I have a 6 year old boy.. and a 7 year old girl. I work part time and have a nanny come to my house to watch the kids get them breakfast and drive them to school.
Today nanny called me. She said she thought the kids were big enough to get themselves ready for school without constant reminders. She said she had a talk with them today and told them that since they were big now.. she should not have to tell them to get dressed to put their pjs away and to brush teeth and hair... etc... they should just know the routine and do it..
She said that the morning was a bit rough she went on to describe some sibling squabbles...
I know my kids they are not angels... Nor are they devlls... It told her that I had to also keep after them in the morning to keep them on task at getting ready for school.. and in the evening I again had to keep after them to do the evening routine of pjs on, brush teeth... etc...
In theory 6 year olds should be able to do these things... and if we had all the time in the world..(like on a lazy Saturday).. they would get dressed.. but on a school day when they have to be at school at a certain time.. you have to hustle them along to make it on time..
I think nanny's expectations are too high.. that they are normal kids that are normally goofy and distracted...
Good grief, they are kids.
Young kids.
Even if a kid KNOWS the routine, they still may need reminders.
They are not robots.
And everyday, things happen and moods and what not.
Your kids seem like NORMAL kids.
Heck even HUSBANDS need reminders, about daily routines.
So why should a 6 or 7 year old, be more mature and perfect everyday, even when a Husband cannot remember all things everyday, all day.
My kids are 7 and 10.
SURE they are good normal kids and KNOW the routines.
But heck, I still remind them of things.
Why not?
NO kid is a perfect robot.
Your Nanny, just does not want to Nanny.
And she doesn't even know about sibling interactions and how kids just may not be all peachy everyday. Heck not even adults are.
And put it this way: I, even have to "remind" my Husband about the morning routine and leaving the house on time. EVEN if he fully knows the routine, every morning.
Your Nanny, does not seem to know kids nor about age development or anything.
I have a 6 and an 8 year old. They are still very young. I still have to remind BOTH of my kids to get dressed, brush their teeth, comb their hair, don't forget lunches and backpacks and all that kind of stuff. Your nanny is crazy to think that a 6 year old doesn't need help or reminders.
I think your nannys a nut.
I have a 10 year old and he needs a fair few reminders.
I know all kudos are different, but geez, if they were THAT on the ball, why would you need her?
Your house sounds like mine. I still have to remind my fourth grader when it's getting near time to leave for school - she just has a better understanding of what 10 minutes means than my first grader! Your nanny is expecting too much from your kids.
My eight year old knows the routine, but he still needs reminders. My eleven year old is now able to get himself ready without any reminders. I do have the morning "to do" list posted on their bedroom door to remind them of the daily routine, but I do have to remind my eight year old to follow that list.
I totally agree.... they are KIDS. And yes Husbands also need reminders and a little push. Don't you tell yourself what needs to be done? There is a reason I would keep a small deodorant in my desk at work, along with a toothbrush and paste. Kids are distracted so easily just by a thought. My kids are freshman in HS and I have to remind them about stuff. Cannot tell you how many times I ask about their ID or whatever and they rush back into the house.
My 7 year old will get up on her own to her alarm and eventually will get herself dressed and ready for school. Unfortunately this can take all morning if I don't remind her that we are on a schedule and she needs to keep moving. I think that it is really unrealistic that they just need to get up and get it done without reminders at that age and my daughter's are relatively on the ball. Actually to tell you the truth my 4 year old has more get up and go than my 7 year old. She is dressed with shoes and socks on most of the time within 10 minutes of being woken up. Still I do have to remind her to brush her teeth and grab her belongings. Par for the course with children. Even I need the occasional reminder to not forget something or "must leave 5 minutes earlier to get gas" No one is perfect.
Isn't that why she is there? I would just make sure that distractions like the TV are off. If needed, make a SIMPLE board (or magnets on the fridge) that they move from one place to another when they complete a task.
But, yes, my 9 year old still needs some reminders and gets very distracted by the tv (even if it is just the news) if it is on.
Nope, Heck they just woke up. They are trying to wake up.
Even adults need to take time to remember everything each morning. I sometimes forget to finish my make -up or forget to take some of the supplies I need. So I keep a list for the mornings I am feeling a bit confused or still tired.
They are still of the age that at least a review each day before they walk out the front door is necessary , just to be double sure.
I used to try to keep the wake up very routine, so that it became her normal for school mornings. .
I know some people even have written lists in different places. The bedroom, the bathroom and next to the front door.
Each child will also be different. So just because your daughter may remember better than your son, is not a big deal. You just gently remind them.. Again remember it is morning so this can set the tone for the day.
Does your nanny have any kids of her own? Because she sounds like an idealist who has no idea what kids are like. If she thinks they should do all this stuff without reminders, then why the heck is she needed? I'd be finding another nanny. One who is a little kinder, nicer and more caring.
They are still developing their brains and they don't have the ability to stand up, decide to do a whole list of things, and be on time.
So fire this nanny and find one that has some knowledge of child development. They need some verbal reminders and perhaps even some physical prompts. That means maybe when they are sitting on the side of the bed putting your hand under their elbow and lifting/guiding them to the bathroom.
In my house it absolutely impossible for my six year old girls to get themselves ready for school without ten million reminders, a few threats, and then me hurrying them along.
BUT... and this is a big but... we had a nanny several years ago and the things my kids did for her were amazing. She held them to a higher standard and expected them to do things that I didn't think they could, but they did. And they were so proud of what they accomplished (little things like putting on their own shoes when they were two, or picking up the toy room all by themselves at four - stuff I wouldn't have pushed). Our nanny had a strong background in child development and a lot of experience, so I trusted her. She didn't push my kids unnecessarily, just expected them to try more than I expected (probably because I was tired!)
So, if my fantastic nanny was still here, I have no doubt that within a week my kids would be getting themselves ready for school and they'd be happy about it. But they'd probably still need a reminder or two.
Whatever is normal, though - it's what YOU want that is important. If your nanny's expectations don't match yours, tell her. And expect her to follow your directions.
I think if I got too many calls like this, I would question her abilities as a nanny!
Having said that, I have to remind my 7 yo to brush his teeth and get his back pack. He's pretty good about it, but some mornings are worse than others. That's just life.
Heck, I walked right out of the house without my coffee this morning. I NEVER do that! Even my head isn't screwed on straight some mornings. Last week, I didn't even notice my son's shorts were on backwards when leaving the house. He walked around all day with his pockets in front. He got dressed like I asked though! At some point, I have to own a little some responsibility. :)
Uh, no. I wake my 6 year old up every morning, she does get herself dressed, but we brush our teeth together and it is her job to get her backpack and jacket, but I remind her to make sure she has everything and tell her when it's time to put her shoes and socks on. There's no way I'd be just assuming she'd do everything she supposed to without prompts. What are you paying the nanny for if the kids are doing everything?
I'd make them a poster of the 5 (or whatever) things they have to do each morning. Their job is to complete their list on the poster. No playing or TV or video games or lazing in bed allowed once the alarm goes off. Then praise them like crazy when they get it right for being such big kids. Yes, they both might always need reminders. But this will help them to be better at it...you and the nanny should start training them. :) good luck.
I think 6 year olds, let alone some adults :) still need reminders.. my son is 11 and I have to constantly remind him to do different things. I don't mind in the least, I think it's what being a mom is all about...