Do you provide food for a live-out nanny?

[MGMidget]

Just wanted to check what the norm is on this. If your nanny is live-out or you are a live-out nanny, what food is provided if any? Breakfast, lunch, evening meal or none of these? And can the nanny purchase herself food and snacks from the kitty money or do they have to eat what is available from the fridge/cupboards or eat what the children eat? Just wondered what everyone does on this and do you have any limits/rules?

I think a live-out nanny would be provided with food for meals which occur during her working hours. I personally would not put restrictions on whether she eats exactly what the children eat. If she wants to cook one meal for them and another for herself, fine, so long as she isn't eating chocolate cake for dinner (in front of them).

The kitty money in my house isn't really intended for food, apart from if we run out of staples (bread, milk, eggs, etc.). It is not for buying snacks or whatever you fancy just because you can't be bothered to cook the food we already have.

I am a nanny,usually if I am working then I would normally be eating food which is provided at work.I start at 7.15 ,if I havent eaten at home I will eat toast/cereal at work,I then have lunch,sandwich, soup,baked potato etc.I generally finish at six so I dont eat dinner there unless I am working later such as eight or nine.The children I look after are at school,when they are at home We all eat together at lunch time and I will have the same as them.I eat what is in the fridge /cupboard,With the reservation that there are certain things that I know are for my employers.

Our nanny eats whatever meals that fall during her working hours. She works 7:45 - 5:45, so I would expect her to have breakfast and lunch at our house. She can eat whatever she wants as far as I am concerned, but she eats snacky things for lunch like pasta, something on toast, soup, sandwiches etc. She doesn't have a huge meal for lunch.

If she is babysitting in the evening, I will make sure that there is dinner for her - usually pizza, as I know she likes it. If i haven't been able to get dinner in for her, I say to her to help herself to whatever she wants from the fridge/freezer/cupboards or to buy whatever she wants out of the kitty money.

when my son was younger nanny ate whatever she wanted during working hours - generally she cooked at lunch time and DS and her ate the same or similar meal

I typically have breakfast at around 6am before I leave home. So wouldn't usually have breakfast at work, though might have a slice of toast if the children are eating a rather late breakfast.

Lunch is provided by my employer, I would usually cook something for myself and the children, make sandwiches, or eat lunch out. If having lunch out the kitty would be used for the child's meal and might get used for a drink for me, though I don't track kitty money that closely, otherwise we would run out by day 2 probably (kitty is fixed amount per week).

If I'm on a late, then afternoon tea/evening meal is provided by my employer. This again will be something I've cooked most likely and is the same as the children are having and eaten with them.

I feel that the nanny should be eating what the children eat as much as possible, thus helping show the children that everyone eats the same, no special meals for one person. You may find there will be dietary or religious reasons why your nanny may not eat a certain food, so you would need to work around that but otherwise I'd say nanny eats what the children eat.

I usually eat whatever the children are having. They are usually finishing up breakfast when I get there, so usually I don't have breakfast at work - but I'm welcome to, and I do sometimes have toast or cereal if I haven't had time to eat before coming in. We generally all eat something simple for lunch, sandwiches, pasta, soup etc, and I have the same thing as them (though if the children are having peanut butter, I might have something a bit more exciting for my sandwich, haha!). I don't like eating dinner early so I don't have the evening meal with the children, but I could if I wanted to.

Never been told not to purchase lunch or snacks from the kitty money, but I wouldn't want to spend it on food for me, that would mean less fun things for the kids! We don't eat out often, but if we do everyone's meal comes out of the kitty money, including mine.

I'm a nanny employer and I've told my nanny that she can eat three meals a day at ours if she likes. and if she takes the DCs out for lunch, I pay for her meal too out of kitty money. I don't expect her to buy herself caviar/smoked salmon out of the kitty money but if she fancies something extra for herself then I'd always say she can buy it with kitty money. I treat her as I would myself if that makes sense.

My most recent job had it in the contract that I could take one meal at work- I was working 7.15 to 6, so I had lunch. I couldn't eat the same as the child in that post as he was on a very strict meal plan with set meals each day and enough food was bought for him only, so I had a sandwich if there was bread or plain pasta. I didn't have a kitty in that job so I couldn't buy missing things!

My current job didn't include a meal allowance in the contract so I assumed one meal a day but when I checked they said I could eat what I wanted- I don't have breakfast as I arrive at 7.45 and leave with the children at 7.50 to go to school. I have lunch, whatever is in the fridge. Sometimes my boss cooks for me! Leaves me something, they sometimes buy me ready meals or say 'we notice you had ... last week so we bought you some more' always appreciated! I only have a 10 month old in the day so I don't eat what she eats, I batch cook and freeze her stuff. Occasionally I'll eat with the three year old in the evening, trying to encourage manners but usually not as I'm busy with the baby/sorting washing/tidying etc. I finish at 7 so I eat when I get home, unless they ask me to stay to babysit then I eat after the kids are in bed.

Its a good idea to let nanny know whether they can use the kitty for their own food when out with the children- I had one job where they asked me to go to a restaurant in Kew Gardens with the children for a treat and I couldn't afford anything on the menu for myself! Then boss told me later that I could have used the kitty.

My nanny has lunch and snacks at our house. Generally she eats same as DD, In our contract it states she gets lunch and snacks. But we do tend to keep a box of Special K in the cupboard for her (it's what she asked for, I'm not hinting!!). She works 8-6, if she does overtime, she gets extra food. She also leaves a few of her favourite bits and bobs in the cupboard.

I'm part time (after school and holiday care). My employer tells me to help myself in the holidays but there's nothing I really like (not a fan of ham) and if there is it's usually so far past the sell by date that I won't eat it! I just take my own, for myself and my own child who comes to work with me.

As a nanny i have always been allowed to eat when ever the children ate.

So if i started at 7.30 id eat breakfast with the children, if i started at 9 id have breakfast at home etc.

Almost all nannies i know eat lunch with their charges, and i used to eat dinner with my charges in the evening as well (unless i had alternative plans)

Its normal for nanny to help herself to whats available... but if out for the day and eating out, then nanny will use kitty money to buy herself and the children lunch or ice creams etc.
If your fridge is bare expect her to buy something out of the kitty (or even do some shopping for you all) but if there are jacket potatoes / pasta / bread and some baked beans / eggs / ham / cheese / etc avaliable then not unreasonable for you to expect nanny to eat the food thats there, rather than using kitty money to buy smoked salmon and bagels for her lunch!

I think its great that meal times are social times, and its of great benefit of the children to see someone enjoying the same meal as them, and modeling good table manners etc