What does your nanny do?

[BooChunky]

Does she look after the children, take them out etc, or does she also do light housework, washing, cooking (for the children) etc?

nursery duties is pretty normal. Is your nanny full time?

I don't have a nanny, I'm currently trying to find one and haven't had one before, some people tell me to find one who is all about the children and some people say they do more and I should ask about it in the interview.

Nannies will usually do any child related household tasks - ie. children's washing (including changing their beds), ironing, keeping their bedrooms clean and tidy, cooking their meals (and batch cooking for the freezer) They should leave the house as they find it when they arrive so clearing up the kitchen after they've used it, sweeping the floor after a messy meal or a craft activity. Most will empty the bin/dishwasher if it is full, or pick up a bit of shopping if you are low on milk/bread etc or post a parcel for you if they are out and near the post office.
They won't usually do your washing or cooking or be expected to do other housework. If they have child free time during the day whilst children are at nursery you can ask for a few extra bits to be done but you should discuss this at interview stage, some will be fine with this and others will want to stick to nursery duties only. If you have children at full time school you can advertise for a nanny housekeeper who will do cleaning whilst the children are at school (but should have a reduced level of household tasks during the school holidays )

As long as you make it clear at interview what you are looking for a nanny should be happy to do and will do normal nursery duties, these are any household jobs that are child related so washing etc of the childrens washing, preparing and cooking for the children (they may be occassions when there will be enough left over for you too but unless discussed and agreed at interview that you would like there to be enough for you as well don't expect it to happen as most nannies when cooking a big portion will automatically freeze the extra for another day when time may be tight for cooking from scratch)

Tidying of rooms they have been using is normal as is running the Hoover round those rooms if there is a mess from meals etc, wiping down surfaces in the kitchen, turning on dishwasher if full or emptying it if needed.

Sorting children's clothes and taking out the ones that are too small, may buy new clothes shoes etc for them (again this is something you need to discuss at interview) buying presents for friends birthdays.

So yes any jobs relating to the children can be included but need to be discussed at interview as some nannies will be willing to do more of them than others ie some may not want to be responsible for buying new clothes/shoes

Depends on age of the children. When babies and toddlers they need a lot more close attention, once school age they are more independent and will play for longer periods without large amounts of adult supervision.

Consider the things you really really need doing each day. With several children (most nannies work for families with more than one child due to other forms of care being lower cost if only one child) there can be huge amounts of laundry, so doing children's laundry may be a task that is done as otherwise you get a laundry mountain waiting for your weekend.

I am a nanny.

In this job I primary look after the children. So I arrive, make breakfast, clear up and get them dressed/ready. We do free play while I may do some batch cooking in preparation for the week ahead, put on some laundry/hang out etc (I start quite early) about 830 we get ready to go out coats/shoes and walk to town where we may run errands (post office, shoe shop) before going to classes with friends (usually chosen by me as they are educational or suit my charges current needs/interests) after morning groups we may go for lunch or go home and do lunch at home. Then it's nap time. I sit down have a drink and then get on with some buts and bobs; sorting out the laundry, doing the washing/ironing, maybe doing some more batch cooking or make a cake :) I may also do an ocado shop (fortnightly) I also organise the toy boxes. We also have 2 stage clothing for the toddler so sometimes I go through the too big bag and measure up these clothes against current clothing to make sure we don't miss out on wearing new bits and pieces. After nap time we may go for a walk, play in the garden do painting etc. Then during supper I sweep up, tidy the kitchen load the dishwasher etc, before settling down for stories or doing an early bath before the boss comes home.

On top of this I liaise with the cleaner, run errands for my employers; dry cleaning (if it fits with our plans) pack for holidays, organise doctors appointments, make sure we have enough calpol etc, make and send cards for family birthdays.

I am a nanny not a cleaner so I don't clean properly ; I will wipe up/keep our stuff tidy, do washing/ironing for charges, If theres enough food will make dinner for bosses but this is as and when, I don't mind occasionally tidying up but I won't pick up after my bosses. My job is being a nanny but I think the relationship is give and take if something makes my bosses life easier and it's easy enough for me to do it then I do, but my bosses treat me well and don't expect this.

I am a nanny. Over the week I do the weekly grocery shop, all the cooking, clean and tidy the children's bedrooms (including sorting clothes which they have outgrown), play room, bathroom and kitchen, the children's washing and ironing. I do run errands eg drop off dry cleaning, get the car washed etc. I organise all apps relating to the children; doctors, hair cuts etc.

I organise playdates, day trips out - weather was super this week so we were out a lot. Exercise and spending time outdoors is incorporated into each day even if the weather isn't great, they'll dress appropriately and splash in puddles or go cycling. They also love science experiments, art and crafts and baking so we do this regularly too.

One child is in preschool for 3 hours a day so I drop him off and bring the other child swimming, to playgroup, to meet friends etc.

