By Nannydebsays
7:25 – Unlock front door, call a quiet “Good Morning!” upstairs, where MB and DB are getting ready for work and Baby Boy (BB) is either sleeping or keeping them company.
7:26 – Greet family dog, ask if she wishes to go out, let out into fenced yard. Turn on lights in kitchen and great room.
7:27 – Put my bag and coat down and retrieve the days supply of formula and my seltzer water from pantry. Let dog in.
7:30 – Wash hands and make first bottle. Check to see if highchair tray is clean. If not, give a quick scrub with damp paper towel. Check to be sure dishes in dishwasher are clean, and 99% of the time, they are. If there is a dish or two in the sink, they have been rinsed and I’ll load them into the dishwasher later.
7:35 – Greet MB, DB, and BB as they troop downstairs. Ask how night went, and when BB woke up. Ask if BB has pooped all over his sheets. If so, plan to do a load of baby laundry. Check to see if there is anything on the household schedule that day, take BB from the parent holding him, and bid MB and DB goodbye.
7:40 – Settle on couch with BB to give him his bottle.
7:55 – Place BB in his exersaucer near dishwasher so he can “help” unload and re-load dishes. Discuss dishes and world affairs with BB. Listen to his Laurie Berkner CD or a Boynton CD.
8:05 – Mix up BB’s breakfast cereal and fruit/veg, while he lets me know he is HUNGRY.
8:07 – Feed starving BB.
8:20 – Cause BB much anguish while wiping off his hands and face, then place him on floor near table so he can admire lights and shadows while I finish breakfast clean-up.
8:25 – Move into family room so BB can play on his playmat. Keep BB interested by switching his toys and location when he complains and seems bored. Occasionally we will read, or sing songs, but BB prefers a lower key morning.
9:05 – BB is tired. We head upstairs, change his diaper, get his lovey, get his paci, read a book, give him the paci, sing a song, close his shutters, turn on his noise machine, give 3 kisses, and tell him “Good Night!”
9:20 – Start load of laundry if needed, or fold laundry if any was left in the dryer yesterday. If no laundry, head downstairs for my breakfast.
9:25 or so – Eat breakfast, then check my email and FB page. Play Farmville.
10:15 or so - Load car if we are headed out after nap and next bottle. Get diaper bag ready for outing, put away any dishes that had to air dry or any pots/pans left out overnight to dry. Go back on-line or read.
10:40 – Let dog out. Continue to wait for BB to wake up. Update BB’s Daily Journal
11:20 – Hear a peep or 2, rush to video monitor. See that BB is simply shifting position. Sigh, and go back on-line.
11:25 – Remember dog. Open back door and ask her to come in. Be ignored.
11:40 – BB awake! Go up and greet him after shifting laundry from washer to dryer. Open shutters and turn off noise. Change diaper, grab his clothes, head downstairs.
11:50 – Make and feed bottle to BB. Hear dog scratching at door midway through feeding. Ignore dog.
12:10 – Change very very messy diaper, peel soiled jammies off BB, sigh a bit because I already did laundry, roll soiled clothes/changing pad/etc. up and place on stairs. Get BB from playpen, ask dog to come in. Get ignored. Dress BB for our outing. Put dirty bottle in dishwasher.
12:25 – Open door and demand dog come IN, right NOW. Dog slowly complies. Roll eyes. BB laughs at dog.
12:35 – Put BB in carseat, haul heavy combo out to front porch. Lock door. Haul BB and his seat to my car. Buckle up, and head to park/play date/store to run errand.
2:00 or so – Return home, debate whether to feed BB lunch. Decide to offer small meal. BB either ignores after 3 bites or devours and cries for more. Offer water in cup, BB drinks and slobbers.
2:40 or so – Clean up BB, AKA torture him into hysteria. Offer toys, and talk with him while I clean up.
2:45 – BB tired. REALLY tired. Up to bed. Change diaper, get lovey and paci from under crib, give to BB. Read story, sing song, kiss and deposit in crib. Close shutters, turn on noise, say “Night night!”
2:55 BB cries while I fold laundry. Check on BB. Retrieve paci. Pat BB until he is calm and sleepy.
3:00 - Finish folding laundry. Head downstairs. Update BB’s Daily Journal.
3:05 – Have my lunch.
3:25 – Check email, offer opinions on ISYN, check FB.
