Never posted on this topic before but feel I need to rant.
Hired a nanny for a 4 month stint. She seemed lovely, from the Ukraine and spoke good English.
She was part-time and is studying to be an accountant the other part of her time. Not terribly experienced, but had a caring attitude, CRB checked and had worked as a nurse before.
All good, until a few weeks ago.
She had asked if it was possible to pick up DD from nursery at 4pm instead of 3.30pm one day as she had an appointment, I checked with nursery and they said it was no problem for them to keep hold of DD for an extra half hour. The day in question came, and I received a text at 3.15pm, asking if it was okay to pick DD up a bit later, maybe 4.30pm? I panicked and phoned nursery who said that would be fine. I tried calling nanny but she didn;'t answer and left a message saying it was fine, but if she couldn't make it, she had to let me know asap so DH could pick up DD.
In the end, nanny picked up DD at 4.50pm from nursery.
DH asked nanny about it that evening and nanny said that she had pre-arranged late pick-up with me. A bit of a lie ... but maybe there was a bit of a misunderstanding due to language, so we thought we'd let it go.
I try explaining to nanny that if she were to do this, perhaps it would be better to telephone me so that there would be no misinterpretation as to whether she was telling and asking me that she was going to be late for pick-up.
Next incident: nanny tries to get in touch with me, but can't and speaks to DH instead to ask him what should she do as DD had been in her cot for an hour and a half and had still not napped. DH and I were horrified that she could leave DD in her cot for so long, albeit DD wasn't crying. We suggested she take her out for a walk in the buggy if she was tired but couldn't sleep.
Next incident: nanny suggests taking DD to a library which involves an hour long bus journey on a nice sunny day. I have to insist that they visit the city farm instead, having established that there is no special event happening at this library and that the nanny has actually never been to this library before.
Today: I pop out to the shops and bump into nanny and DD on the way home. It was a lovely warm day in London but DD had her buggy snuggle around her and her face was red. What worried me more was that DD looked zoned out and listless. I touched her forehead which was very hot. So, I told the nanny that DD was hot. The nanny said no she was fine. I asked why she had buggy snuggle over DD and nanny said it was cold and windy . I then asked nanny if it was cold and windy why she was just wearing a light raincoat and dd was tucked up in buggy snuggle, so nanny told me that DD was ill. (DD had a bit of a runny nose last week). I asked her if she had felt DD;s forehead and nanny told me that it wasn't necessary as DD was fine. I asked whether she thought it was normal for DD to be so listless and she told me that she's sometimes like that in the mornings in the buggy . I insisted that DD was not normally like this, and as DD's mother, I do actually know what she's like. I insisted on taking the top part of the buggy snuggle off and marched back home with them to get a blanket which could be put over DD if she fell asleep.
In the past, nanny has insisted that DD doesn't eat very well, so I checked if her eating had changed with nursery and they said no, she remains a good eater. Nanny has looked after one toddler in teh past who she has spoonfed, and now at the age of 4 won't feed himself. DD has been BLWeaned and has always fed herself but makes a mess. I have tried explaining this approach to nanny but she still doesn't get the idea that I believe DD eats what she needs and should be left to it.
Anyway. upshot of today is that after my insisting that DD was hot, nanny sends me a text to say: "I'm really sorry, but I can't work for you anymore so I'm giving you one week's notice. I hope you understand." AIBU or is this really juvenile? I didn't respond to text as too busy organising alternative childcare. DH saw nanny tonight and she said that she wanted to give a week's notice, he said it was fine and didn't ask her why as she had hoped. Neither did he ask her to stay.
Problem is, nanny is really sensitive to criticism, takes things personally and thinks everything is about her, not the child she is meant to be caring for. At the same time, she has no initiative, to the extent that we have to select recipes for her to cook or cook for her and DD so all she has to do is heat up the food.
We've always been quite relaxed about her time-keeping and always come home well ahead of her clocking off time - sometimes half an hour before, hoping for a catch-up chat. But, when we come home early she just puts her shoes on to go. Also, we've always said thank you as she leaves to go home, etc.
What do other people think? AIBU in thinking I have a crap nanny or did I do something wrong?
Sorry for long post, but it's as much to get things off my chest ...