Tuesday

2015 Day in the Life, #14

In the beginning of February, I took a job for a stay at home mother of three. One of the children is in school all day, one child is in school half day, three days a week and one child is not in school. This is my day. It was annoying to right as it is to live. I have included the SAHM I work for in this rundown because after all, she hired me as her "partner".

6:00  Mother Wake up, make husband coffee. See husband off to train station/work.
6:10 Mother Slides in to preset out run outfit. Take pictures of "flat run outfit" Post to Pinterest with catchy hashtags like #runningformychildren #orrunningfrommychildren.
6:20-7:00 Gone on run. I assume. I mean somedays she comes back looking just as she left.
Before 7:00: The youngest child wakes up. His mom is a stay at home Mom. He comes to my nanny closet/room which is exactly the same size and not quite as fancy as the laundry room. "I want mommy," he says.  I put the TV on in my room for him and quickly dress in sports attire. I do not snap a picture for pinterest. There are no hashtags.
6:50 ish, I am usually in the kitchen getting the youngest set for breakfast because he wakes up wanting his mom and wanting toaster struedel. In case you're wondering, my day officially starts at 7.
7:00 Mom returns home from "run". Sighs multiple times, does some lunges, hugs her son and talks about needing a shower. At the same time as she heads to the shower, she sends the other two children out to me for breakfast.
7:50 The oldest child leaves for school at this time, so 1/2 the time, Mom appears ready to take him to the school on the corner.
8:00 Housekeeper arrives
8:01 If mom isn't out, as soon as housekeeper arrives, I take oldest to school. He's usually five minutes after the bell.
8:10 I walk in the door, the housekeeper hands me middle child's backpack. Middle child is ready, I walk middle child to her school.
8:30 I am back. Mom is now sitting at the breakfast table on her IPAD. She makes herself omelettes everyday with porcini mushrooms, feta, cilantro and turkey bacon. She makes one for little child too, even though he never eats it and has already eaten.  This is okay because when mom sees me arrive, she makes an excuse to leave the table. She has to call the school, the travel agent, make some calls, she owes someone an email, she's looking for an invoice,etc. This leaves me at the table with a semi warm omelette made from quality ingredients. I drop two slices of sour dough in the toaster and devour it with two cups of coffee, while simutaneously playing hotwheels with little child. I clear all of the dishes, including Mom's coffee cup, plate and fork. I load the dishwasher and wipe the table down. No one told me I had to, but the housekeeper gets it, so I make sure to do my share.
Up until 10:30, we usually play inside. Sometimes we'll walk to the playground.
10:30 is Mommy and Me Gym class.
10:20 Me and the youngest Leave for Mommy and me Gym class.
11:15 Mommy and me class is over.
11:20 I would have used my detective skills to assess whether mom was home or not now. If she is home (likely), I will go to Starbucks, the Gap, a playground, a museum and stay out until 1:05 when I pick middle child up from her 1/2 day program. On nice days, my and the little boy usually have lunch in the park. I am always prepared for a pop up picnic.
1:20 Arrive home with both children. I cannot immediately tell if Mom is home or not. The housekeeper makes a face indicating that the Mom is either passed our or napping. (We still haven't figured out this napping schedule).
1:30 I say goodbye to the housekeeper and I put the littles boy down for his nap in his big boy bed.
1:40 The middle child and I are building a doll house together with materials we got from Michaels last weekend. I'd love to post a picture because it is spectacular. We are only on the second floor of what we hope to be five stories.
2:45 Mom appears in doorway, "Where is 'little child?' 'Little child' isn't still sleeping is he?"
        I get up from the floor and let her know I was just about to get him. We just wanted to finish the wallpaper, did she want to see? She looks at me like I am speaking Japanes, then rolls her eyes, "Oh, I'll get him. I don't need him sleeping all day".
2:50: I try not to react to the mom's idiotic/hypocritical behavior. I carefully put away our supplies in the plastic seperated compartments so we can return to work tomorrow.  I hear the Mom yell, "Melissssssssssa" I smile at middle child, get up and head down to where the Mom is.  "Look at this, he has totally trashed his room. This is not okay. Not okay. Maybe he's outgrown napping". I look around the room, there is a pile of stuffed animals by the closet, blankets on the floor and two puzzles on the floor. I count backwards in my head from 10. It takes me seven seconds to pick up everything.
At 3:00: I find the mom in the kitchen. I ask her, do you want me to take both with me to pick up "oldest child". She looks at me and says, "You better. I have no idea what I'm doing for dinner". Thank goodness, the weather is warmer. It's so much easier to go and retrieve a child.
3:20-4:00 I let the children play on the playground after we pick up oldest.
4:10: We are back in the apartment. "That was quick, I thought you were going to let the kids play for a bit," she calls out. "Yes, I said, we did". Again she looks at me like I am speaking another language, lying or a squirrel in her kitchen.
4:15 The children sit down to have a semi healthy snack.
4:16 The mom rushes in to the kitchen. "What are you doing Oldest Child?, I told you we had to go and get new shoes today". The child shoves a strawberry in her mouth and picks up two oreos and begrudgingly gets up. (FYI, no she didn't mention getting new shoes today).
4:17-5:10 Mom and oldest are gone. They return with three boxes of shoes. The mother starts walking around in a panic. "I can't believe it's almost six. Where did the day go? Do you have plans tonight"? She asks me. I tell her that I have plans to meet a friend for a 730 show, so I need to leave right at 7. She asks me to call X and see if she can come sit  from 7-10ish. She tells me, "I think husband and I are just going to dine out tonight. Order pizza or Chinese for the kids". With that she disappears up to her room. I book the babysitter, place the food order. I help one child with homework. I give a bath to the youngest before the food comes.  I set out pajamas for the two oldest for after dinner. I set out outfits for all three for morning. I premake the coffee. I slice strawberries and kiwi to go with dinner or for desert. I assemble the oldest child's backpacks. I take the new shoes out of boxes, arrange them in the shoe closet and put all of the other materials in the recyclable box.
6:25 Pizza arrives
6:30 Mother kisses each child on the top of their heads and tells them to behave for "Sitter". She then asks me, "you okay here until X arrives?". I smile and say yes.
6:32 When she is out the door I pull out paper plates and sit down with the kids and have pizza and berries. The sitter arrives at five until 7. I run through the basics of what needs to be done for bed and I am out the door. Only to do it all over again tomorrow.

