when nanny looks after baby, does she do housework too?

[lizzymcfizzy]

HI

My lovely very VERY appreciated mum looks after my 18 month old every 2nd wednesday while I go to work. (DD is in day care every monday, tuesday).

While I don't expect it it would be a godsend if she did a little housework for me especially it being a 3 day week which leaves the work piling up and not much time to do everything else.

She does clean up after herself and DD and does the occasional washing dishes and makes the bed (well pulls the sheets up the bed, thats her version of making the bed). Even when the garbage bin is full she will take it out, tie it up and leave it in the kitchen instead of taking it outside to the wheelie bin :confused:

She is often available at other times when I need babysitting and I really appreciate her, she has a great relationship with DD.

ONCE I asked her to put on some washing for me because we were going to Tresillian a few days later and I wouldn't have time, she did it without a fuss and even brought it in and had sorted it for me.

I'd never ask her to do housework regularly but was just curious what happens in other households where nanny does the care?

[Mrs Nietzsche]

What? Do you pay your Mum hundreds of bucks like a Nanny would be paid?

[justmum]

Nannies earn somewhere between $120 and $180 per day so housework is a reasonable expectation. Our nanny does the washing, hangs it out, brings it in, folds it, does dishes, empties the dishwasher, cleans up after the kids and herself. That's about all she can manage with looking after the kids though.

My MIL looks after DS one day per week and we pay her a small amount (all she will accept). She only cleans up after herself (most of the time) and I don't expect anything more.

[tootiredtosleep]

My Mum used to look after DD1 one night a week while DH & I both worked. I didn't expect her to do anything but take care of DD, certainly not housework.

I guess it depends on your relationship with your Mum ... I wonder who does her housework while she is minding your kids? That's how I used to think of it - my Mum still had her own house to clean.

[Ana Gram]

I worked as a nanny and did not do regular house work as part of my job, only the child related stuff. I was there for the children, not as a maid.

[Mathermy]

I wouldn't ask a nanny, let alone my own mum to do it. Particularly if it is unpaid work.

I find it difficult myself juggling tidying and looking after DD, I would want my mum to be totally focused on DD if I was off working.

and frankly I've never felt comfortable leaving people to pick up after me, I would feel very rude asking my mum to do it even as a once off.

It sounds like you need a cleaner ;)

[NibbleCurlynBub]

I would expect a nanny to help with housework, yes.

I would NOT expect my own mother to work for free for me and then clean my house as well. :no:

[spunkysmum]

if i was paying for a nanny yes obviously i would pay her more if she was doing house work etc

but i would not expect my mum to do anything around my house but then in saying that if ive got clothes on the line or dishes in the sink and my mum comes over to watch ds or even sometimes just for a visit she normally does the little things but i dont expect her to do it

[lizzymcfizzy]

yeah its the little things im talking about, not vacumming the house or cleaning the bathroom. just a little helping hand. thanks for your replies, I didn't think it was appropriate and would never expect her to do anything.

[naiwen]

When I was a nanny I did some housework but I would not ask my mother to do it, I would rather my nanny be focused on the children than the cleaning!

[drewid]

I wouldnt' expect my mum to. But she couldn't help herself, she just *has* to. She came over on Sunday and before she'd even said hello, she was off to grab a cloth to wipe up something DS had split not 10 seconds earlier...

But...back to the point. No, I wouldn't expect anything other than cleaning up after herself, if it is an unpaid out-of-the-goodness-of-her-heart kind of deal. If I was looking for a bit of help with the housework...I'd offer to pay her and ask if she could help out with certain things in return (ie wash dishes, load of washing).

[Jender]

My aunt is my nanny and I pay her - she cleans up after herself and will hang out washing and bring it in etc but that's about it. BUt I have a cleaner so she does that stuff. My aunt also does extra babysitter for me which she refuses to be paid for so I think it works out alright. I think you have to be upfront at the start about what you expect - if you expect housework then make that a part of the role but realistically pretty hard unless the bub is asleep. I want focus on bub not housework

[mummyof5]

I nannied for years before I had kids, and I did what would be considered light cleaning. I vacuumed/swept/mopped (whatever was needed at the time), cooked dinner most nights, did the groceries and washing. Basically I acted like a mum, lol. I still found time to play with the kids, go to play group with them, etc, etc.
If you are having trouble keeping up with it all, why don't you mention it to your mum, and see whether you can come up with a small payment or return favour?

[Bubmum]

When my Mother comes to stay, it is all about her doing the cooking and cleaning. But that is what she is into, bless her cotton socks.
R.e. the nanny debate...if you are going to treat your nanny like Cinderella, make sure you keep her locked in the house. Once she finds out the other nannies are doing less house related duties, there will be iron marks on all of your clothes. Nannies are there for the children, not as paid house slaves.

[mim1]

I don't have a nanny, but my mum does look after my ds at her house 3 days a week. She will sometimes do little things for me like sort washing and wash a few dishes in the morning when she picks up my ds, but it's not expected.

