What does nanny do during baby naps?

@CPHB2021

I'm sorry to hear that. I hope you feel comfortable raising that with your employer and asking for an increase.

I'm in Australia so I don't know how relevant our rates are to you. The legislative entitlement for a nanny is $29p/h, we pay our career nanny $48 p/h, and our uni student nanny who does one a day a week $35p/h.

We raise our nannies pay every year, they've never had to ask for an increase. But I know other employers who wait for their nannies to ask for more pay, which I think is poor form on the employer's part. You are completely entitled to ask for an increase and I hope you do.

Do you have any data about what other nannies in your area earn for performing similar tasks?

I'm there on call so yes I'm paid and once everything related to my job is done the time is my own

Oh I forgot to mention on my previous post, the family I work for actually tell me not to even worry about dishes and sort of jokingly tell me off when I do them while they aren’t home!

Why are you doing it? Why are you being an all round servant for the same money as a uni student doing some babysitting in their spare time? I would say negotiate a pay rise but unfortunately I think you need to start as you mean to go on. Now they’re used to you being their cook and cleaner and PA so they’ll likely expect that. I’d be handing notice and looking for a nanny position.

Agree with @skyandsurf some of these answers are ridiculous. Just talk to a professional agency. Also remember the most important thing will be the person so you might make compromised based on this, and you generally get what you pay for

Can I ask what the difference in pay is? I am in this set up- I am the career nanny. House is spotless, I cook , clean, manage the family diary etc etc. Other nanny is only one day a week and a uni student, she's super fun but does not do any chores. We are on the sam hourly rate....

I think YABU and they wouldn't be just "sitting around". Some people CAN do their job "sitting down" I think and her job is to provide safety for the child and be paid for those hours as you can't in those hours be there, which is fine, too. I am curious over what you DO during the day that leaves you having to hire said Nanny over duties. Do you get to "sit down" over your job? Also, I assume there's no real paid breaks over the role so I would see fair to give herself a break over a not real break as it's "on call" the whole time, anyway, isn't it?

Yes the nanny can do child related chores

Their washing ironing - tidying their toys /playroom

Cooking for freezer

But yes also a nanny. Deserves an hour break. To have lunch in peace

Your child won't sleep forever

So no to light household duties /housework

Nannies don't study for 2years and go to college and do assessments and observations to go and clean your toilet /floor

Tbf 6 free hours seems insane if you are paid and don't do anything in that time. But if you're both happy with that arrangement as you obviously are, good on you.

Perhaps Op could simply switch the nanny off at the start of the baby's nap, then switch her back on when the baby wakes...

You would hate me OP..I have 6(!!) free hours a day of being paid when my charges are at school :) the family I work for respect me and pay me for my time so I'm available for their children if it's needed. Because of this respect I have been there for many years and I'm at work happy and my best self whilst caring for them. When the children were babies it was the same with naps and nursery and it's never questioned what I do in the free time. As long as their children are cared for and happy and the person caring for them is happy that's all they care about. I've been a constant in the children's lives for a number of years now and I've stuck around because I've been respected and cared for by them. If I was to work 11-12 hour days with no time to wind down then I'd be burnt out extremely quickly and wouldn't hang around there long.

I see families like you who have gone through a number of nannies and they want to squeeze every penny and make them do all sorts of things...these nannies never stick around long and move on to places like I've mentioned above.

We work really long hours and deserve a break. I'm sure you get a break at your job too! How would you feel if you didn't?

Last* obviously 🙊

Thst lady paragraph made me snort 😂

Are you new to having money and employing household staff perhaps?

Oh dear.

If you went out in the evening and had a babysitter you would pay them while the child sleeps. The nanny will be on call all the time your child sleeps she isn't doing nothing!
She is entitled to a break just like any other worker I don't think you can expect her to do any housework. I imagine for some if ye nap time she will tidy up toys, prepare babies lunch, organise toys etc. Any other jobs related to the baby but nothing else.

Would you run errands for your boss? Pick up the shopping, buy them coffee or lunch?

So a builder shouldn’t clean your toilet, but a professional childcare worker should clean and fold your pants? Why? Do you think the nursery staff should fold your clothes too?

People who have others to fo it for them I'm guessing! It's not something I do 🤣

Hi OP, I’m not a professional nanny but I was paid to look after a baby for a little while. We would be out walking whilst baby had morning nap but if we got back and baby stayed asleep I would hang out a load of washing parents had put in earlier. That sometimes included emptying clothes horse of dry clothes.
Lunchtime nap was varied as we would be walking and the length of time depended on if they needed re-settling (or going back on a walk). During sleep time I would clean up baby’s lunch dishes, wipe high chair etc. Then have my own lunch break 20-30mins. In answer to your question, there really isn’t much time for lots of jobs. If the baby slept really well one day I would do additional jobs like sweep floor, tidy cushions but it couldn’t be anything too long or too noisy. The family I was working for were very appreciative, made it clear that I wasn’t obliged to do any extra jobs and that I was to enjoy a cup of tea and a rest if I wanted.

Don't try to micro manage if you want a good relationship with your child's nanny.

You either use a childminder/nursery or a nanny,

You can't have it both ways.

By all means include things in the job description such as baby laundry, keeping the toys/books etc tidy, prepping food for meals for the baby will eat while with the nanny. But you can't expect to fill every single second with something just to get your moneys worth.

The nanny is also a human. She should have lunch and break times while the baby is sleeping.

I think, if you do want her to do some other particular jobs during naps, you'd need to add that to the job description and increase the pay to reflect it.

I'm shrieking at the ironing baby clothes 😆

I think it's fine for you to pay her during naps, even when she isn't up and about doing stuff. It's time that she's not at home - she's in her workplace, supervising the baby, on-duty. So she should get paid for that. And looking after a baby is very intense, so a few hours to rest during the day while the baby sleeps sounds reasonable to me.

Who irons baby clothes? Or, in fact, any clothes? Our iron is gathering dust in a cupboard and we are by no means scruffy.