4:00 – Let dog out. Tidy up toys as needed. Look for other baby related chores. Put diaper bag away.
4:15 – Read. Contemplate brief nap. Try to get dog to come in. Get ignored.
4:40 – Research job related things. Play Farmville.
5:10 – BB is awake! Grab laundry and put away quickly while I greet him. Open shutters, turn off noise. Change diaper, head downstairs.
5:20 – BB eats 3rd bottle. Dog begs to come in while BB is eating. Ignore dog.
5:35 - Put dirty bottle in dishwasher. BB is in exersaucer. Scribble time of bottle in Daily Journal.
5:40 - Head down to play in basement, where BB can “practice” rolling over from belly to back. BB is capable of doing this in crib. BB cannot do this when one of his adults is present. Odd. BB screams until I rescue him. BB gnaws on my finger. Tickle BB.
5:55 – Dog figures out we are downstairs, begs to be let in. I comply.
6:00 – I put BB into his jumper. He wails briefly, then remembers he LOVES to jump! Jump baby, jump!
6:15 – BB done. Completely and totally DONE. Remove him from jumper. Find other toys. BB gnaws on my finger some more.
6:25 – Hear garage door open, and MB or DB or both calling for us. Head upstairs, debrief MB and DB, kiss BB goodbye, and head home.
6:30 - Drive home, and look forward to days to come when BB spends less time sleeping and we spend more time playing, reading, and going on outings.
35 comments:
My favorite part:
"offer opinions on ISYN" lol =]
This sounds much like my day....well, 2 1/2 yrs ago as my charge is now 3 yrs old. I remember waiting for the day where she wasn't sleeping all the time and we could interact more! It is so much fun but I do miss the naps! :)
You sound like you have a fun job with a cute baby and annoying dog...lol
I love how you included the dog so much, haha. Sounds just like my dogs! I know what you mean about being excited when he interacts more!!
Yikes, an 11 hour day? I'd say savor those long naps!!
How old is BB? I love that you're offering him a cup already.
You have a great sense of humor. My favorite part was "Discuss dishes and world affairs with BB." Cracked me up!
People still play "Farmville?" LOL.
I liked reading your post. It was well-written, entertaining and an accurate portrayal of a typical day caring for an infant. What I especially liked in your post is that during the day you found balance in regards to childcare, household duties and time for yourself. Good job.
That is wonderful that you got some time in the day to check your e-mail, go on this blog (which should be a daily thing btw..lol) along with enjoying a quiet lunch and checking your Facebook. And the fact that you got to spend some of baby's nap time to even play a little FARMVILLE cracks me up.
I used to have a nanny position where the baby would sleep for 2 to 3 hrs in the morning, then about 1-2 hrs in the late afternoon. Well, during the baby's sleep time, the mother would assign me task after task. It sucked for me since she was a mother who worked from a home office and thus when I completed one task, she would immediately sign me for another one. Granted, she gave me 15 min a day to grab a quick lunch, however after I had eaten she wanted me to do some household work since I was still on the time-clock and she was paying me for the time. I basically spent between 4-5 hrs per day, doing the wash, the dishes, taking out the trash, emptying the diaper genie along with sweeping/mopping/vacuuming the floors, dusting the furniture and making the beds. It would have been nice if I could have spent 1/2 that time relaxing as caring for a small infant is a lot of work and I worked a twelve-hr day and needed some down time. The pay was good, yet I felt like it was too much responsibility resting on my shoulders. To make sure the infant was well-fed, dry, happy/content and clean and properly dressed was too much work for me since I also had to make sure all the dishes were clean, dry & put away every day and the laundry was washed/dried/folded/put away 3x wk. Being a nanny is hard work and it takes a special kind of woman to be able to do it. Nanny work is not for the lazy, anxious or sloppy. It entails a lot of organization, patience and energy all of which you seem to have OP.
You are great, keep up the good work! :)
This is my day! Well, it would be if you substituted "buy tons of stuff I don't need from Etsy" for "play farmville" and "cat" for "dog".
I adore my own "BB" and I relish the downtime I have while he naps, but I am looking forward to the day that he can interact a little more. I miss having a toddler sometimes.
Sounds like a great day and a great balance!
my favorite part was when you said you were cleaning him up. AKA touture into hysteria. LOL
Great submission! You had me cracking up, especially since I too enjoy going on facebook, ISYN, and farmville while at work while the baby naps. =o)
going on isyn is part of the job - research of course
Great day in the life! My daughter is 6 months old and your day sounds much like my own. :) I also loved that you included the little things (annoying dog, baby gnawing finger, baby in hysteria over being cleaned up lol) really added a great comedic and honest effect!