I'm also a nanny, here's my day yesterday

7:45 am arrive get both children dressed, teeth brushed, hair done etc
8:35: leave for school run
9:00 back from school run, baby down for a nap
9:10 sort children washing from the tumble drier, make chicken pie for dinner, tidy older child's bedroom
10:15 baby awake, get ready and head out to music group
12:00 home, give baby lunch
1:00 put baby down for second nap, eat my lunch, sort dishwasher, batch cook some baby food for the freezer.
2:00 baby awake, go for a,walk in the sunshine, then pick up older child from school
3:30 home, give older child s quickly snack and into gym kit
4:00 put pie in the oven on med, (my boss was working from home so could keep an eye) go to gymnastics
5:30 return from gymnastics feed children
6:00 start baths, my boss too over, and I went home.

I batch cook, tidy the children's rooms and the playroom, sort their washing ans bedlinen, pack for the
Children if the family are going away, plan activities and outings do the holidays, pick up any medications from the chemist and order more when required. Do crafts, bake, help with homework as required. I do not clean, my nanny family have a cleaner so it's not my domain.

Going out is certainly part of the role. Toddler groups, swimming, museums, trips on various forms of transport. Seeing the world around them, expanding their knowledge of the past.
Adventures can be based on the childrens particular interests at the time. I have had children ask if they can sit in a helicopter, so we found somewhere they could do that and pretend to fly (no real helicopter flying alas).

You need to ask about it in interview.

Personally, it was far more important to me that our nanny spent any free nap time on meal prep or setting up an activity than any nursery duties (one pre-schooler at the time). So she would tidy up after herself and empty the dishwasher if it had been going, etc. Sometimes she'd notice washing in the machine and peg it out. But I didn't feel that other things were the best use of her time (e.g. daughter's bedding took 30 seconds to chuck in with a load of towels or whatnot, rather than being a complete 'job' as nursery duties). Might feel slightly different now we have three.

Ours currently does general toy/bedroom tidying, laundry, cooking/dishwasher, and children's bedding. We are starting to think about what else could be added to the role once the youngest is out of the house 3hrs per day. Grocery shop sounds like a good idea.

We have 4 DCs. If no-one stayed on top of the washing on days we are both out at work our lives would be chaos. DH and I have both done it on days we are at home, and we were clear upfront with candidates that it would be part of the job. None of those we interviewed were surprised and all had done it in other jobs. She does not clean, only tidying toys and general leaving the kitchen in the state she found it. She goes to a group every day with our toddler, so lots of time for fun.

Think about how you would like her to be spending her time - being realistic about what someone can achieve.

For us, with 2 toddlers (and slightly complicated by it being a nanny share and only 3 days a week) we knew that what we wanted was for the nanny to be focused on the children, not chores.

She does cook for the children from scratch, which is important to us and we made sure we discussed at interview. It's fab: she is a much better cook than me!

Apart from that, she tidies up after herself and the children, and picks up the odd bit of shopping or children's prescription. She doesn't do the children's bedroom, laundry, clothes sorting or buying. If a parcel is coming, she'll take it in if she's there, but we don't expect her to change her day to accommodate it.

This balance is our choice, partly because of logistics, but mainly because a person can only be in one place at a time, and what we want is for her to be playing with our 2 active toddlers!

BUT, if anything does come up, she's always really lovely and generous about offering to help. And the occasional time the dishwasher has finished but not been emptied, or children's clothes are still on the drier, she always sorts it out without making anything of it. We really appreciate her flexibility, and desire to help us - and it's not just about chores, but is fundamental to how she works with us. That's her character though, and part of why she is such a great nanny.

There's loads of time for fun together. I work 50+ hours a week. I do think it's good for the children to amuse themselves for a little while during the day anyway. It's good for their imagination and development.

Besides the 'jobs' this week we had 2 friends over for playdates, went to the forest to 'go on a bear hunt' and played chasing, went to my nanny friend's charge's party in the park, did painting, colouring, jigsaws, story time, planting flowers, went swimming, to our music class, to playgroup and went on the bus to a museum in town. Caring for the children and spending time together is my priority but other things need to be done as well otherwise the parents will have to spend their weekend catching up on everything.

My DC are school aged. Their nanny does nursery duties with them not for them - I want them to know how to make a bed, put a load of washing on, put away groceries, not grow up having been waited on hand and foot by servants.

When you work a 10-12 hour day there's always time to have fun with the children at home, do a group and still do chores - I even have time to have a lunch break with a hot cup of tea!

I tend to do a lot of jobs between 6.30/7-9 while the little ones [young toddler and baby] ; potter about, eat their breakfast, play, help [load the washing machine/pull the clothes off the airer] Some jobs are easier when they're in bed and with toddlers who have a 2 hour nap there's often time to get stuff done. When I have looked after older children it's been the same - jobs done first thing, with them helping or otherwise occupied or later in the day - again the children get to help, or they find other things to occupy themselves.

I think it's important for children to be involved in a) helping in the house - my 1 year old is in charge of shutting cupboard doors, putting things in the dustbin, helping me to put shoes/toys away b) occupying themselves - sometimes I am cooing and cant play/pick them up or I do have to deal with hanging out the washing etc so they're encouraged to play/entertain themselves.

My toddler has got so much better at tidying since we've had a nanny