Nanny - what's included in pay

[ThereseC]

Hi all, I've just hired a new nanny and she seems wonderful. DD is crazy about her. However, it is putting a huge financial strain on me (I'm a single mum), but I'm prepared to accept that for a year or so until DD goes to nursery. However this week I've discvered she expects me to provide 2 meals a day for her - is this the norm for a live-out, four-day-a-week nanny? Previous nannies brought their own sandwiches etc for lunch. Don't get me wrong - I'm not tight and am fine with someone making up something light for themselves from provisions in the fridge but I am coming home to discover that what I thought was there for me to eat has been consumed. What are others' experiences? Thanks.

As an employer of a nanny, YES I feel you are supposed to provide meals when nanny is on duty - this is often put in the contract. For a daily nanny this means Lunch, and probably also Tea. As a nanny, I eat with the children and I make sufficient for the children plus myself.

In my contact, 2.3b says - Meals: The employer provides the following meals: Lunch and Tea when taken with the children.

I suspect my employer has used a contract template.

If you are setting aside food specifically for yourself, I would suggest labeling it - or at least telling the nanny that you don't want whateveritis used.

Note, reading that back, the first sentence could be interpreted as me being the employer. I'm not, I'm the nanny - as stated in the second sentance!

Incidentally, when I babysit, often families provide me with Dinner or snacks. So to me at least, it does seem standard for a childcarer working in the child's own home, to be provided with food and drink while on duty.

i have one meal and thats lunch. I want to eat at home in the evenings .

it is usual for a nanny to eat with the children for any meal the nanny is present for.

I once had a morning job and my contract said that i was entitled to breakfast and lunch.

Most of my jobs have been full days and i have eaten lunch with the children and occasionally tea (if I've been asked to work late)

This can of course be a tin of coup or some pasta....it doesn't need to be much but the nanny should be eating the same as the children

I've always eaten at work but i wouldn't take the p£*s if you know what i mean. But there again i've always done the shopping as well so its been easy. Depending on the hours the nanny works too it might be too late to eat when she gets home. I have 3 meals a day at work but i work 8 - 7.

tin of soup even !!

I like our nanny to eat with my daughter at lunch at least, so I am happy for her to help herself to food. It works out fine with our current nanny who is quite a picky eater and so often brings her own food along, but the last one was eating us out of house and home...

Yes, it's the norm to provide meals. We have had a nanny who preferred to eat things which I generally didn't buy (processed foods mainly and things like sausage rolls (my kids are veggie) and she would bring her own bits along sometimes.
Current nanny eats with the children. I've not noticed the financial difference (as cooking for 2 mini-appetites I always end up with wasted food, so an adult meal plus 2 kids is about the same amount). Do notice that we go through twice as much fruit juice but that is a bearable expense.
If you are needing some ingredients for a later meal or some things are bought just for you, you need to make it clear in some way. We have a 'treats' shelf in our kitchen which is where we put chocs etc for dh and myself..otherwise ex-nanny would demolish the lot and leave me with no chocs and no easy way of leaving the house to get more. (big crime in this house )

I always eat with the children...

normally i eat my breakfst at home but if im tired and get uo a few minutes later then i do have a bowl of cereal with the children.

I eat lunch and dinner every day with the chidlren as well. Always have...

I always eat excaty the same as the children. If we go out to a cafe / restaurnat for lunch then i put my lunch on expenses as well, as i would ice lollies etc when out.

I have my special tea bags at work as well that my bosses buy especially for me. (Obviosuly anyone round their house, visitors etc have them too if they want them)

Often have nany friends round for lunch and then I feed my nanny friend and their charges too for whatever meal we are having. Other times i go for lunch at my nanny friends places of work, then they feed me and my charges

yes its completley normal for a nanny to eat with the children...

(though some of my nanny friends who have partners waiting for them at home have their evening meal when they get back to their house)

In terms of drink (with exception of my morning cuppa ) i only drink water and thats all my charges have as well

Hi all,
Thanks for your messages - that's really helpful. I guess I'm not really experienced as an employer of a nanny so it's good to know what is the norm,
T