I’m a Nanny

[JellyBears]

I’m a Nanny in a private household. AMA

Do you get lonely or ever miss having work colleagues?

Hi 👋🏻 Not really I have play dates regularly with other Nannys. I go to classes/park etc most days where I meet lots of ppl to talk too.

Do you ever slack off (like me!) and browse internet whilst kids are playing or make personal calls etc!

@Tinseltower Yes absolutely!! Usually when I’m waiting for pasta to boil I have a cheeky look on Facebook or if I’m enduring frozen for the thousandth time..

@Tinseltower re phone calls I try to keep that to nap time. I don’t like to be on my phone when I’m with the toddler I look after.

Do you love the children? Do the parents ask you to do tasks you aren’t prepared to do?

DorothyGarrod yes I love all my past current and my current toddler. I’ve been his nanny for 3 years now. It’s hard not to love them.

Not in my current job no but I have in the past. I try to be clear that I do nursery/child related duties only.

Of course trivial things like picking up milk/dry cleaners etc I’m more then happy to do.

Do you ever feel the parents hire a nanny because they just dont want to do the hard work bit of raising children?

@Bouncingbelle

No I think parents are busy and like to know their children happy in their home environment etc.

Plus I only work for parents who work full time. So those parents need a nanny because their working.
I won’t work for parents who don’t work who are around.

Do your families usually get your preferred/favourite foods in for your lunch etc?
Is it normal to leave the children to watch tv for half an hour or so or do you try to entertain them the whole time they are in your care? Do parents often ask/suggest that DC have some time just faffing about rather than 'focused' play iyswim?
How soon do you feel comfortable in a new family's house? Is it easier to settle in and 'to nanny' when the parents go; do you feel you're 'performing' a bit if the parents are wfh in another room?

How much do you get paid?
How many hours do you work a week?

@WineIsMyCarb hi, so I’m a live a out Nanny so I eat dinner at home. I get a weekly kitty and that is money for activities and money for food shopping for the little toddler I care for. I cook all his meals from scratch and I tend to eat my lunch with whatever I’ve made him.

They always say help yourselves but I prefer to bring my own snacks as those things aren’t essential food items.
I encourage all my children to learn how to play by themselves without needing to switch the tv on.
I can cook or put a load of his washing on and he would be happily playing with his toys. No need for tv really. Occasionally of we’ve had a long busy day out then I’ll pop one 15 min show on for him to relax to.

He naps for 2 hours every afternoon so I get downtime from that.

So my routine is in the mornings we go out for an activity/class/play date etc and then after his nap that’s our time for playing with toys/reading etc

Tbh parents don’t tell me what to do as I’m very experienced and they tend to let me get on with it, obviously ido a few classes the parents picked but apart from that my day is my own.

I’m so used to it by now I settle quickly, is just a case of finding where everything is and the routine of the baby as I only look after children under 2 so it’s usually a baby.

It is weird though have a key to someone’s home and being given access to most things ppl keep private if that makes sense. Obviously I don’t snoop but I’ll often have to go into parents bedroom for the monitor or his sleep sack etc.

Yes I always prefer parents to be a work! There’s nothing worse then trying to look after children with their parents around. I’m a sole charge Nanny so I only work for full time working. parents.

@RideOn when I was a live in Nanny I worked 7-7 5 days a week with two nights babysitting included and the average live in Nanny wage fro my experience is around 4-550 pounds a week.

Now I’m live out I do 5 days a week 8-6:30.

Not gonna say how much I get paid but it’s more then 10 pounds an hour.

Do you have your own children? If you do/ did could you still do this job? How do parents feel about you bringing your own child?

When you go to classes or the park, do you chat with other parents or mainly nannies? My friend who is a nanny says that often when she gets chatting to other parents they assume she's the mum, but once they find out she is a nanny they have zero interest in talking to her!

What is the most outrageous/ entitled request an employer has made of you?

Thanks JellyBears

@redcaryellowcar I don’t have children and I’m not sure if I ever have kids I would still do this job.

I have friends who have their own children and bring them to work and it works well for them.

Not sure yet tbh.

@Esker I’m very picky in the interview process so I weed out the crappy family’s.

I did a temp job and the Mum had twins and she couldn’t stand having them in the house so we had to be out all day except lunch and dinner time.

I had one Dad ask me to remind me of his wedding anniversary but I told him that’s not my responsibility.

Ive been lucky tbh I’ve had nice respectful employers.

I can't believe that about the mum of the twins She expected you to be out all day long? I hope you had decent spending money so you could pass the time at classes etc or go to a cafe in bad weather! Poor kids (ie regarding their mum, not you!)

@Esker yeah we had an activity to go to every morning. They had nursery in the afternoon. But then I had to be out from pick up to 5 when I could take them home for tea. I lasted 3 months in that job lol.

I think she possibly could of had PND