What does nanny do during baby naps?

[i123i]

We are looking to employ a nanny for our 10 month old. One of the things we are wondering about is - what does a nanny do while the baby naps (at home)? Our DC naps around 1-1.5 hours in the morning, and 1.5-2 hours in the early afternoon.

I understand nannies usually do baby laundry and ironing, and tidy away used baby items, but this wouldn't take up 3+ hours every single day... we don't want to pay a nanny to sit around while baby naps (this happened a while ago when we trialled a nanny).
Is it reasonable to expect her to do some light housework like emptying the dishwasher, and prepping some meals etc (we have a cleaner so wouldn't expect her to do a full on clean)?

Surely the point of the nanny is to be available immediately if the child wakes from the nap. If she’s embroiled in cleaning, preparing the family dinner, doing the household laundry or any other non nanny tasks she isn’t able to respond to her charge.

I am well impressed by all these infants who nap reliably for 3-6 hours. None of my 6 could be relied on to stay asleep for more than half an hour at a time

Well, I think you are being a bit unreasonable here and seeing it with the wrong attitude.

Most nanny contracts will expect nanny to do kids' laundry on request, tidy toys, prepare healthy meals (and nice well cared for nannies might make extra portions for you :)) and plan kids' activities. Actually, that's quite a lot if done well, especially when your child sleeps more like 1-2 hours a day. My nanny used to plan lovely craft activities and put a lot of work into finding great groups and seasonal activities at the toddler stage, which really isn't long for you. When you have a proper toddler, they can also make a lot of mess. When they are potty training, you might have a lot more laundry. Why begrudge her time in principle? I think you can also ask nanny to change over clothes that are outgrown whilst putting away laundry.

I also think you should think about, from the nanny's perspective, whether you want to micromanage her by giving her lists of chores you think she "should" do and then revise them due to sleep needs decreasing

You want a cleaner or a slave OP. Nannys don't do housework

i used to leave tea and coffee and cake out and told her where the remote was for the tele! If the baby is asleep she could put her feet up as far as I was concerned. I employed her to look after my baby and so when they baby was asleep she was checking on him and and ensuring he was safe. she did a few light bits of tidying up but I certainly didn’t care if she read a book or watched the TV. If anything I encouraged it.

I never expected our nannies to do anything that wasn't related to babycare/ baby clothes. Quite often ours would nap while the nanny was out anyway.

We had a nanny for many years with our youngest, it never occurred to me what she did during naps, on reflection I assume she had a much needed break!!

We have a nanny for our daughter but we agreed with her before starting that her role would be nanny/housekeeper. So whilst my daughter naps she does housework including dishwasher, ironing/laundry, cleaning the kitchen/bathrooms (obviously not a deep clean every day). That is what we needed when hiring somebody as I’m still around and spend time with my daughter/take her for walks etc but my partner works a lot/travels a lot so I needed someone to help me with all household things. It’s definitely harder to find a nanny/housekeeper than a nanny, especially one who is a good/trustworthy nanny so we were very lucky to find ours. But we’re in London and there are agencies that can help you find a nanny/housekeeper rather easily compared to finding one yourself.

are you looking to employ a slave or a nanny? Her having breaks and being happy is in your/your baby's interest. You are being unreasonable. People not seem to understand there is a difference between a nanny and a cleaner and a chef.

As a Nursery Nurse ,we would gently pat the children down to sleep.Then have a break of sorts ,writing diaries, preparing tea and tidying up.However we also had a 1 hour lunch break and 15 minute tea breaks as well. We also had to display a poster explaining small children need their Nap! Surely the poor Nanny needs a break?

That will probably take her more than 3 hours plus she is allowed an hour break anyway 🙄. Can’t believe you are begrudging a few minutes .

As a former nanny, during naps I would be doing the children’s washing/ironing/ cooking etc as well as having my lunch! I’d happily empty dishwasher but anything else isn’t a nanny responsibility. If you want her to do jobs around the house then you need to look for a nanny/housekeeper instead.

Other than prepping bottles or food for the baby, maybe tidying away toys or activities she has done with the baby so she leaves the home more or less as she found it, i wouldn't expect anything else done. If the baby sleeps then she still needs to stay in the home & be responsible for the baby. I had a paid nanny & she took my baby off to do whatever she was doing that day, shopping, post office trips etc aslong as the baby is happy and cared for that is what your paying her for and the babies safety is worth every penny not trying to squeeze as much out of her. She's there to look after the baby, anything else would be her choice.

