We have a new nanny who has been with us two weeks. She is a live-out nanny who brings her own son (15mo) to work with her. She is very nice and we get on well.
But the kids are not settling that well with her. The 10mo cries on and off the whole time. Normally I work from home but have been going into the office to give nanny some space. My husband works from home though (keeping himself out of the way) and reports intermittent crying throughout the day, worse in the afternoons. The baby now cries when he sees the nanny, if he knows I'm leaving, and when I pick up. He is getting better but still upset for significant periods, both in the house and outside.
We've done a settling-in period over two weeks - the first day I didn't leave him with her at all, then did two sessions of two hours, then a half day, and this week short days of six hours or so (will be 8 or 9 hours eventually).
My older son is nearly four. When he was 10mo and I went back to work we started a nanny share and he settled pretty quickly - some crying on pick up/ drop off but generally OK. Nothing like this.
I am very upset by this. I am hiding it from the kids and trying to be positive. I know it takes a while to settle with a new person and the baby is used to having me around (has not been left much before with people outside family). But I am really distressed to think of how unhappy he must be.
Is this normal? My instinct is not. I am concerned that she is not able to focus on the baby enough as obviously is also caring for her own child. My older son is not happy either (bored, he is spending most of the day in the house as between them the babies nap a lot!).
I would really appreciate any thoughts on this. I am seriously thinking of ending it - she is on 3-month probation with one week's notice. But she is a nice person, trying hard, and I guess this could happen with a new nanny? What do you think? If we do end it, I think I will reduce my hours so that we can afford a nanny without her own child instead.