Anonymous
Post 04/16/2013 04:41     Subject: MB told me to clean out their car?! WTF!
Do it with the kids and stop complaining.
Anonymous
Post 04/15/2013 21:26     Subject: MB told me to clean out their car?! WTF!
If you use the car then you clean it. Who cleans your personal car?
nannydebsays
Post 04/10/2013 15:45     Subject: MB told me to clean out their car?! WTF!
Op, if this is a vehicle that YOU, the nanny, drive, and your employers don't drive it (as implied when you speak of it as "the nanny car"), then it's your job to keep it clean.

If, however, the parents use the "nanny car" when you are off duty, perhaps sitting down with them and asking them how often they want you and your charges to clean out the van, and how often they want you to have the van detailed by either a mobile company or a traditional company, whichever is most convenient, would be a good solution.

That way you have a clear understanding of expectations, and you won't have to face a mess 3+ months in the making again.

Anonymous
Post 04/10/2013 10:47     Subject: MB told me to clean out their car?! WTF!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:So you guys really believe it's her job to clean up the car even if the mess is from when the parents were driving it? I'm really trying to understand. I'm surprised by these responses.


I do.

Just like I think it is her job to wash bottles that were used over the weekend, to run laundry that got dirty when she was off duty, and to vacuum the kids' rooms even if she always makes them take off their shoes.


I totally think keeping the car clean is within the realm of OPs responsibilities, but you really think its the nanny's job to clean bottles from the weekend? That's just lazy, and nasty on a parents part to leave dirty bottles all weekend.


I personally believe that it is.

I'm lucky that my employers never leave a mess with the intention of having me clean it (for example, sometimes when I get to work 10 minutes early, I'll hold the baby and MB unloads the dishwasher and puts away dirty dishes - tasks I happily complete on other days) but if and when they are too busy, too tired, or otherwise too occupied to get all the baby's stuff done over the weekend I am happy to handle it. My job is to make their lives as parents run more smoothly, so I am happy to take care of anything child-related regardless of when it got dirty/who was supervising.


See my earlier post with situation 1. and 2., number two did the same thing with me. I always got to work 15 minutes early and helped out she pitched in, then she completely stopped. First she would mention how late they got home the night before etc etc, and I had no problem helping out. Problem is everyone likes a good thing, no one wants it to end, when you go outside your duties you end up stretching yourself thin and getting taken advantage of. This is why contracts exists. Not just for the nanny to guarantee her benefits, but for both parties to stay within their realm of responsibilities.
Anonymous
Post 04/09/2013 18:28     Subject: MB told me to clean out their car?! WTF!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:So you guys really believe it's her job to clean up the car even if the mess is from when the parents were driving it? I'm really trying to understand. I'm surprised by these responses.


I do.

Just like I think it is her job to wash bottles that were used over the weekend, to run laundry that got dirty when she was off duty, and to vacuum the kids' rooms even if she always makes them take off their shoes.


I totally think keeping the car clean is within the realm of OPs responsibilities, but you really think its the nanny's job to clean bottles from the weekend? That's just lazy, and nasty on a parents part to leave dirty bottles all weekend.


I personally believe that it is.

I'm lucky that my employers never leave a mess with the intention of having me clean it (for example, sometimes when I get to work 10 minutes early, I'll hold the baby and MB unloads the dishwasher and puts away dirty dishes - tasks I happily complete on other days) but if and when they are too busy, too tired, or otherwise too occupied to get all the baby's stuff done over the weekend I am happy to handle it. My job is to make their lives as parents run more smoothly, so I am happy to take care of anything child-related regardless of when it got dirty/who was supervising.


To each his(her) own. My job is to take care of the kids and kid related tasks while on the clock. The parents still need to be parents when I'm off. This includes basic things like feeding, diapering, oh yeah and cleaning up after them. I do my a great job when at work, but when I'm not there its their job.


This. I keep the house running like a well-oiled machine during the week. Surely the two of them can handle it on the weekends.
Anonymous
Post 04/09/2013 17:02     Subject: MB told me to clean out their car?! WTF!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:So you guys really believe it's her job to clean up the car even if the mess is from when the parents were driving it? I'm really trying to understand. I'm surprised by these responses.


I do.

Just like I think it is her job to wash bottles that were used over the weekend, to run laundry that got dirty when she was off duty, and to vacuum the kids' rooms even if she always makes them take off their shoes.


I totally think keeping the car clean is within the realm of OPs responsibilities, but you really think its the nanny's job to clean bottles from the weekend? That's just lazy, and nasty on a parents part to leave dirty bottles all weekend.


I personally believe that it is.

I'm lucky that my employers never leave a mess with the intention of having me clean it (for example, sometimes when I get to work 10 minutes early, I'll hold the baby and MB unloads the dishwasher and puts away dirty dishes - tasks I happily complete on other days) but if and when they are too busy, too tired, or otherwise too occupied to get all the baby's stuff done over the weekend I am happy to handle it. My job is to make their lives as parents run more smoothly, so I am happy to take care of anything child-related regardless of when it got dirty/who was supervising.


