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Original poster

Oh No, just been fired with no notice!

36 replies

NiftyNanny · 08/12/2007 10:21

I don't think they're going to give me any notice pay, I wrote a letter when I started and said I wanted a formal agreement, I've only been with them 5 weeks and it hasn't worked out. Their little girl spent most of the time shouting at me that she "didn't want me" after her, she wanted her Mummy. "I hate you, I don't want you!"

Now, I tried to talk to the parents about it and asked what I could do to help her feel like I was part of the team - they had a chat with her once, and she didn't shout at me for a day so she was given a present for being nice. Well, you can imagine how long it lasted. She has them around her little finger - getting out of baths, etc by stamping her feet, and I think this has really swayed them.

The Dad is at home sick at the moment, and yesterday I had another short notice cancellation where she was going to go to a friend's house after school. I said I wouldn't stay just til 3, I'd keep going til I did everything. So, I went round, cleaned the floor in the kitchen, the bathroom, the toilets, finished the ironing and then Dad came home groggy having had his stitches out. He went in the bathroom and I forgot to put the shampoo bottles back on the side of the bath and straighten the curtains.

He was standing at the top of the stairs groaning when I called out that I was leaving, he'd answered a couple of sentences but didn't hear or something, and then I got a call an hour later once he'd woken up shouting at me that I'd done half a job in the bathroom and it wasn't good enough. He then called back another hour later once Mummy was home and said it wasn't working out, they weren't happy and it was "the final straw" - I didn't know there was a first straw!

I am in such a mess, I know I was stupid not to get a contract in writing but they seemed very reasonable, but I think the fact their little girl was so anti-me just me it obviously just went crack. To be honest I wanted to meet with them and have a review because I was so unhappy about how she was taking to me.

Rubbish! I am going to be so broke over Christmas, I'm going to look on Gumtree and Nannyjob for temp jobs but I don't want to be in the position where I'm being told "only light cleaning" then throttled for not replacing shampoo. I even srcubbed the toilets.... but he just shouted at me "I don't want to hear it, let's leave it at that and you can post the keys back through the letterbox"

One minute they were fine the next they hate me!

Grrrr, PEOPLE! Where are the NICE families?

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QuintessentialShadowOfSnowball · 10/12/2007 23:34

By the sounds of it, does not look like he was thinking straight, it is just too unreasonable for words, the way they have treated you.

QuintessentialShadowOfSnowball · 10/12/2007 23:34

Could you get to Sheen for 4 am though?
She would only need a live out till she gets a live in au pair. It would be possible to have another job, between 8/9 and 3 pm (there are always parents around the school that need a nanny) when the youngest needs picking up from school and brought home, and cook tea for him and her oldest who is 14, and just stay till she gets home around 7-8. Does that sound like a tall order for any nanny? She is desperately hoping to find one who will do this, as she is not so keen on a live in person....

Original poster
NiftyNanny · 10/12/2007 23:26

Jura seems very nice indeed, we even share bizarre pet naming tendencies! ;)

Sheen is close-ish, I have a friend who lives there. I think I might be looking for something temporary but as I'm live out (all partnered up) it'd depend on how long it was temporary for, iyswim

Ooooh you're all so nice here.
I'm crossing my fingers the trial day goes OK, I will know Wednesday evening what her decision will be but then won't start (IF I get it) til mid Jan.

There isn't even much on Gumtree at the moment!

I was thinking yesterday - could the pregnancy test, overhearing that Granny was coming to stay, and Dad being off work sick POSSIBLY have anything to do with them letting me go, do you think? I just don't see why they had to treat me so badly when they did it - and by PHONE. Even if they sat me down and said they thought I was a rubbish Nanny I would've had a bit of respect for them.

Was thinking of shoving some coal through their letterbox on Christmas Eve!

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QuintessentialShadowOfSnowball · 10/12/2007 20:42
jura · 10/12/2007 20:41

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jura · 10/12/2007 20:41

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QuintessentialShadowOfSnowball · 10/12/2007 20:38

Niftynanny, I can sooo vouch for Jura, she is lovely.

If somehow it doesnt suit you and Jura, I have a friend who is looking for childcare, she is in East Sheen, but it may only be temporary as she really needs somebody live in, like an au pair, to bring and pick up her youngest from school. (Single mum, airhostess, unsociable hours to somebody live out)

foxinsocks · 10/12/2007 20:27

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GloriaInEleusis · 10/12/2007 12:39

I'd post the originals back registered mail just so I could prove I'd returned them. Then I would pass out many copies of them with a tag with their address on it.

Seriously, you are better off without them.

Original poster
NiftyNanny · 09/12/2007 23:38

foxinsocks, what's your email address?

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NiftyNanny · 09/12/2007 23:37

I don't want to jinx it but I think it went well I almost feel as though fate has stepped in - they already had a list of duties from their last nanny, who was with them 4 years and left to have a baby (and still comes over for the odd day to hang out!)
They were up front about contracts, which are already prepared subject to negotiation... said duties which are nursery duties and not housework - and stated "by the end of the day" and "once a week"
wages are done through payroll with payslips and a P60.......

gasps

Nick, not driving has counted against me with one interview. It depends if the children are in a school further afield. West London has plenty of really nice schools, state and fee-paying, so people tend to live near enough to walk. I would really like to learn, and with a 4 day week and a good wage it should be fine.

