Saturday

Hide and Seek

OPINION
How do you handle a boss that is constantly moving or misplacing items for your charges. I feel like I spend half of the time at work searching for items for the kids on my own or texting MB for a needed item.

12 comments:

DC nanny said...

No advice, but have to commiserate. My MB is constantly misplacing not only the kids things, but her own as well. Then she blames everyone else and has all of the staff running all over the place searching for her crap.

It's like having a grown up child.

workingmom said...

Tactfully discuss the issue with MB; not blaming her, but pointing out how easy it is to misplace things when everyone is constantly on the go, etc.

See if she will let you set up and organize a "station", where everyone's backpacks, etc. go. Period. And you can be in charge of it. Then there is a PLACE for everybody to put STUFF. Any stuff.

Once the whole family gets used to dropping everything there, then your only issue will be daily sorting & organizing the "station".

Might be too simplistic for EVERYTHING that is currently being misplaced, but it's possible once the "station" is put in place, that these habits bleed over into other aspects, as well.

Manhattan Nanny said...

This is a big source of frustration for many nannies. I run a quick reconnaissance before MB leaves for things like hats, sunscreen, etc., that are frequently left in different places, especially after the weekend.

If you organize the kids rooms so there is a clear place for everything, and teach them to put their things away themselves it helps. You can only do so much though.

Just My Two Cents Just Now said...

I would make a mental list before I arrive of what items I may need for the day. I.e., sunscreen, hats, special blankets, etc.

Then when I arrive, I would ask the parents where the items are kept.

If you can't find something during the day that you forgot to mention, I would guess you have no choice but to text and ask for it.

MissMannah said...

This is one of the good things about a WAHM. She does the same thing and I am always having to ask her where stuff it because it is never where it is supposed to be. My only advice is that you make the kids' room your domain, which is what I've done. I rearranged the baby's closet so it is exactly how I like it and I showed her how I organized it. Sometimes stuff tends to migrate all over the house still but the closet still looks great because the mom rarely goes in there for fear of messing it up!

gypsymom said...

Suggest labels since you each have your own idea of where things should go. She probably thinks its you that's missplacing things.

AJ said...

Thanks for the advice.

No I'm not misplacing things. I put everything where I was shown it belonged on my first day.

It's things like trying to find the stroller to take the baby on her walk, or the garage opener, or extra diapers, bibs etc.

Not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but I hate texting and conducting a search party.

Fiona said...

No stroller. No walk. If mom asks why her little darling didn't go out simply tell her the stroller wasn't it is'ts proper place, and you didn't feel it appropriate to leave baby alone while you went searching for it.


As for diapers, start asking before she leaves. Like you're checking things off with a child.

You can also call and not text. Calling is a bit more invasive, it gets noticed by the people MB works with.

She'll straighten up in no time.

random moniker said...

No stroller. No walk. If mom asks why her little darling didn't go out simply tell her the stroller wasn't it is'ts proper place, and you didn't feel it appropriate to leave baby alone while you went searching for it.

Well that's passive-aggressive. You wouldn't need to leave the baby alone to look for the stroller. Grow up.

MissMannah said...

I agree with "random moniker" that Fiona's advice is really passive-aggressive and (IMO) immature. Also, if you do all that it won't cause MB to "straighten up" because some people are just more disorganized by nature. All you'll do is annoy her.

Hope this helps said...

This can work both ways in that I know I have frustrated families by organizing things for them and then they can't find them. Also know I've put dishes away in the wrong places and kids clothes too, this would drive me crazy in my own home, but I'm always tryin to be helpful. You could offer to organize the zones you deal with, hall & kids closets and kid's bathroom (tooth brushes, hair brushes, sunscreen). I once bought three storage containers and marked them medicine, first aid (band aids), and lotions, toothpaste and creams in the biggest container, it helped me find things and the parents have kept them that way years. Some of it is personality so if you like the family you'll have to tolerate it to a degree. If the house looks organized during an interview it's a good sign the family is too.

Handynanny said...

I make it clear in the interview that I am really organized and need a family who values organization and a very clean home. I tell them I'll always leave everything in its right place, like I was never there, and expect the same. If I ever miss out on my end of the deal and leave a bottle in the sink dirty, or forget to put the sunscreen away, egc... I step up and admit the error and apologize without being confronted. I make it obvious I value that specific trait, organization, and therefore attract families who are the same way. Maybe you can hunt for a more organized family or just accept it, I dont think it's a trait you can expect them to take on at this point.