@Nanny Lexy, I totally agree w/you, however when I blogged that during nap time, I like to drink a glass of tea and look out the window, I got bashed for being a lazy-ass nanny. Caring for an infant is hard work and if a nanny uses all the baby's nap times to perform household duties, she will get burned out and come up short as a nanny.
This post was good since the nanny used some of her time doing things she enjoyed. The baby took pretty long naps and even if the nanny checked her Facebook and/or made some phone calls, it does not mean she is a lazy nanny. I do the same thing and I am not a lazy nanny nor am I un-professional as some have accused me of being.
Anyway, again this was an interesting post and I think you are a great nanny for having such a great attitude toward caring for an infant. :)
@She's 6 months TODAY! :)
Tell your baby girl a Happy Birthday (sorta...LOL....) from us.
Reese -
Sweeping/mopping/vacuuming the floors, dusting the furniture and making the beds are NOT part of a nanny's job unless you're cleaning up the floors that the children made a mess on while in your care. Many nannies do the rest of what you mentioned, though.
You could have simply told the mom that those things are not part of a nanny's tasks. You could have also told her that you're entitled to an hour break each day.
Nannies, we've GOT to research our field of work and speak up when parents try to take advantage of us! That's the only thing that's going to bring respect and appreciation for what we do. 4nannies.com, care.com, and several other websites have lots of information for nannies. Please check them out, as well as labor laws, so you can know your rights!
So, what does BB think we should do about the national debt?
I know how you feel with the long naps...on the other hand, I used to take care of a baby who would only nap for 20 minutes (thankfully I only worked half days!) and that was its own challenge...we used to take really long walks so at least I got my exercise in!
Reese, the reason you "got bashed for being a lazy-ass nanny" (not my words at all) is because of your refusal to do any household chores whatsoever. We don't think OP is being lazy when she took breaks to go on facebook because she also mentioned how she washed and folded two loads of laundry and did dishes. And she had to deal with that darn dog all day too, which shouldn't be a nanny's duty either. If your former boss coerced you into cleaning her entire house, that was your own fault for not knowing your own limits and not being able to say the word No. It doesn't mean that you have to absolutely refuse to lift a finger every time the baby is sleeping in each subsequent job.
Loved your daily blog. Miss having a baby as the two i care for now are 20 months and almost 4 years old. Get very little nap time now. Feel lucky when it is more than an hour and a half! Make sure I eat lunch WITH the kids so that I don't have to use my precious nap time to eat and can spend it on facebook, reading, knitting or watching TV. have dealt with pets before, but blissfully have none now.
Miss Mannah: It would be virtually impossible to be someone's nanny and not "lift a finger" as you stated. I never said I didn't lift a finger. If I literally didn't lift a finger I would be kicked to the curb quicker than one can say..."Next!!" I never said I refused to do anything at all. I just said I do childcare only, yet I do the things that are "common sense" to being a nanny. I always wash whatever dishes I have used, bottles inc. I also pick up any toys played with and always wipe up any messes on both the kitchen table and counter while making sure the floors are mopped/swept if any crumbs are spilled on it. I also keep an eye on the pet's food/water bowls and refill if needed. I just don't believe in having to empty out the dishwasher from last night's pot roast dinner and/or fold and put away non-child related laundry. A nanny's job is childcare only and whatever else she does has to be in-line with caring for the child. If the diaper pail were full and stinky, duh!!...I would of course empty it out vs. just tossing another dirty diaper on top and leaving it for the parents.
I think you are just plain jealous Miss Mannah that you have to do more chores than me. It must suck to be you and have your job. LOL.
@Wow: A lot of the families I have worked for in the past would probably have had a problem with me taking a one hour break. In many parent's eyes, as long as I am in the home, regardless of what I am doing, the time clock is always ticking, ticking, ticking. Many families want to stretch their dollar as far as they can these days and sadly it happens more often than not. :(
Reese,
Your repetition on the topic of doing no chores is getting a little over-the-top. Literally, on every single post, regardless of whether it is the topic or not, you go into a tirade about how you don't do any chores, no nannies should be expected to, blah, blah.
We get it.
