u/Audience-Aggressive

I have been with my nanny family since February and everything has been pretty good so far. When they hired me they asked if I was comfortable doing some light food prep and I said yes and that the last family I worked for I would typically make dinner for once a week or bake something once a week. I let my new MB know that this is something I used to do and I don’t mind it as I do like to bake and cook.

Since I was hired NK (5 months) has finally got on a nap schedule, allowing me more time during her naps, this is only started since beginning of April. I have made dinner twice and cookies twice, the first time I offered as I knew MB would be working late and DB would be solo with baby. The next day, nothing was said about dinner (I honestly assumed maybe he didn’t like what I cooked or something) fast forward this past week, MB asks me to make dinner and again nothing was said the day after, no “thank you” or “that was great thank you”.

I understand that I offered this when I was initially hired but this feels like they don’t understand that this is an extra bonus (outside of childcare duties) thus maybe warranting a thank you. They also do not thank me at the end of the day, which my last family always did as well as texting me or telling me the next day “thank you so much for dinner that was so nice to not have to cook” Am I comparing too much ? Did my previous nanny family ruin nannying for me ? It’s so small but a simple thank you at this point would go SO far! All I want is a little appreciation for doing extra trying to make their life easier.

While I was moving my nanny family hired another nanny from someone they know just for the day when I got back I asked MD How it went and he said “great! She even weeded my back garden flower bed” I said “wow” and he said “ya wasn’t expecting that but it was nice” i immediately felt like that was a stick at me (major over thinker) while baby naps I do light chores if needed (dishes from meals, babies laundry, tidy toys) but typically there’s not much to do, I feel like they know might expect me to do yard work which is ridiculous. We live in Canada where it’s just finally starting to be nice outside and I imagine this fill in nanny was just wanting some fresh air during nap time ? Anyway I was just wondering if I should ask MD if there’s more I could do ? Or would that open up can of worms of chores that I don’t want to do? A couple weeks ago I even made MD a full dinner that was ready to be put in the oven, as I knew he was on dinner duty and she was working late and I volunteered to help, he didn’t even say thank you or anything regarding the meal. Makes me hesitant to want to do more for them.