To each his(her) own. My job is to take care of the kids and kid related tasks while on the clock. The parents still need to be parents when I'm off. This includes basic things like feeding, diapering, oh yeah and cleaning up after them. I do my a great job when at work, but when I'm not there its their job.
Anonymous
Post 04/09/2013 16:55     Subject: MB told me to clean out their car?! WTF!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:So you guys really believe it's her job to clean up the car even if the mess is from when the parents were driving it? I'm really trying to understand. I'm surprised by these responses.


I do.

Just like I think it is her job to wash bottles that were used over the weekend, to run laundry that got dirty when she was off duty, and to vacuum the kids' rooms even if she always makes them take off their shoes.


I totally think keeping the car clean is within the realm of OPs responsibilities, but you really think its the nanny's job to clean bottles from the weekend? That's just lazy, and nasty on a parents part to leave dirty bottles all weekend.


I personally believe that it is.

I'm lucky that my employers never leave a mess with the intention of having me clean it (for example, sometimes when I get to work 10 minutes early, I'll hold the baby and MB unloads the dishwasher and puts away dirty dishes - tasks I happily complete on other days) but if and when they are too busy, too tired, or otherwise too occupied to get all the baby's stuff done over the weekend I am happy to handle it. My job is to make their lives as parents run more smoothly, so I am happy to take care of anything child-related regardless of when it got dirty/who was supervising.
Anonymous
Post 04/09/2013 15:15     Subject: MB told me to clean out their car?! WTF!
What the problem,I do this this every thursday,I make sure the car is cleaning for my boss to drive when I am off.
Their love my attitude.
Anonymous
Post 04/09/2013 14:13     Subject: MB told me to clean out their car?! WTF!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:So you guys really believe it's her job to clean up the car even if the mess is from when the parents were driving it? I'm really trying to understand. I'm surprised by these responses.


I do.

Just like I think it is her job to wash bottles that were used over the weekend, to run laundry that got dirty when she was off duty, and to vacuum the kids' rooms even if she always makes them take off their shoes.


I totally think keeping the car clean is within the realm of OPs responsibilities, but you really think its the nanny's job to clean bottles from the weekend? That's just lazy, and nasty on a parents part to leave dirty bottles all weekend.
Anonymous
Post 04/09/2013 14:12     Subject: MB told me to clean out their car?! WTF!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:So you guys really believe it's her job to clean up the car even if the mess is from when the parents were driving it? I'm really trying to understand. I'm surprised by these responses.


I do.

Just like I think it is her job to wash bottles that were used over the weekend, to run laundry that got dirty when she was off duty, and to vacuum the kids' rooms even if she always makes them take off their shoes.


I've had experience with this in two jobs:
1. The family had two rambunctious boys who jus could not keep their things clean, and parents obviously had trouble keeping control of them. Each day when I left I left the home spotless. WHen I returned on a Monday, house would be destroyed toys and children's clothes and shoes everywhere from the bathrooms, rooms and even the kitchen. I cleaned everything up, and even did some loads of laundry though my contract explicitly said no cleaning beyond meal prep. Each week the parents paid me $100 bonus on top of it because they knew it was out of control and I was going above and beyond, but eventually remedied the situation by getting extra help, and being strict with the kids about clean up.

2. Parents said and did two different things. When I started they had a maid, said I didn't need to do anything beyond light housekeeping in my contract, specifically child's dishes, nursery, and child's laundry. A few months in they would leave certain things dirty over the weekend, such as dishes, laundry left on top of the washer of theirs, carpet dirty etc. I started to do things here and there to help out without expecting anything. Then I noticed the maid was not coming in anymore, huge home started to get dirty in many places and build up. They started asking me to vacuum all the time, do the dishes even though it wasn't my job, put their towels to wash and dry, (and f course I will fold because I can' leave them to wrinkle!) but anyways slowly but surely they asked more thing. Eventually it was 6 months that the housekeeper never returned, and I was picking up the slack for no additional compensation. We had an evaluation down the road and they said, "Everything is great with you caring for DC, but we noticed the house isn't as clean anymore" WTF cleaning your house has never been my job, I have been helping you out for free!!

What I am trying to say this one isolated situation is not a big deal, do it if you value your relationship, but pay close attention to the requests that are not explicitly written in your contract because things can get out of hand and you can be taken advantage of big time! Helping the family in good faith is a wonderful attribute to have, but protecting yourself is equally as important (some will argue more).


The second situation happened to a friend of mine!! She helped out when she had free time and they quit calling their house cleaner. They never mentioned anything to her but after a few months of her not doing it anymore suddenly they started scheduling the house cleaning service again.

