Are you comfortable with your Nanny taking your baby out for a stroll? | ExpatWoman.com
 

Are you comfortable with your Nanny taking your baby out for a stroll?

184
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 12 November 2014 - 13:14

hi. i know the answer is Yes (for most of us) my nanny indirectly asked me yesterday if she could take the baby (7 month old) out for a walk everyday in the pram.
my concerns are the following:
1. i have seen several nannies in the park parking all the babies in a corner and chit chatting and i used to feel so sorry for the babies, i have seen a few careless incidents (including my friends nanny who seems to be superb otherwise in front of the parents)
2. They tend to be on the phone (a problem that i have with my nanny anyways even in the house), i am bit worried to let her take my baby outside and not be attentive.
3. I am a working mum, and i feel so sad to not let my baby explore the freshness on days when i am super tied down with conference calls in the evening as i work CET times but at the same time i feel i want this to be 'my thing' with my baby and not make it a habit for her.

Please help me think straight through this....

184
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 16 November 2014 - 09:55
In my view, a house maid can do aa very responsible job of looking after children and doing housework, exactly like a woman would do if she did not have paid help in the home. You would be able to expect a 'professional job' from a Nanny, as she would have been trained, but surely we all realise that there is training and there is Training! Above all, it is important to trust the person who cares for your child. If you do not, then how can you possibly leave them together? A baby will not really understand who is pushing them in a pram. When he/she is old enough to realize, then it is more important to be the one who is there. Remember, a working mother cannot be there to do it all- that is the trade off. You are working to help to secure the future of the child, and you need peace of mind while you are away from the home. edited by Pink Lily on 14/11/2014 Thank you Pink Lily, for sharing your views. I have convinced myself that is should be ok. Not sure why the post had to become a debate ground on the definition of nanny/maid. My main concerns were only because i have seen some nannies not being careful with the children and that was the main reason for me to be worried since i am not around that time to go and check. Thank you once again
199
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 14 November 2014 - 18:37
In my view, a house maid can do aa very responsible job of looking after children and doing housework, exactly like a woman would do if she did not have paid help in the home. You would be able to expect a 'professional job' from a Nanny, as she would have been trained, but surely we all realise that there is training and there is Training! Above all, it is important to trust the person who cares for your child. If you do not, then how can you possibly leave them together? A baby will not really understand who is pushing them in a pram. When he/she is old enough to realize, then it is more important to be the one who is there. Remember, a working mother cannot be there to do it all- that is the trade off. You are working to help to secure the future of the child, and you need peace of mind while you are away from the home. <em>edited by Pink Lily on 14/11/2014</em>
474
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 14 November 2014 - 15:38
The woman's visa title is "Domestic Servant", which encompasses all aspects of the home, including childcare. Therefore, the OP has the right to call her a nanny. Domestic servants are the government's answer to childcare for working mothers here. NO - a nanny is a specefic job. Obviously you could call a nanny a doemstic servant but it doesn't necessarily work both ways... Is there a visa category here for "Nanny"? A nursemaid's visa would be something different because they are trained to take care of newborns and are not necessarily nannies either... My visa says Housewife, I'm certainly not that!!!
2287
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 14 November 2014 - 09:11
Stop confusing maids with nannies!! If she's your nanny she'll be certified, educated and very well compensated, so if course she can take your baby out. If she's your maid, cleans your house, does your ironing and gets paid minimum salary she may very well have other priorities than minding your baby and will indeed be on the phone and chat in the park with other so called nannies who are actually maids. I **hate** when people say this and actually feel it's discriminatory. My nanny gets paid a very good wage for the Philippines. She has raised three children of her own. She is educated in fact as an accountant but she could never find a job as an accountant in the Philippines. What you are actually saying is if she isn't white, she's not a nanny and that's a load of ****. An educated accountant is not a certified nanny. If she cleans your toilets, she's your maid, no matter what you call her. Skin colour has absolutely nothing to do with it.
4062
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 13 November 2014 - 11:48
