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!

I would say a 10 hour day is quite usual for a nanny. Certainly my current job, the previous one, and the one before that all had 10 hour days. Some nannies will certainly be working longer hours, and some will work less.

Did she seem embarassed when she asked you to put them in school club? How did you react?

riven would you work eleven hours a day for £35,000 pa? You would have £500 nett take home pay a week.

Just a note, London salaries are not what those nannies like me outside of London (and I'm only 25 miles from Central London) get paid. I would say under £25,000 would be more the salary where I am - Surrey/Berkshire border - and that would be for a live-out nanny... live-in would be less, as they get accommodation.

are those low wages?

Seems quite high to me even with the 11 hour days! I know many junior doctors who dont earn anywhere near that who work extremely long days and nights!

but doctors have the potential to earn much more later on in their careers

nannies don't

BTW, not saying they dont deserve it, just saying they seem comprable to many other professions before the howls begin!

TBH, some dont CTGH, many staff grades are stuck on a lower salary. anyhow... thats a separate thing!

MD she didnt actually say that she just told me shouldnt couldnt manage an 11 hour day and It was making her ill. Then there was a silence and I flustered and ran off to work.

I do a 60 hour week minimum. Travel an hour a day on top. Run a big house......and do all the household management etc for 4 of us. i also paint and decorate at the weekends and ferry the kids around as well as being out marketing for my business.!

Im Knackered !

hang on, there is one other person in this you are forgetting...what does DH say about this!!

(Ah, I forgot, childcare all down to mother. Must remember fathers absolved of all guilt 'farming chldren out' etc!)

Riven, it is only for several weeks of the year though she certainly doesn't expect the nanny to do it week after week after week. It's a bit like working in finance and not being prepared to work long hours at quarter and year end!

By Heck, and I thought my cm was hard work, she is having a laugh, if a nanny can not cope with 2 children during the summer hoidays thats her look out, she should get another job, I dont think you will find one decent nanny on here who would say she is being reasonable, and its only for a short while too. Preposterous!!!

gosh, sorry to hear that you are having to be a carer 24/7 riven. That sounds tough.

my nanny and i have been reading and discussing this thread while she makes playdoh for and we both talk to the 5, 4 and 2yo (and i mn) and we agree; shes taking the piss.

If you choose to be a nanny (or indeed childminder) those are the terms. How can you possibly have a formal break? Stay at home parents don't have breaks either. There is nothing illegal or slavery like about it. It's a contract freely entered into.

Demandingboss I'm afraid that you just need to go down the disciplinary route. What have you put in your contract? Are you in a position to give her a written warning or do you need to start on the verbal? Alternatively could you put an after school only childcare option in place (even temporarily) once term begins? Then you could make her redundant, as you won't need someone full time for a while.

If your kids are having a boring time I suspect they won't miss her much. We had what turned out to be a very lazy nanny for a while and even now, two years later the kids come out with moans about her. If we had known then how she was with the kids we would have stopped using her long long ago, but didn't for much the same reasons you have cited.

I do think her attitude is unprofessional
and if she has concerns she should be suggesting solutions not just whinging

but

when I worked ft I worked 12, 13, 14 hrs at a stretch but I loved my work and it took place in an office setting which was stimulating and motivating ...and there was time for the odd coffee break/lunch with interesting company

now I'm at home alone(usually 7am to 8.00pm days) with dd during the holidays (I'm lucky enough to work school hours term time only) I get quite down and de-motivated by about 3.30pm in the afternoon ...

and dd is MY much adored child
it's a different ball game

yes but thats why you do a job that suits you.
some people find being with kids suits them, and some of them choose to work with children. doesnt sound to me like this person has any interest in her job or the children, only in herself and her desire to change career entirely.

We have a full DP in our contract so it would be easy to start that. I guess she may just go off sick which would be a pain although she has holiday next week. Although she could just disappear in may car and never come back I guess!

fair point twoGs (great name by the way )

JBJ. DH just sees the posistives and says that we shouldnt rock the boat but guess what its up to me !!

My former CM often has 5 or 6 children for long days in the hols all different ages (sometimes all boisterous boys) and when we meet up and go out we have a fab time. If working with children is something you enjoy that you actually enjoy the holidays, no school pick ups to fit around much more laid back time to go farther afield etc etc

Do you know cargirl thats exactly what Melanie at the nanny agnecy said this am. An ex nanny herself and reckoned it was the best time to look after school age children as you actually get some quality time with them.

Oh how strange. He must have gone to the same 'I trust your judgement who is looking after our dcs, providing they aren't a convicted axe murderer' school of fatherhood as my dh!

Best go and wrestle the darlings into the bath. Good luck and let know how it goes.

Thanks JBJ> Off out now to meet the husband of my best friend for dinner...........strange I hear you all cry.

They are stranged and Im doing the marriage counselling bit!