I've got a couple of questions about practical issues...

[HeadFairy]

Our lovely nanny has only been with us a week so I'm still finding my feet with the whole nanny thing... I have a couple of questions about the practicalities;

1. It is in her job description that she will do the children's laundry, however in reality we normally all do it together. I have a dirty laundry basket in dd's bedroom for the two of them but normally I chuck it all in together. I don't expect our nanny to do our washing at all, so how does it work with the children's washing? I've just put a mixed load on and I will hang it out before I go to work tomorrow, but should I have left all the children's clothes for her? I'm not sure how that bit should work. Should I not even bother her with the children's clothes and do them all together as normal?

2. If my nanny doesn't spend all her kitty money in one week, do I still give her the full kitty amount the following week? She's decided she'd like to keep the kitty money in a pot in our house, and she hasn't spent any this week, on Monday do I have to put another weeks worth of money in or can I assume as she hasn't spent it from the previous week that she has enough?

1. See how it goes - Also just because she hasn't washed it doesn't mean it doesn't need ironing

My mb would always do a mixed load of her and dc's (but there were only 2 of them) but then I would too - would grab mb's washing hamper from her room if I needed to make a load. Plus some weeks there willbe lots of childrens washing/bedding so leave it atm.

2. You could add to it so that she can use a lump sum on craft supplies or a big day out or just leave it until it needs filling up again.

1. With the laundry - I put the washing on (mainly b/c I am a washing Nazi) and I chuck everyones clothes in together. Then ask my nanny to hang it out, bring it in, and fold it. She then puts away her and my sons clothes. Seems to work well for us.

1. Kitty - I gave her a purse, and top it up with £20 as/when needed. She prob doesn't spend more than £10 a week tbh. So I wouldn't say just give it to her every week (although we keep ours to one side) but just top up when you need to...

Good luck, hope that helps!

1 - don't bother splitting it all up. Just chuck it in as it needs doing. Nanny should do the same. In the end, things then get washed. It's a never ending task.

2 - If you are doing a fixed kitty amount, give it every week regardless. Nanny can then budget for higher cost activities - can buy annual passes for places frequently visited. I certainly do things this way... saves me having to keep tabs on exactly how much is spent all the time... if I did that I doubt we would do the things we do, as the cost some weeks far exceeds the cost of other weeks.

Do keep an eye on what activities she does though... as by the sounds of things she is either finding things that are free to do (which is very good - can she please let us all know about the free things she has found) or she isn't taking your child/children out.
If she uses her own car, then the mileage log will help indicate where they have visited, as will photos taken at the places.

NannyNick I could manage quite well in a working week of 50 hours to spend no more than £1.50 and even then I could go without those 3 activities I am in a market town which is lucky enough to have several surestart centres, plus lots of locally placed friends.

I used to have a fixed lump sum for the kitty and ask for more when I got through it. It was a large amount of money but equally all the activities were paid on a weekly basis from the including music lessons at 40? a pop and any transport which weren't there in the holidays so I used that for treats and outings. I made it a policy never to ask for more money more than once in a week and it seemed to work well. If we went on a big expensive outing then I knew I just had to budget the rest of the week and maybe save up for it.

On that basis I'd work out what the max weekly spend is likely to be, give her that and tell her to ask for more if it runs out.

Mixing the wash....personally I'll take all clean clothes out, hang them or put them in the dryer and iron/put away children's clothes. If you want to do washes overnight that's probably a sensible way to do it. She can do a bedding wash separately.

Nannynick - she's only just started so I think they're just settling in, going to the park and simple things luke that. She's got our car but the insurance has only just come through, I'm sure next week things will be different because of half term.

She did use to work t a Surestart centre so she knows where all the god ones are. She did say that she didn't think it was necessary to cram their day full of activities esp as ds has only just started pre school and is shattered every day and dd is only 9 months old. I love her already
: )

whichever of us think of it first puts the washing on and I`ve never seen the point in washing parents and children washing seperately which some parents prefer .I have £20 a week kitty for odd small things perhaps small clothes items or for crafts,If in the holidays we are going up to L ondon or to the zoo etc My boss just gives me extra and tells me to say if I spend any more .

i dont do the washing (kids or parents) as mb/db do it

but if i see the laundry basket full and im at home i will put in a load

same as if washing machine has finished,i will put in the dryer

cleaner irons

so either buy a separate bin for kids and nanny does or do as above

i would top up the kitty as and when she asks, but nice to always have £20 in it for emergencies