Nanny duties

[emmerdale]

I am new to this game and need some guidance. I am going to employ a nanny because I am unable to find suitable chiildminding facilities within my area. My four children are of school going age and I made my decision for various reasons but mainly that they could be taken care of in their own home which I think would be important to them during school holidays and also there is less pressure on me to have them up and out during school holidays when they don't have to be up so early.

This is where my dilemma, if you will, comes in. I need a full time nanny for times such as school holidays, days off etc... During term the earliest my children will be home is 2.30pm and nanny should be busy from this time until I get home at 5.30ish with homework, getting dinner for the children and activities.

So Nanny will be there from 9.00am to 2.30pm (or so I am thinking) without any charges. Childrens rooms are always tidied by myself in the morning, playroom is generally tidy too, kitchen is left clean. A force of habit, if you will.

So what can I reasonably ask Nanny to do during those hours. I know that the main scope is to keep childrens areas clean and tidy but what constitutes the childrens areas - is it all areas used by them? They obviously use the kitchen for homework, meals ect..., the under stairs loo is used by them, plus the sitting room and playroom. So would it be reasonable to ask Nanny for instance to keep kitchen floor clean as in wash it, to wash the under stairs bathroom floor, to dust the sitting room, to hoover the house ect...

The suggested contract by the Agency includes Light Housekeeping duties.

Would like to know what other Nanny's would constitute as Light Housekeeping duties and what would be unreasonable to request.

Any guidance would be very much appreciated - thank you.

I'm not a nanny, but my immediate thoughts are that you could ask her to wash/mend/iron the children's clothes. She could also do things like organise/tidy clothing drawers, closets, shoes, sewing in name tapes, etc. Also she could do cooking for children - both for evening meal and to freeze so that you have food available on weekends. My nanny also is happy to do a bit of gardening (not talking heavy stuff). She doesn't do much cleaning because I have a cleaner who comes every week for a few hours. Your nanny could also organise playdates, doctor appointments, school activities, and birthday parties/gifts. She might be willing to do some food shopping for the family.

Those are my initial thoughts, but others may have more suggestions....

Earlybird does your nanny drive. The nanny I am looking at doesn't.

Yes, she drives her own car. I contribute to petrol costs, but she pays everything else as she prefers to drive to work instead of using public transport.

Would think with 4 children it would be a huge advantage to have a nanny who could drive if needed. Though having said that, don't know many nannies who have a car that could accomodate 4 children!

I think it all comes down to negotiation - but you might find that she would be willing to do an evening or two baby-sitting in return for being off completely 9am-2.30 a couple of days. Then you could ask her to do some of the jobs mentioned here on say 3 days. personally I'd struggle to find enough for her to do 5 days a week, so would find some baby-sitting more useful.

Sounds like a good idea Hatsoff but going out for us is on a very rare occassion. We don't socialise very much and if we need a babysitter we ask our neighbour.

One other idea - many nannies are happy to do clothing/shoe shopping for their children. I do all clothing shopping for dd, but must admit that the idea of shopping for shoes fills me with dread, so nanny often does that chore. She has also, on occasion, taken dd for a haircut when I wasn't able to get an appointment that fit into my schedule.

Are there any Nanny's who could give me their views. Thanks to those who have already responded to my message.

Just realised that most nannies are probably still at their place of work.

think you should look for a nanny share tbh .. find children in the locality who need childcare in the mornings and get their mums to help you pay the cost

would also suggest you post query on nannyjobs.co.uk

Or gumtree.co.uk

To be honest I am not interested in a Nannyshare arrangement due to the fact that nanny would have to be full time during school holidays so as such would not work out

Do they HAVE to work during thsi time...

Im a nanny and my charges finish school at 12pm 3 days and 1.30pm 2 days per week.
My official hours re 8 - 6 and im paid these hours, but i normally only start when i pick the children up from school.

