To ask our nanny to also be a housekeeper?

[Soon2BeMumof3]

We have a wonderful part time nanny who we are desperate to keep.

I have gone on maternity leave and will be home until July. We don't need a nanny doing full days at the moment.

We would however like someone to do some basic housekeeping once a week- laundry, change and wash sheets (my most hated task- very unmumsnet of me I know!), organising the children's clothes and linen cupboard etc. Our nanny is a really tidy and organised person (I am not!). I'm sure she would be great, and we already trust her.

She is a trained childcare professional with a lot of experience. Would I be insulting her to ask if she would like to also have a housekeeping role with us?

Would obviously pay her properly and not expect her to mind children while housekeeping and vice versa.

Honestly, why would doing some once a week housework be appealing enough to keep your nanny working for you when she could find another nannying position with the hours she wants? Or are you saying that she would be employed as a nanny for her usual hours on the other days?

Are you expecting her to continue being a nanny after your maternity leave finishes?

You can't just change her role because your on maternity leave.

** you're

I think you may insult her and i wouldnt risk it.

I think id say to her... im thinking of hiring someone to help with x, y and z. Im just having a hard time putting together a list of tasks and when they should be done. I noticed you're amazing at all that so was just wondering if you could help with the list? Then if she'd be willing to do it she'd offer.

Or if you want to be more direct just say im thinking of hiring someone and i know you probably wouldnt want to but i wanted to give you first refusal just in case.

Would you like it if your boss asked you to start scrubbing the toilets in the office when you have a few spare moments?

She’s part time? You don’t want someone full time? But she isn’t. I am confused.

@Wolfiefan She's part time. She does two full days a week for us. She was doing a full day a week for another family but they've just moved abroad. The other days she does casual agency work.

She is keen for extra days with us at the moment so I've been offering her some, but it's more than we need and I want to spend my mat leave with my older children as well.

Why would it be insulting to her???? Just ask.

When my dd was in primary school I had an after school nanny for her but I knew that it was not enough hours to be an attractive job so I made it more hours by including some housekeeping as part of the role.

@PolPotNoodle happy to be told IABU- would much rather get my arse handed to me here than offend our nanny.

That said I'm not asking her to scrub toilets. We have a cleaner, I'd be asking her to do non-cleaner things like change sheets, organise and do laundry.

"I'm afraid I can't offer you any more nannying days, especially as I'm on maternity leave. I was about to advertise for a house keeper x days a week though. I don't suppose you'd be interested in that?"

I wouldn’t be offended!

If it’s not any cleaning, I don’t think it’s insulting at all to ask her.

I’d go with what a PP said

im thinking of hiring someone and i know you probably wouldnt want to but i wanted to give you first refusal just in case

Why not ask your cleaner if they'd do those things for you, then?

I would be mortified if I'd built a reputation as a professional working with children and was asked to change the beds. I think it would be more reasonable to have a conversation with her about the work you are able to offer her so that she can make a decision about whether she needs to find another family who need her on a more full time basis.

Just be honest with her and say that you need her as a nanny on x days for x Hours while on maternity leave, but will need x hours on x days when you go back to work and as she’s so good for your family you don’t want to lose her.then say you’re finding you want help with xyz for x hours so you thought you’d see if she was interested in doing that before you looked elsewhere.

So whilst on maternity leave you have a nanny, a cleaner and are now looking for a housekeeper.

How the other half live!!

Offer it to her. She'll either say yes or no.

I’m a nanny and although I wouldn’t be offended if you asked me, I wouldn’t do it but it wouldn’t offend me to be asked!

I'd love a nanny a cleaner and housekeeper.
Is it a huge house?

Couldn’t you extend the cleaners remit and hours to change bed sheets and do the laundry then ask the nanny if she would like extra hours on an ad hoc basis sorting and organising?

It’s perfectly normal to ask, she can soon say no if she wishes.

I'm assuming you want to keep her as a house keeper so come July she can go back to Nannying for you? In which I'd be honest.
Can you afford to pay her what you pay her now or woukd it be less?

Tell her you're desperate not to lose her lung term but obv you don't need her for two full days a week atm. There is a compromise - she takes on X tasks and some occasional childcare on her designated days and then goes ba k to Nannying in July with a pay rise as its an extra kid.

She either says yes or not but I'd hope you avoid offending her and she will see its out of desperation to keo her

Our cleaner does laundry, change beds, she would organise cupboards if I asked her to - just change your cleaner!

Just be honest.
We love you as our nanny and don't want to lose you while I'm on mat leave. Would you consider doing xyz housekeeping for X hours a week?
If she doesn't want to, ask her if she would be willing to commit to coming back when you return to work and maybe offer her a retainer (£500? I have no idea what would be classed as enough, but it would show her your appreciation and commitment to her coming back)

I once worked in a small firm with 5 male colleagues and I was the only female. My interview went well but the boss let me know that as it was such a small building with only 3 offices and 2 "restrooms" he didn't bother with a cleaner as "we manage it ourselves" Errr guess who managed it and cleaned the toilets and hoovered and dusted the offices? For extra pay? Not likely! Yes I was a total idiot and far too polite to complain. If only I could take myself back to that time and use my present Daffodil confidence.

To the OP I would say as others have, carefully mentioning it and giving first refusal may work or it may not but what I find myself asking is what the OP does herself if all the staff she employs are doing the things they are paid for. If the cleaner cleans and the nanny nannys then surely you can manage to change the linen and tidy the cupboard. Pehaps not. oh dear.

@Daffodil55 I promise I am very busy and useful. We all have different talents, housekeeping isn't one of mine.

No harm in asking. You could say you really want someone to do the jobs you've outlined and wondering what to do about it - she might offer.
Good luck.