what should I expect from my nanny?

[bobbymummy]

Hello all, just a bit of advice please!
I have a nanny who comes round for a few hours a week to watch the kids while Irun errands or go to the gym in the evenings. I don't usually get her to do much as I'm out ony for a couple of hours or so. However, I got disappointed recently as I found the living room wasn't hoovered on my return, even though I had asked her to do this since I had already put the kids to bed and there was nothing for her to do, except look after her own son. I was quite upset when I saw a mango smudge on my sofa (from her son presumably) and a magazine which she'd been reading while she was on duty. How would you handle this? We have had a good relationship up to now. Would be grateful for any advice.

Do you have a written statement/contract with them? Does that indicate duties?

You had asked them to hoover, so reasonable to expect them to have done that given what you describe, though you don't know if your children work up or not during the time.

ok

1. it is not normal for nannies to do hoovering
2. why are you so sure her child has smudges mango in your sofa
3. Nannies like everyone else are entitled to breaks, so is reading a magazine really the end of the world?

You say she comes round in the evening... so is therefor babysitting i guess?... and you dont normally ask babysitters to hoover or mind if they read magazines either

Is she actually a nanny or babysitter? There is a world of difference between the two.
If you do not have a contract in place, now is the time.
If it is only a few hours once a week during the evening, it may be more cost effective for you to use a babysitting agency.

If the children are asleep, and sleep the entire time she's there, surely she must be a babysitter, not a nanny? Unless you mean she nannies for someone else, and you hire her to babysit for a few hours a week.

Like nannyl said, it's not normal for nannies to hoover, unless they are hoovering after an especially messy meal or an activity they've done with the children. Asking her to do the hoovering doesn't mean she's willing to do it, tough - you need to discuss with her what duties she is and isn't willing to do.

Don't understand why you're upset about her reading a magazine while your children slept... you can't really expect her to just sit around and do nothing for hours?

Nannies aren't supposed to be hoovering, they are there to care for children maybe get a cleaner.

Is this a genuine query or a wind up? I don't believe you have a nanny. Someone who comes to sit with your sleeping children is a babysitter, regardless of what they may do during their working day. A babysitter would generally expect to read or watch TV or perhaps do a bit of studying between checking periodically on the sleeping child(ren), though you would of course expect him/her to drop everything and act appropriately in a real emergency. You wouldn't expect him/her to clean up behind you. I've had thoughtful families provide magazines, DVDs, snacks and drinks - nobody has ever proffered a hoover! I would be surprised if she is not feeling insulted.

Ok. I get it now. Thanks you all.