2017 15:10
Subject: Where do you allow your nanny to drive?
For us, far away outings are just for special occasions and I always get them pre-approved. For example, a pumpkin patch or apple picking in the fall, a new museum as a bday trip, a day at the beach in the summer, etc. The farthest I've ever taken them was 3 hours away to my family's cabin for a long weekend, but that was a very special circumstance.
Anonymous
10/16/2017 11:26
Subject: Re:Where do you allow your nanny to drive?
Anonymous wrote:I'm not interested in being micromanaged. With that said, I understand that it takes time to develop trust. However, I won't take a job if I'm not allowed to plan our days, including outings, no matter how far. I'm only hired by parents who understand that I do have common sense, I know enough to prioritize healthy food and naps over outings, and education is nothing without physical and emotional growth as well.
Do be upfront about that with your prospective employers, then, because not all parents are willing to cede complete control of their children's health, safety, and development to their nanny. In fact, if an interviewee presented with that line "I'm not interested in being micromanaged" and proposed to plan outings "no matter how far," many parents would be put off, but better to be clear about it in the interview to be sure the parents are comfortable with that.
+1. I would never hire someone who expected this.
Anonymous
10/15/2017 23:56
Subject: Re:Where do you allow your nanny to drive?
I'm not interested in being micromanaged. With that said, I understand that it takes time to develop trust. However, I won't take a job if I'm not allowed to plan our days, including outings, no matter how far. I'm only hired by parents who understand that I do have common sense, I know enough to prioritize healthy food and naps over outings, and education is nothing without physical and emotional growth as well.
Do be upfront about that with your prospective employers, then, because not all parents are willing to cede complete control of their children's health, safety, and development to their nanny. In fact, if an interviewee presented with that line "I'm not interested in being micromanaged" and proposed to plan outings "no matter how far," many parents would be put off, but better to be clear about it in the interview to be sure the parents are comfortable with that.
Anonymous
10/15/2017 22:36
Subject: Re:Where do you allow your nanny to drive?
I'm not interested in being micromanaged. With that said, I understand that it takes time to develop trust. However, I won't take a job if I'm not allowed to plan our days, including outings, no matter how far. I'm only hired by parents who understand that I do have common sense, I know enough to prioritize healthy food and naps over outings, and education is nothing without physical and emotional growth as well.
Anonymous
10/14/2017 22:22
Subject: Where do you allow your nanny to drive?
I could be perfect for this position because one I hate driving and 2 I like close by activities that way I can better handle lunch and nap schedule and also be outside. OP don't assume all nannies just want to get away with the child and not do their job.
Anonymous
10/14/2017 20:49
Subject: Where do you allow your nanny to drive?
OP, I think you're getting a lot of responses from nannies, so from anothe MB perspective -- we were very up front when hiring that we did not want our nanny to drive with our child a lot. We didn't let her drive for the first year (we have parks/etc walkable to our house), and now she has a limited number of places we allow her to go-- none of which require a highway.
Driving is likely (hopefully?) the most dangerous thing our nanny will ever do with our child, and we want to limit time in the car as a result.
Driving is likely (hopefully?) the most dangerous thing our nanny will ever do with our child, and we want to limit time in the car as a result.
Anonymous
10/07/2017 12:37
Subject: Where do you allow your nanny to drive?
The point of the discussion, if you refer back to the OP is not whether it is possible to teach with limited time and resources. It is what nannies expect to be given in time, resources and control. My responses are long because it is a complicated question. It boils down to this: every nanny is different, and if you want to have a lot of control and keep nanny on a tight leash then you can hire for that, but there will be trade-offs. If you truly can't see that kids get a different and richer experience when their primary caregiver has more room to explore literally and figuratively, then I suspect that you are either not very creative or have never been given a great deal of control in any nanny position.
Anonymous
10/07/2017 12:08
Subject: Where do you allow your nanny to drive?
Anonymous wrote:To 9:50 PP, I can't tell whether you are being deliberately obtuse. Yes, I teach all my charges. But some parents are very controlling and in those families I am not creating a curriculum, but simply executing what the parents have laid out. I can find that the kids liked the story time about butterflies and do butterfly art and cooking projects and read butterfly books, but I can't opt to grow a butterfly garden at home because we can't go to the garden center. I can't take them to a butterfly house. I can't take them to a library further afield because they are having a butterfly-themed story time this week. I can't take them to botanical gardens with butterfly gardens installed. I can't take them to an art exhibit inspired by butterflies. I can only do projects with the ingredients and art supplies that the parents keep on hand. I find that much less interesting.
Yes, a great nanny can work within the confines of a job, but a great nanny also has her pick of jobs. First-time nanny employers need to think through their ideal nanny relationship and then realize that there will be some nanny personalities that like more or less ownership vs. guidelines. Not every great nanny is the right nanny for a given job. I too can and have taken on a teacher role within a lot of limitations both in time and resources. But it wasn't as fun and I would shy away from that kind of job if I had other options. And frankly, I will always have other options.
If parents want to exercise a lot of control and hire a nanny with that in mind, that is great. The problem I have seen often is parents who want a nanny who can function independently and advertise themselves and their job as being well-suited to a take-charge self-starter personality but them refuse to loosen the reins even after nanny has been in the job for a year or more and has more than demonstrated good sense and competence, or the reverse: parents hire a nanny with the primary qualification that she take direction well and then a year into the job they are constantly annoyed that she needs hand-holding for some aspects of the job rather than taking initiative.
PP here. Are you being purposely obtuse?! Do not take the job if you cannot - or chose not to - teach within any given perimeters. I don't need your long-winded butterfly story! You can always teach. Always. That is my point.
