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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

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Original poster

Nanny's laundry duties -- kids clothes from weekend.

22 replies

Stymie · 13/03/2006 14:16

I have a question for those of you who have nannies or are nannies. Who does the kids laundry from the weekend (when nanny is not on duty)? Do you leave it for the nanny to do? Or do you do laundry on Sunday evening leaving her a clean basket on Monday morning?

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BradfordMum · 13/03/2006 14:23

I would do it and not expect her to. There's nothing worse than facing a pile of washing on a monday morning.

Uwila · 13/03/2006 14:30

Oh, interesting. I think I'd leave it for her actually. Of course she doesn't have to do it on Monday morning, just when she does the weekly laundry. Although, in practice, DH usually does a good prtion of the kids weekly laundry.

Uwila · 13/03/2006 14:35

Oh God, did I just say laundry was exciting? Must seek more stimulating employment.

HappyMumof2 · 13/03/2006 14:36

I would do it myself. It's not too hard to put washing in a machine, is it, surely?

Nothing worse than other people's dirty washing....

elliott · 13/03/2006 14:39

Well, I think if it was part of my nanny's job to help with the kids washing, I wouldn't faff around worrying about what particular day the clothes got dirty! But there again I wouldn't be excessively worried about doing it myself either at the weekend if a wash happened to be going through...

canadianmum · 13/03/2006 14:41

I used to let my nanny do it, but never really thought about it tbh. :)

PrincessPeaHead · 13/03/2006 14:43

I sometimes do it and sometimes don't, depending on what else is going on on the weekend - if I have 100s of people staying to feed and entertain I certainly don't manage to do any washing as well! I don't think that either of us keep tally actually.

Uwila · 13/03/2006 14:44

It is my nanny's job to do the kids washing, but not ours.

Bink · 13/03/2006 15:05

With PPH here. I do laundry (everybody's, including school uniform, the lot) very nearly every weekend, and hang it to dry and put it away just as you would. But every so often (like this weekend just gone) we are so swamped with other stuff that none gets done, and our nanny cheerfully picks up where things were left on Friday.

In return (though, again, I don't think either side is keeping score!) if she's got a load not quite finished by her going-home time on a working day I am always happy to do the unloading & other follow-on jobs.

She also has a system of putting a load in the washer - but not switching it on - before leaving of an evening, which I switch on as we leave for school so it's all ready for the next stage when she comes in. All very efficient.

But I have to say the concept of a "clean basket" is rare in this house - as soon as one load is being done another is waiting. We kind of both keep up with it together.

Is laundry turning into a point of friction for you, Stymie?

Original poster

Stymie · 13/03/2006 15:12

DH just mentioned it me over the weekend. He asked if it was fair for us to leave it all for her at the end of the weekend. We have two under twos so they get through several outfits each. So I said I'd pose the question to mumsnet and see what other people do with their nannies.

My weekends are so busy I can't think of when I would do it. But, I want to make sure I'm n ot being unfair in leaving it for her.

OP posts:

nannyj · 13/03/2006 16:07

I'm a nanny and would never expect the washing to be done. It's always left for me to do. Last thing parents want to do is washing at the weekend if they've been working all week.

jura · 13/03/2006 17:37

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

NannyL · 13/03/2006 18:04

OK.... Im also a nanny and this is MY opionion!

We look after the children and their needs etc monday to friday (typically) The parents look after the children saturday and sunday...

BUT i feel life is give and take as well.... so the fact that my boss and the kids may make some cake / biscuits / casserole / soup etc at the weekend that I then eat / serve to the children, means that i would be as happy doing the kids washing from the weekend!

Equally i put our stuff in the dishwasher... then they put theirs in and they may unload it all OR I may unload it all...

It all balances its self out in the end to so im laid back and tbh i dont mind at all! Lifes too short...

HOWEVER i have known of some VERY fussy employers... who make sure the nanny always does EVERY bit of her duties, without helping out etc, and if i worked for a family like that (unlikey that id take the job in the first place!) then i would not be soo happy about doing the kids weekend washing IUSWIM!

