iNanny seems good. iNanny, like all of our other nannies, wants to know if she should come a little later in the morning. Regardless of what time any nanny gets here, it still take us a few minutes to get out of the house. I don't think it's unreasonable for us to be around up to 30 minutes in the morning after she gets here. Do you? We are slow-moving in the morning.
iNanny has some personal issues...I don't think they are getting in her way of doing her job, but they could. I really kind of need issue-free nanny. Because of MP, and all of the issues she had, I can't deal with any more issues. I don't have the patience for them. I need someone who will be really cheerful... to the point of disgustingly chipper and upbeat. I can't deal with other people's problems. Tomorrow we have an interview with someone who sounds great. Coincidentally, she has the same name as two of our previous nannies/babysitters. If we hire her, she'd be N3nny where 3 sounds like a short a. (Heh.)
Is it awful of me to not want a nanny who is very good but has some issues? I feel like I am being awful, but I can't help myself. I can't bend over backwards for a nanny anymore... I guess this isn't actually a dilemma... My dilemma is what to do.... do we tell iNanny it isn't working for us now, or do we wait until we find Real Mary Poppins (RMP)?
4 comments:
Hmmm, can I give you my opinion, from an employee's point of view?
I have been following your nanny issue very closely. I find it interesting because I have been babysitting since I was 13 (I'm 22 now), and have worked with a lot of families!
The family I am currently working for leave me in a semi-uncomfortable position, which I feel like I should write about, but then this comment would be very long!
So, what I think about the whole situation is that it's really great that you are taking the time to find someone who can meet your needs, and who you feel comfortable with. It must be a hassel to be in-between nannies, but I think that in the long run you'll be happier to have someone who fits and works well in your lives!
Regarding this post - I think it's totally fine for you guys to be there in the mornings. I think it's okay for you and/or MWH to be home at any point when the nanny is there. She is hired to look after your children, and she can do that whether you are there or not.
There have been many times when I have been hired to babysit while the parents were home because they wanted to get work done.
I find that it can occasionally be awkward to be babysitting while the parents are home. For example, if the child is upset I feel I should deal with the issue because I am babysitting. But most mothers tend to go to their child when he/she is crying. I always have a hard time knowing whether I should just step aside and let the mom deal with it, or whether I should politely ask the mother to let me take care of it.
Though it is occasionally awkward, I also find it good to work when the parents are around because it is an opportunity to see the dynamics of the family. I find I learn a lot about the family, and about their expectations of their children, when I get to see the whole family together.
Often when I am starting with a new family I try to spend time with the child when the parents are around so that I can have the chance to ask questions. For example, if the child asks for a snack at 4 pm, I can check with the parents to see what they'd normally say. In some houses it's alright, in others it's not.
Besides, it's nice to have laid back mornings. And an extra set of hands can be helpful in the mornings. I'm sure once she learns your routines and the rhythm of your day she won't have any problem with being there while you are getting up and around.
About personal issues: I'm kind of ambivilant about this. I can totally understand not wanting to deal with them (you shouldn't have to), especially after MP.
On the other hand, if I was your nanny, you likely wouldn't know about any personal issues I had. If I worked at an office I wouldn't tell my boss my problems or issues. I would treat a nanny or babysitting job with the same professionalism.
Obsiously, if I thought that my personal issue would affect my job performance or my ability to look after the children, I would discuss any implications with my employer. But other than that, my issues are mine to deal with... not my boss'.
And finally, about your dilemma - if I were in iNanny's place I would want for the family to tell me that they are interested, somewhat concerened, and also still looking. That way, if she is interested in working for you, she has a chance to continue to work, and try to impress you/show you that she'd work out for you. If she decideds she doesn't want to stick around long enough for you to make up your mind, then maybe you need someone else.
Well, it's long. But those are some of my thoughts.
Alice,
Thank you for your comment. It was very helpful. I'll post an update about n3nny, but the short story is we'll be doing a trial day this week. I'm going to call iNanny this weekend and let her know that the schedule really isn't going to work for us. Her schedule is really inflexible.
I'll post more soon, but your comment was really helpful. Feel free to post about the family you are currently working for or email me!
Thanks so much Alice! (Feel free to leave long comments whenever!)
JK
I think the time you are all there in the morning is valuable for handover, for building your relationship with your nanny, for observing and learning from each other and for enabling the morning to be a less rushed experience for everyone. Yes, you might be able to save money by having the nanny start later but at what cost?
I agree Ruth!
I want to be around in the morning for handover and stuff... The problem we've had is that MP and now iNanny didn't want to be around when we were around. I had this problem with another nanny too--she didn't want to be around us, the parents, at all!
I am hoping than n3nny will be okay with it. In the interview She said she wouldn't mind if we were around in the morning for a while. I actually asked her about this....I asked if we were around for an hour or so if that would be a problem for her. I explained basically what you said Ruth.
I hope this makes sense... I am exhausted.
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