Nanny is a HUGE klutz!!

[legalgenius]

I am clearly struggling with being an 'employer' and remaining calm with my nanny right now..she is testing my patience SO much!

Plus sides ares: she's great with my son- he's really happy with her but not in a clingly way, she's inventive, good tempered, firm, responsive etc BUT....

The girl is trashing my house!

In the past 9 months she has (deep breath)

Backed into my car

Put at least two dry clean only dresses through the wash

Ruined one v.v.v. expensive cashmere jumper by doing the same

Blocked the dishwasher with food and caused the kitchen to flood (£300 to fix)

Scratched the living daylights out of my Kitchen pans by using metal spoons on them and by putting them in the dishwasher

Ditto my digital weighing scales

Smased a whole set of wine glasses (on six individual occassions)

Smashed 3 vases (one of them a wedding present)

Left the buggy out in the rain for an entire weekend (we were away) causing it to grow black mould (£500 to replace)

She's lovely but she is destroying my home and no amount of gentle chats/formal warnings does any good. She gets tearful and despondent and then I have to deal with her moping and looking dejected.

Also- she gets lots of half days and late starts on the days I work from home on the understanding that when I get stuck at work she stays later- recently her caveman of a boyfriend has complained about this and , as she does everything she says, she;s started "curfewing" me as I leave the house.

In eight months she's never once had to put my son to bed/ stay past 7.15pm!

Have so little patience left with her- I work full time and my husband is away long term (military) and I really need her to start backing me up on the home front not cause me more grief!

My. That turned into a rant!

Anyone else stuck in this most irritating of trade offs?!

I don't think the Op is being rude as a previous poster said. I think she has taken great lengths to show a balanced case of what has happened.

Don't give up on MN!

Morningpaper, I think you are being a bit insensitive.

I don't think the Op is being rude as a previous poster said. I think she has taken great lengths to show a balanced case of what has happened.

Don't give up on MN!

Morningpaper, I think you are being a bit insensitive.

legalgenius i think you are right to terminate the nannys contract as you are not happy with her

things do get broken when working, i have managed to scrape a car against gateposts that i had gone into for 4years 8/10times a day as well as smash a car (tho wasnt my fault) as well as odd glass

I did manage to shrink db jumper once (was trying to be helpful, i emptied washing machine to tumble dryer) db slapped my hand for that (seriously) but meant it as a joke

it now fits 3yr PERFECTLY

each time i have felt awful, and feel sick inside that i have damaged someone elses property, though ALL bosses have been fine about it

nick wasnt being sarky - just that on MN comments can be taken out of context sometimes, and it can be a tad harsh if you are new

passes hard hat

do continue to use the forum - there are many threads and useful info/comments

hope you get new childcare sorted out

I agree with the op,. the nanny is a lazy mare who should be fired.

Man, I'm disgusted the way some posters were towards legalgenius..Morningpaper, as everybody you have the right to have your own opinions but I don't know, let's put it like this, you were not very nice. I completely understand the Op's frustration...at almost all levels and she is right to get rid of her nanny..Op is frustrated and I really can understand why, I mean come on, she really treated the nanny right etc...

Legalgenius- hope you are ok, please ignore sarkie poasters.

aw I'm sorry op

'twas only intended as gentle ribbing from a fellow klutz

did not intend to offend

Hey and ignore my bad grammar

OP, I'm really sorry you are getting a hard time on this thread. I would be completely exasperated in your shoes.

There is definitely an air in some of the negative posts that you don't deserve sympathy because you can afford expensive pans, buggies, clothes, wine glasses AND a NANNY!

Those posters can deny it if they like but that's the impression I get. Why on earth should the OP buy a cheaper pram just because her nanny trashed hers? You're basically saying the 500 quid she spent out was unnecessary.

Well that's your opinion, but it's got nothing to do with whether or not the mistake was stupid and costly has it? That's like going out for an expensive meal, the waiter accidentally dropping your sirloin and fois gras and saying "never mind, you'll be just as happy with fish and chips, won't you? I mean, who needs sirloin in the first place?! Nevermind you've paid for the most expensive thing on the menu"

It just never ceases to amaze me how judgemental these threads can get.