This thread [strike'>has excellent potential for a TNT[/strike'> is really informative. Just trying out the strike through function :cool:
654
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EW GURU
Latest post on 13 November 2014 - 11:44
I apologize in advance for sounding rude, but what you said is more reflective of your own attitudes and beliefs than any reality. Whether we call them maid, nanny, help or servant, it's the same thing. If it makes you feel better to call them "help," that's fine but I wouldn't put too much moral weight on it. The woman's visa title is "Domestic Servant", which encompasses all aspects of the home, including childcare. Therefore, the OP has the right to call her a nanny. Domestic servants are the government's answer to childcare for working mothers here. I definitely don't think I'd feel easy leaving a child in the care of someone who only has knowledge of cooking and cleaning ie. not a nanny. As a side note, how awful and demeaning is the title of "Domestic Servant"? Sounds like something from the 1900s. It certainly shows what the country thinks of people who are employed in this line of work :( I don't use the maid for childrearing other than to watch the boys for an hour or so when I need to run out for errands. Or sometimes DH and I like to go for a walk alone and we're comfortable leaving the boys in the villa with the maid. If I had to work and had a baby, I would allow the nanny to take the baby for a walk in the stroller although it would depend on where we lived. A quiet community with parks, no problem. My mother was practically raised by a long time family help who did not have any formal training or certificates but who had helped to bring up a number of children, both her own and other people's, over the years. And my mother loved her. I wouldn't automatically trust every maid but if you hire a nanny who comes with excellent references and has worked with children before, you and the baby will be fine. It is definitely not in the nanny's interest to let anything happen to the baby. At the same time I wouldn't necessarily trust a young chit of a girl straight off the plane from the Philippines or Sri Lanka.
5452
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 13 November 2014 - 11:40
The woman's visa title is "Domestic Servant", which encompasses all aspects of the home, including childcare. Therefore, the OP has the right to call her a nanny. Domestic servants are the government's answer to childcare for working mothers here. NO - a nanny is a specefic job. Obviously you could call a nanny a doemstic servant but it doesn't necessarily work both ways... Is there a visa category here for "Nanny"? A nursemaid's visa would be something different because they are trained to take care of newborns and are not necessarily nannies either...
5334
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 13 November 2014 - 11:34
The woman's visa title is "Domestic Servant", which encompasses all aspects of the home, including childcare. Therefore, the OP has the right to call her a nanny. Domestic servants are the government's answer to childcare for working mothers here. NO - a nanny is a specefic job. Obviously you could call a nanny a doemstic servant but it doesn't necessarily work both ways...
170
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 13 November 2014 - 11:21
The woman's visa title is "Domestic Servant", which encompasses all aspects of the home, including childcare. Therefore, the OP has the right to call her a nanny. Domestic servants are the government's answer to childcare for working mothers here. I definitely don't think I'd feel easy leaving a child in the care of someone who only has knowledge of cooking and cleaning ie. not a nanny. As a side note, how awful and demeaning is the title of "Domestic Servant"? Sounds like something from the 1900s. It certainly shows what the country thinks of people who are employed in this line of work :(
5452
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 13 November 2014 - 10:41
The woman's visa title is "Domestic Servant", which encompasses all aspects of the home, including childcare. Therefore, the OP has the right to call her a nanny. Domestic servants are the government's answer to childcare for working mothers here.
4393
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 13 November 2014 - 10:22
I agree. A fully qualified nanny would only cook for and clean up after the children, not the rest of the household.
5334
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 13 November 2014 - 10:18
Stop confusing maids with nannies!! If she's your nanny she'll be certified, educated and very well compensated, so if course she can take your baby out. If she's your maid, cleans your house, does your ironing and gets paid minimum salary she may very well have other priorities than minding your baby and will indeed be on the phone and chat in the park with other so called nannies who are actually maids. I **hate** when people say this and actually feel it's discriminatory. My nanny gets paid a very good wage for the Philippines. She has raised three children of her own. She is educated in fact as an accountant but she could never find a job as an accountant in the Philippines. What you are actually saying is if she isn't white, she's not a nanny and that's a load of ****. But she cleans too? Is that not a maid. A nanny, in my view, takes care of the children.