I am a live in in NYC and work from 7-7, M-F and make $800 per week cash. If I babysit at night, they pay me $10 an hr. If I work from 8-1 on Saturday or Sunday, they will pay me $150 for each day.  
What's your day like? Email isynblog@gmail.com.

11 comments:

Jmaria said...

This sounds eerily similar to a SAHM I worked for a few years ago. Never again with SAHMs unless they have 5+ kids and actually NEED help taking care of everyone.

Anonymous said...

Am I the only person who finds these day-in-the-life posts boring as can be?

the teaching diva said...

I'm still trying to figure out why SAHMs have full time nannies....

this_nick said...

It's a little odd to mock Mom for posting her day online for attention -- then write this post to put online for attention. We're all social media whores for the most part. This woman clearly grates on your every last nerve, so I assume you're searching for your next gig. Good luck if so!

this_nick said...

This was one of the few non-boring ones, but in general - yes.

Anonymous said...

You obviously hate your job. You should really quit. I could never work for a SAHM, never. I was a mother's helper for twins which is pretty much same thing but that was good because I was a new Nanny and learned a lot on that job. I also became close to MB. But now I could never do it for situations like this.
-B

Ethan said...

She must be a fabulous lay.

this_nick said...

Guessing the nanny wouldn't know.

Wowza said...

You haaate your boss! Why do you stay? I don't work where there's a SAHP. I prefer working alone and not bein micromanaged but you're so irritated with her. I can't imagine living like that!

Anonymous said...

Hmmm, I think you should remind them that you work 7-7 only and not expect SAHM to do much in those hours since you're getting paid to work anyway? She does sound lazy, and I can't figure out why she needs a full time nanny (I am a SAHM to two kids under 3 myself and have a babysitter help 6 hours a week), but perhaps she is entitled to be since she is paying you. The out of hours stuff is ridic, remind them that you're not on the clock then and don't help. I would not be happy in this job, purely on the grounds that you can't plan your day properly, and would find something else.

RBTC said...

your post was very creative and detailed just like your work with the kids - you are learning alot here, moms really look for a great nannie and you will find your fit