I had a nanny when I was pregnant with my first child. I had no idea how expensive nannies would be, and I had no idea how much I would love having a live-in nanny. A lot of nannies are like that, though. They seem great and reliable, and they make things easier for you. But they also make them more complicated.
What is a nanny? If you have a baby, this is the person that you hire to take care of your child when you go to work. Some stay nearby with the baby, while others live in the neighborhood. Their job is to care for your child, from changing diapers to disciplining them.
As the mom of a baby, I get to witness all the things that most moms don’t get to. I get to see my child first thing in the morning (and bedtime), and I get to take care of all the messes that come with a baby. I’ve also noticed that there are so many new mommy bloggers out there, and they all say the same things: “How do I get my baby to sleep through the night?” “How do I find time to take care of myself?” “My baby wants to sleep through the night, but I can’t get her to.” I wanted to write my own mommy blog, to give other new moms advice.
I had a “nanny share” for the first year and a half following my maternity leave, which included two infants from separate homes and one caretaker. A nanny share is a popular childcare option for working families in the Bay Area, and it costs somewhat more than having one’s own nanny.
The procedure is as follows:
On a daily basis, the care was provided in my home. Taddy was a caring middle-aged Eritrean lady with a wealth of experience. She walked the boys in the stroller (we purchased a secondhand side-by-side double stroller for her), fed them in our high chair and exersaucer, then put Julian to sleep in his crib and Paxton to sleep in the Pack ‘n Play in my room.
We instructed the nanny to record all of the information in a notebook we placed on the kitchen counter while we were at work, leaving the feeding and sleeping of our baby to her. Here’s a page from it, which has a couple of days’ worth of nanny notes.
I’m sure there’s now an app for it.
I had a short commute — about 15 minutes — while Taddy worked for us, so I had her come 30 minutes before I started work and leave 30 minutes after.
Chores
I requested Taddy to wash Julian’s clothes, but she ended up doing all of our stuff, much beyond my expectations. Every day, she also turned our sloppy bed-making into crisp, silky linens. It was a dream come true to come home to a happy, well-rested baby, empty hampers, and hotel-like mattresses after a long day at work.
Julian’s dishes, as well as those that were in the sink, were cleaned by her. At the time, we didn’t have a dishwasher. She also swept up after the infants ate and played, keeping the dining room and kitchen floors clean.
Upon receipt of payment
I kept track of her hours worked for us on my computer and sent her a payment every week.
I wrote up an informal contract for us both to sign before she began working for us, based on the advise of a full-time working parent friend who is a lawyer. Although it was uncomfortable, saying out and getting agreement on pay rates, vacation time, and other basic sense things like not using drugs or alcohol during work hours helped me feel better.
Details about supporting my nursing connection from the start of her job were included in the agreement. Julian should not be fed for the final hour of my workday so that he is ready to breastfeed when I get home.
If you need a nanny agreement or contract, Google “nanny agreement” or “nanny contract” to discover some examples.
Transitions
After certain events in Taddy’s personal life, we were compelled to terminate our relationship. Employing a nanny, unlike putting your kid in day care, means you are vulnerable to her sick days and scheduling problems. But all that freshly laundered clothing may be worth it. I guess it depends on your job and how taking a day off or half-day off would affect you and/or your spouse.
We certainly grieved the loss of Taddy in our life because Julian was approximately 18 months old when she passed away, but not as much as others who are fortunate enough to have the same person with them for many years.
We brought on a new employee, a fresh college graduate with extensive childcare expertise. I felt comfortable about having this fit, active person around the boys now that they were toddlers. This adjustment was difficult, but it taught me that organizing daycare is a continuous effort after you have children. I made the mistake of thinking, “OK, we’re established,” after employing Taddy, but now that I have older children in school, I realize that continuously worrying about and making these arrangements is the new normal. There will always be exceptions, such as days when you need additional coverage or school breaks. For working parents, having a variety of daycare options is essential.
Julian and Paxton were placed in a small school environment at the age of two, where they were among a group of two to four-year-olds and two or three instructors.
Have you ever considered hiring a nanny? Did you have a different story to tell?
How much do you pay for babysitting services? Request that your babysitter use an app. It aches so much when the baby goes to daycare.
Do you often find yourself asking, what would it be like to have a nanny? If so, you’re not alone. Many new mothers do, and we at BabyBedsZone, understand that. That’s why we’ve created a new blog series, called “Rookie Moms.” Whether you’re a first-time mom, or a mom that’s been at it for a while, we’ll try to help you question the “what ifs,” and find the answers you’ve been looking for.. Read more about being a nanny and a mom and let us know what you think.
Related Tags
This article broadly covered the following related topics:
- psychological effects of having a nanny
- being a nanny is exhausting
- nanny mother relationship
- things nannies should not do
- nanny problems with parents