But, to say that nannies shouldn't do any housework at all to me sounds a bit extreme. What happens when the floor gets sticky because cordial is spilt all over it? Or a packet of sultanas gets spread all over the floor? We all know our little darlings do this at times. So, I think that a nanny's job does involve light cleaning and taking out a full rubbish bin when required ... sometimes those things happen during the day and if I had a nanny who left sultanas on the carpet all day to be walked on constantly I would be quite unimpressed.

[zenifa]

One of my friends in the UK is a nanny, who mainly looks after babies and often multiples and she never does housework as part of her duties (aside from doing the dishes, clearing up toys etc). She told me families that could afford to pay her, also could afford a cleaner!

My mum and MIL have looked after the kids for me, and I've never asked them to do any housework, as they are there just to look after my girls. I have all the meals prepared for them, as well as our dinner.
Having said that though, they have done the dishes, taken out and brought in washing etc which I have greatly appreciated. They have not been paid, so even when I find toys strewn all over the house when I come home, I am loathe to complain, as they doing me and the girls a favour, by looking after them!!

[mum_I'm_hungry]

I'm not quite understanding if you are talking about a grandmother or a real nanny, but we have a nanny and I would only ever expect her to clean up after the kids (for example, if they make a mess under their chairs whilst eating, I would expect that to be cleaned up, their lunch dishes done etc.).

[Baldie's Mum]

I run a nanny agency, and it really does depend what parents want. Some of my clients have a housekeeper as well as a nanny.....so the nanny just cleans up after herself and the kids. But in other households, where there is 1 or 2 children and the nanny can manage it, there is washing done and a bit of cleaning.

I nannied for a while and my employees never expected EVERYTHING to be done. They said well its there if the kids sleep at the same time, but if not....dont worry.

Its up to the parents as i said, but you have to expect the nanny to be payed acordingly. Nannys are their for the children, cleaners are there to clean....if you want someone to do both jobs you will have to pay for it. :flowerz:

[Ana Gram]

But, to say that nannies shouldn't do any housework at all to me sounds a bit extreme. What happens when the floor gets sticky because cordial is spilt all over it? Or a packet of sultanas gets spread all over the floor? We all know our little darlings do this at times. So, I think that a nanny's job does involve light cleaning and taking out a full rubbish bin when required ... sometimes those things happen during the day and if I had a nanny who left sultanas on the carpet all day to be walked on constantly I would be quite unimpressed.

That is just common sense though. Most people will clean up a spill. It is a reasonable expectation for a nanny to clean up after herself and the children, but it is not a reasonable expectation for her to do extra housework.

[Mathermy]

I don't have a nanny, but my mum does look after my ds at her house 3 days a week. She will sometimes do little things for me like sort washing and wash a few dishes in the morning when she picks up my ds, but it's not expected.

But, to say that nannies shouldn't do any housework at all to me sounds a bit extreme. What happens when the floor gets sticky because cordial is spilt all over it? Or a packet of sultanas gets spread all over the floor? We all know our little darlings do this at times. So, I think that a nanny's job does involve light cleaning and taking out a full rubbish bin when required ... sometimes those things happen during the day and if I had a nanny who left sultanas on the carpet all day to be walked on constantly I would be quite unimpressed.
Wouldn't that be classed as looking after the children? I think that's a bit different than asking nanny to do the dirty washing that's not even hers:barf:

[aquarius]

i'm finding this whole thread a bit confusing - you can't compare a grandma who looks after their grandchild with a paid employee (nanny). you're not comparing apples with apples, so to speak.

for the record my mum looks after DD 5 days per week (at her house, not mine, long story) but she would do dishes, sweep floor, do laundry etc if she was at my house. but that's just the way she is, i'd never ask.

[ontheway]

I worked as a nanny and did not do regular house work as part of my job, only the child related stuff. I was there for the children, not as a maid.


R.e. the nanny debate...if you are going to treat your nanny like Cinderella, make sure you keep her locked in the house. Once she finds out the other nannies are doing less house related duties, there will be iron marks on all of your clothes. Nannies are there for the children, not as paid house slaves.

:iagree::iagree:

[jalibali]

My mum or dad look after DD one day a week. When my mum comes she cleans the house and when my dad comes he does the gardening!

It's great, I have never asked they just do it. I am very close with my parents and have spent many days looking after my grandparents in the last 15 yrs or so.

I think it definitely depends on the relationship you have with your parents, I am very close to mine. I think what comes around goes around really. At the moment my husband and I are both working hard and I am also studying and pregnant. My parents realised we are time starved so help us out wherever they can. In yrs to come they will probably need the same help from us and DH and I will be there to help them.

[blackdog]

Did the OP mean nanny or nanna?:confused:

There is a grandma at our school who looks after all the kids and housework for her two daughters who both work full time. I often wonder if she is fully appreciated. If these girls had to pay for all the work she does, they would not be in such good financial shape, that is for sure.