I'd expect a nanny to focus on the baby stuff such as baby laundry, cleaning bottles, picking up toys etc but not necessarily when the baby naps. As long as things weren't left all day, it wouldn't matter to me when it actually got done.

Nannies are professionals and don't need to be micromanaged. Mine goes to nursery and I don't tell them what to do at nap time.

Your nanny is working while your child sleeps as she keeps an eye on them and makes sure baby is safe. She is also entitled to a break! Other times she might not get much of one!

I’d suggest that if you think a nanny is ‘doing nothing’ while your baby naps, see how you feel if you substitute ‘doing nothing’ with ‘pops home,’ or maybe ‘takes a break and has a nap herself.’ If you are not comfortable with the idea that your nanny either leaves your child on their own or sleeps herself while your baby sleeps, then I would suggest that what she is doing (ie being awake and present) is of value to you and you should just suck it up and let the nanny get on with her job without you questioning what she’s doing.

My mother used to complain that my nanny ‘wasn’t doing anything’ but her calm patience allowed me to carry on with my career and hobbies. I’m grateful to her and think she was worth every penny - I hope she felt appreciated, as she certainly was. We had a great working relationship for over 10 years. I’d suggest if you want that sort of relationship with a nanny, you don’t torpedo it right at the start by accusations of her ‘doing nothing’ while your baby sleeps. Mine happily emptied the dishwasher without me asking, and when the children got older she asked them to empty the dishwasher too. Her job was to supervise and keep my children safe, well, fed and to help them develop into polite and pleasant human beings, and this was part of her idea of how to achieve this. I wouldn’t have dreamed of asking her to do housekeeping work though.

I had a friend like this.She wanted to get her money worth, expected full on housework, childcare, also babysitting in the evening when she and her dh went out. She changed 5 nannies during 2 years, and then gave up saying most nannys are terrible and lazy. 😂

I haven't read all the replies so don't know what has been covered so far. All I can say it reminded me of a nanny interview I went to, for a pair of 1 year olds whose mothers (friends) were going back to work and had never hired a nanny before. One was very insistent that during the kids' 1 hour nap I cook their evening meal and get all the laundry done, and very definitely not to do those things while the children were awake. No break in the whole 11 hour day!

Normally the children's laundry, cleaning up after them and setting up activities fills most of your time, with hardly any break, but consider how an overworked person will treat your child if you don't consider their needs at all. Patience gets short in the afternoon! 3 naps a day doesn't last long anyway.

Not paying a nanny for when the child sleeps? You want the person to stay in your house and keep minding your child at all times!

@i123i cut the grass, clean the windows, sort your paperwork, iron your clothes, entertain you or perhaps just take a break? She's a nanny not a servant that you need to fill every second with tasks to make you feel you are getting your monies worth.

Do you and partner have breaks at all during your day or is every waking moment being policed?

Oh dear. None so blind as that type of person.

"we don't want to pay a nanny to sit around while baby naps"

look after your child yourself then

She's a nanny, not your housekeeper. She should only do chores related to your child and tidy up after herself, of course. She needs a break during the day, let her sit down and relax. And you are not paying her to do nothing. She's looking after your child, even when she's relaxing during the baby's nap, she's there if the baby wakes up. You are paying her to be there when you are not. It's not like she can leave the house just because the baby is sleeping.

You will never find a nanny willing to stay and work for you if this is your attitude towards them. Everyone is entitled to a break, some days she will be having more time to relax, some days she might not have much time to herself at all.

Are you joking? You’re paying for their time. Or would you rather the nanny leave your child home alone while they sleep, so they can do their own thing and you don’t have to pay them?

You are employing a nanny to nurture your baby and keep them safe. Unless youre happy for her to go home and do her own thing while your baby is asleep, she is still doing that during nap time. You will not keep any nanny who is worth their wage with your current attitude. They will have a break, and then they will prep anything that needs prepping for your child. Maybe they'll spend time finding new activity ideas, researching groups in the area, arranging meet ups with other nanny's and children. However she spends the time, she is still in the house and looking after your child which is exactly what she is being paid to do.

This is my experience of good nannies too.