nannies – Page 22 – Nannyjob blog

101 fun ideas for half term

If you’re running out of inspiration then have a look at our 101 ideas!

Inside
1. Read stories
2. Make a den under a table
3. Give dolls a bath
4. Wash the dolls clothes
5. Have a teddy tea party
6. Have a tickle fight
7. Play dressing up
8. Dance to the radio
9. Have a film screening
10. Transform a cardboard box
Outside
1. Run races
2. Have a sack race
3. Skip
4. Draw on the drive/patio with chalk
5. Have a water fight, even if it’s raining
6. Play football
7. Go for a scoot or bike ride
8. Eat a picnic
9. Make a daisy chain
10. Jump in puddles
Days out
1. Go on a train to a different town
2. Take a bus to a different park
3. Go to the zoo
4. Take a long walk in the country
5. Visit a ruined castle
6. Go to a museum
7. Visit a farm park
8. Go to soft play
9. Have fun at the seaside
10. Go to a planetarium
In the kitchen
1. Make bread
2. Bake and decorate a cake
3. Build a gingerbread structure
4. Master meringues (egg white + sugar = magic)
5. Make your own butter in a jam jar by shaking whole milk
6. Make jam
7. Ice biscuits
8. Create fruity cocktails
9. Freeze (and eat) your own ice lollies
10. Invent a herb or spice mix or a marinade
Constructing and modelling
1. Make a skyscraper from toothpicks or cocktail sticks and marshmallows
2. Create a Lego or Duplo town
3. Get the railway track out and take over the floor
4. Junk model
5. Create and paint figurines or jewellery from Plaster of Paris
6. Make a marble run
7. Build an outside den
8. Make and sail paper boats
9. Have a competition to build to the tallest tower from a newspaper and roll of sellotape
10. Challenge yourselves with a 3D jigsaw
Messy play
1. Cook rainbow spaghetti
2. Make playdough
3. Play with gloop (cornflour and water)
4. Mix mud pies
5. Blow bubbles
6. Play with jelly
7. Fill a box with shredded paper
8. Make potions, from anything!
9. Play with diggers in a tray of compost
10. Make glittery cloud dough
Painting and drawing
1. Fill eggshells with paint and throw them
2. Paints with forks, spoons and other kitchen utensils
3. Cut fruit and vegetables to make prints
4. Roll cars through paint on paper
5. Be inventive with hand and foot prints
6. Make your own natural paint from spices
7. Make self-portraits
8. Make a cartoon in a flip notebook
9. Play Pictionary
10. Draw blindfolded

Science
1. Put an egg into vinegar and watch the eggshell dissolve
2. Now see what happens when you put an egg into Coca-Cola
3. Experiment with chromatography
4. Grow cress-heads
5. Inflate a balloon by mixing bicarbonate of soda and vinegar in a bottle
6. Go on a nature hunt and identify the plants and bugs you see
7. ‘Rescue’ playmobile figures from a block of ice
8. Grow salt crystals
9. Make a rainbow on a sunny day
10. Experiment with shadows
Crafts
1. Sew a dress for a doll or a quilt for a teddy
2. Weave a table mat on a home made loom
3. Make candles
4. Create a bowl from papier maché
5. Make pom-poms
6. Mix up some bath bombs
7. Learn to knit
8. Make a drop spindle
9. Decorate sock puppets
10. Make a necklace or bracelet by threading beads on ribbon
Around town
1. Have a grown up ‘coffee’ in a café
2. Visit the library
3. Draw a sketch map of the town
4. Go on a treasure hunt
5. Learn about architecture
6. Research your area’s history
7. Learn to read an OS map
8. Take a different route every day
9. Search the town archives or the internet for old photographs and drawings of the town and talk about how it has changed
10. Take photographs and make a guidebook showing all your favourite places

The experience trap

Can’t get a job without experience, can’t get experience without a job? It’s the catch-22 for the new nanny or maternity nurse. Good news is there are things that you can do to get you started and help you become a nanny.
1. Work for free

