Why we sometimes have to say ‘no’
.However, unfortunately we aren’t able to do that. We would much prefer not to have to do so, but there are times when we have to say ‘no’. We know this disappoints people at times, so I thought it might be a good idea to explain up front some of the limits of the service we offer. Understanding where we’re coming from might help avoid being let down in the first place.
Requests we have to turn down mostly fall into two categories: those relating to hours of coverage (the hours that a nanny works in your home) and those relating to the tasks nannies are expected to undertake.
Our nannies are professionals
At the heart of our decision making around these things is the need to recognise our nannies as professional educators and carers. Being a nanny is their chosen career. They are trained and experienced at what they do, and they make their living from that work.
It is unfair to expect nannies to work in ways that make it impossible for them to work efficiently or to do jobs that aren’t part of their professional service. This is no different from asking any other professional to perform tasks outside their normal job. No one would ask a cleaner to change a fuse or an electrician to put out a load of washing or a neurosurgeon to mop the floor. Your nanny is no different, no matter how much a part of the family she has become.
This is not to say that we don’t understand that sometimes a family might need basic childcare for an hour here or there, or someone to do some cleaning. However, these are not services that our professional nannies provide.
We ask that our families see this from the nanny’s perspective. If a household manager is what you need, we can help you with that (though be aware that your household manager won’t be able to provide child care).
Hours of work: what’s in, what’s out
Our policy on minimum hours is quite simple: during the day, we require bookings of six hours minimum, or four hours in the evening. And we don’t offer split shifts. The reason for this is simple: it is not possible for a someone to have a sustainable career as a nanny while working less than six hours a day. Split shifts, which require the nanny to go unpaid for a number of hours every day, are even more unrealistic.
Occasionally we have had families that choose to pay a higher rate to encourage a nanny to work a split shift. If that suits both parties, we are all in favour of it. The bottom line is that the nanny is not disadvantaged.
The nanny’s job is the nanny’s job
Regular readers of our newsletters and blog will have heard this from me many times: a nanny’s job is to care for an provide educational experiences for the children in her care. This may include preparing a meal or snack. Most are happy to do an odd job here or there. However, the nanny’s job does not include general housework: dusting, mopping, folding washing, ironing and so on.
We often receive requests that nannies use their ‘down time’ – such as children’s nap time – to perform such tasks. Unfortunately, this is unacceptable, just as it would be for the electrician waiting for a software installation to complete. Firstly a nanny takes allocated break time and then does prepation for activities when the child awakes.
I repeat what I said at the outset: we would love to be able to say yes to every request for help that we receive. We never say no to be annoying or because we can’t be bothered (as we are sometimes accused of). We do so for the types of reason I’ve described here, mostly because a request is not in the interests of our nannies.