OP - you should get rid of your nanny because despite the bond with your son, the rest of the hassle isn't worth it. There will be other great nannies who will not cost you an additional salary in breakages. You wouldn't tolerate it in the work place, and nanny's have working mums over a barrel when it comes to sloppy behaviour if they have a strong emotional bond with your children because that's the things that means most, doesn't it.

I had a great nanny but she was lazy as hell. Never washed clothes, cooked food, even used to tell ME when the nappy bin was smelling and needed changing. But I stuck with her because the kids loved her.

MP - I had missed the fact that you are a self confessed "Klutz" until you pointed it out again - wondered why you were being so unusually "insensitive"!!!! I get it now!

TUT it's never very good when you have to EXPLAIN the jokes is it?

I will try harder

I'm sorry OP, do come back

You can reverse into my car if you like

I thought you were being obtuse (think that's the word I mean) - LOL!

Legalgenius, we are military too and your whole situation sounds exhausting. It gets extremely wearing having to be in control of everything all the time (and nearly being sick when the phone rings at odd times).

It must be truly rubbish when you pay someone to help and they really don't. I hope you manage to work it out relatively happily.

Charge for the breakages/damages if they really bother you that much (dont blame you due to the ammount of things that have gone wrong).

Accidents do happen, no one is perfect, but,if it gets beyond a joke and you feel the nanny just doesn't care, then maybe the only way to deal with it is to start taking the money from her or get rid. I'm sure finding that her pay packet gets less and less every wk/month might just be the wake up call she needs, if not then she is bl**dy useless.

magicOC - not sure if legally you can deduct pay from an employee's pay packet like that.

maybe with your new nanny you can add a bit in the contract about damaging property and if it keeps happeneing then nanny will be liable and charged

tbh though im not sure i would sign something like that

I drew my curtains last night - and knocked an enormous glass lamp into a zillion pieces on the floor

I thought of this thread

BEHAVE morning paper!!

yes, mp, behave. Now go sit on the nauughty step for at least ?32? minutes.

morningpaper to the nawty spot. NOW!

Squiffy, let's make it 60 minutes! ;)

get rid legalgenius. Its stressful enough being a lawyer and having a husband away in war zones. I know and have been there.

Accidents do happen.............one of my au pairs reversed our car into my FIL's. £500 quid to mend ours and £3k to replace my FIL's as it was written off. Ins co only paid up £250 as it was old so we had to make up the difference to somethingthat was worth happeneing and DH hads to take several days off work to organise for him.

She just shrugged her shoulders. It was infuraiting!

If she doesnt have any resepct for your house she doesnt for you and the relationship has broken down.

I have been flamed many a time on here and often these threads turn into nanny v employer but you have had a huge amount of support from both sides.

I've been thinking about this thread too. The conclusion I drew was that if she is that careless and clumsy and dumb then I certainly would not want to leave her with my child.
It smacks of a lazy attitude generally, a disrespect for others' property and an inability to be careful and considerate.

I hope you find a suitable replacement quickly. I am amazed you've stuck it for so long.

I had a cleaner who broke my house and turned up when she felt like it. She was a good cleaner but she broke something almost every time she came. For example she used oven cleaner on the hob and has taken off most of the enamel. She broke the mop handle( how I've no idea), took the vanish off the stairs. She would ask me for food and cups of tea!

original mummypoppins - who would flame you?

Blondes lurves you

OP, are you sure it is a nanny you need? I found that what served us best as a family was the combination of au pair (for the morning routine and picking up after nursery) a nursery and a cleaner. The au pair was also helping out with household tasks, tidying and laundry and some cleaning. Would do babysitting. It was very flexible. The nursery provided the stability and the "child care element" and the cleaner changed linen in all beds, and cleaned the house in general.

It is exhausting when your childcare does not work out.