nanny doing personal chores with toddler

[FarterChristmoose]

Is it acceptable for a nanny to take toddler with her on personal chores such as nannys doctors and dentist appointments, food shopping etc rather than doing these on nannys day off? She gets one weekday off Plus weekends. She takes toddler for daily walks, play groups etc.

[AppleSetsSail]

I would not be happy about my small child taking an unneccessary trip to a doctor's office because obvs, that where germy people congregate.

Other than that, why not?

[chillycurtains]

Well really that is a different post and she just needs to talk to them. My only objection would be the doctor's appointments as you never know who is in the waiting room with you and children tend to touch more things and put their hands to their mouths so I imagine they are more likely to pick up germs from other patients. Going to the dentist with a nanny would be a great idea as it will make it a less scary place when they visit. Food shopping can be educational with lists, prices, healthy eating. She could pick up a few items for the household she works at and do them a favour too.

[AdrianlovesPandora]

Your not allowed to take a baby or child in with you for a dentist appointment anymore are you ? That's how it is at my dentists ?

[witsender]

I can take one in, but not 2. I wouldn't have an objection to most of those things, but not the doctors. I don't know why she is exhausted though, she has more time off than most people!

[BitOutOfPractice]

She works four days a week and she's exhuasted and can't fit her personal stuff into her three days off? Really?

[IamCarcass]

She has three days off. The weekday can be used for medical appointments, the weekend or evenings for shopping.. I'd have more sympathy for a nanny working 6/7 days tbh. People in other professions cope.. I say all this as a former nanny.

[lazycoo]

Would depend why - if it's a rare appointment needed at short notice because she's unwell, I don't see why not - opportunity to learn and see new places. If it's a regular thing, there are questions to be asked about why she is exhausted, and I wouldn't want DD in the surgery regularly because of the germs.

I don't have a nanny but a childminder. She took my DD kitchen lino shopping last week! I like the fact my DD fits in around her life, although the CM draws the line at doing big shops with her. Plus I only pay her £4 an hour.

[AdrianlovesPandora]

I think it's absolutely worth a conversation with the employers you can only ask "would it be ok" that way you get a yes or a no it's not an offensive thing to ask. The doctors or dentists I agree that can be kept to your own time.

If I had a nanny I would not mind them going food shopping. Maybe she could suggest that you do their shopping and while you're there could you do your own shopping ?

[FarterChristmoose]

She is working 7am til 8PM the days she works. So 52 hours over 4 days with a child who is constantly on the go and doesn't sleep.

[TondelayaDellaVentamiglia]

the poor dear, exhausted and too tired to keep appointments on her day off like the rest of the world

I'd be quite about personal errands whilst nannying so I think your friend is right to be concerned about asking the parents

And it's a word of difference taking your own child food shopping as a SAHP to the Nanny doing it!

...imagine Tesco online shoppers, trolley-ing round with their zappers and doing their gran's weekly shop while they are at it.

[LaContessaDiPlump]

We have a slightly unusual situation with a nanny who comes to us once a week and takes DS2 home with her for the day. I don't really mind where she goes on that day tbh as long as it's not wholly child-unfriendly!

If he was with her 5 days a week then I'd expect him to go along with her to do her shopping etc. I find it a bit odd that people wouldn't think that was fine/

[witsender]

That sounds like normal life sadly. She has 3 days to flop, watch TV, sleep, shop etc.

[DisappointedOne]

She is working 7am til 8PM the days she works. So 52 hours over 4 days with a child who is constantly on the go and doesn't sleep.

And? Many people do more than that and cope.

[fidel1ne]

It sounds like authentic 'life' to me.

I'd hate any of my DC to be raised in a way that revolved purely around them and didn't include a few chores and errands every day.

[witsender]

If she was on a 5 or 6 day week I would have more sympathy.

[JonSnowKnowsNowt]

Absolutely not. Totally different to going with an SAHP.

I've had a nanny for 5 years and she has never done this - I would be very unhappy if she did.

Of course the nanny should be given time off for doctor appointments as necessary. But a nanny who is not working full-time should schedule any non-emergency appointments on her days off, like everyone else.

[CakeFail]

And? Many people do more than that and cope.

Dear me! Which nanny pissed on your chips today?

[OnlyLovers]

Funny how the tenor of the comments changed once we learned about her work hours and people started to pass judgement...

I don't think I'd be happy if she was spending a lot of her work time on personal appointments and errands. But I agree with those who've said that surely it's healthy for small children to be integrated into normal everyday life.

[var123]

I questioned my nanny (when DS1 was a toddler) about something very similar and reminded her that DS's needs came first. I was ok with a bit of give and take, but incorporating DS into her private life needed to be an exception rather than the norm, and unless there was an emergency, it needed to be agreed in advance.

A childminder is a different thing and that's why I was paying extra to have a nanny.

[Cotherstone]

Nothing wrong with taking the child on the odd personal outing. Going to the dentists is always a good thing to get them used to it, going to the post office can be a learning experience etc.

However yes, she does have 3 days to herself and while her days and hours are long, they're not above what most other people do, and surely not enormously above what her employers do (if they are out of the house 7-8 four days a week) and other people have to fit appointments in themselves.

[CakeFail]

Posted too quickly!

I don't get why you're posting here OP. Your friend should be speaking to her employer of she isn't sure what they'd allow.

[fidel1ne]

And it's a word of difference taking your own child food shopping as a SAHP to the Nanny doing it!

Not for the child. The advantage of a nanny is the more natural, home-based life, isn't it?

Shopping, opticians, dentists, post office are all great things for children to see and experience regularly.

[RiverTam]

Right, well, those are pretty long hours - I've never worked anywhere where a standard full week was more than 40 hours, with an hour's lunch break to run errands, get my hair cut etc. So I think that does change things. But I'm still not sure how many appts she means -dentist twice a year; unless she's got a chronic illness doc's shouldn't be very frequent, and popping to the shops is of course fine.

[ZanyMobster]

I think that's an odd reason to want to take the child with her. If she only had 1 day off out of 7 that's different but she has 3 days off.

Many people work those sorts of hours and then go home to look after their own children on the other 2 or 3 days off.

I actually wouldn't have an issue if I had a nanny and she needed on the odd occasion to run personal errands but not really their weekly shop or regular doctor/dentist appointments. She could always do online grocery shopping?