You won't take a job that requests you do laundry or empty a dishwasher.
However, as you have seen from most "Day in the Life" and the prior question about doing chores, most nannies do in fact do basic things including laundry, empty dishwasher, and keep the place tidy.
No one begrudes a nanny downtime during her day. As most nannies have skillfully shown in their daily lives, they manage to do laundry, empty the dishwasher, and occasionally another errand or chore and STILL have time to rest, check email, etc.
Most nannies do not find these basic chores as overwhelming as you do. That is a fact. I think, by now after your many proclamations, we all get that YOU could not and would never take another job with expectations beyond childcare because YOU find it overwhelming. However, you also need to understand that most nannies are not so easily overwhelmed and can do these basic chores along with childcare and still rest during their day.
Please, for the love of G_d, stop with the anti-laundry/dishwasher tirades! Most of us check in here daily and WE GET IT ALREADY!
Thank you nycmom!
Reese enough already, I too don't have to do any chores besides childcare but I do much more because I want too. I like staying busy and even have it clearly stated what my chores are in my contract along with a cause that says any extra chores I do is at my own will. Plus I take care or two children under 2, 50 hours a week with penty of time to have my tea and take a nap. Get over yourself.
When you spell it out minute by minute like that, WOW- very bust life. Thanks for sharing! I could NOT do it!
Reese. I understand feeling like you shouldn't have to do things. Hell I hate doing my own dishes and my husband is the one who cooks gourmet meals every night. I really really hate it. However, it is common courtesy to help out sometimes. Even if something isn't child related. Basically what I get from you is that you are an average employee who doesn't like to go above and beyond and is quite content being less than extrordinary. If you were my employee i would find that very odd. Going above and beyond shows initiative and desire to be in your line of work. Now I can see if the parents are just mean and don't respect you but if they are nice and then show them a little courtesy.
I am a small business owner (I have a cleaning business) and I am a part time financial planning assistant. My boss at my "job" also has a personal assistant who cleans and runs errands and does the occassional cooking. But, she is not there all the time and when she isn't I fill in. Today I microwaved her dinner after I got finished paying her compnany's bills because she asked me nicely and appreciates it. There is alot to be gained by going the extra mile for someone, whether it's your boss or a friend. That being said, I don't clean her bathroom (the office is in her home) because I do that at my other job and I get paid accordingly. Nannies, in my opinion, should be responsible for very little housework. Picking up after children's lunch and wiping counters is fine. Unloading a diswasher from dinner the night before? Maybe not...When I read all of the chores that nannies have been saddled with, it seems that it starts out with something small and then escalates into cleaning an entire house.
For instance, being in the cleaning business, I have found that some people will "test" you and just see how far they can go... leaving a bed unmade, for example, and if I make it, the next time ALL of the beds are unmade... then the following week, there are sheets out. So, after 10 years of doing this when something extra is left for me, I often leave a note, letting them know how much more money I am owed. And, they usually respond to my note by NEVER leaving me extra work to do. Just a little trick of the trade! For a long term client I might do a little more than is expected but I am usually compensated or at least thanked the next time I see them.
nycmon and Bostonnanny, I applaud you for your comments. I have been wanting to say something about this for the last few posts! The only thing I can add is that I feel very lucky for the 2 hour downtime break I get during the day. Most people I know working out of home 9-5 jobs are lucky if they get even a 1 hour break a day. Taking care of children is a tough job yes, but I have never felt so exhausted that I felt like I should do nothing but rest during that time. Honestly, I get quite antsy! My point is: Reese, I would spend more time being grateful for the job you have instead of always complaining about..you could have it a lot worse!
also @nycmom, I'm in nyc too. If you ever need any extra babysitting, let me know. You sound awesome :)
Aww, thanks Nanny E! We are currently in process of deciding whether to move to SF Bay Area over the summer so we'll see how that goes ...
@nycmom: I am getting tired of you always trying to spark a debate with me on everything I say on this blog. I didn't even mention the word chores nor did I go on an anti-dishwashing/laundry tirade just now. I merely stated that most parents would have a problem with me taking a one hour break. This has been my experience and I was just stating it factually. Stop looking for trouble where none exists. I'm sick of your "Reese-bashing." For the record you do not sound awesome, in fact you sound like a horrible parent/employee and I am glad I am on the West Coast...far far away from you.
