Just trying to set expectations when hiring a nanny. Pay is 26/hr in CA (if you need context on how much she is paid)
Posted Mar 27, 2022, 6:34 PM UTC
When a baby or toddler naps, I'll clean up from lunch, wash bottles if necessary, and pick up toys or crafts from earlier in the day. I might do baby laundry if there is a need. If all of that is taken care of, I sit and relax for a moment. Caring for a 1 year old is no joke, and it can be physically taxing. Getting a moment to sit and do nothing is very necessary for your nanny, so don't pressure her to fill her time with cleaning or other tasks just because your baby is resting.
Thank you, that’s helpful to know! Definitely not looking to fill every minute of her day but was curious about nap times since my baby tends to do longer ones and I wasn’t sure if nannies typically just rest during that time.
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I only talked about nap in my other post.
Our typical day is, breakfast then free play while I clean up and finish my coffee. We read books, do numbers and counting.
Get NKs dressed for day/diapers.
Put together a backpack of needed items then take kiddos out. Often to a park, splash pad, etc.
We return and it's free play while I prep lunch. Feed them lunch and play classical piano music in background.
Play in back yard until naptime. Read a naptime book before going down.
I laid out in another post what I do at nap.
After nap, we have a snack with milk. We read books and have a short educational show during snack (usually something like Miss Rachel, or Simple Songs about brushing your teeth or counting). Playtime in play room for an hour, free play and sometimes we do counting songs or ABC songs, then we move downstairs so I can start preparing dinner. Kids play. Sometimes I play music for them.
Dinner.
Clean up.
DB comes home.
If there is one nap I’ll usually clean and then once everything is done I’ll have lunch and take a break for a bit. If it’s two I’ll clean the first one and then I’ll relax on the second one. BUT, not every nanny will do household cleaning. Make sure expectations are clear in the beginning and that everybody is on the same page. Also, I would make sure to not add stuff over time as you get comfortable. That usually leads to burnout or the nanny feeling unappreciated!
This was roughly how our days looked when my NK was around 10mos - 16ish mo if you wanna check it out —— https://www.reddit.com/r/Nanny/comments/toylrb/ideas_for_an_11month_old/i283ry6/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3
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During nap times I’ll echo what other have said; tidy up his play areas, prep his lunch, bake a batch of muffins, banana bread or something similar for snacks, catch up on his laundry, sanitize bottles etc. I would even use this time to sort through my phone pictures of him to send out to mom/dad/relatives sometimes. Essentially whatever needed to be done related to the child :)
My NK is 11 months old and is on a 2 nap schedule. His morning nap is usually the longest. During his naps I’ll get his laundry done, wash his bottles and dishes, clean up his toys in the living room, and that’s it really. The rest of the time I scroll my phone, have lunch/a snack, sometimes watch Netflix.
I get there at 8:30. He eats breakfast. We play inside afterwards for a few hours. He has plenty of engaging toys and he's an independent little guy, so most of the time, he's happy playing independently with me watching nearby (he loves to run over and give me every one of his toys one at a time 😉) If he seems like he's getting bored, I'll engage him. Maybe with play doh (which can be frustrating with a one year old lol),maybe we'll read books, maybe do puzzles, maybe "cook" on his grill set, maybe make some racket with his musical instruments 😊
Around 11:30 he takes a nap, I do a few chores, then I eat and read till he gets up. Lately it's two hours on average.
He eats lunch, then usually (if he hasn't pooped yet) I get him to try to sit on the potty, and we read a book in there. If he wants to keep playing with toys afterwards, we do that. If he's bored with it we go outside at this point. He loves being outside; he either plays with his water table, his basketball hoop, truck or tricycle. Or he just runs around and inspects every corner of the yard, lol.
Depending on when he got up, he's usually hungry for a snack around 4, so he has milk and a small snack. Then I usually put him in his stroller and we go for a 30+ min walk. By the time we get back, I have just enough time to pick up his toys before it's time to leave.
Hope this helps 😊
I currently nanny 1 yr old twins. When I put them down, I then clean up the playroom and any messes where they've been playing. I clean up the lunch mess, clean off the high chairs, sweep around them. I take quick inventory of food that I can make for dinner for them. I prepare their water and milk cups for later, and their after nap snack.
This next part is not expected of me but I do it cuz I like to help the family a bit and really don't mind. BUT, again, it's not anything that they've asked me up do or that is expected....
I will load/unload dishwasher. I run the robot vacuum. And I'll straighten up, fold living room blankets, fluff pillows. I'll wipe counters real good and clean sink.
Then I take a break until NKs wake up.
My NK is 17 months. He naps around 2.5 hours a day (1 nap). That's my time to chill. He is extremely energetic and keeps my on my toes all day. I need that time to eat lunch and gear up to be my best self with him during the afternoon. I'm so glad I don't have NPs who expect me to always be doing something.
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During the AM nap, I typically unload the dishwasher, load dirty breakfast dishes, get ready for our outing (if there is one that day), and prep the days bottles. During the PM nap, I typically eat my lunch, fold and put away kids laundry, and maybe prep an art project or activity, or lesson plan.
I’ve taken care of many 1 year olds and the expectation is the nanny is only doing nanny duties, that means cleaning up behind the child, preparing a meal for the child, changing diapers, putting down for nap time, engaging with the child. When the baby naps the nanny is free to wait to until the baby wakes up, if you’re expecting the nanny to help you with other household duties then expect to pay her more and she’ll get the household stuff done while the baby naps. I know parents like to look at a nanny/ babysitter as someone who could help them around the house but that isn’t our jobs and not what we signed up for, it’s to be there for your kid. I’m
Thank you, that’s good to know! Can I know what activities you typically do with the child to keep them engaged at at age? (Indoor or outdoor?)
You’re welcome. Definitely the day consist a lot of singing, dancing, listening to music, making animal sounds, reading books, going to the park, playing on the swings, following the baby while they crawl. There’s not a ton you can do with a 1 year old so it’s very limited and a lot of things get repeated throughout the day since the baby can’t talk or walk. But sometimes I also like teaching the child how to walk if they’re into it.
This too! Before my 1M could walk, we did a lot of walking practice 🥰