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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Other parent asking nanny a favour

137 replies

WifeOfGru · 28/10/2015 10:35

Ok, here goes.
Genuinely want to see if this is reasonable or not.

Background: We have three daughters aged 8,4 and 16 months.
We employ a great nanny 2 days a week and she has worked for us for over 3 years.

There is another mum at my daughter's school who was initially a friend of mine and then got to know our nanny a bit. Unfortunately that mum's child was involved in quite a bit of nasty behaviour earlier in the year and essentially I have wound back on things in terms of play dates etc. on advice from the school (the situation did not directly involve my child but was pretty bad).

Anyway other mum and her husband separated over the summer.
She now seems quite unhinged/emotionally labile/angry from her Facebook posts.

Today, she calls our nanny 5 mins before school pick up to ask if our nanny would look after her girls til she gets to the school, as she is running late.
Our nanny agrees.

The school have a set up whereby if a parent is late, you can call the office, they will gather your children from the olaygroudpnd and keep them in the school reception area until parent arrives.

Anyway, our nanny then supervises our 3 girls (incl 16 month old) and other mum's two girls for 40 minutes until other mum arrives.

Other mum barely speaks to myself or my husband and I have heard nothing about the incident from her this morning.

It speaks volumes that she has no other contact in the school bar our nanny.

Our apnanny is very friendly and eager to help out when she can and I do think she was taken advantage of.

Who do you think I should bring this up with and is this unreasonable behaviour. I have my own thoughts but don't want to sway the opinions.

Thankyou!

OP posts:
Iguessyourestuckwithme · 28/10/2015 13:58

As a nanny I often lend a hand in such a way and known it will be reciprocated. Ie grabbing a child at pick up means that if I'm ever running late I can ask for a favour. In this case I wouldn't because of prior issues between the girls. But generally I manage my work load and the occasional watching a child because his mum's at a funeral means they can have my charge if I need tgem to at any point. I guess my employer (and last employer) are in the minority of trusting their nanny nor to take advantage or be taken advantage off. I would always mention it to them but no need to call and ask their permission first.

wickedwaterwitch · 28/10/2015 14:11

Ha ha at how cross this thread is. OP, I bet you're glad you asked hey? Smile

If any of my nannies had ever swapped children as iguessyourestuckwithme mentions I wouldn't have been happy. Not without my agreement anyway.

Thatoneoverthere · 28/10/2015 14:17

Ah I had 5 very social and busy children at 3 different schools, there is no way to manage those sorts of pick ups and drop offs by myself and my bosses were often unreachable during the day. But its one of those things, I have had people horrified that I do hospital and doctor appointments, to me its just part of the job.
Now I have just the one, and its far harder than having 5 but I normally get her name rightGrin

SplatterMustard · 28/10/2015 14:17

Your Nanny hasn't been unreasonable, misguided perhaps but not unreasonable. The other mother has been very unreasonable.

APlaceOnTheCouch · 28/10/2015 14:21

Eminado aargh I'm being sucked back in sorry I don't understand. I read the post that you have quoted as saying the nanny should have checked with the OP. I didn't read it as the OP shouldn't question her nanny.

My DSIS was a nanny for a number of years but she was given a lot of independence around managing her and her charges' time. None of her employers would have expected a call in a situation similar to the one OP's nanny was in.

DamnBamboo · 28/10/2015 14:40

My nanny took my kids to the dentist, opticians, doctors etc..
Worth her weight in gold and then some.

PisforPeter · 28/10/2015 14:51

I don't know why people have children if they don't want to bring them to medical appointments but I guess that's a whole other thread...
I WOH PT but my DD has never been to a doctors/dentists without her Mummy Sad

DamnBamboo · 28/10/2015 14:57

It's not about not wanting to bring them to medical appts, it's about getting them there in the event that either of us were held up.
Happens a lot commuting in London.
Routine dental and eye check-ups are fairly standard.
No difference at all if a close adult of any nature is taking them when they're not sick.
Not sure what the sad face is for?

DamnBamboo · 28/10/2015 14:58

And what about her daddy hmm piss

APlaceOnTheCouch · 28/10/2015 15:00

I'm guessing PIsForPeter thought the thread wasn't quite angry enough Grin

DamnBamboo · 28/10/2015 15:03

aplace Grin

Indeed. I'll be interested to see if any pearl-clutching or frothing starts up again!

DamnBamboo · 28/10/2015 15:06

I also regularly don't see at least one, sometimes two of mine play their sports at the weekend, because, err... I have three that play and well, there you go. I am pretty fucking special but being in three places at once is really above and beyond my capabilities Grin

PisforPeter · 28/10/2015 15:07

APlace it's gone on for so long now I thought I might as well have my 2p worth Grin
It's either myself or DH who take her to anything like that, mostly me as I'm PT so routine stuff will be booked around my work. My DC are my priority.

APlaceOnTheCouch · 28/10/2015 15:08

I used to have beautiful pink pearls. I don't know what happened to them. I guess I didn't clutch them tightly enough

StillStayingClassySanDiego · 28/10/2015 15:10

I don't know why people have children if they don't want to bring them to medical appointments

Grin,

PisforPeter · 28/10/2015 15:10

I think not being at every sports event is entirely different to delegating health care etc. Would you send a nanny for imms, that's a fairly significant for say a 3 yr old having their boosters???
I would want my child to be comforted by me/DH. That's why I had children.

wickedwaterwitch · 28/10/2015 15:11
DamnBamboo · 28/10/2015 15:12

My DC are my priority

Indeed they should be. As are most people's! So you don't always go then, your DH does too? When mine have been ill, me or DH have always taken them. The routine stuff, not so much.

Not much I can do if a six-monthly appt falls whilst I'm on an overseas business trip.

waits with glee for further FT WOHM bashing Grin

DamnBamboo · 28/10/2015 15:14

Me or DH always did jabs. Think my mum did it once. They were all fine! Have no real memory to be honest. It came and went and well, there you have it. All done on time, with a key person present!

Who comforts your DD when you're working then piss

Thatoneoverthere · 28/10/2015 15:14

To add to that how are you meant to get time of for 5 (or how ever many children) x doctors/dentists/opticians/phyiso/casts off/ and all the rest. I did an over night in hospital with one of my charges, my bosses had 4 other kids that just needed them at home for a night and to recover from having no sleep. Doesn't make them rubbish parents or mean they shouldn't have kids.

This stuff isn't all that bad anyway, worse I've had to deal with is explaining what cock rings are to and 11 year old.....that's when your bosses value you the most!

DamnBamboo · 28/10/2015 15:16

I think not being at every sports event is entirely different to delegating health care etc

Ha! Smile how many do you have and how old are they?

StillStayingClassySanDiego · 28/10/2015 15:16

worse I've had to deal with is explaining what cock rings are to and 11 year old

sorry, what was that you say? ^ Shock.

DamnBamboo · 28/10/2015 15:17

thatone fuck me!
I've just spat tea all over my screen again.
Second time because of reading a thread on here

Grin
KatharinaRosalie · 28/10/2015 15:22

I didn't have children so I could take them to medical appointments. They're not so much fun really.

Thatoneoverthere · 28/10/2015 15:25

Yeah 'cock ring' was not the language used but some one at school had seen the ad for those vibrating Durex ones so I got the a lot of questions but the best was 'Ummm Thatone how come its says pleasure for him and her, what do they do?'

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