Would you hire a morbidly obese Nanny?

[whompingwillo]

I would like to hire someone we’ve met for my 9 month old baby. She’s fab, great with kids, lovely, I have no concerns.

I would estimate her BMI is 50-60 and my husband noticed that it is a struggle for her to get up and down off the floor and he is worried that if baby was in danger she may struggle.

So what would you do? Do you think that weight could impact a job like this? I’m sure people of this weight have their own children and are safe to look after them?

YABU - morbid obesity could impact her ability to do this job

YANBU - she’ll be fine

Ignorance of what? What is it that I do not know?

From observation, yes.

Indeed

They eat the same when at employers, not outside of there. I used to be a nanny and many had terrible diets. Bags of chips for tea bought after leaving their employers home.

No. For me a physically unfit person in charge of my kid isn't going to work.

If she is lovely and you get on with her and otherwise she's good, I would hire her. Your child is 9 months old so at the moment running after someone is not an issue.

Having someone in your home has two parts to it - one is are they good at the job and the second is do you get on with them/feel relaxed around them/do not rub you up the wrong way.

It's very hard to find available people with both of these things.

Stuff happens. Things change. In 12 months time, anyone - even the marathon running perfect Mary Poppins nanny- may not want the job any more and leave for a million reasons - decides to retrain in a different job, relative becomes ill, meets perfect man who lives in the Orkneys and moving to be with him. In 12 months time, things may be different for you too - you just never know. This woman may also lose weight in that time.

I think it would be daft to pass up a good employee for this reason.

Fat, obese and overweight people do manage to look after themselves for the most part and at this point, I'd give it a go. As with any employee or person working for you, you definitely want a trial period before you commit to a long term contract anyway.

Bullshit

And if she doesn't you are either stuck with a nanny not able to keep up or left to fire her.

Wouldn't do it. Only trouble ahead.

A trial period or a trip to the park is a good idea

Because she's obese.

So imagine, God forbid, that there is an incident that requires this woman to leave the house with the children as soon as possible because their lives are in danger. Think a fire. Is she going to be able to do it? Most likely not.
Don't take no chances with the safety of the chidlren.

And all obese people eat garbage do they? Are you for real? What a load of horseshit!

I wouldnt hire your friend either. Getting up off the floor is surely a primary requirement of this job.

It's not a 'very active job' though, or isn't primarily. I don't know if you're imagining montages of them gamboling in meadows and frolicking through sand dunes every hour that they're on the clock but I think you may be mistaking what nannies do with dog trainers.

I'd be more focussed on whether she's good at the other 95% of her job - caring, changing, feeding, loving, educating my child etc etc than whether she can play a full football match without breaking a sweat

No I'm not imagining anyone frolicking or gamboling. I've had kids, looking after them requires being relatively fit and active.

Morbidly obese people will have mobility issues, health issues, energy issues.

There seems to be so much defensiveness on here. The question isn't are overweight people worthless because obviously the answer is no. The question is would you hire a morbidly obese person to provide chiildcare and I certainly wouldn't.

If the op had started a thread about an underweight person struggling to get off the floor though it would have been a very different thread.
It's only because the poor woman is obese that she posted in the first place and people can't wait to dig in and have a good old whinge about how useless and disgusting fat people are.

That's as maybe, and she may be a troll. But troll hunting is not allowed here, so people will respond to what is posted, not fictitious threads.

Lots of posters have merely said they won't hire her. As is every employer's right.

I've had kids, looking after them requires being relatively fit and active.

Most people on here have had kids, that's not really a qualifier for your opinion to be unquestioned.

Morbidly obese people will have mobility issues, health issues, energy issues

Oh they will? As an absolute? I see. Everyone who weighs the same IS the same, brilliant.

The question is would you hire a morbidly obese person to provide chiildcare and I certainly wouldn't.

Well that's your choice. It doesn't not make it ignorant and prejudiced however.

In EYFS they certainly are! They are free flow outside and have park style equipment. They also model skills in PE. Spend most of the day on the floor or up and down off their knees. I know many morbidly obese teachers who are very much capable of the job.

You’re not seriously trying to insinuate that most obese people eat a healthy balance diet are you??
And that you’re shocked someone suggested they don’t have a healthy balanced diet??

'people can't wait to dig in and have a good old whinge about how useless and disgusting fat people are.'

I've rtft and haven't seen any comments about how useless snd disgusting fat people are, rather they wouldn't hire someone who is morbidly obese to provide childcare because they will have a much higher risk of illness (well documented) and have low energy levels plus reduced mobility. Those are good enough reasons.

98% of them do.

I think you know the answer op

If kids are so high energy why is it the majority can't they sit on the carpet when they start school because their core muscles are that weak? Most kids are not high energy - most lollop.

I was responding to your post about gamboling and frolicking. No frolicking but certainly lots of activity.

Yes morbidly obese people will be at risk of serious ill health. Google it.

I'm certainly not prejudiced or ignorant but when choosing someone to care for your child then health and physical ability are a priority.

I'm sorry for anyone triggered by this thread. It isn't personal, most overweight people are of course very able but morbidly obese is not overweight, it is another level totally.