Okay so it’s not the highly paid job of your dreams but volunteering to help friends or neighbours, or even trying to get in touch with training companies who offer work experience schemes in childcare, will help you get that foot in the door. What’s most important is a reference and there’s always someone who will appreciate an extra pair of hands in return for a reference. This is particularly good for getting experience of newborns or twins and is a short term solution while you look for work.
2. Think outside the box, or country

Au pairing abroad is another way to get experience with children and get paid while doing so. Some families don’t even require any childcare qualifications or experience, but babysitting and voluntary work with children demonstrate your commitment to working with children and will give you a leg up to help you get a job. You can be an au pair for the summer or a full year, so it require a bit more commitment but gives you more experience in return. If you want to go on to be a nanny then look for families with children under 5 as most families will want experience in that age range.

3. Do a course

You can either do the course at college or as an apprentice working in a nursery. If you already have a level 3 qualification consider doing a nanny specific course. Or if you need to work and earn there are plenty of online courses that could help you secure the job you dream of. Check out some of the ones we have suggested here Training for Nannies – Nannyjob

How to recognise when your nanny’s had a bad day

I’m sure we’re all familiar with those days that just don’t quite go to plan. You know the ones. Maybe the weather’s bad, one of the children is unwell or the television stops working. Any one of these can turn an okay day, into a really bad day where nothing gets done and you just want to collapse at the end of it.

How would you feel then if your partner or significant other came home to what they deemed a messy house and asked you what you’ve been doing all day whilst they’ve been at work?

Continue reading “How to recognise when your nanny’s had a bad day”

Car Safety Advice for Nannies

A typical aspect of being a nanny involves driving the children you care for to and from activities, appointments, grocery shopping etc.

As a child-carer, your job involves catering to the well-being of the child in your charge. You need to have certain safety measures in place to ensure that everyone makes it from point A to point B safely.

Continue reading “Car Safety Advice for Nannies”

Seventeen self-care tips

It’s the Christmas comedown, winter blues, that time of the year when you feel generally sorry for yourself, and you need a bit of TLC.

Taking time to look after yourself and recharge is super-important for nannies. You can’t nurture your charges and be infinitely patient if you’re feeling down in the dumps. Try a few of these to put a spring in your step and show yourself some love.

Continue reading “Seventeen self-care tips”

Persistent lateness and how to deal with it

It’s 10 minutes past finishing time and no sign of your employers, no call, no text. It’s 40 minutes past your contracted finish and your employer breezes in saying “Sorry! See you tomorrow.” It’s been 3 hours, you’ve put the children to bed, cancelled your plans for the evening and made a half-hearted attempt at tackling the ironing pile when your phone beeps – “Dinner nearly through, home in an hour or so”. Sound familiar?

Using the highly scientific research method known as ‘asking some people we know’ we found that this problem is shockingly common and there seem to be three main reasons for employer lateness, which require different tactics to resolve.

Continue reading “Persistent lateness and how to deal with it”

Snow plans for nannies

Bad weather is going to hit most of the UK this month, and as we all know that can cause disruption to all sorts of arrangements. Planning ahead is key to minimising impact on you and your nanny family. If you’re a parent check out snow plans for parents!

Leave extra time to get to work. Your boss may ask you to go in early so they can be sure of getting to work on time too, but at the very least you should avoid being late. Take precautions like parking your car at the bottom of the hill if you live on a slope and find your wellies and thermals!
Be proactive about stocking up for your employers if they haven’t thought of it. Pick up the essentials now before the weather makes it impractical to go out. Check that your charges have appropriate cold weather clothing and ask your boss if they’d like you to source some if they haven’t.
Be patient! Travel may be disrupted and your boss will be stressed enough as it is. Ask them to check in when they leave with an estimated journey time and to let you know of any delays but assume they’ll be late and carry on with the evening routine.
If you can’t beat it, join it! Wrap up warm and enjoy the snow!