@Bostonnanny: You need to get over yourself sweetie. You are a liar because I read your "A Day in the Life" post and you do perform chores aside from childcare. You also leave a child alone in the tub (where even an inch of water is considered dangerous!) and admit you tend to nap on the job. You sound like a great nanny. Too bad you are in Boston, or I would recommend you. NOT!!
@Nanny E: Your argument that I should be grateful is true. However it does not apply to all jobs. When a family is overworking, underpaying and under-appreciating me big time, then no amount of gratitude will ever compensate. Have you not read many of these posts? Would you say the same thing to the nanny who works 50 hrs a week, yet only makes $300/wk? Sure, we should all count our blessings, however there is a fine line that exists and I choose to stay on the side where I can keep my dignity and self-respect in check, thank you ma'am!!
"most parents would have a problem with me taking a one hour break"
I don't think that's true at all. Maybe the people you've worked for, and it sounds like you've worked for some pretty horrible employers. Now maybe if you're talking about a literal break, where you're off the clock and you leave the house, yeah I can see how they'd have a problem with that, but if the kids are sleeping and the house is clean, why should they have a problem with you taking a rest period for an hour? If you are accepting jobs from disrespectful people who demand manual labor for 50 hours a week for $300, maybe you need to examine your own job-hunting procedure a bit.
I do understand that nannies can be under appreciated and underpaid. A nanny should choose a job based on the hours the are willing to work, and the price they are willing to be paid. However as someone who was homeless as a young teen(very abusive home) and as someone whoknow makes a good living, I have been on both sides..and I know that there are people out of work right now who would love to have a job like yours. I'm not saying nannies should work crappy jobs, I'm saying maybe you should have a little perspective, and realize that's it's really not all that bad.
Miss Mannah: I agree with you totally. If I come off as jaded about household duties, it is all due to the way my former families have treated me. Since I have been used multiple times by multiple families, I just got sick of it and said "Enough is enough already people!!" Now I strictly do childcare and childcare related duties with two rules. #1 All chores must be child-related (washing/sterilizing dishes + bottles), doing child's laundry only (clothes, linens and towels), emptying diaper pail if full and refilling diapers/wipes if need be. If there is a pet in the home, I also make sure there is always adequate food/water and if it is a dog, I let him out when needed. I do not run errands nor do I go to the grocery store. #2 I cannot guarantee a parent that I can finish a certain chore before they come home as caring for small children can be highly unpredictable and I only perform household tasks AS TIME PERMITS. Preferably during nap time.
I have had really bad experiences of job creep and I guess I am jaded. Ha!!
@Nanny E: I am sorry about your childhood, and I myself have been on the other side as well. When I got divorced, my children's father disappeared for a while and lived "under the radar." We were forced to go on welfare, food stamps, and WIC for six months and it was really tough. Looking back, I am appreciative for what I do have now, and I know in this tough economy anyone with a job should praise the Lord. However, if a family is using me and totally disregarding everything we agreed upon during our interview, I say, "Take This Job and Shove It!!"...Wasn't it Johnny Cash who said that?? Anyway, I hope you get my point.
I'm glad to hear you do child-related chores. You gave us the impression you don't do ANY chores. I can't speak for everyone, but I took that to mean you don't even do the kids' laundry or dishes. A nanny should not be expected to do much more than that, generally speaking. Sure, I'll do errands, but not everyday and only as schedules allow. Respect is a two-way street, give a little and you'll get a lot back. Employers who respect me more will find I'll do a lot more work around the house if I happen to get bored during naptime. Employers who tend not to value me as much will find that I'll only work as hard as I promised I would.
You mentioned earlier that I might be jealous, well dearest, you are 100% correct. I'm jealous of ANY nanny with a good job right now because I've been busting my tail trying to find one for almost a year. There's nothing here. I'm still working at a daycare--which is exhausting manual labor for pennies. Which also might explain why I'm such a grouch all the time!!
*endrant*
Miss Mannah, it sure is tough to find work in this horrible economy. My current position will end in June and I am already seeking a new position. Ideally, I would love to have something lined up by then, but even I know that is a long-shot. In my area, there are many teacher lay-offs due to the budget and many of these credentialed teachers are swimming in the Nanny pool along w/everyone else. I know they probably will have top pick for the jobs since they have the degree and certifications parents prefer. I just keep forging ahead and keep my finger's crossed.
Good luck to you. I would much rather be working as a Nanny than in a daycare. I hope you find something out there soon.
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