AIBU to not want the nanny having her phone with her?

[ClipsAre]

I don't mean not physically on her, but her not using it when she is meant to be looking after my child. I often notice her on her phone and DC nudging her and her saying one minute, etc. I work from home, so I tend to see what's going on and if I'm going past I do occasionally mention it but she claims that my DC is happy doing x, y and z so she thought she'd quickly reply to an email/text, etc.

AIBU to think this isn't okay?

I was in a park the other week. I was playing with the kids as you do. When about 12 other kids wanted to join in. Was novel someone playing as their nannies were all glued to their phones not once glancing up. Was really sad to see as the kids were all crying out for attention.

OP, are you honestly saying that, during the working hours when you're in your home office, you never once look at your phone, check personal emails etc?? If you can honestly say that you take no breaks at all during the working day, then fair enough.
On the other hand, if you mean that she spends hours on the phone every day, then yanbu.
A fair day's work should be given for a fair day's pay. That should apply whether you are a nanny, factory worker or lawyer. A "fair day's work" doesn't mean that the employee has to work at full pelt all day and never have a breather, but neither does it mean that a worker should neglect their work all day.

Harshbuttrue - she clearly took a break when she went downstairs to check the nanny, so it's safe to say she does all of those things but doesn't want the nanny to do the same as it's OP shelling the money out.

Absolutely out of order, can't believe that anybody thinks its reasonable. If she has breaks (which she does), then you go on your phone then! What did we all do before mobiles?

Yes I took a break just like she has breaks???

Tell her to please leave her phone in her bag. She can check it every hour for messages or even every two hours but other than that, she should not be on it at all.

I said no using your phone except in emergencies please. You wouldn't do it in any other client facing job!

I said no using your phone except in emergencies please. You wouldn't do it in any other client facing job!

^^This!

If she gets a phone call I would think it wouldn't be unreasonable to answer, but texting, FB, Whatsapp, any other purpose - no, except in a break.

She is paid to watch and interact with children, not chat to friends.

People are giving you some strange replies you are paying somebody to look after your child this is their job not some random looking after your dc if it was a nursery worker you would be in no doubt this wasn't right, say to her you prefer her not to be on her phone while working

She is being paid to care for the child. Phone only when she is on a break.
Doubt it's any sort of emergency she needs to attend to. She is a nanny, not exactly nuclear science !

I am a nanny and I use my phone during the day to :

• text my nanny circle to organise days plans/playdates etc
• call the leisure centre to book activities
• check recipes online to make use of the strange concoctions of ingredients in the fridge
• take photos/videos of the children
• look up ideas on pinterest for activities/art ideas
• email bosses/reply to their messages
• listen to cbeebies podcasts
• check the weather as to whether we can chance a woodland walk

I work a 13 hour day and my boss likes me to keep in touch. In my day - I would say I hardly do any personal stuff on my phone but it would definitely look like I always have it.

When I was on Mat leave I noticed this a lot.
It was one of the reasons I chose a nursery as childcare as it was a policy not to have mobiles to hand.

littlelondoner I'd me more aghast that the children didn't know how to play without adult interaction. Children need adult supervision, but unless they are alone without other children (and tbh even when they are the only child with that adult sometimes) they need to be able to create their own games and entertain themselves.

Children constantly over supervised and over directed and constantly organised by their adults are being done no favours and are annoying pains in the arse, I have one here atm supposedly playing with DC3 and I actually came onto MN deliberately to avoid him as he is driving me insane - bloody play with DC3 like all his other friends and stop pestering me, you are not here to play with ME! far less self contained, creative, imaginative, mature, and capable of self directed play and learning than children who are supervised in a hands off way while they play independently.

Of course children need a balance between independent and directed time but children who are pestering unknown adults to play with them in a playground are probably victims of over scheduled lives with too much directed time who don't know how to cope with an hour of undirected time to play in a play park poor mites!

That said nanny is paid to supervise and educate etc etc and should not be on the phone ignoring child. It all depends how much she uses it as others have said. Having it on her to be contactable in emergencies and for photos and to look work related things up is fine, hours on forums or YouTube isn't. Common sense.

Oh totally I agree.

But my point was they where talking to me potentially a stranger and not one of the nannys looked up from her phone.

The kids I was with where all under 3 so most certainly needed adult interaction. When so young.

The other kids where playing quite happily. But it was more just wanting someone to agknowledge how well they where doing ob monkey bars etc than actual playing.

These children where all also very young. Under school age as it was a week day.

I think especting a nanny to not let them play independantly whilst never looking up from phone is not a novelty.

My point was more unfortunately amongst some not all nannys it is a fairly common thing.

YANBU. Can't think of a single job where it's acceptable to do this.

Littlelondoner, how do you know they're all nannies?

I wonder if you can negotiatie this with her.

Depends how easy it is to recruit someone else if she doesn't like it.

I would speak to her and arrange a compromise. Then if she 'cheats' and continues to ignore DC then replace her.

I don't think yabu. If I used my phone during the working day, I'd be disciplined (teacher) so I restrict it unless I'm on a break. It's sad how obsessed people are these days.

bitlady as the children are calling them by their first names. They also physically bare no physical resemblance to the children. Whilst adoption amongst other races is not too uncommon. Or one gene being stronger in apperance. I would ashume they would call them mum or something? Also you can sometimes just tell by the relationship dynamic that it is not a family member. That said some kids love nanny more than anyone. But yes it was an assumption that they where nannys in this situation rightly or wrongly so.

This is all going so far off OP post.

Children need adult supervision, but unless they are alone without other children (and tbh even when they are the only child with that adult sometimes) they need to be able to create their own games and entertain themselves.

Absolutely. But there are a million things a nanny should be doing during that time.

If she was a nursery worker or a teacher she would only be able to look at her phone during her break.

Maybe ask that she only uses her phone on her break or when the children are napping, and provide her with a basic not-internet phone for emergencies and keeping in touch.

I'm a teacher and I wouldn't be disciplined for using my phone during the working day. I might need to look up a fact or call a parent - I do that on my personal mobile. I might need to answer an urgent message. No-one minds.

Where do you teach Trifle? I've worked in several schools and all have had strict mobile phone and social media policies.

Pattakiller: It's a large comprehensive state school - that's all I'd really want to say on a forum tbh.

Maybe secondary schools have different attitudes to primary/nursery schools. I'm guessing if the nanny was looking after teenagers then the OP wouldn't be so bothered about her using her phone though.