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Original poster

Boff needs chocolate. Nanny has just resigned.

185 replies

SnowyBoff · 03/12/2009 21:38

So folks, there we were being nice, supportive employers to someone who frankly with hindsight has a major attitude problem, and she's just resigned on us and leaves in a fortnight. I am sure Christmas is a brilliant time to look for a new one (not).

This nanny thing is so angst-ridden it's untrue. It also means we may have sacrificed another agency fee for a mere 10 weeks' work as well. And the kids will be really upset and go all funny on us for a bit because they will be so confused about everything.

I am not a happy Boff.

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dmo · 04/12/2009 11:53

look on promotions chat free £20 box of chocs if you spend £20 might help x

Original poster
SnowyBoff · 04/12/2009 10:53

Basically, if I take a step back from it, I think she had a bit of an attitude problem, because she was very mixed up about whether we were actually her parents rather than the kids' parents. So she asked us to drive her around in the evenings, snapped at us when we told her we weren't going to, expected us to be constantly on hand to look after the kids if she didn't feel like turning up, and expected us to teach her loads of things that she had already covered in training but was not interested enough to revise or look up for herself (eg what constitutes second stage baby food, how to dress children for different sorts of weather, and so on).

The consquences of all this were not great. We had a couple of incidences where she went AWOL and wasn't there to look after the children when she should have been, there were one or two minor but worrying issues with the baby (for example he got little welts on his neck from her ripping the bib off in a hurry, and when I told her not to do that, she tried to blame the marks on his dribbling, even though they were towards the back of his neck and obviously line shaped), I had to nag her to wrap the baby up warm in the cold weather after she brought him home crying with cold and his little arms like icicles, etc etc etc.

We have had the following in response to quite reasonable observations and requests about the children:

Us: Could you make sure you lock up the house and put the burglar alarm if you are last adult out of the house?
Her: That's proxy parenting!

Us: Why did you ignore our instructions from this morning about laying the table for dinner with everything the kids need, so they aren't making excuses about needing things and then running around the kitchen like maniacs?
Her: When do you expect me to reach these standards of perfection you demand?

Blondes knew about some of this as was recommending we get rid of her - well, she was right.

Agency are giving a 1/3 refund which is not unreasonable - they have been very supportive and done bags of work, including visiting her here for a day and makign sure she knew what she was supposed to be doing,

OP posts:
Blondeshavemorefun · 04/12/2009 08:53

'hands boffy a huge drink'

i was omg when i read your email yesterday - tried to reply but keeps bouncing back so blondes isnt ignoring you in your time of need!!!

oh no,thought tbh i am not suprised,i didnt think she was that good and was making your working life stressful

a nanny should make it easier

yes going to be harder to find a nanny ouer xmas,do you need someone to start jan 4th?

Will work let you have time off?

you have had such a run of bad luck - there are some fantastic nannies about about (we are all on mn) so please once again dont let this silly airhead get you down about nannies xxxx

nannynick · 03/12/2009 22:51

Oh no. Hope you have better luck with the next nanny.

frakkinaround · 03/12/2009 22:18

Oh *. What happened?!

Afraid I can't offer to help you this time but you have my utmost sympathies, tons of good vibes and I will ask anyone I know looking for work whether they want to come to you.

*I was going to actually swear but then remembered that I have my sympathetic nanny hat on!

Original poster
SnowyBoff · 03/12/2009 22:13

It is 8 weeks but actually they are very nice and there may be some goodwill as we have been absolute saints in relation to this nanny.

OP posts:
SycIsTOTALLYFatFree · 03/12/2009 21:56

So sorry to here your shitty news.

Are you sure you can't get your agency to replace for free given it's only 10 weeks? Most of them will find you a new nanny for no extra fee if either party is unhappy within 12 weeks.

Check your agency contract - it may put a cap on the chocolate intake, at least for this evening

Original poster
SnowyBoff · 03/12/2009 21:53

Thank you.

This was not a personality clash. This was someone who had no clue what it meant to go to work, IMO.

OP posts:
Tavvy · 03/12/2009 21:46

Even if we can't put full stops in the right place

Tavvy · 03/12/2009 21:45

Sending e-chocolate. Different jobs and different families suit different nannies. Some nannies are more adaptable to different employers than others. We are not all horrendously unreliable attitude problem ridden minxes contrary to popular belief Hope you find somebody else.