Part time nanny/housekeeper role

[CreakingCrumpet]

Hello all,

I would appreciate all your thoughts on nanny/housekeeper role. I am about to negotiate contract with nanny to change role. I know she is not keen on cleaning generally, but what else does housekeeper role involve?

Maybe call it House Manager... the job title is not important but perhaps looking at it from that perspective will help both of you.

They are there to manage the house and everything that it involves, including the children. It may involve supervision of other staff... though probably not if they are the only one there but if you have a cleaner come in for a few hours a week, they may talk to them, though wouldn't really supervise them as the cleaner is not an employee.

Keeping things in a reasonable state - so light cleaning, sweeping the floor, vacuum carpets, general tidy up.

Making the beds, changing the beds, laundry of bedding.

Children's clothes laundry, making sure they have everything they need (beaver, rainbows, brownies, cubs, other youth group uniform).

Doing additional food shop (beyond that which you get delivered).

Making cakes (or buying) for the school cake sale.

Going to school events such as sports day.

Being in for plumber, electrician, whomever is needed to fix something.

Being in for signing for a delivery (if it is known something is coming - don't expect them to be at home all the time).

Cooking for the children, possibly things for you as well.

Also organising birthday presents and cards for your children's friends who parties they may go to. Organising your children's party so sending out invites, sorting party bags, food etc (all with decussion with you of course)

Basically anything to keep the house running, rather than just the children's things which she will of been doing already. If something needs fixing, arranging for the tradesman to come at a time that works for them.

Sorting through the children's clothes and letting you know when they need new stuff, maybe even go through the catalogues together and then the house manger goes and buys what is needed, new uniforms, shoes etc.

The main items of weekend/everyday wear my boss would get or order on line but underwear, shoes, uniforms I would get as and when needed.

I would say talk to her about what she will do. If she'll happily cook then she can prepare and leave or freeze all the meals. If she will iron then she can do that.

Why are you changing the role? Will your children be going to school? How much extra time in the house will there be?

I am changing role because eldest at school and youngest at nursery. I want to keep her as need her also for babysitting, coming abroad with us on holidays, weekend work and school holidays to care for children.

Gosh does the poor woman ever get any time off!

Do you have a cleaner as well? Think about her role in addition to the housekeeper.

Do nannies have a life then? Thought they were just at my beck and call.

The role is nanny/housekeeper. Emphasis on nanny. I just need sensible suggestions to put to her. I don't like batch cooking, prefer fresh so perhaps she can take more responsibility for weekly menus and shopping.

The trouble is she doesn't like cleaning. So think about a cleaner's role and exclude those functions from this person's role?

That is helpful. Cleaner obviously cleans and I don't want nanny to be a cleaner.
Think I have got it straight in my head now.
Let negotiations begin. ??

Many nannies don't want to clean - I didn't spend 2years at college training to scrub someone's toilets :)

Think depends if you want to risk your nanny leaving to how much cleaning she will do and you want her to do

She can do other jobs around the house - weekly shop - pick up dry cleaning etc

Glad you have a sense of humour - nannies are not at the beck and call lol

Tho does she really need to work weekends and go on holiday with your family - would a new nanny want to do this?

Nanny doesn't need to work every weekend just odd one.

I want to keep her.

If youngest is at nursery then unlikely to have huge amounts of time - a 3hr session including drop offs only leaves around 2 hours to do stuff, which may be 2 hours that she's doing stuff anyway but while amusing your youngest at the moment.

If you don't like batch cooking can she do batch prep and freeze? Grating large blocks of cheese into a freezer bag, blitzing breadcrumbs etc?

Good idea. Schlafen.

I'm a part time Nanny/housekeeper, my role title is just nanny actually but half of my job is housekeeping really.

I do bits and pieces of the following (housekeeping-wise):
Laundry (not just children's)
Ironing
Sorting the guest rooms (laundering the bed sheets, ironing and replacing them)
General tidying of kids rooms
Dusting the kids rooms and other areas if I feel that it needs it
Hoover through house
Steam the wooden floors
Feed the animals
Water the garden on hot days
Occasional batch cooking
Occasionally cleaning the inside windows
Clean/set/light the fire on colder days

I work on weekends with them and I think that they'll ask me to join them on some holidays (they have asked about a previous holiday but they didn't end up going).

Good luck with negotiations, I know that most nannies don't really enjoy housekeeping! I quite like it! I do a lot of the jobs with my charge, and then things like hoovering/steaming when she naps as she runs over the damp floor.

Thank you Pixie.
I think those things will work.