What does nanny do during baby naps?

OP has buggered off after her initial post, I see, which is always a bit suspect, but just joining everyone else who says that a nanny isn't a cleaner, isn't there to get your own dinner started, isn't there to iron your clothes, and IS allowed a break from time to time. She will essentially be baby-sitting while the baby naps, which you would pay someone for if you went out for the evening. She'll also be checking on the baby and making sure all's well. But absolutely, she should be folding your towels and emptying the dishwasher too.

That's 10.5 hours, not 20.

And OP never said she couldn't have a break.

3.5 hours is an excessive amount of time for a break, what other position would provide a literal third of the employees paid hours as a break? My employer certainly doesn't, does yours?

Goodness- There are many differences between a nanny a babysitter. I can't believe this comparison has come up so many times.

Nannies have more responsibilities and are paid more. Our career nanny would be very insulted to be compared to a babysitter.

OP, you really need to take some comments here with a bucket of salt. People have no idea, it's really best to speak to an agency.

@@i123i wow!!!

I really hope this a wind up.

Out of interest what hours are you asking your nanny to work? Daily nannies often do 8am to 6.30 pm, you expect them to do over 20 hours with no break?

TBH if the nanny has so much spare and unused time when the baby sleeps maybe the OP or her DH could go part time and look after the baby and do their work when the baby sleeps?

You are paying for her to be on call for the safety of your baby. Unless you are happy for her to leave the property until your baby wakes up at a pre-arranged time. FFS!

I think a lot of these responses are a bit harsh - it’s a fair question!

In practice (and based on my experience having had a nanny for a couple of years now since 11 months) she’ll have plenty to do.
She will need to take her legal breaks, and then will have plenty of tasks - cleaning up after breakfasts/lunch, preparing food/batch cooking preparing activities, washing and ironing baby clothes/bedding, tidying-up, cleaning toys etc. (Mine also likes to be busy, so will take it upon herself to empty dishwasher, put bins out etc!)
And once baby down to one nap, she’ll have lots to squeeze in!
I think you’ll know quickly whether someone is pro-active or a bit lazy. I would just have a casual chat in interview and find out what nanny would usually do in that time to get a sense for whether she finds things to do or not!

Shove a broom up her arse and she can sweep the floor.

I couldn't get worked up about this. As long as my child was happy, clean, fed and the house wasn't a shit tip on my arrival home, I wouldn't be bothered what the nanny did hour to hour.

I remember having a baby and nap times weren't really "restful". I was listening out, rinsing bottles and by the time that was done the peace was over.

The nanny will be looking after your most precious person OP. I think treating them as a professional and capable of managing their own time working towards an expected outcome would be the best way forward.

She is doing something she’s monitoring your baby while it sleeps. It’s not like she’s going to go out and leave it or have a party.

Yes, sure, housework................. or watching a load of Holly and Phil (or whoever is standing in)

we don't want to pay a nanny to sit around while baby naps (this happened a while ago when we trialled a nanny).

Ah, the ripe, rich scent of a "much get my pound of flesh" employer. Don't you just love them?

That’s actually outrageous

I used to do a bit of supply teaching at our local school. One day we went on a trip for the morning to the theatre. The school tried to wriggle out of paying me for that morning because " I was sat down watching the performance and not actually teaching the children." They were still my responsibility.

You sound nightmare employers tbh. A nanny is there for childcare, not housekeeping. If the baby is asleep she can kick back with a coffee and her mobile phone for bit - soon enough baby won’t be taking such long naps. Honestly though - having a responsible person care for your child is the work, they are not obliged to run themselves ragged because you don’t like the idea of someone sitting down while you pay them.

Baby related housework? Washing clothes and food prep and cleaning up will be plenty to keep busy. As far as I'm aware that's what my friends nannies all do or else you'd come home to a bombsite? Otherwise what's the point, may as well go to nursery (well when the baby is a little bit older anyway)

I used to be a nanny, never did any housework, only tidied up after myself and the child. Sometimes would do batch cooking but after a month or so of starting, the baby only slept for an hour and I had to take at least an hour lunch break so that came to a halt. Never had any problems and was a nanny for 10 years for a few different families. Your nanny is not a housekeeper and she’s not a third parent, it’s her job to take of the child and get paid to do so whether the child is asleep or not.

then on with all the housework.

Don’t be ridiculous 🙄

Twenty plus years ago, when I had a nanny, I had a nanny with a small child of her own, 18m older than mine. Often nanny's DC was at home with dad depending on his shifts (police officer) but it was always made clear that she was welcome to bring Dc to work as often as needed, so it worked around our much younger child; we bought a swing early, knowing it would be needed, to amuse the older child. Sometimes, DC went to her house. She didn't do housework, but she kept life in order and handed DH a clean tidy sleepy baby when he got home, and put a bottle in DH's other hand so when I arrived back after an 18 hour day of travel and work, both were fast asleep.

Ps i do think its reasonable to expect tidying of playroom, perhaps running a load of baby laundry, sterilising a few bottles etc. But its not on you to speculate that that happens while baby naps and essentially require that she never sits down for a break for more than 10 mins. Here in the UK we have this lovely thing called "employment rights".

After I cleaned and tidied anything to do with the children, I did homework as I was in college. As the children got older, the naps got less long or disappeared. 'Not paying her to sit around' - you sound very mean.

You werent "burned" by the previous nanny. They cared for the child during naps, which, with a sleeping baby, means essentially being "on call".

Just like night nannies and baby sitters are paid to be there when children are asleep. Just like you still pay the nursery for the time your child is there napping.

when I was at home with my baby and the baby was napping I would cook, clean, do all light houseworks. I had a nanny with the second who was a mum (although the children were grown up) who did just that, the beds would be re-done, dishwasher emptied or filled, washing machines for the whole family filled or emptied, food prepared for the whole family. Of course not heavy cleaning (floor, windows, bathroom) but the usual chores we do everyday. Not all of them and not everyday bit when she had time she just would do it. She had lunch break but had enough time to fit something everyday. If she had not time she would do less and it was fine, obviously baby came first. She also went to several baby classes and to the park so she was out a lot.
but many nannies do not want to do that, it is obviously easier to rest for 3-4 hours a day while baby sleeps, they are paid anyway especially in the Uk they find work even doing just baby tasks.
so reality is if you want to keep a nanny in this country with the scarcity there is, you pay them to rest 3-4 hours a day and just thank them that at least they do it (hopefully) well while the baby is awake!

Our nanny did a bit of tidying, dishwasher. I treated her like a responsible adult looking after my precious children though, so I didn't tot up her time as if she was a factory worker who needs to clock in...

I wouldn’t like you to be my boss. She isn’t doing nothing she is still watching over your child and for me I wouldn’t expect a nanny to do ANYTHING else other than baby related things. You’re not paying her to just sit around she still has to make sure your child is safe