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Original poster

dilemma - cleaner has been slating nanny to MIL - what to do?

31 replies

Tutter · 28/06/2007 20:07

quick background:

  • nanny/mothers help due to start f/t with us next week - she's come to us via an agency - our gut feel is that she's a lovely girl. strengths - she's bubbly, outgoing and flexible. she's only 20 with only a year's experience of nannying (3 yrs in nursery) but not a major issue as she's not going to be sole charge

  • cleaner - a bit of a busybody - has been working for us for a few months. tendency to whinge and talk about other people in negative way

  • 2 weeks ago new nanny spent day here and was sole charge while i was at hospital. cleaner also here

so... today i was at hospital again. MIL staying. cleaner here. cleaner same-ish age as MIL. makes it clear she doen't think much of nanny - says that 2 weeks ago ds wandered through kitchen into garden, cleaner found nanny lying on sofa reading a book (hers, not ds's). words apparently exchanged

now i have to decide what to do with this information. nanny's references very good. i called agency owner to chat through and get advice - goes against everything she knows to be true of nanny, and she warns about flare-ups between claeners and nannies (not uncommon, apparently)

my feeling atm is to leave things be, and just to get my own feel for nanny over coming weeks. plenty of time to observe, as ds2 not sue for 3 weeks

opinions? advice?

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lisad123 · 28/06/2007 22:01

I would be tempted t have a talk with cleaner and see if she tells you this story too. If she was that concerned why not tell you 2 weeks ago? sounds like cleaner is also a cook with HUGE wooden spoon

Original poster
Tutter · 28/06/2007 21:53

anyone else prepared to give their take ont his?

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Original poster
Tutter · 28/06/2007 20:20

haven't asked nanny - only saw her briefly today, and not sure how to bring it up - or even whether there is a point

maybe when there is an appropriate moment i will talk to her about her taking a break when ds naps, but what my expectations are when she's 'on duty'

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tutu100 · 28/06/2007 20:13

Sounds like you've got a plan. If your gut feeling thinks the nanny is ok and you have the time to watch how she behaves with your son then that sounds like a good thing to do.

Have you asked the nanny about the incident to see what she says?

fingerwoman · 28/06/2007 20:11

I think that if she is generally not going to be in sole charge of the kids I wouldn't say anything.
It was one thing, which may not have happened exactly as you've been told. I'd be tempted to see how you go with her, but maybe have a chat in a non-co0nfrontational way about what you expect from her when she is on her own with the kids (ie, not reading on the sofa)

Original poster
Tutter · 28/06/2007 20:08

should probably also mention that i wouldn't trust what our cleaner has said in terms of it being true word-for-word, but doubt she would make it up completely

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