All About Light Housekeeping

In the nanny world there are no two words that cause as much confusion as the phrase “light housekeeping.”

Light housekeeping is a phrase that’s commonly used to define picking up around the house. But what picking up means to parents and what it means to nannies can be two totally different things. To some people vacuuming the floor daily may be considered light housekeeping, while to others, it would be considered far from it.

Light housekeeping, when it comes to nanny and parent lingo, is defined as picking up after yourself and leaving the home in the same condition you found it in.  It refers to normal and typical daily cleanup.

If a nanny and child were outside playing and tracked mud into the kitchen or if the child spilled milk on the floor during breakfast, for example, cleaning up the mess on the kitchen floor would be considered light housekeeping. Mopping the floor as a regular daily or weekly task, however, would not be considered light housekeeping.

By default, light housekeeping is part of a nanny’s typical duties and responsibilities. Nannies are responsible for undertaking all tasks related to providing childcare. If parents require their nanny to take on additional housekeeping tasks, like dusting or doing the parent’s laundry, they’ll need to discuss these expectations during the interview process with their nanny candidates.

Most nannies typically go above and beyond the call of duty to be helpful employees. If they notice a something needs to be done around the house, they’ll likely lend a helping hand and take care of it. When these occasional gestures become expected, however, nannies may become resentful. It’s important for parents and nannies to have a clear understanding of housekeeping expectations and to not allow additional household responsibilities to creep into the nanny’s list of duties.

At Morningside Nannies, we encourage parents to avoid using the term light housekeeping and to instead provide a bulleted list of atypical household tasks that they expect the nanny to undertake. This may include things like vacuuming daily or changing the bed linens weekly. Having a written work agreement that clearly defines the nanny’s housekeeping responsibilities can help to avoid miscommunication and misunderstandings.

Some nannies will gladly assist with housekeeping tasks while others will flat out refuse. If parents require the nanny to double as a housekeeper, they must ensure that the nanny has adequate time to perform the tasks when the children are not in her care and they should compensate her accordingly. Parents may also wish to consider hiring a housekeeper to take on the additional housekeeping tasks.

In addition to nannies, Morningside Nannies places daily, weekly and even full-time housekeepers. Contact a placement specialist today at 713.526.3989 to learn more about our housekeeping services.

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