I am a part time nanny - AIBU to get fed up doing household chores such as washing, ironing, general house hold chores when i am babysititng in the evening....?

[josben]

(i work 9 hours per week), I would really like to know if that normal to be expected to so those chores when babysitting in the evening...

TIA

WhyHavePets - No one had Sky back then
No one had mobiles either,
Blimey it was 20+ years ago, I cant remember what I got paid, not alot I should imagine.

I have a 12yr old and a 9yr old, on the odd occassion we do go out hubbie and I, I dont expect our baby sitter to do anything.
She charges us £5 an hour, we generally give her a bit more than we owe, coz Im so bloomin gratefull she'll sit with the pair of them.

Yes I remember those days - infact I remember being 12 before we had a house phone, before that we had to walk 1.5 mile to the telephone box! Ah, those were the days

Anyway, back on topic! At £5 per hour I would be quite happy but at £10 per hour I would want more IYSWIM.

I have always asked my Nannies to iron my DHs shirts when DTs are napping (5 shirts a week).

I think light housework during nap time is a perfectly reasonable request. And I have made this a clear requirement at the interview stage.

asked this at coffee morning today and no nannies there have ever been asked or made to do extra duties when babysitting - literally just bathing/putting kids to bed (if not already in bed) and then watching tv and keeping eye/ear out

Frankly, at £10 per hour, I do expect housework as well as childminding, but I have always made that clear from the start. Although I also make it v clear that DD comes first ie no housework if she is awake.

If I was only paying £5-6 per hour, wouldn't expect anything beyond babysitting, but £10 per hour changes things for me.

As it is, I have a full time nanny who we pay £8 per hour (plus tax and NI makes it approx £11.30 gross per hour), which makes her more expensive per hour than OP (£10 per hour gross) but I understand that to be a competitive rate in central London.

And being even more strident, I would find another babysitter if I was presented w a bill for the ironing at the end of the month. Admittedly, the most I ask for is 5 shirts to be ironed and some general tidying, but that's not the point - don't think its reasonable for a babysitter on £10 per hour to object to doing housework. Not had a problem finding a willing babysitter, either.

Again, apologies if this seems harsh, OP, just being frank.

It's the changing of the goalposts which is disrespectful though. The OP is doing childcare and housework for £10/hour in an arrangement where no ironing was agreed. Then her employer decided that she should do the ironing as well....

Now from a nanny POV I'm willing to do many thing as long as they're agreed in advance, including laundry and ironing. What I wouldn't be willing to do is sit by and have my workload upped with no additional compensation - so I'd be billing them for the ironing services as that wouldn't come under the duties agreed in my contract but I do get paid extra for loosely defined 'additional duties'.

I don't think it's at all unreasonable to have expectations of nannies to some some housework - as long as it's agreed and both parties are happy with it. Arbitrarily announcing that the nanny you employed to do childcare now has to do housework, or the nanny you employed with the expectation of nursery duties now has to do your cleaning is unreasonable.

IMO £10/hour is a red herring anyway. Depends on the area and the nanny how much they get - someone with 20years experience could get £10net and legitimately expect not to do cleaning whereas someone with only 5 years experience might be expected to clean to bring their salary up to £10/hour.

Firefrakkers - OK, I take your point - arbitrarily adding duties without discussion and agreement is not on.

Agree it's the goal posts that have been moved and more work expected is the problem regardless of what op gets paid whether £6 or £10 or £20ph

WhyHavePets - yes see your point there

I think I was 11 when we got our phone (landline) My mum didnt get anutomatic washing machine until I was approx 14!!

Im gonna have to think about a job change.

Mind you no one would want me ironing their shirts, I can put creases in non crease shirts!!

I think it's fair enough you should do a bit of the ironing pile plus the additional duties you mention (kitchen/bathtime etc), but obviously would be unreasonable to expect you to do the whole lot.