It's the nanny's word vs my daughter's... WWYD?

As a nanny I once used the en-suite because I couldn't work out how to turn the shower in the other bathrooms on. Had got muddy walking the do with the children and didn't want to wait for the rest of the day for a shower. At the time was L/O and working a 45min drive away 7am-7pm.

[cgrin]

Out of interest, why do you hate nanny diaries?

Cinnabar - I think we keep talking at cross purposes! I was just explaining why I'd said about those other jobs to crumpet. I realise that you wouldn't have a problem with your nanny using the shower. The only thing I said that was aimed at you was about the nanny putting it in the Nanny Diary

Don't go - we need 'voices of reason' [cgrin]

Chipping, I agree with you.

I wasn't saying that our nanny (or any nanny, come to that) shouldn't shower if she needs to in her place of work. Of course she should. I was simply making the point that other employees also get sweaty/dirty during the course of their normal day. Whether we should also shower is, of course, a separate point.

I'm going to leave this thread now - I'm coming across as chippy when all I wanted to say was that the OP's nanny didn't do anything I would find in any way upsetting or contoversial from our nanny.

Cinnabar - I was just trying to point out that a nanny will often do things around the house (that aren't part of her contract) simply because she's there - to illustrate the point crumpet was trying to make about how the nanny shouldn't treat the house as though it was her own, when it suits the parents, but not always in reverse.

A nanny will do different things to someone working in an office and to say 'I work in an office and don't shower there so the nanny shouldn't in her place of work' is just too simplistic.

Just to be clear, I would have absolutely no issue whatsoever with our nanny using our shower (or my hairbrush, come to that, although I gather from this thread that I might be a bit manky odd in that respect). And I wouldn't expect her to ask my permission first. I would expect anyone in my house to tell me if they'd used the ensuite, after the event, just out of courtesy. I would certainly tell my PIL if I had used their shower/bath while they were out, just in case they needed to, say, put the immersion on for hot water later.

I don't expect our nanny to put our rubbish out, or hang up our washing, or do shopping for me, or go to the post office. In fact (with the exception of the rubbish, obv), I've done all of those things for her - because it's no trouble for me to hang out the DCs washing or take it in again when I get home from work, and I'd much rather she spent her time playing with the DCs.

And yes, my commute isn't part of my job, but it is an inevitable outcome of my job being located where it is. If all 1,500 employees in London demanded a shower every workday in Summer then the company would grind to a halt!

I have to admit I am slightly wondering if one issue is the DH could have walked in on nanny naked during the course of said shower in the honeymoon suite.

(OP, still on your side it's weird on balance though. )

OP, if this doesn't bring you back, nothing will.

I would do all of those things if it had been made clear to me in advance, yes.

Nannies don't get a lunch hour, so can't go for a run.
A nanny doesn't really get any time off during the day, so unlike other types of worker can't have time to take a shower. Though if children are all at school, then it may be possible then.

It's always possible that the 5 / 6 year old has become a good liar. We don't know for sure yet that the nanny even did have a shower, or was looking for a particular hairbrush. The OP has not come back to tell us what the nanny has said when asked about it.

Christ, it was a shower. I could understand if she had been laid in your bed using your rabbit!

crumpet - no I expect they deal with it in the best way they can at the time - so the nanny should do the same even though there's a shower available just because you'd have to?

Do you put your bosses rubbish out if they've forgotten?
Do you peg out our bosses washing because it's there?
Do you nip to the shops to pick up something for your bosses dinner?
Do you collect their drycleaning/take something to the postoffice?

There's just no point in comparing what a nanny will do with what an office worker will do... or what is 'normal' at work. Just no point.

"treating" not "grating "

Otherwise she would be straying into the territory of grating my home as if it is hers, which is most certainly not. It is her place of employment.

Fortuntely I have been lucky not to employ anyone with such odd ideas.

As an employer I certainly don't provide a shower for the use of my nanny.

If she saw it as a requirement of her job then I would expect her to raise it in advance.

That's not getting sweaty in the course of your work though is it? Like I said, all the offices I've worked in have had showers, what a shame your employer doesn't provide those kind of facilities for their employees.

I get pretty sweaty on the tube each morning.... No uniform or washing facilities provided for office-worker me.

Most people that work outside the home don't do anything terribly messy and those that do are usually supplied with uniforms and/or washing facilities. There has been a shower at pretty much every company I've ever worked at so that you could have a shower before going out/if you want to go for a run in your lunch hour etc.

Maybe the family bathroom doesn't have a shower in this case - mine doesn't.

Oh for god's sake - What do you think those who work outside the home full time do - hop in the shower every time they have a period? That is ridiculous.

Where is the OP? I'd like to know what happened next - maybe a request for some nice shower gel? [cgrin]

Teddy - what about going to the loo? Imagine holding it in for 17 years!

VentiPeppermint - I think it's odd for a nanny to take a shower at work but it depends on the situation and without asking your nanny about it, you won't know what the situation was that meant she needed to take a shower.
Not sure why she would want to use your hairbrush though.

It wouldn't bother me if she had, so long as she cleaned up after herself. Maybe she had gotten rather sweaty, or maybe she had 'come on' unexpectedly.

No real harm there is there to be honest?

And how do you think us Lone Parents shower?

who was looking after the kids whilst she was in the shower? They are 5 and 6, but still... - This made me laugh as a lp sorry, should I not shower for the next 17 years then?

I think you're massively overreacting, why don't you just ask her? Doesn't seem a big deal to me.

Why would your nanny need to tell you if she had taken a shower at your house? Nannies work long and often rather grubby/sweaty days (cooking, parks, messy play, vomit, sports etc are all just par for the course) . I often feel the need to freshen up on a hot day after being out with DD at the park or in the street - why wouldn't your nanny?

See I think it's a bit of an odd thing to do unless she was extensively sicked on or something - in which case she'd mention it, surely?

I've worked in various different places/environments and most of my employers would have given me the face if I'd said "Ooh, I'm a bit sweaty - can I just pop off and have a shower?"