To be shocked that my nanny cant cope with looking after my children full time in the holidays ?

[demandingboss]

Thats it really. We were away for the first 2 weeks.She has had them for 3 weeks and only has this week to go then she has a week off which is costing me a fortune to cover and then she has 3 days one week and 2 days the next and they are back to school.

Told me this am that she cant cope with having them 11 hors a day in the hols its just too exhausting and she spent all weekend in bed feeling poorly with the stress of it all.

She gets paid full time wages all year rund and has lots of perks ( and I maen lots ).

She seemed to be suggesting that they could go to holiday club so she could get on with some studying during the day!!!

I was so gobsmacked I just left and acme to work!

To be honest Im not expecting to get any replies to this as you will I am sure be too shocked to type!

Turniphead1 it looks fantastic but we are going to my brother's for Christmas I am afraid. Had it been New Year I would have probably said yes.

We stay at The Annabelle regularly because it is close to Paphos Harbour and the tacky kareoke bar opposte that my children just loved.......... ' The Splash Bar '... check it out!!

Ha ha squiffy.....Russians of course. Far more money than even I have !!!!

Gosh we are all so lucky. Sometinmes I have to pinch myself.

Does your new AP have any friends whowant to come over ?

Ooh I went to the Annabelle..luverly. Whilst everyone is talking about expensive hols, Are the hotels you mentioned in Dubai kiddie friendly at all? I'm after a hot holidy at xmas that doesn't involve a longhaul trip to the US?

Egypt Egypt Egypt....we love it. Go to The Red Sea and you can stay in a 5 star hotel for half the price. Four Seasons IN Sharm and the Oberoi in Hurghada Or the Four Seasons at Nile Plaza in Cairo fab and v child friendly.

agree re Egypt and the hotels db mentioned, but also lots of wonderful kiddie hotels in muscat, dubai, abu dhabi and bahrain. Have been to most so ask away. Thailand for us at half term i think.

Oooh now I have perked up - I have had a look at The Annabelle before but never heard from anyone who has been - will check it out. And am glad I can now ditch the JBH as an idea (my DH has also mentioned AbuDhabi/Bahrain hotels, by the way, as being better than Dubai, so I can now pretend that I am willing to go somewhere solely on his recommendation)

TurnipHead - we can't do that week - do you own any other weeks that you let sometimes? My DH is from Scotland, so we are always looking for accomodation options when we go up there, so that we can politely decline zed-bed offers from distant aunties ....a house sounds so much nicer than the hotel option we usually go for...

TH - yes I would love if you can cat the details because it is a real headache for us going up there - the hotels in the vicinity (west coast) are all crap, or up their backsides when it comes to kids.

And would definately be interested in an April week - and if your SIL likes French Riviera I can even swap her....

Sotrry guys, have totally hijacked thread.

Yes - have checked blackberry, and there it is, nustled cosily againt some spam. Will reply soon x

throws open a question to the wise mnetters on this thread...

do you think the issues db is experiencing are a likely risk when employing an f/t nanny for school age children?

i speak as someone who will shortly have to make a decision wrt to childcare for two school age monsters children.

finally managed to find this thread!!!

DB/MP - I cant believe that your nanny has the cheek to complain that working 11 hrs a day for a few weeks is hard, esp as you have older children who dont need watching every second (apart from when in pool)

I work 10.5/11hrs if trains buggered up in my job, I have 3 young children under 6 to look after.

I dont get a lunch break, as many others dont, but I work for a lovely family who really appreicate me,as I do them,I do get well paid ,as does your usless nanny/hk - plus you give her great perks of full time car,flat, gym, pool etc

I am SO pleased that you are finally sorting out other childcare.

She has seriously taken the piss out of you for a while, with her note writing, lack of entertaining your children and not unpacking the DW!! As well as not doing her duties ie ironing/forgetting to take gloves when cold,losing coats,over spending kitty and the worst one for me is stealing from it - borrowing with telling you is STEALING

I am at some of the posters on here, which seem to condem you for working/leaving your children etc - yes you work, you have a job which you enjoy - why the hell does that make you a bad mum? then make you out to be a slave driver and that you pay crap money, just tops it off imo

GRRRRRRRRR open bottle of wine, and glugs
and offers to DB/MP

bossykate - we have a ft nanny with school age children.

I must admit, I do think nannies get v used to the time when they are at school (just like a mum would!).

For the holidays, I made sure we gave our nanny a fairly generous kitty. We're very hands off with her (in that we let her plan the week the way she wants and don't ask for too much feedback) and she came to us with suggestions for days out (ones that would cost money, like Chessington and the cinema etc.). The rest of the time, she took them swimming, to the park, picnics, meeting up with friends etc.

I must admit, she did look v tired by the end of each week (and I can't blame her!). Ds needs a lot of running around during the day and I think he wore her (and dd!) out.

We took our main 2 week holiday in the middle of the summer holidays and that helped. She's a great great nanny, we are v v lucky so I cannot complain at all (and she's never complained once).