Mum is also almost always home early so i normally work only 20 - 25 of my 50 hours per week. (yes i realise i am VERY lucky!) (i am on call for if the children are ill at school or something)

On a monday i normally do a supermarket shop and the childrens ironing, and then normally ahve the rest of my mornings off, (tho on monady i get to supermarket until 11!)

I do lots of things like go to the gym / see my friends etc

In terms of things you 'could' as her to do: kids washing / ironing / mending

kids bedrooms / playrooms tidy etc.

I would NOT do things like washing floors because i am NOT a Cleaner... (thats what cleaners do), tho if we had been playing on the crapet and it seemd like it needed a hoover i may hoover that bit of carpet etc.

You MAY find a nanny willing to do the jobs you described, but i know lots of nannies who wouldnt on the grounds that we are NOT cleaners.

I also sometimes pop in and walk the dogs (again NOT in a nannies job description,) but given as i love dogs, and love their dogs, on the days when BOTH parents leave early for work i dont mind giving them a walk along the beach, which is at the bottom of their garden. normally only onceish a week, often less!

I think you may be better off asking her to do the normal nursery duries and let her fill the time how she wants... as long as shes on the end of a mobile phone in case kids are ill etc.

That arrangement works well for us!

Maybe so NannyL but you seem to be on a lucky number. I would expect that if I was employing someone for a 40ish hour week I would expect that they would do certain things which would certainly include hoovering the playroom. Fine enough if your boss can afford to employ both

I would hardly pay someone to spend time in the gym

Emmerdale- if you are within the M25 you could try Simply Childcare which is a magazine listing of those looking for nannies and those looking for work as nannies.

You can advertise for a nanny/housekeeper. There are plenty of nannies out there who have had their own children and who are looking for more flexible hours/work.

I managed to find someone who does all the afterschool care and all holidays and cover for illness etc. She also does around 6-7 hours of cleaning a week for me and all the families washing including taking it to/picking it up from the lady who does the ironing for me. We do have a cleaner as well who does another 4-5 hours a week. I never expect her to do any housekeeping work during the holidays when she has the children to look after full-time.

I pay her on an annualised basis which works out at roughly 2/3 of a full time salary.

THis seems to work well for both of us - she gets the part time work that fits in with the rest of her life and we get someone reliable who is willing to do more than the traditional nanny does!

so state your terms and employ a nanny based on the hours you need her - there may well be nannies out there who would love to have their mornings to themselves to do their own stuff but not mind filling in during holidays

don't think you can treat a nanny like a household help at all

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emmerdale im NOT paid to spend time at the gym...

im paid so the mum can go to work and know that throughout they day her children will be looked after, (if for example they are ill etc.)

Mum says its madness for me to HAVE to be in the house, just because im being paid...

if you want a cleaner pay a cleaner, if you want someone to look after your kids, and be on call for if / when they are ill etc pay a nanny...

Just because we are being paid does NOT mean we should ahve to do things other than our nursary duties... and if nursary duties are done whats the point in us sitting there?

If a Dr hasd a caneccled appointment does he think im being paid regardless, i'll hoover my consultation room? (i dont think so!)

But NannyL - if the nanny is happy to do cleaning then so be it!

Nannies with their own children find it very hard to find work. If this is one area they can be flexible in then both the nanny and the parents get a good deal

Of course you are being paid to go to the gym - but following my own argument, if you and the parents are happy with this arrangement then it works!

true... im happy in my job and my bosses are happy with me...

IF you can find someone happy to clean your house while kids are at school... great... you will all be happy as well! good luck..

but dont EXPECT proffesional nannies to jump at the idea of washing floors while kids are at school, as its not what we are trained to do!

So besides being "on call" what do you do with the rest of your time with your charges? Curious?

What constitutes a "professional" nanny?

NannyL- even professional nannies have to put food on the table! Needs must I think.

It seems to me that having children dramatically decreases a nannies employability and when the chips are down they seem prepared to stop looking down their noses at the notion of cleaning!