Advice please?!

[Nannyr2]

Has anyone got any advice on how to keep 2 year olds and a 4 year old focused/entertained?!!
The house I Nanny in is an open plan house ( no doors etc, however it circuits around the hall so not possible to see from one room to the next) and I'm finding it really difficult to keep the children from running around (they seem to literally just bounce off each other!)
We do lots of educational, creative and play activities, similar to those in a nursery, as I was a nursery nurse before. However, after about 10 mins they are running wild and doing circuits of the house leaving a trail of toys and a frantic nanny behind them!
Would be grateful of any ideas?!

Two 2 year olds*

Go out. As the weather is usually a bit nicer most days, spend time at the park, playground, woods, historic buildings and grounds, museums and their grounds.

Indoors, stop there being a route that goes round and round... Stack boxes across an entrance.

What sort of activities do you do?

Painting, sticking, sensory (corn flower, jelly etc), songs, stories, mega blocks etc, playing with Tupperware and safe kitchen equipment and always looking for new ideas!

We go to the park on the school run everyday (weather permitting) and I've just signed up for the local playgroup (there's a waiting list).

Would go elsewhere but we're quite rural and family are quite restrictive on mileage! Only paid for 11 miles a day and school run is 22 so would be paying out of my own pocket (not willing to as already out of pocket because of school run).

Don't worry about rural location stopping you going out - children would be fascinated by a walk, splashing in puddles, collecting natural treasures, chalking on pavements etc. etc.
Alternatively can you explain the problem to the family and ask them to up the mileage?

Try finding games they will do together, matching pairs, snakes and ladders.

Make biscuits as that can involve them both cutting out shapes.
Playdough is also good for that.

Days can seem rather long when stuck indoors all day. Use garden as much as possible, mud pies, their own veg patch, picnics, sandpit?

Have had jobs in the past where I got a fixed mileage payment. Still went out quite a bit as went stir crazy stuck in a house in a rural village. Short car journey to local lakes/woodland, if walking from home not viable.

Thanks some brilliant ideas!

It seems odd to me that you're not paid for the whole school run. That sounds unfair.

It is a little unfair but I brought up the subject and they've said they can't be anymore generous so unfortunately I'm stuck with it!
Their 4 year old doesn't walk very well unfortunately, although I'm sure she will get used to it eventually.

I really hope you will not take this wrong but I would leave them to it!!! If parents are being mean with the milage, and you have no other options then I cant see the harm in letting them run around. I never was the 'entertaining constantly' nanny any way. I would make a den with an upside down table/sofa cushions. I would try to discourage toys everywhere but they will soon wear them selves out. Don't you have a garden?

I second marylou, as long as they're not damaging property/each other, letting them run circuits, chasing each other and playign with toys is fun - who cares if its not educational or organised or structured, let them burn off some energy enjoying each others company. Once they've calmed down, get them involved in tidying up (make it a race?) then sit down and have a snack/storytime/jigsaws to help them unwind.

If they expect you to collect their children and mileage is 22mls how can they jus say they can't afford it .They expect you to get the children...I'd be very cross abut this .

Have they got a garden?

You can do loads in a garden. :)

It's not about their 'generosity' - they are expecting you to pay for the privilege of picking up their child?! That's mad.

I don't understand how they can't see that you should be reimbursed for essential mileage and that if they allowed you an extra few miles (what are we talking about, 45p a mile here?) you could take the others out to give them a more varied experience of life without it leaving you out of pocket. Are they tight in other respects too?

Especially in a rural setting I'd feel really isolated without being able to drive anywhere.

Another one who is that they are paying you for a maximum 11 miles/day but expecting you to do a school run of 22 miles. I'd be getting that rectified before anything else (or suddenly find your car out of action for a few weeks & see if they then provide use of a car). Tbh I'm amazed you agreed to a role without use of a car or more sensible mileage given you are fairly rural.

I'm a mum who employs a nanny and I am so shocked at them not reimbursing you for an essential journey. Tell the parents to come on here and read this thread! They are being wholly unreasonable. We pay for every mile our nanny does and are happy to. Makes me so CROSS to hear how badly nannies get treated sometimes.

Why would you want to stop them running around?? Make a circuit and let them race each other - if it can include the garden so much the better. I completely disagree with Cindy saying stack boxes across an entrance to stop them!

This is child-led play/development - they are telling you they want to do kinaesthetic activities so your job is not to stop them and make them sit down and play nicely, your job is to find activities that they can do while on the move.

Tell the parents your issues and get them to buy a load of resources for the garden - sandpit, buckets, paddling pool (with balls for when the weather's cold, chalkboard and chalks that can live outside. Don't pin your hopes on trips out.

Are you the nanny who was told that the school was "only a couple of miles away" and didn't check it before starting, so agreed to the 11 miles and then realised it didn't cover it? If so, leave, IIRC you had other issues too and it's really not worth sticking to a family who piss you around, I stayed with my last two (I juggled two jobs) for two years and they got increasingly worse for taking the piss. I was so reluctant to leave both when I did as I absolutely adored the kids but they both ended up making me redundant and it really was the best thing ever.

Getting two 2 year olds to sit still is ambitious.

Our nanny takes my 4&2 year old out all the time. It's rare she stays in with them.