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.

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And again I am just being curious is there a difference between a "trained" nanny and an "untrained" nanny and if so what training does the trained nanny receive.

Emmerdale- a 'trained' nanny usually has a diploma in childcare. This involves 2 years of study at college.

I think the diploma is very good and covers lots of aspects of caring for children including nutrition, discipline, safety, first aid etc.

There are regular work placements to ensure that they have plenty practical experience before qualification.

A non-qualified nanny usually has plenty of child care experience but does not have the diploma.

Qualified nannies are usually paid more than unqualified nannies of comparable experience but this differential does normally even out after about 5 years or so!

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Emmerdale...

The rest of the time with my charges we do anything and everything!

rarely watch the Tv tho and i only feed them 'proper' almost all home made food if you were wondering.... no chicken nuggets other processed kids 'crap' either. (i also generally only feed them organic ("happy" as they call it!) food!)

They LOVE painting / drawing etc and playdough. They love cooking aswell. We spend lots of time in the garden, go to tumble tots, swim once a week, see freinds go to the local parks animal farm...

Today we went to the park then supermarket shopping, had lunch then freidns came round...
we walked down to the ferry boat, ahd a lovely boat trip, had an ice cream, came home and played in the garden, mainly on the trampoline and paddling pool, and then we all had tea outside in the garden!

We are looking forward to strawberry picking when the strawberries are ripe, and making our own strawberry icecream!

Is that ok?

As I said NannyL it was just simple curiousity, you seem to have a full schedule there

soapbox - did you find your flexible nanny through simply childcare? I'm going to need someone soon who's possibly prepared to do more term-time hours and less holiday hours (I'm going to be studying myself). Sounds like you've got yourself a treasure. On this whole thing, I have to say that there is no one-size fits all "nanny" job description. As an employer (of any kind) you are entitled to create a job description that matches your needs and invite people to apply. If no-one suitable applies you may have to modify your job description and/or your terms and conditions. Qualified/professional nannies are no different to the rest of us in that respect - they're free to apply for a job or to choose not to. I'm a professional with certain qualifications and certain experience. My job is in an organisation that is "self servicing" when it comes to basic admin (filing, photocopying). It was in the job description, along with all the other stuff. It's not for one second what I was trained to do, but I was not prepared to turn down a very good, professional opportunity, coz I felt a bit of photocopying was beneath me.

Hatsoff - yes I found her through simply childcare. Given that I am on the very outer edges of the circulation area I was worried that I'd get no response. However I had about 10 responses of which 3 were serious contenders! All were prepared to do a combination of term time and holidays and to do housekeeping/shopping/cleaning etc.

Good luck

Now you now emmerdale...
Im really NOT lazy in any sense... i adore my charges, and we have a full on stimulating set of things that we do!

Im a trained nanny and have a degree (BSc. (hons) psychology)

all im saying is that i dont 'clean' as such... thats what the cleaners do!

My bosses will agree that they always come back to a spotless kitchen, and tidy playroom etc and most importantly HAPPY (though often tired!) children!

So you do the kitchen so

LOL

i clean up after myself... and its always left tidy for me to use! and yes.... when my bosses leave for work early i dont complain about unloading the clean dishwasher put on the night before

So are there any other nannies out there "trained" or "untrained" who reasonably, which was in fact my original question, do some house chores when they do not have their charges morning times?

Ok I think I am getting a grasp of this.

I agree that nanny's first and foremost priority is to the children themselves to ensure their wellbeing, safety and happiness.

I also understand now that nanny is responsible for the childrens areas which I presume covers what I have always done myself, tidying their bedrooms, mending clothes, washing and ironing and cooking proper meals for them.

Beyond this all duties are child related including taking children to doctor/dentist appointments, their various extra curricular activities, taking to them to activities such as the park, the cinema, activity centre, library, walks in the country etc... Taking/collecting them from summer camp. And obviously planned "bad" weather activities

Sounds like this could fill up most of nanny's schedule for the summer months.

