Advise me on feeding my nanny

[Aubergines]

Our nanny has a rather robust appetite which is fine but she is developing ever expensive tastes and I am not sure what to do.

When she started work I told her to let me know if she wanted anything added to the Ocado shop for her lunch each week and since then we have fallen onto a routine where each week she leaves a note of things for me to order, mostly for the DCs but some for her. This is fine except that what she asks for is more expensive than the food I buy for DH and me.

This week her list includes: guacomole, chorizo sausage, Dorset museli granola, smoked trout, Brie and bagels.

AIBU to think that's quite extravegant? We are not rich and she knows that and sees what we order for ourselves in the same shop. However, I never want to sound stingy so if I do sound mean be truthful. In truth I can't imagine how I would ever tackle this even if it is out of order.

As a nanny I just ate what the kids were having or whatever was about for sarnies, occasionally I added a little something for myself into the shopping when I did it, usually a fancy roll or something. I would never had expected my employers to cater to my food whims Why does she need museli? surely it's lunch? Unless she is live in then she should eat breakfast before she comes to work. I suggest you ask her to eat what ever is in for lunch and buy your normal food, I found the kids were less likely to fuss if I ate what they did.

Wow - most of those would be treats in our house and v convenience food. If she wants guacamole - get her to make it with the kids! Or do you just have a baby is that why she is ordering.

Agree with above post, however, our nanny often just wants a sandwich or equiv at lunch but she buys it herself.

I do provide mine with breakfast even though she is not live in. She's not a morning person and leaves her place around 6.30. However, she helps herself to what cereals we have.

Her whims I would describe as eating out occasional choc bars and magnums but I don't have these in all the time which limits it and she doesn't request; I just offer her what we have in.

As to how to tackle it; just say your shopping bill is getting a bit out of control on top of winter heating etc. and you need to cut back a bit so can she let you know if there is anything she really needs otherwise she can help herself to what you have in. Am sure that will sort it.

I'm afraid I didn't give our nannys the option of ordering their food, I made sure the kitchen was stocked up with sandwich stuff, baking potatoes, soup etc and expected them to eat with the kids - and if they fancied something else they could bring it with them.
Difficult to know how to go backwards from the position you are in though (and yes, I agree that the list sounds extravagent) - maybe tell her she has a budget of £x amount for her lunch ingredients?? (out of your list I would buy her the bagels and brie - that's her lunch sorted )

These are just for her? She should be eating whatever your DCs have for lunch or whatever you have in stock. There is no need whatsoevr for her to be having smoked trout and chorizo which are quite definitely luxury foods to my mind.

Or another tactful way you could back track is to say " Oh Ocado didn't have any chorizo or smoked trout this week so i bought you the brie and bagels. Hope this is ok?"

Continue doing that weekly using the cheaper items on her list so she's still happy but you are more comfortable. AFter a decent while you can even then say :

" Oh they didn't have brie this week - at least not the type I normally get you and bagels were out of stock so got some good granary bread and a nice cheddar. Hope it i sok but if not you know you're always welcome to raid our cupboard for somehint you like more or you can bring it in yourself."

Thanks for the advice. I am glad people seem to agree it's extravagent. I have tried the "it's out of stock" line already and that week her list said "chorizo or pastrami if it's still out of stock"! I think I need to be upfront and say we have to cut back. Gah. I hate this sort of thing.

You really need to be upfront - difficult, but much easier in the long term than wondering every week how you'll deal with the issue.

K75s suggestion is right on the mark, you need to sit her down and have a "this has got a bit out of hand" conversation. Do try and avoid caving in half way through if she doesn't seem immediately overjoyed at losing her extravagant (and they are!) lunches. One of the most overused phrases in my house is "I'm not running a restaurant" - she should be eating whatever the kids are having, preferably with them to model good table manners.

I wouldn't ask her for a list each week.
I asked for a big and general list in the begining -vegetarian or not, spicy food, carbs etc, favourites foods/snacks, what she dislikes and favourite fruits.

I have a standard order for our groceries and then each time i 'll alterate some for variety and always add her favourite fruits. Same as i do for my dh and dc's. Always plenty fruits and veg around and she can make her own combinations.
There is not 'our' food and 'her' food.
Every few weeks i ask if food ok and if she needs anything else. But i couldn't do this weekly. Is not just about money, but time and hassle.

The smoked trout was very...specific . It sounds like placing order in a restaurant. Next week might be seabass.
But to her credit everything in her list is healthy.

op - your nanny forgot the salmon.cavier+mussels!!

cheeky cow

my mb asks me what i fancy but it is things like cuppa soup/pesto/options hot choco

problem is that you started this and you should have said no to her list in the beginning, so part of me thinks that it is a bit of your own fault - your nanny asked, you brought for a while - so in her eyes she prob doesnt know you feel like this and doesnt think she is doing wrong

just simply say that the bill has been a bit exp recently and you are ALL making cutbacks so will be just ham,cheese, pasta etc for lunch - but let her have her museli

We have a weekly list and I tell the nanny to add whatever she wants to the list and then we include it in the tesco order. But... the tesco order has a budget. And if the collection of everyone's requests (mine, DH's, nanny's) exceeds that budget, items must be cut. We have a budget of about £140 per week. And I feel we should all be able to live on that.

So, basically, things just don't appear. It's not really questioned, but if it is I just say, "it was out of budget".

Sometimes I send DH an e-mail from the "Tesco Budget Police" informing him of what I have removed from the list (he does the online ordering).