This has been bothering me. It seems people by and large have their nannies and babysitters back in their homes. How are you all getting comfortable with this? Surely they aren't wearing masks. And surely they can't be in a "pod" with you unless they are live-in, right? I had some nannies I knew well, but I never really knew their home life and what they did when they weren't in my home. Can you explain how this is not risky?
It is risky but for families with two working parents, we have no choice. Literally no choice.
you screen to make sure any caregiver in your home shares your approach / mindset to covid. we also wear masks around each other (not dc though)
Are people really wearing masks in their own home with the nanny? I just find it hard to believe.
So why did you ask if you were weren’t going to believe anything you were told that didn’t comport with your preconceived notions? Did you really want to know? Or did you just want your opinion validated?
@Anonymous Yes, I really want to know. I can't reconcile this in my mind, and we have not brought back any nannies or sitters. We make do.
Cognitive Dissonance
Everything in life is a risk. Having a wonderful nanny who’s been with us for 5 years and tells us she’s not seeing anyone vs managing my 2 young dcs while dh and I both work is a risk I’m willing to take. They would literally watch tv/iPad all day if she wasn’t here. Instead, they go to the park, see friends, go to their sports classes, and are happy as clams.
She says she's not seeing anyone, but does she actually live alone? I don't know too many nannies that live a reclusive life.
No, she does not live alone, she has a dh. Like I said, it’s a risk that I’m willing to take and have been taking since March. Kids are happy, have tons of outdoor time, and we can work in peace.
Like PP said, if you have two working parents and young kids, there is really no choice but to take the risk and have some sort of childcare. Our youngest goes to daycare. I have no control as to what his teachers are doing at night/on weekends, but it is a risk that we have to take a family. I would have to leave my job as I can't watch a 2yo and work fulltime.
His teachers and all the kids wear masks all day, except at meals and at nap time (I can verify that this is true as I can watch his classroom on a camera).
Right but this is in a professional setting and everyone is wearing masks and following protocols. In the home no masks are being worn, etc.
you choose whether masks are being worn in the home. Our caregiver wears one at all times. And we wear one when around her. DC is exempt.
What's the alternative for two working parents?
I posted above, but the bottom line is that you cannot eliminate risk. All you can do is minimize it. (1) Make the effort to match with someone who shares your risk tolerance on covid. If you're Biden, don't match with Trump. (2) establish procedures for minimizing risk -- sanitizing, washing hands, wearing masks that you can provide (medical grade, which are more consistent in protection), gloves if you want (which you can provide), taking temperature upon entry (you can provide a touchless thermometer), (3) changing clothes if taking public transport (which you can provide / launder), (4) shoeless home, etc. You can bring risk way down. Not to zero, but way down to a risk level that's acceptable given the need to work, etc.
This makes sense, but who is really doing this?
Our family is doing this except for changing clothes after subway (we don’t either). We all wear masks in the home when she is here except for our preschooler (who wears them outside at all times but not inside). We also leave windows open in home and bought hepa air filters for our apartment. Before our nanny came back from quarantine we had several calls to discuss safety expectations, including outside activities. We provide KN-95 and face shield for subway and other masks for less high risk situations. We follow the same rules as she does. Ex. No indoor dining but outdoor ok if tables spaced etc. Things like that. Our nanny makes our life much more manageable and we also didn’t want to abandon her in the middle of a pandemic when finding a new job would be tough. So the risk is worth it to us.
OR here and we are also doing it with our caregiver (except for the subway since she drives). We don't leave windows open, but we have AC that draws outside air and medical grade air filters. We are also a good match on lifestyle. Neither one of us does restaurants (including no takeout), or goes out in big groups, always wears mask outside, etc. Our risk is as low as we could possibly get it, so it will have to work for now . . .
I cannot understand how you cannot understand this.
Our nanny lives alone. She is very careful when out and about.