Boff needs chocolate. Nanny has just resigned.

[SnowyBoff]

So folks, there we were being nice, supportive employers to someone who frankly with hindsight has a major attitude problem, and she's just resigned on us and leaves in a fortnight. I am sure Christmas is a brilliant time to look for a new one (not).

This nanny thing is so angst-ridden it's untrue. It also means we may have sacrificed another agency fee for a mere 10 weeks' work as well. And the kids will be really upset and go all funny on us for a bit because they will be so confused about everything.

I am not a happy Boff.

Take that car repair out of her salary! She needs to know that her mistakes have consequences. I honestly don't think she cares about your problems - give her a problem of her own and she might start to click what it's like to have the rug pulled from underneath you when you thought it would be ok...

And it appears she has lied and is trying to trick you by saying you said you would pay the first time she crashed the car.

She is not always 100% straightforward, admittedly. The College Who Must Not Be Named and I caught her out giving two different accounts of why she went AWOL last week for two hours. We have each had both accounts! So basically I reckon she's not very clever.

Our temp was a lovely nanny, very hardworking and thorough. She would have come back to rescue us, I think, except she teaches skiing in the winter.

A lot of you are saying to make her pay for the car repair, but I had relented out of self-interest ... I am rethinking now.

Ad has also gone in the Lady and will come out on 15th.

I actually said I would pay half the first time and the second time I would remove car use altogether.

But on her contract I put nothing, just a clause stating I can make any deductions that are reasonable.

Sorry to hear about this Boff. I think you are well overdue to have a good nanny come your way!

Re the car def deduct the costs from her. You should not be held accountable to the costs as she has already caused enough troubles and agency fees etc.

It is time long overdue she had a harsh lesson in life and actually although it's not your responsibility I think you would be doing any future families she might work for (heaven forbid) a favour in making her realise there are consequences for her actions.

Although Daddy may bail her out on that too I think he may be forced to give her a good telling off after all those car repair ££££££ and wasted tuition at the school that must not be named!

(On an aside does anyone else think Harry Potter as in Voldemort - he who must not be named and the school that must not be named? Parallels there?)

What if her dad starts telling us off over the phone in the evenings? I do not need the grief tbh.

What business is it of her dad's?!

That would be harassment, no?

I honestly cannot see my parents and my employers ever having any sort of conversation. I don't know why they would.

She initially said her dad would pay for it, you then suggested you might be prepared to pay for the damage to her car but you've taken legal advice and it's percetly okay to deduct from her final pay packet so that's what you'll be doing.

I know you are right. But DH is nervous about doing this. I don't know why. It's her bloody fault, all this. Why am I suddenly the ogre?????

Hi just seen this thread, if your interested I shall be looking for work from mid jan.
you can msg me [email protected]

those things you mention sound so simple to do yet still manage to get wrong!
please dont let me leave my goldfish with her!

I have namechanged for this.

I really hope you won't take this the wrong way - it's just a little tiny hint about recruiting a nanny. I took a look at your ad on netmums and, while it is a very clear outline of your requirements, you do sound just a little bit demanding. It's absolutely fine to have high standards as an employer, but you can then reasonably expect your future ideal nanny to have high standards herself! Apart from the salary, what other reasons could you give to make your family sound like attractive, considerate employers? What would her room be like, were she to live in? Can you describe your family in a couple of adjectives?

got your email about ad, but only managed to look at it - yes it def says what you want/need

maybe edit slightly and see what response you get, obv you dont want nutters but might get more replys if just has basic info about being 5days/car to use and ages of children plus live in/out

still think you should make nanny pay/deduct from wages

simply me - pmsl

emotionally drained family
bankrupted by agency fees family
family at end of tether

Cheerful, energetic family with two housetrained boys and one chirpy dimply baby seeks lovely nanny to add to the mix. Must be good at Lego, Wii fit, feeding us homemade lasagne and baking cakes. Saxophone, cycling and swimming skills very welcome. Driver preferred - mean red boy transporting machine provided. Hours are just long enough to enjoy us, just short enough to let you recover for the next Guitar Hero challenge.

Is that better?

LOL - love it

Perfect - if I wasn't so extremely happy where I am then I'd apply

just perfect boffy!!!

i would def reply to an ad like that as means family has a sense of humour - which is good

Have changed all my ads now to make them like this one.

I hadn't realised you were allowed to be funny in nanny ads!

Not getting many responses to ads though. Just from one or two disillusioned nursery workers who want out.

Whilst I do think your ad is funny and if I was a nanny I would definitely apply... erm, there not a lot in the ad that says what is in it for me. I would want a few more specifics, like hours, children's ages, accommodation, general location. And what are the perks? Gym membership? More nannies / au pairs at the school gate? Entice me!

(or go look at Squiffy's post about her spare au pair... not sure if he is nanny material though)

I tend not to reply to ads like that, although they make me smile.

If you added more businesslike specifics I might reconsider!

Why not run both ads simultaneously on Gumtree etc? Different ads will attract different nannies and both reflect the job in different ways.

I would reply to your ad if i lived nearer and wanted 5 days a week - much prefer ads like that as you know someone has a sense of humour

Is this better, everyone? The location is on Netmum and Gumtree.

Cheerful, energetic family with two housetrained boys (12y, 8y) and one chirpy, dimply baby (8 months) seeks lovely nanny to add to the mix. Must be good at Lego, art, Wii fit, feeding us homemade lasagne and baking cakes. Saxophone, cycling and swimming skills very welcome. Driver preferred - mean red boy transporting machine provided. Hours are just long enough to enjoy us, just short enough to let you recover for the next Guitar Hero challenge. You can live in if you like - there's a huge, light and bright double bedroom with TV and sitting area, and live in hours would be 7.30-7.30 Monday to Friday for £300 pwn. If you want to live out it's 50 hours a week Monday to Friday and £350 pwn. Mum says our nanny must be fully qualified (NNEB or NVQ DCE) and experienced, with paediatric first aid certificate and OFSTED registered, or near to being so, as she has lots of childcare vouchers sitting there ready to be used. January 2010 start, so if you're interested, send mum and dad your CV!

Not signing any nannies up for gyms as they only stay 5 minutes anyway ...

This one will stay longer than 5 minutes. Or I shall get DH to accidentally misdirect a missile to her house.

I like that ad much better - tells me everything I need to know adn shows that you ahve a sense of humour too!

Have put a very traditional one up on Gumtree as well. Reminds me of one of the references I got for a nanny from the Place We Don't Name Because They Are Blameless In All This:

" xxxx was a lovely nanny who made little meals for our grandson and took him for walks around our estate".

Well I reckon it wasn't a high rise in Peckham they were talking about, do you?

Frannikin, I will believe that when I see it, the staying longer than five minutes thing, I mean. This year we've had:

AP - five months, until she ended up hospitalising DS1 on my due date and got the sack.
Nanny 1 - Never showed up.
Temp Nanny - three weeks, as we couldn't afford much more than that. She was great though.
Nanny 2 - 10 weeks.

Haven't told the kids yet. There will be tears and dismay (I have already caught DS1 muttering to DS2 in the kitchen one day, 'be really good otherwise this one will leave as well', and I must state for the record that my lads are extremely considerate and polite and are not chasing these nannies off).

I think some people forget these are families' lives they are rampaging through - it more than just a job for a faceless organisation.

So statistically you have get lucky this time, no? I really really hope you do because you don't deserve the treatment the others have been giving you.

That's so sad about your DSs especially as it's not been their fault at all.