Anonymous
10/07/2017 11:53
Subject: Where do you allow your nanny to drive?
To 9:50 PP, I can't tell whether you are being deliberately obtuse. Yes, I teach all my charges. But some parents are very controlling and in those families I am not creating a curriculum, but simply executing what the parents have laid out. I can find that the kids liked the story time about butterflies and do butterfly art and cooking projects and read butterfly books, but I can't opt to grow a butterfly garden at home because we can't go to the garden center. I can't take them to a butterfly house. I can't take them to a library further afield because they are having a butterfly-themed story time this week. I can't take them to botanical gardens with butterfly gardens installed. I can't take them to an art exhibit inspired by butterflies. I can only do projects with the ingredients and art supplies that the parents keep on hand. I find that much less interesting.
Yes, a great nanny can work within the confines of a job, but a great nanny also has her pick of jobs. First-time nanny employers need to think through their ideal nanny relationship and then realize that there will be some nanny personalities that like more or less ownership vs. guidelines. Not every great nanny is the right nanny for a given job. I too can and have taken on a teacher role within a lot of limitations both in time and resources. But it wasn't as fun and I would shy away from that kind of job if I had other options. And frankly, I will always have other options.
If parents want to exercise a lot of control and hire a nanny with that in mind, that is great. The problem I have seen often is parents who want a nanny who can function independently and advertise themselves and their job as being well-suited to a take-charge self-starter personality but them refuse to loosen the reins even after nanny has been in the job for a year or more and has more than demonstrated good sense and competence, or the reverse: parents hire a nanny with the primary qualification that she take direction well and then a year into the job they are constantly annoyed that she needs hand-holding for some aspects of the job rather than taking initiative.
Yes, a great nanny can work within the confines of a job, but a great nanny also has her pick of jobs. First-time nanny employers need to think through their ideal nanny relationship and then realize that there will be some nanny personalities that like more or less ownership vs. guidelines. Not every great nanny is the right nanny for a given job. I too can and have taken on a teacher role within a lot of limitations both in time and resources. But it wasn't as fun and I would shy away from that kind of job if I had other options. And frankly, I will always have other options.
If parents want to exercise a lot of control and hire a nanny with that in mind, that is great. The problem I have seen often is parents who want a nanny who can function independently and advertise themselves and their job as being well-suited to a take-charge self-starter personality but them refuse to loosen the reins even after nanny has been in the job for a year or more and has more than demonstrated good sense and competence, or the reverse: parents hire a nanny with the primary qualification that she take direction well and then a year into the job they are constantly annoyed that she needs hand-holding for some aspects of the job rather than taking initiative.
Anonymous
10/07/2017 09:50
Subject: Re:Where do you allow your nanny to drive?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Parents should decide the radius in which the nanny and child are allowed to go during the day. Some of these outings like the zoo and apple picking sound more appropriate for family weekend outings. Besides, don't the families have to reimburse mileage? I would not go for this, especially the further locations that require driving the children on expressways that are notorious for bad traffic and frequent accidents.
Okay, then just be up front about that and know that there are some nannies who would not be interested in that. I am the Farm/Zoo poster and my employers are quite glad that their kids get to have these experiences during the week, when venues are less crowded. They prefer their weekend family time to be close to home and low-key. The point is not the specific outings but that many great nannies are used to working with families who expect and hope that the nanny will take the kids on "special" outings and will get to experience those kinds of memories. There are many other families who want the nanny to stay within a narrow radius of library-park-toddler gym. For me, if I am extremely limited in my outings, it feels less like being a nanny (where I plan a curriculum of activities and outings and books and projects that all work together to explore new concepts) and more like being a babysitter (where I keep the kids happy and engaged but am not a key part of their growth). Probably a large part of this is how many hours your nanny works. If you have a nanny from 9-5, that is a very different level of engagement than having a nanny from 7-7.
I can be a great nanny and teacher within any given perimeters given my my charge's parents. It just takes imagination and dedication. I have worked for parents who did not let me drive their child at all and I walked him where I could (and was in great shape because of the walking) - I still taught their child and he's an amazing, happy learner now, succeeding and thriving in elementary school. I have also worked for parents who allowed me to drive their child anywhere I want and do whatever I want - and I still taught their child and she's an amazing, happy learner now succeeding and thriving in elementary school.
I have worked 7 to 7 and 9 to 5 - makes no difference to me. I was engaged and dedicated to my charges regardless of how much time I spent with them.
Anonymous
10/07/2017 08:30
Subject: Re:Where do you allow your nanny to drive?
Anonymous wrote:Parents should decide the radius in which the nanny and child are allowed to go during the day. Some of these outings like the zoo and apple picking sound more appropriate for family weekend outings. Besides, don't the families have to reimburse mileage? I would not go for this, especially the further locations that require driving the children on expressways that are notorious for bad traffic and frequent accidents.
Okay, then just be up front about that and know that there are some nannies who would not be interested in that. I am the Farm/Zoo poster and my employers are quite glad that their kids get to have these experiences during the week, when venues are less crowded. They prefer their weekend family time to be close to home and low-key. The point is not the specific outings but that many great nannies are used to working with families who expect and hope that the nanny will take the kids on "special" outings and will get to experience those kinds of memories. There are many other families who want the nanny to stay within a narrow radius of library-park-toddler gym. For me, if I am extremely limited in my outings, it feels less like being a nanny (where I plan a curriculum of activities and outings and books and projects that all work together to explore new concepts) and more like being a babysitter (where I keep the kids happy and engaged but am not a key part of their growth). Probably a large part of this is how many hours your nanny works. If you have a nanny from 9-5, that is a very different level of engagement than having a nanny from 7-7.