Good nannies are happy to pitch in and help. They are not happy to be taken advantage of by their employers.
Anonymous
Post 04/09/2013 14:08     Subject: MB told me to clean out their car?! WTF!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:So you guys really believe it's her job to clean up the car even if the mess is from when the parents were driving it? I'm really trying to understand. I'm surprised by these responses.


She is not being asked to clean their mess, since it is the nanny car, it stands to reason that the mess is coming from her and her charges (even if it wasn't initially she has been using it for 3 months, and now it certainly is). I empty my family's dishwasher because half of the dishes come from the kids...were I to post saying I think I should only have to take care of the dishes in there that the kids used, I am sure I'd be getting similar responses here. Kind of the same situation-messes made/areas used primarily by a nanny and her charges are her responsibility.


If the car is truly only for her use then I agree. If she shares it with them and they are the ones making a mess I don't think it's her responsibility to clean it up.

I suppose it depends on her arrangement. I am not responsible for cleaning up anything other than the mess that occurs while I'm here, with the exception of the kid's laundry. If I got to work and found a sink full of dirty bottles and kid dishes I would be pissed but that's because it isn't our agreement. Every family is different. My bosses and I share responsibility of the dishwasher. Whomever has the chance to empty it will empty it.
Anonymous
Post 04/09/2013 13:36     Subject: MB told me to clean out their car?! WTF!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:So you guys really believe it's her job to clean up the car even if the mess is from when the parents were driving it? I'm really trying to understand. I'm surprised by these responses.


I do.

Just like I think it is her job to wash bottles that were used over the weekend, to run laundry that got dirty when she was off duty, and to vacuum the kids' rooms even if she always makes them take off their shoes.


I've had experience with this in two jobs:
1. The family had two rambunctious boys who jus could not keep their things clean, and parents obviously had trouble keeping control of them. Each day when I left I left the home spotless. WHen I returned on a Monday, house would be destroyed toys and children's clothes and shoes everywhere from the bathrooms, rooms and even the kitchen. I cleaned everything up, and even did some loads of laundry though my contract explicitly said no cleaning beyond meal prep. Each week the parents paid me $100 bonus on top of it because they knew it was out of control and I was going above and beyond, but eventually remedied the situation by getting extra help, and being strict with the kids about clean up.

2. Parents said and did two different things. When I started they had a maid, said I didn't need to do anything beyond light housekeeping in my contract, specifically child's dishes, nursery, and child's laundry. A few months in they would leave certain things dirty over the weekend, such as dishes, laundry left on top of the washer of theirs, carpet dirty etc. I started to do things here and there to help out without expecting anything. Then I noticed the maid was not coming in anymore, huge home started to get dirty in many places and build up. They started asking me to vacuum all the time, do the dishes even though it wasn't my job, put their towels to wash and dry, (and f course I will fold because I can' leave them to wrinkle!) but anyways slowly but surely they asked more thing. Eventually it was 6 months that the housekeeper never returned, and I was picking up the slack for no additional compensation. We had an evaluation down the road and they said, "Everything is great with you caring for DC, but we noticed the house isn't as clean anymore" WTF cleaning your house has never been my job, I have been helping you out for free!!

What I am trying to say this one isolated situation is not a big deal, do it if you value your relationship, but pay close attention to the requests that are not explicitly written in your contract because things can get out of hand and you can be taken advantage of big time! Helping the family in good faith is a wonderful attribute to have, but protecting yourself is equally as important (some will argue more).
Anonymous
Post 04/09/2013 12:49     Subject: MB told me to clean out their car?! WTF!
Anonymous wrote:So you guys really believe it's her job to clean up the car even if the mess is from when the parents were driving it? I'm really trying to understand. I'm surprised by these responses.


I do.

Just like I think it is her job to wash bottles that were used over the weekend, to run laundry that got dirty when she was off duty, and to vacuum the kids' rooms even if she always makes them take off their shoes.
Anonymous
Post 04/09/2013 11:17     Subject: MB told me to clean out their car?! WTF!
Anonymous wrote:So you guys really believe it's her job to clean up the car even if the mess is from when the parents were driving it? I'm really trying to understand. I'm surprised by these responses.


She is not being asked to clean their mess, since it is the nanny car, it stands to reason that the mess is coming from her and her charges (even if it wasn't initially she has been using it for 3 months, and now it certainly is). I empty my family's dishwasher because half of the dishes come from the kids...were I to post saying I think I should only have to take care of the dishes in there that the kids used, I am sure I'd be getting similar responses here. Kind of the same situation-messes made/areas used primarily by a nanny and her charges are her responsibility.
Anonymous
Post 04/09/2013 10:47     Subject: MB told me to clean out their car?! WTF!
So you guys really believe it's her job to clean up the car even if the mess is from when the parents were driving it? I'm really trying to understand. I'm surprised by these responses.