Nannies care for children.
Housekeepers clean house.
Parents do everything.

"But you probably DO get some kind of lunch break during your day. It would be very hypocritical of you not allow your nanny any down time during her work day. "

who are all these nannies working for families where the kids never nap? naptime = nanny break. depending on the ages of the kids that may range anywhere from 1 to 4ish hours each day. When lunch break is discussed on here, the vast majority of MBs say they have no issue w/ nanny chilling out for an hour during nap - that it's only AFTER a good break that they'd expect her to start to put herself to work during that time.

No one asked for any of that. This thread was originally about a parent's right to be hypocritical in the standard of care they expect from their nanny vs. what they provide when home. Yes it's your right to slack off when you're home, but so are a lot of things that aren't good for your kids. If you don't want the nanny doing the litany of things MBs have rules against with the interests of their child in mind, you should consider if the message you send by doing it when you're with them is really what you want. Kids recognize hipocricy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not saying I should have an official set time, but to say nannies should never advocate for basic rights is slavery. To say we should work non-stop and never have a moment to breathe for 10 to 12 hours is effed up in every way. MB's on this board really have some issues.

Nanny here. You have to ask for what you want. When I was interviewing with families, I made it clear that I would like 45 minutes of an official break time for myself. Right now, it's during my little charge's nap time, but if it was with a kid who didn't nap, I would still take a break by letting the child watch tv or do an activity...what I'm trying to say is to speak up before accepting any position so that you don't feel resentment later on.

And the slavery bit...now that's a bit dramatic, wouldn't you say? Nannies are paid. Slaves weren't.

SOOOO nice to hear from a reasonable, mature nanny. I am so tired of hearing the slavery bit. Most of you nannies need to work in a non-nanny job for a while to get some perspective on the professional expectations that most adults face, and also to learn how adults interact with their employers. Work is hard, sometimes boring, and usually tiring; that's why we get paid to do it. 45 to 60 minutes of lunch break and personal phone/email time is eminently reasonable in an 8 to 10 hour day. The expectation that you should be permitted to read magazines, nap, watch tv, or spend hours online while you're at work is not.

Not saying I should have an official set time, but to say nannies should never advocate for basic rights is slavery. To say we should work non-stop and never have a moment to breathe for 10 to 12 hours is effed up in every way. MB's on this board really have some issues.

Your ignorance about slavery is offensive.

Anonymous wrote:What is good for your kids when I'm at work is still good for them when you're at home. What is bad for them when I'm at work is still bad when you're at home. Now is it your right to relax the rules when you're home. Sure it is. But you should be honest with yourself that it is because you don't have the energy to be on 100% of the time, and you should be able to understand that neither does your nanny.

BS. I am on 100% of the time that I am at work. After working a full day, I need to make dinner, manage the house, reconnect with my husband, check in with ageing parents, etc. I may not have enough energy left to be 100% on with my kids. That makes me sad, but it is reality for working parents. Also reality: being with my kids is your job, and you should be as 100% on during your work hours as I have to be during mine. Yes, that means that I expect you to put more energy into taking care of my kids during the workday than I put into it in the two hours I get with them before bedtime.

Anonymous wrote:Where on this thread has any MB said a nanny isn't entitled to downtime? How many nannies posting here have charges who don't nap? During my DC's naptimes on days I'm home I'm busy doing chores, but when my nanny is with DC the nanny is at most sweeping up food from DC's meals and then has the rest of the nap as free time. When the nanny goes home for the day I get that she has her own home chores to deal with, but so do I.

Some nannies have too many chores to do during the day to get a legitimate break, and that's why the issue is.

A lot of this tension from many of the nannies comes from employers who overwork their nannies (loads of non-child related tasks).

Where on this thread has any MB said a nanny isn't entitled to downtime? How many nannies posting here have charges who don't nap? During my DC's naptimes on days I'm home I'm busy doing chores, but when my nanny is with DC the nanny is at most sweeping up food from DC's meals and then has the rest of the nap as free time. When the nanny goes home for the day I get that she has her own home chores to deal with, but so do I.

Anonymous wrote:Not saying I should have an official set time, but to say nannies should never advocate for basic rights is slavery. To say we should work non-stop and never have a moment to breathe for 10 to 12 hours is effed up in every way. MB's on this board really have some issues.

Nanny here. You have to ask for what you want. When I was interviewing with families, I made it clear that I would like 45 minutes of an official break time for myself. Right now, it's during my little charge's nap time, but if it was with a kid who didn't nap, I would still take a break by letting the child watch tv or do an activity...what I'm trying to say is to speak up before accepting any position so that you don't feel resentment later on.

And the slavery bit...now that's a bit dramatic, wouldn't you say? Nannies are paid. Slaves weren't.

Not saying I should have an official set time, but to say nannies should never advocate for basic rights is slavery. To say we should work non-stop and never have a moment to breathe for 10 to 12 hours is effed up in every way. MB's on this board really have some issues.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To say nannies are in such a profession that they NEVER deserve ANY kind of break is insane! We are employees and deserve the same rights you get at your job. We often work longer days than you.

+1
Nannies, You should stand up for your rights!

Of course you should, but to work in a position in which you ALREADY KNOW there aren't going to be official lunch breaks, for example, then to complain about it...no sympathy here.

Anonymous wrote:To say nannies are in such a profession that they NEVER deserve ANY kind of break is insane! We are employees and deserve the same rights you get at your job. We often work longer days than you.

+1
Nannies, You should stand up for your rights!

To say nannies are in such a profession that they NEVER deserve ANY kind of break is insane! We are employees and deserve the same rights you get at your job. We often work longer days than you.

Good childcare is good childcare.
And
Every child IS entitled to that.

YOU get it straight. Your job, as parent OR nanny, is to do your best work with the children, who have been entrusted in your care.