I presume it would not be untoward for nanny to give the kids a BBQ on fine evenings or to take them to the beach which in our case has to be spontaneous given our weather. Beach is approx 12 miles away but there is Public Transport as nanny we are looking at doesn't drive.

So all in all it should be funfilled hours with our energetic children who love to cook and doing lots of different things. Guess nanny has to match what the children need.

Am on a better track now?

oooh issymum - there was a whole article in G2 about this in the wake of the David Blunkett affair. I've had two nannies - both English, one qualified and in her twenties, one unqualified and in her forties. The former (our current nanny) does see herself as a professional but is wonderfully flexible, (hangs out grown-up washing to dry when she babysits, stops me emptying the dishwasher in the morning before I go to work). the latter would leave a dirty mug on the side if it wasn't anything to do with her. Maybe there's an element of the degree to which they;ve been taken for granted in the past. One of mine seemed to have a bit of a chip on her shoulder for sure

Anyone with a comment on my last post before taking the process a step further?

Ditto Issymum.

A nanny of my aquaintance runs errands, does laundry, pet-care and various business-admin of the parents during the school hours. Another did a little light gardening. Another did a share with a mum who wanted term-time only.

Ask any potential nannies and see what they say.

Would still like to hear from current/former nanny's

hi emmerdale i used to be a nanny.I was a nanny for 16 yrs .Have you tried advertising for a mothers help!I personally would not object to doing light housework when kids at school.I worked in wimbledon when the kids were at nursery i would go back to their home and do lots of cooking to fill freezer for parents,sort kids toys out.tidy bedrooms i did not clean as she had a lady who cleaned and did the ironing,but i used to clean up after them every morning as they left kitchen in a mess,knowing i could not cook until dishwasher emptied and sink and surfaces cleaned.

hi emmerdale i used to be a nanny.I was a nanny for 16 yrs .Have you tried advertising for a mothers help!I personally would not object to doing light housework when kids at school.I worked in wimbledon when the kids were at nursery i would go back to their home and do lots of cooking to fill freezer for parents,sort kids toys out.tidy bedrooms i did not clean as she had a lady who cleaned and did the ironing,but i used to clean up after them every morning as they left kitchen in a mess,knowing i could not cook until dishwasher emptied and sink and surfaces cleaned.

sorry forgot to mention i took kids for haircuts,doctors ,dentist, shoes all these things parents found stressful.

Bigdonna, just coming back to my original question can I ask you what you would constitute to be "Light" housework. This really is the crux of my question.

Nanny's seem to vary "professional" - "unprofessional" and this gets me totally confused.

Just because someone has a qualification, as far as I am conerned, doesn't make them any better than a genuine child loving person.

The way I see it, I might as well have an Au-pair who will do the same thing as a "qualified nanny" who finds it beneath her to do any housework.

Bigdonna I admire you and this is not directed at you.

Find it hard to believe that working nannys, besides NannyL didn't reply.

More confused than ever because the nannys on here won't put their hands up and admit what they actually do or "don't" do

i think if i went for an interveiw and we clicked got on really well,and i really liked your kids i would probably be quite happy to do hoovering anywhere in house,dusting,clean kitchen,bit of gardening,shopping and cooking . i think if i had everyday till 2.30 i would be looking for things to do!.sorry no other nannies are replying to you. good luck

Emmerdale i too am surprised that no more nannies have replied to you!

I no one nanny who will do NOTHING that isnt child related (and i mean NOTHING!)... she thinks i am a pushover for occasionaly unloading the dishwasher when both parenst leave by 7.30am.... this is the dishwasher where 90% of the contents was stuff used by me the day before!!! (it only happens occasionaly because me bosses feel very guilty when they leave it and dont think i should be expected to do it either

Most of the nannies i know personally also would not be happy to be 'responsible' for cleaning the rooms.

Also dont forget if you have a QUALIFIED nanny, (who has a CRB and 1st aid cert) who is registered (costs £96 per year) then you are elgable to use childcare vouchers which save you up to £1000 ish per year per working parent.

You dont get this if you use a non qualified nanny / au pair.