Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Is this normal?

32 replies

TimeFlys · 14/04/2009 14:18

I am working as an AP for a family with 4 children. I was away for 3 weeks on holiday ( visting my family back home ) to come back to find 3 weeks of washing and ironing? I dont know if this is normal or my MB just being lazy? Thoughts????

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Tinker · 14/04/2009 14:20

Blimey, how many clothes have they got to not have to wash any for 3 weeks?

Original poster

TimeFlys · 14/04/2009 14:26

Alot! When i saw all the things that needed doing i wished i didnt go away so i could of stayed on top of things!

OP posts:

Simplyme · 14/04/2009 14:27

I think that is an extremely lazy MB imo!!

I don't think you should be expected to do that all!!!

Original poster

TimeFlys · 14/04/2009 14:28

She said " oh we have had such a busy 3 weeks i didnt get round to it."

OP posts:

Kathyis6incheshigh · 14/04/2009 14:29

Has she been busy working or enjoying herself?

Stuffed · 14/04/2009 14:30

Well, I guess if you are doing the washing and ironing you can't be doing other stuff for her.....I can imagine it could happen though.

Original poster

TimeFlys · 14/04/2009 14:32

She is a Stay at home mum..I feel like handing my notice in! I was so shocked i didnt know what to say.

OP posts:

Simplyme · 14/04/2009 14:32

Mine have just come back off holiday too! They did all the washing over the weekend then asked the cleaner to do the extra ironing!!

They would not expect me to do that much and tbh I wouldn't do it either!!

branflake81 · 14/04/2009 14:33

I have no idea if that's normal as have no experience of au pairs etc but just to say I am seriously shocked - that is very lazy.

Simplyme · 14/04/2009 14:34

Ok that makes me sound difficult....but if I had everything all done before their holiday then it's not really fair to come back to 3 weeks worth to be done!!

Give and take is fine but she doesn't seem to be giving just taking! If I were you, do some washing but not the ironing! It won't kill them to have crumpled clothes.

Kathyis6incheshigh · 14/04/2009 14:34

You shouldn't have to do it if it'll take you over your max working hours, or if you do work extra hours to get it done you should get extra money. Time off should not mean having to do extra work when you come home (though actually in most jobs it does unfortunately!)

Tinker · 14/04/2009 14:34

Is it a huge house? Do they wear the same clothes for days on end? I agree that you can't really be expected to do much else if they want you to do it all now

Original poster

TimeFlys · 14/04/2009 14:39

The house has 8bedrooms and 4 bathrooms.
The reason there is so much is because they wash thier clothes daily..even if its not dirty..But its not my place to say to tell MB to not put them in for washing..as everyone has personal views on washing thier clothes..to be honest if i wasnt here they would wash them once a fornight! .. This isnt the first time. When the dishwasher is finished she doesnt empty it ( puts her and DHs plates in the sink)..and will wait until the next morning for me to do them all. I dont know if its normal this is why i have not said anything as an AP usally does what needs doing?

OP posts:

Blondeshavemorefun · 14/04/2009 14:41

sounds like she was being lazy

although i dont do the washing in my job,in others i have and if i/they are away i expect a little washing, but i also expect the parents to do some loads as well

the smell of the dirty clothes SHUDDERS

Nicadooby · 14/04/2009 15:24

This sounds similar to my boss when they go on holiday or even just a weekend away. They don't even bother to unpack the the childrens (4 of them)suit case's at all, so when I get back to work on Monday morning I have to sort through them which is discusting and to be honest I hate it!

It's not fair that people do this but I happens all the time. When I have tried to say something about it all she say's is I don't need to do it all in one day, but this is only because she has her and the dads clothes already washing/drying. So I wouldn't be able to do it even if I wanted to.

BHMF yes smell of dirty clothes blurhhh always use rubber gloves too now as it's bad enough washing my boyfriends pants let alone the kids at work.

PaulaMummyKnowsBest · 14/04/2009 16:15

that is awful

I have employed au pairs before and I always made sure that the children's washing basket was empty on Monday morning. I ironed and put away all of the weekend stuff on Sunday evening as well as hoovering the children's bedrooms and giving their bathroom a quick clean.

The dishwasher was emptied by whoever was around when it finished its cycle, quite often, the au pair emptied it with me.

An au pair is supposed to be an extra pair of hands to help not to be a skivvy.

Your family are taking the P*

theoriginalmummypoppins · 14/04/2009 18:11

That is awful. What on earth was mb doing ?

We have just got back from holiday too. I did 4 loads of washing yesterday.

Yes there was loads for my nanny/cleaner this am but we will get through it gradually. Most of it is summer stuff anyway which we dont need. I unpacked it all. I would not expect it to be done by anyone else . Occasionally I will ask my nanny to unpack the childrens bags if we are away for the weekend but then I have school age children and a full time nanny so after she has dropped them off at school on a monday am there is time to do it.

I will go home and do more washing tonight. My current nanny leaves at the weekend and I have arranged to cover all the washing and ironing for the next 3 weeks until my new one starts and when she goes on holiday I will do the same.

Dont do it for them. You are an au pair not a slave. You arent being paid to be a domestic.

BecauseImWorthIt · 14/04/2009 18:20

Sounds like she's lazy. Just do the normal amount of washing - i.e. take the same amount of time that you would normally take. If MB complains they haven't got any clothes, you can say "they're in the washing pile - there was so much waiting for me when I got back that my normal hours don't give me enough time to do it all". If she needs the washing done, she can pay you over time or do it herself.

BecauseImWorthIt · 14/04/2009 18:20

However, , it is my cleaner's job to do our ironing, and I have to confess that when she's been away we have sometimes left it all for her to do when she comes back.

Simplyme · 14/04/2009 18:48

Glad to know you don't treat your nanny like a slave mummypoppins

I'm sure you're new nanny will be more than willing to help unpack the odd bag here and there

blueshoes · 14/04/2009 18:59

That's pretty lazy of the family. But then again, if that is what they want you to do, they can take you off other routine duties. For example, my aupair does 2.5 hours of cleaning a day. I could substitute that with holiday laundry/ironing over a few days instead. Would that be alright if they did that?

Also, would you have reduced duties over this period in the sense that there is no school run because of the holiday period. Perhaps their thinking was that instead of the school run you would be doing laundry/ironing instead?

I would pay extra for more hours of work.

thebody · 14/04/2009 19:01

lazy cow....

theoriginalmummypoppins · 14/04/2009 19:02

ha ha simplyme !!

Agreed because I am worth it. My cleaner will step in and help and Im sure sometimes my nanny is horrified when she sees the size of the washing/ironing pile but they both only do what they can during their contracted hours and if they work over then its TOIL or pay. Sometimes it means that other tasks get left for a week or so whilst we catch up post holiday but thats just fine. Choosing what tasks they do within reason during their hours is my perogative as a boss

As an Aupair I would have thought that all the washing and ironing for a family of 6 if they change clothes everyday would be 25 hours a week in itself!!

Geepers · 14/04/2009 19:04

What does mb mean?

Presumably she is a single mother as there has ben no mention of another adult being capable of putting a wash in over the course of the three weeks?

Simplyme · 14/04/2009 19:20

Geepers MB means mummy boss

Flip

1 2