Childminding in dirty house

[Notmyjob007]

Recently started a job as a nanny for two children, one toddler and one school age. I've noticed that each week the home especially the kitchen is getting dirtier. This morning I had to clean down counters, sweep floors and steam clean the floors as they were scruffy. When I started I was told they had mice but were on top of it and house seemed cleaned enough. I don't know if they realise the house is not clean or they are just chancing their arm and know I will clean up.

I was going to say the same thing. And if it’s a nanny’s role to wash the children’s dishes, the only extra things in the sink are a couple of plates and two mugs?
If the floor has been cleaned by OP then it should last a week or more ( bar a few crumbs etc).

Yeah. Also clean is really subjective. Not cleaning
uo from breakfast is different to weeks of grime!

This! I’d be honest.

What a load of shit. Clean the fuckers' house for free for years and THEN ask for money? They'll just laugh in her face and employ someone else.

You being messy is not endearing.

Because OP is not there overnght, they're leaving the mess they made eating at night and in the morning for her to clean and it's disgusting, OP is not their skivvy.

Same. I do mine on a Sunday every week. However I am not home like 75% of the time. So there’s no one there to make it a mess

Sorry, but where are you getting "years" from?

And why so aggressive? Sheesh!

I'm curious whether OP is bringing her own steam cleaner too. Seems odd not to have a hoover but have a steam cleaner. Are they all hard floors?

Because @Cvoight said OP should 'chip away at the cleaning' until her 'contract' ends. That could be years!

No way would she clean someone's house for years on the hope of a future salary reflecting her cleaning but she thinks OP should do it because it's awful for 'messy' people being messy.

I totally agree with you, but I'm sure I read that the current contract is 7 weeks.

Yes, but not the level of cleaning the OP describes.

That would not help. How do you think her e players would react to ‘I’m not paid to blah blah..’
Won’t solve anything. It will only get their backs up.

Sorry - employers, not e players

You need a contract and you need boundaries. Childcare is your main value - what cleaning do you need to do before and after childcare activities? You are not a 1950's housewife or vermin control or drudge. Work out what role you are for the benefit of the children - and what other services they either need to buy in, or work they need to do themselves. But don't expect homes to be like offices, where a team of people come in every night and are paid to clean. Work out your boundaries and value. Do daily or weekly report cards - "we read a story and practicised letters and words" "we went outside for fresh air and exercise" "we did the washing up together" - not "I parked the kid in front of the TV because I noticed you people really want a cleaner"

Last night's dinner?

It's much healthier to live with a bit of dirt then cleaning chemicals, the children with the best immune systems are kids that grow up on farms. Floors that aren't steam cleaned are not a danger to toddlers.

I think you're a bit too clean obsessed OP and these people have different standards to you. Stop doing their dishes, just put them to one side while you do the ones you've made and stop steam cleaning their floors. Unless there's dog poo or red meat juices scruffy floors and surfaces that haven't been bleached are not going to harm a toddler.

Surely hiring a nanny doesn't mean the family has to suddenly become very clean people.

It doesn't sound like they live in squalor, it sounds like they're just normal messy. Few plates and cups on the side with some crumbs from breakfast. Sticky floors because, well, kids can do that. Stains on cupboards, pretty normal unless excessive.

I'm not saying people need to live this way, you sound like a clean person so I can understand why you keep your house very clean.

But the family have employed you to help care for their children. They are living a moderately messy life. If you don't like it, leave. But getting childcare doesn't mean the parents suddenly have an extra hour a day to clean up.

I have three young kids and we both work full time. I also have a small pile of breakfast stuff on the side each day, waiting for dinner time when I do the dishwasher. There's crumbs under their chairs sometimes when I can't be assed to sweep for the 3rd time that day. And I have piles of washing that needs folding and putting away. I could be a lot cleaner, but I'm already juggling working and three kids so I've lowered my standards.

You're a part time nanny. Of course you have more time to clean than working parents. Give them a little slack. And if you can't, be gracious and leave. You don't need to embarrass them.

No, OP said she'd been working there 7 weeks (so far).

I am surprised that people who employ a nanny for 4 days a week don’t have a cleaner for a few hours a week. It is not ok to expect you to work in an unclean house - never mind the risks to their own DC.

However, some people simply don’t see dirt - especially if they are only there briefly morning and evening and perhaps out a lot at weekends.

In your shoes, I think I would be open with them, as you are considering leaving anyway so nothing to lose. They may well be mortified and sort it right away. If they don’t then you have lost nothing.

Are they good to work for otherwise?

They stopped cleaning up when they realised you’d just do it. Maybe leave their dirty pots in a separate washing up bowl (I’d even buy one) or stacked one side of the kitchen and only clean what you use. They would soon get the message. Tell the you’ll do it but for a substantial increase in your daily rate.

I used to nanny and house wasn't the best. The parents were just never home enough to do anything!

I also worked for another family and they used to tell me NOT to do washing up because there wasn't enough to justify doing it. 🤷

OK, I see now.

I took "I'm working here 7 weeks" to mean I will be rather than I have been.

My mistake.

I Nannied years ago for a family exactly
like this. They literally never raised a finger, kitchen was filthy every morning they never even bothered to turn the dishwasher on so I could empty it! I was very young and put up with it. They had a cleaner in every Friday to clean the house. One Monday they asked me to swap days so I went in, and the cleaner was there. I was confused and asked her why she was there - she told me she came in every Monday - just to tidy the house after the weekend!! They were that fecking lazy they'd rather employ someone to tidy, not clean anything, just tidy up their scummy messes, than teach their own 4 kids to clean up after themselves. I left shortly after that!

I would struggle to work in that environment 😬

It’s a hard one op because if the children weren’t involved I’d say immediately leave.
But it sounds like they are so much better off (the children) for having you around.
Im sorry you are in this situation. How do you feel about addressing it directly with the parents