So... I'll let you know how things go.

NannyJ it's so reassuring to hear that it can happen even to those wise experienced nannies I'd love to be like one day!

I'm still studying - I've started the CACHE HomeBased Childcare diploma through distance learning. I spent a year at college in Norwich doing the Level 2 CACHE Cert. as I thought it would be a good foundation. I wanted something that had the supervised and assessed class time - the Level 3 would have taken three years and at my age, with a partner, I didn't want to spend that long away from London (went back to live with Mum, bless her). I topped it up with all the free courses Surestart offered - St Johns Early Years, Child Protection, Health and Safety... so I'm not as well qualified as the CMs out there, but have age and hopefully a bit of common sense on my side too.

Right, off to bed!

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foxinsocks · 09/12/2007 18:07

Nifty, if you want something temporary for the rest of December and are stuck for cash, I could quite easily use you here . The only problem is that without a car, it would be a bit of a journey (deep SW London) but let me know if you are interested .

yogimum · 09/12/2007 17:40

Sometimes you just don't know how a family are until you spend time with them. I accepted a job with a family who decided not to keep me on after a week. Their excuse was that I wasn't very hands on with their twins. The maternity nurse was still there and I couldn't get anywhere near them FGS. However they asked me to stay on for a month which I did. I think the real reason was they had promised part of the house which was self contained as my accommodation but I overheard the mother saying to their interior designer they were going to rent it out.

nannynick · 09/12/2007 16:53

Can I ask you NiftyN if being a non-driver restricts the jobs you can apply for? I know that nannies in Central London area may not need a car, but certainly in my area (just outside the M25 on Surrey/Berkshire border) a car is essential, else you are housebound.

Sounds like your interview went well - how soon till you expect to hear back from that family?

frannikin · 09/12/2007 16:05

Did you go to Norland that you did a training year NiftyNanny? Or another private college.

nannyj · 09/12/2007 14:49

I've been nannying for nearly 12 years and thought i knew what to look for too. I asked all the right questions but sometimes what people say and what they do are totally different. Unfortunately i have enough experience to know that things are not going to change and at the end of the day they have the right to parent how they like it's not for me to say any different is it. It just means that i'm not the right nanny for them but the idea of having to move out of my flat ( I get a free flat with my job) and having to start job hunting again at this time of year does not appeal.

Good look NN in your job hunt

Original poster
NiftyNanny · 09/12/2007 13:47

Aww NannyJ I really feel for you. It seems you just can't tell how it's going to be with a family until a month in, until you have some kind of sixth Nanny-sense that kicks in....... I'm not there yet!

Thankfully I've been interviewed by a lovely sounding family who are VERY keen on things being formal, having an official trial period, a trial day as part of the interview process.... they seem so down to earth, straightforward and honest, I'm hoping that I'm not going to be wading through a minefield again.

I'm really crossing my fingers because I know it's a case of finding the right family.... I suppose as I'm still new - this is my first year "in the field" having finished my training year while I was at college... I am still learning about what I'm looking for too, my style of nannying and so on.

I could not have told that the kid was the one wearing the trousers I'm sure the family seemed nice when you met them too. Apparently she makes Mummy cry by shouting at her too. Who would stand for that from their 5 year old??

I'm sure you will make it work somehow, poor you though I completely sympathise.

Let us know how things go x

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nannyj · 09/12/2007 12:32

Isn't it funny how having a bad experience can really jolt your confidence. I'm going through a tough time in my new job that i started 5 weeks ago and you wouldn't know that the woman who interviewed me and who i now work for are the same woman!

Original poster
NiftyNanny · 08/12/2007 22:52

I live at the border of Shepherd's Bush and Acton, by the way.... and I don't drive.

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Original poster
NiftyNanny · 08/12/2007 22:51

Oooh, CATs sound good but I haven't paid any £5s.....

I like to think I'm quite reasonable and well balanced too!

Actually I have an interview tomorrow morning - but it wouldn't start until mid Jan, so I would be stuck for December. I will be VERY strict about getting things in writing, as I did ask about it and wrote a letter outlining what I wanted in terms of notice, holidays, min hours and so on (I will include job description with duties in the next one, too!) which they verbally agreed to, but he was so shouty at me that I am just... I don't want to have someone tell me that they "don't want to hear any of this, you just post the keys through and leave it at that"

I'm amazed, because they have always been sweetness and light up until that one phone call. Terrifying! I'm beginning to doubt my judgment now

Thanks for the tip about temping in Nurseries, that could be a great option, holiday cover.

Jura, I've mailed you...... I'd rather not post my email address on here as I don't want anyone saying that I'm being defamatory if they can identify me by name. Hmmmm.

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jura · 08/12/2007 14:26

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SantaBeClausImWorthIt · 08/12/2007 14:02

Just watch out for Jura because she has a thing about wee ...

CarmenerryChristmas · 08/12/2007 13:57

Hey Niftynanny Jura is very nice (I've met her) and hardly mad at all, for a mner that is Go for it this might be a mn Christmas miracle

foxinsocks · 08/12/2007 13:57

and if you have no luck with jura, you can talk to me

jura · 08/12/2007 13:55

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