What do you get your nanny to do when your child is asleep

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We are in the process of getting a nanny for our DD who will be 6 months when she starts and I go back to work. In the periods she is napping what is it common to get your nannies to do? .. thanks in advance for any advise

Remember that a nanny needs a break period like any other employer so most likely this is when she has lunch etc.
Most nannies will do some laundry, nursery style duties that can't be done when the DC is awake.

Other than tidy up after painting, colouring in, playdough, etc....I expect my nanny to put her feet up and have a cup of tea or chat to her friends online.
Looking after children is hard work (as lovely as they are).

Mine would be happy to make up bottles and do some nursery related sorting (putting clothes away etc).

She would also tidy toys etc.,

Other than that, I expect her to make herself a cuppa!!!

thanks ladies - of course id expect her to make a cuppa and have lunch (Im not that mean!) - i was thinking more about her lunchtime nap which can be up to 21/2 to 3 hours long

My son naps for around 3 hours during the day.

Often, when my nanny looks after him for an afternoon, he is asleep when i leave him and still asleep when I get back.

If you raelly think she is going to have lots of free time, you could organise a nanny share (this is what I have - so even though my son is asleep, my nanny is looking after another little boy) - means a bit more money for the nanny and reduced costs for you.

I know that works really well for me.

Otherwise, you could ask her what activities she would be OK with. But most nannies won't do household chores (understandable, really!)

I have told my nanny that as long as things are all sorted (things tidied, rooms clean etc) she can watch TV and have a break (plus make herself something to eat etc)

I have put this sort of thing in her contract

also, your DD won't always sleep for 3 hours at a time ...

I use the time I have free - 3 mornings at nursery and afternoon sleeps of 1hr 30 to do planning, sort out our photo album, kids ironing, batch cooking, watch tv, facebook, catch up with friends with coffee.

As long as my charges room is clean/tidy, and their irnoning is upto date then my time is my time

Thanks ladies - that has been really helpful

I have certain jobs that have to be done eve ry week - laundry, ironing, cooking etc - plus we have activities/classes/playdates. But I organise the time myself, I'm not told when I have to do things, it just all has to get done!

Do nursery duties, cook tea (usually a large batch to freeze), anything that obviously needs doing.

Napping habits will change and although your DD sleeps well for you now she may not sleep for the nanny and she may change her sleeping pattern to 2 shorter naps.

Do whatever can be done re. ironing, washing etc. Not always practical to put clothes away as baby asleep in room! Cooking, sorting out activity for when she wakes, generally just anything that needs doing - if on top of everything, sit down and rest!

I don't break up the day in such detail. I say these are your responsibilities. They need to be done weekly/dail/monthly. I don't care - unless it is part of a routine -- when she does them. For example, Kumon (math study) and violin practise are to be done in the morning before school because it's good for the kids to do these things at the same time every day. But, things like batch cooking, laundry, etc. I couldn't care less when she choses to do them so long as they are done.

in current job i dont have nursery duties as such, ie i dont clean bedrooms/chnage beds/wash+iron clothes 9the basic nursery duties i feel) tho obv i cook fresh meals daily

sometimes i cook when charges asleep, but mb has always said when children are asleep then that is my time, to sit down/relax/have cuppa/lunch/watch tv/internet etc

strix'x attitude is the same as my ex boss's - i had certain duties ie washing children clothes and as loong as childrne had enough clean school unform and washing basket emptyish by end of week, it was up to me to do duties when i wanted

I don't get free time in my day even when the baby is asleep and my mb seems to think when I hve done my duties I should do other household duties as well. It's annoying and you just end up getting tired and resentful if told to do too much. A good nanny should be able to take their list of duties and break it down themselves without being micromanaged over it.

Exactly.
Im a nanny and get around 2 hours child free a day when youngest at afternoon nursery.
by the time i have walked back from dropping him off at 1, i usually have until 3 ish, before leaving for school/nursery pick-up.
I don't do nursery duties, but during this time i will have some lunch, tidy playroom/bedrooms from the morning, batch cook, wash up/load dishwasher, or sort out a certain area of house..whether its the arts and craft cupboard, going through the childrens clothes for stuff thats too small etc..
most nannies have the brains to see what needs doing and do it. I would hate to be micromanaged to!

I would never micromanage and dont think i internated that i would - I know as her mother what I do ie make up bottles, tidy up her toys, drink coffee, watch tv etc and was really wondering whether the former activites were something i can ask the nanny to do - but sounds like it is which is great - also a number of you say you do batch cooking - this would be wonderful if she can do this with my DDs purees - I am very new to this whole nanny thing but know that they have more of an idea how to look after a child than i do - so know she will be in good hands ..

Batch cooking purees definitely something a nanny can do. You just set aside one nap time and do a load of them. Do you have lots of big ice cube trays so she can freeze them easily?

Sorry, the conversation's moved on a bit to the good old management question! In answer to your original question what you propose, if you expect your nanny to do anything for your DD that you would - making bottles, tidying, a bit of cooking.

Has your nanny said what nursery duties she'd be willing to do (if you've recruited one)? If you haven't it's a good question to ask at interview - some nannies have things they won't do. If you don't know how to phrase it I suggest "We would like you to do some nursery duties while our daughter naps, what would you consider nursery duties?" and then if they don't say cooking add "Would you be happy making a large batch of purees to freeze once a week?"

Hi, my nanny has nursery duties, eg cooking, keeping DD's room clean, laundry etc etc. Its entirely up to her when she does them as I don't "manage" her day. DD is a bundle of energy and some days she will only have 2 short 30 mins naps, other days she will have one 2 hour nap. After running around after DD, my nanny deserves to put her feet up, have a cuppa and read her paper - I feel sorry for her the days when DD doesnt nap for long.