78
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 13 November 2014 - 10:17
Guinness2 Regardless of skin colour there is a HUGE difference between a qualified Nanny and a Housemaid. One is educated, as Oopsiedaisy mentions, to care for young children and their needs the other is someone that is capable of cleaning and keeping a household organized. The two are not the same at all. <em>edited by Rickadon on 13/11/2014</em>
474
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 13 November 2014 - 09:48
Stop confusing maids with nannies!! If she's your nanny she'll be certified, educated and very well compensated, so if course she can take your baby out. If she's your maid, cleans your house, does your ironing and gets paid minimum salary she may very well have other priorities than minding your baby and will indeed be on the phone and chat in the park with other so called nannies who are actually maids. I **hate** when people say this and actually feel it's discriminatory. My nanny gets paid a very good wage for the Philippines. She has raised three children of her own. She is educated in fact as an accountant but she could never find a job as an accountant in the Philippines. What you are actually saying is if she isn't white, she's not a nanny and that's a load of ****.
2287
Posts
EW EXPERT
Latest post on 12 November 2014 - 22:47
Stop confusing maids with nannies!! If she's your nanny she'll be certified, educated and very well compensated, so if course she can take your baby out. If she's your maid, cleans your house, does your ironing and gets paid minimum salary she may very well have other priorities than minding your baby and will indeed be on the phone and chat in the park with other so called nannies who are actually maids.
474
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 12 November 2014 - 18:55
Thank you for helping me get my head around this... i agree with BellaUK, i love it that Bath and Bed time is just 'Our thing'... i feel sad that i miss even feeding my baby most of his meals or his reactions to different tastes and have to rely on what my nanny shares (sad part of being a working mum) the reason i am a bit apprehensive is also because i didnt have a great experience with my previous nanny and had to let her go immediately. i have certainly entrusted my baby with the new one however going out would mean - she starts chatting with security etc making it more accessible for dating ... i guess im thinking a bit too much.... :( You are thinking too much. My philosophy is trust, check, trust. Repeat. Let her go out two or three times, then on the fourth, go find them. Are they walking? Talking? Flirting with security? And every few weeks, I happen on upon them in the park ... at least for the first year or two. We've been together almost six years now, so I check less often, but still do!
184
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 12 November 2014 - 14:24
Thank you for helping me get my head around this... i agree with BellaUK, i love it that Bath and Bed time is just 'Our thing'... i feel sad that i miss even feeding my baby most of his meals or his reactions to different tastes and have to rely on what my nanny shares (sad part of being a working mum) the reason i am a bit apprehensive is also because i didnt have a great experience with my previous nanny and had to let her go immediately. i have certainly entrusted my baby with the new one however going out would mean - she starts chatting with security etc making it more accessible for dating ... i guess im thinking a bit too much.... :(
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EW GURU
Latest post on 12 November 2014 - 13:45
I think it depends where she would be taking her. If you live in a community area with a safe place to walk, such as Executive Towers or JBR, or in a closed compound, then it should be okay. I live on Sheikh Zayed Road and there's way too much traffic and fast cars on the inner roads for me to feel comfortable if my nanny took my daughter out for a walk, even on the footpath in front of the buildings.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 12 November 2014 - 13:40
I am a working mum too and know what you mean about having certain things be 'your thing' as I am just the same over bathtime/bedtime. I will not go anywhere if hubby is not going to be home in time to do bathtime/bedtime. But for walks, I encourage my nanny to take her out every morning, I hated her being stuck in the house all day every day with me over the hot summer, so I was so glad when the weather cooled down and she could get out. I take her for a walk most evenings as well.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 12 November 2014 - 13:34
Hi Saggi. I can understand your concerns and to be honest i have witnessed some crazy things from nannies when the parents are absent. However you have already entrusted her with the care of your baby whilst your working so I'm sure based on her appointment she is capable for the walk. Plus the fresh air will be great for them both.
 
 

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