Quote:
Originally Posted by cak1207
So I'm not a daycare provider but a nanny but I still provide childcare. I have a few they're a little different.
Undermining my authority. This is my biggest pet peeve. If I have a rule everyone should have it. Of course lets agree on it. I use to have a WAHD. I would say one thing and they'd run to him and he'd change it. That makes it look like I have no authority and they don't have to listen. Or I tell a child he can't do something and then the whole weekend the parents let him I have to start from square one on Monday. Irks me!
Being late. I haven't had a job yet where a parent hasn't been late. Even fifteen minutes. I have a life and I make appointments or dates at a time and when you're late it makes me late and makes me look bad to other people. Be on time. Don't call me at 5 till and say you're running late that doesn't help me.
Changing nap times on the weekend. If your child is on a schedule and then you take him off I have to start over on Monday with a fussy cranky kid who is all off schedule. It's inconsiderate to me.
Leaving a huge mess in the sink. Or wherever. I hate going into work and having to clean all the dishes out of the sink just so I can use it. Or a mess of toys that takes me an hour to clean up. I make sure the house is clean when you come home do the same for me. I don't mean spotless but picked up.
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: I have been a nanny for several years now, and have had all of those scenarios. I refuse to work with at-home parents now because of those types of situations!! As for the routine being different on the weekends...that drives me CRAZY. Kids NEED routine. Not a schedule, or forced to do things when they don't want to. But every kid I have ever worked with does better when they know what to expect within reason. Do you think they would be cranky if they didn't need that? It's not about my convenience--it's about your CHILD. When you decide to have children, you decide to give up some things, and make some sacrifices. This means making sure that you bring a sling or a Pack N Play so that your kiddo can get a nap at the appropriate time.
I also hate the dishes piling up in the sink, because I feel as if I am expected to do them...especially because I do the dishes I mess up. It's not like I'm going to leave your stuff sitting in the sink! But I've had families that started out asking me to do my dishes...then they'd leave the dishes from the night before...next thing I knew, it was Tuesday, I hadn't been there since Thursday, and ALL OF THOSE DISHES were waiting for me. Once in awhile isn't a big deal,but every single day is a bit much.
Parents being late drives me up a wall, too, or changing the schedule constantly. At my current position, I NEVER KNOW when I am going to work. I've had to change doctor's appointments, cancel plans, or show up late to various events because my boss decided at the last minute that she needed me. The best is when she calls me at 5:45 pm and asks if she can be a little late so she can go get a drink with her friends. Okay, every parent needs a break. But I am supposed to get off at 6 and I want to see my husband!!! I need to go home and make dinner, and you still expect me to be here at 8:00 am the next morning. The child has three grandmothers, you have tons of friends, and a husband...all of whom could watch your child if you asked. Also, if you asked me a little ahead of time, I would plan on being there late and it would be no biggy.
My other two big rants are 1) Not babyproofing your house. I worked for a family that had stairs...and no baby gate. That baby moves faster than the speed of light, and he almost fell down the stairs because I turned my back for TWO SECONDS to wipe off his high chair. No guards on the electical outlets...glass stuff, expensive tv and dvd player at his level...china cabinets with no locks...stacks of books on the floor that he will rip and tear. I cannot enjoy your child if I am chasing them around your house all day. Nor can I take a moment to fix a bottle, use the bathroom, anything else because if I turn my back for one moment, the baby is into something. Also, your child plays best at such a young age in a confined area. If he cannot leave a room, he will play with the toys and with me, listen to or look at the books. If he can run out anytime he wants, he will head straight for the flat screen tv.
2) Leaving extra kids with me. I hate when parents leave a sibling, cousin, or friend with me with no warning and no extra pay. One week, the child's older brother's preschool was closed, and my boss at the time didn't even ask if it was okay. She left him with me ALL WEEK, without offering extra pay. She does this several times a month, although I was told when I started that I would not ever have to watch him. I gave them a rate based on ONE child, not two! My rate for two children is higher, and if I'd known that I was going to have two children often, I would've told you that.
And 3) parents who ask me to do things I just don't agree with at all..IE crying it out ('hes manipulating me!' no, actually, he wants his mother whom he hasnt seen all day to pick him up instead of putting him in his bouncy seat) or feeding a 7 month old STEAK AND EGGS!
Most of these pet peeves all come down to one thing: respect. If you respect me as a person, and an equal (I am not a SERVANT. No, I'm not doing you a favor by watching your kid, but nor are you doing a favor by employing me. I could work for many other families) you will treat me as such. You would be insulted if your boss took you for granted the way you take me for granted. You would feel taken advantage of too.