But I think it is v normal for the nanny (just as a mum) to be more tired during the holidays than the school week. But a normal nanny would expect that and not make a huge fuss about it!

bk, I know a lovely nanny who fulfils the same role for a family - housekeeping etc while the children are at school.
She is nanny to them all really, in the nicest sense, and they all adore her.
I think it can work very well - if you can afford it.
Good luck with improving the situation DB. Agree with others here that your children can pick up all sorts of interesting information at local playschemes, might be worth considering for yours to liven things up a bit. Mine always come back filthy and full of beans/glue/sand/mud.

How did discussions go with DH DB?

bossykate - no i dont think the same issues will happen- just db got a fucking lazy nanny imo

would be very interested to know what db nanny did in the last 20years of her nanny career

I think it sounds as though db's nanny doesn't enjoy children, or at least prefers little ones. I'm knackered this summer and I only have one 4 year old. I'm knackered because I don't actually enjoy doing things that a 4 year old boy enjoys (endless re-reading of a Spiderman comic, playing trains, kicking a football) and I do a lot of the diversionary things that db's nanny does like spend money to take him places where he will be entertained, and I whinge about his whinging. I find the days are endless and his boredom threashold is low, but I haven't chosen a career in childcare, and I never would because I know that spending all day with a child for days on end isn't something I have a talent for. I think next summer I will be looking for some sort of organised activity for ds as he is very extrovert and really prefers to be in a group of his peers. (I do love DS which helps me to soldier on past the point when I would hand him back if he was someone else's child, so don't worry he's not suffering.)

I really think that this nanny is in the wrong job, probably because it's a reasonably easy career to get into. She is may well be genuinely tired because doesn't like what she does so everything is an effort. DB's children deserve better than this, they should have someone looking after them who likes spending time with children and specifically likes them. I also think that dm could genuinely make the nanny redundant because at this age the children would probably prefer to go to holiday club or fooball/art/music/drama camp and be with a group of similar aged children for most of the summer and just have odd weeks at home.

Sorry, I had to post in two parts as I can't do long posts anymore (it's a drivel filter apparently ).

Also, now that I've re-read I have been stating the obvious in a very, umm, authoritarian way for someone who doesn't actually have a nanny, so please ignore if I clearly have no idea what I'm talking about.

sorry, not read all of the thread again...

DM weren't you the one with the nanny who wouldn't fill the dishwasher after breakfast and expected you to wash everyhtig first before you and DH put anything into it, and it was her only task before school?

If so, having also read various other stories of her shitness, I can't believe you still employ her!

I told you a long whilr ago I'd work for you but would have to bring my little DD to live too

Oh, I do hope you sort things out soon. Shes incredibly well paid, with free home ad car use... i'd love her to try to match it elsewhere..

good luck

Oh and of course, YANBU

oh, otherwise, I could come and live ( pay rent ) in your annex and just help out from time to time.

I think you are in the midlands aren't you, I can't remember actually... still the lovely NHS are trying to terminate my contract as i've a back injury that was caused whilst workig for them in the first place. and i've not made a claim or anything. just remained loyal etc... look where its got me... I will have to work privately if I am ever able to nurse again as the only optio they are giving me at this time is to e pensioned off ( at my age ) on ill health grounds...

bugger...

sorry i don't know why that all came out just now. just v pissed off right now, and reading about lovely employers such as DB, being treated like shite by employees really erks me. Your nanny needs to rememer what the real world is actually like... to have a boss who really couldn't care less about you. Polar opposite to what she's had recently...

sorry for my rant

turnip head - a ft nanny, when the children are at school full time will normally make sure that childrens washing/ironing is done, that playrooms/bedrooms are tidy, possibly do familys food shopping, and cook meals for children - and then times normally their own

maybe your temp nanny can help you with no 3 when born, i know my mb really appreicated having me, as she could have a little sleep when children at school/nursery, and I had new baby

if you really dont want to pay someone for those 3 hours, could you cope with having a nanny 12.30 - 6.30pm and you take to school/get a friend to take to school, and then nanny pick them up, or get her to come in 11.30,prepare lunch and then go to pick up from nursery?

DB/MP - did you manage to talk to dh last weekend? Any good live out nannies you liked from all the cvs you got sent?

I think that kids of 7 and 9 are too old to be stuck in every day with a nanny. Kids of that age should be off playing with other kids. Why don't you send them to summer camp and get an au pair to cover the extra hours (depending on your work hours, you might not even need to). Mine go from 8 - 6 in the school holidays and it's brilliant. They're with other kids the same age all day doing things like swimming and camp-building. Personally I wouldn't want my kids to go the safari park or cinema twice a week, especially if I had to pay someone else to take them. Those things should be special treats that you do once or twice a year - not everyday things.

And why would anyone in their right mind pay someone 300 quid a week to sit around watching their kids watch TV all day? It's madness.

You should make more appropriate childcare arrangements.