However all my bosses have been great... life is give and take, and if it helps the other out then thats fine... (yes they may leave us casserole so i dont have to cook, but i always do a lasagne big enough for them etc!)

Then there is the environment WHY put on a half load of weekend clothes? I would rather save some energy and do it all together regardless!

r3dh3d · 13/03/2006 18:29

My nanny always does this washing on Monday. Never really thought about it but I would struggle to do it myself. The sprogs' washing lives in a separate washing basket & uses different washing powder so means putting another wash on. Because I give the Nanny unrestricted access to the washing machine to do her own washing in the week, I am usually hard pressed to get all our washes done at the weekend as it is. I don't think it's a lot more work for her - she's doing a wash on Monday anyhow, it all goes in the machine once and then into the tumble dryer once, regardless how many items are in it.

I do the matching up/putting away on Saturday of the wash she does late on Friday, which seems fair enough.

Thirtysix · 13/03/2006 21:39

NannyL-when you leave your current employers-will you come and work fo rme when my nanny leaves for nursing training?

I totally agree with Nannyl-never really thought about it as only have one dd of 11mts so don't create that much washing over a weekend.If I am putting a wash of suitable colours on then of course I would add DD's stuff,if not-it would wait for Monday morning....

annh · 13/03/2006 22:07

Great post NannyL!

Life is complicated enough without worrying about whether I should put my t-shirts in the wash with ds's things because while I may put the machine on, our nanny will be actually hanging the things out! It's all about a bit of give and take.

thewomanwhothoughtshewasahat · 13/03/2006 22:19

nannyl you can come and work for me anytime! I have a nanny 4 days a week and we kind of operate a practical approach - I'm a bit fussy about what gets washed with what and at what temp and I also hate the idea of half loads going on of only children or adult clothes, so basically I put all the washing on - and our nanny hangs it out to dry, irons most of it while dds are at school, puts away the girls stuff and puts our stuff on our bed. It seems to work out fairly, but I do a lot at the weekend too - and try to avoid huge piles of stuff for her to sort on Monday mornings. Similarly with the dishwasher - we all just fill it and empty it as and when, but again I do try to leave it empty Monday am.

kitschnanny · 14/03/2006 22:28

I don't mind doing washing from the weekend, the thing the bugged me about a previous job though was when I had a fortnight's holiday, and the family not only hadn't done any clothes washing, they actually went out and bought new clothes for the kids cos they'd run out of clean ones!!

lounan · 14/03/2006 23:02

This is one off my pet hates why should the nanny be expected to wash your childs washing from the weekend? are you not capable of putting a wash on yourselves?
My boss always does any washing from the weekend and i just put it away on the monday morning.

Bedshaped · 14/03/2006 23:13

I do the kids weekend clothes in one big wash sunday night, put them on to dry late sunday night, and leave my nanny the joyous task of ironing 2 x 3yr olds clothes. I generally make a casserole, or leave her left over roast, so whilst she has an ironing pile, she doesn't have to cook too much on a Monday. She doesn't like cooking, I hate ironing, we are both happy.

williamsmummy · 15/03/2006 09:35

when I was a nanny I never minded the washing, was even happy to do parents if baby was asleep and had nothing to do.
I even folded all the terry nappies and put the liners in them before I left for the weekend.

That said, after a wide varity of childcare jobs over the years, the worst was coming in on a monday and having to pick up all the dirty washing from the front room.
I could cope with the childrens underwear......................but not the parents.

crunchie · 15/03/2006 09:42

Well when I had a nanny we both sort of mucked in. Personally we onl;y had one washing basket for all our clothes, so often I would put it on, she would unload it (ours/theirs whatever) I didn't really expect her to iron (I never do, so why should she), but she liked doing the weekly shop!!!

So IMHO, it is all give and take. Our nanny did extra stuff if she had time, if she didn't so what :)

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