Car safety in snow

With bad weather hitting Britain’s roads, here are some quick tips for staying safe in the snow

Make sure you charge your phone before you set off and tell someone what time you expect to be at your destination
Never get in the car without a coat, but take it off while driving so you get the benefit when you’re outside
Have blankets, water and energy snacks in the boot just in case you break down
Take a bag of salt or sand in case you get stuck – it may get you past a tricky bit
Take major roads even if it means going the long way round. They’re more likely to be gritted.
Take it slow. Accidents happen when you lose traction which is much less likely if you’re driving at a low speed.
Remember to steer INTO a skid if you find yourself sliding
If in doubt, don’t go out!

Nanny Jobs – Beating the Competition

Families will quite rightly be picky when choosing a nanny for their children – after all, the nanny will be spending a great deal of time with their children and may even be living in their home. So how can you give yourself the edge over other applicants?

Nanny jobs are desirable to many. They are the most well-paying of childcare professions (although this is no surprise, considering that they are usually the most physically and emotionally taxing, too), and offer a lot of perks.

We often talk about the importance of a family finding the right nanny, but it is equally important for the nanny to find the right family.

Formal Qualifications

Although formal qualifications are not legally required to work as a nanny, most families will be interested in any qualifications you do have. You need to be able to prove your skills and your ability to not only keep their children safe, but to facilitate their learning and stimulate them. If you don’t have very many formal qualifications, you should think about changing that and ‘skilling up.’ There is a vast array of courses available in childcare, early years education and paediatric first aid, which are the kind of qualification the family will be looking for. (Check out our website for some great offers on courses)

Good References

As previously mentioned, it is not legally required for nannies to possess any formal qualifications. In fact, some of the most well-paid and sought-after nannies are older women who have very few qualifications, but experience and great references from other families. If you are just starting out as a nanny, you’ll need to have previous experience of childcare to demonstrate that you can carry out the tasks required. You might consider doing some voluntary work in a child-orientated setting before starting to apply for nanny jobs.

A Driving License

Being able to drive the family car (or your own car) to ferry children around to school and various extra-curricular activities will most definitely give you an advantage over other applicants. Of course, depending on where the family lives, using public transport may be easier in certain situations but the freedom of being able to drive a private vehicle will not just make your life easier – it will make you more attractive as an employee.

Professional Attitude

Professional nannies are well-prepared for their interviews and well-prepared to be hired. Be sure to have any paperwork ready for the family to see should they wish to (proof of qualifications and DBS documents are important ones) and have a contract of employment prepared.

Love Your Work

Primarily, the family are going to want to see that you genuinely love children and have a passion for your work. As the saying goes, “if you love your job, you’ll never work a day in your life.” Allow the family to see just how much your work means to you.

Father Christmas: Keeping the Magic Alive

Father Christmas can be one of the most magical parts of Christmas celebrations.
Most families choose to encourage a belief of Father Christmas in their children to
help make the world seem a more magical place for them.

So, how can families who keep Father Christmas real in their household keep the
magic alive for their children? Here are some ideas for indulging that childhood
innocence at Christmas time.

A Snack for Santa
You can’t beat traditional activities like this one. Most of us remember how magical
it was when, as a child, we left a mince pie and a glass of sherry out for Father
Christmas (and a carrot for Rudolph, of course) and found the plates and glass empty
the following morning, with crumbs scattered close by.

A Telltale Trail
A messy, but magical way to show your children that Father Christmas has been is to
scatter some glitter on the carpet near the Christmas tree, wet the bottom of a pair of
(clean!) boots and take a few steps through the glitter. If you’re lucky enough to have
snow at Christmas time, you could even leave some footprints on the path outside
(great for families without a chimney!).

A Thoughtful Letter
This could be a great activity for nannies, childminders or other childcare providers
to facilitate. Children could write and decorate thoughtful thank-you notes to Father
Christmas, to leave alongside the midnight snack they will leave out for him.

Attention to Detail
Remember that children notice far more than we give them credit for. Familiar
wrapping paper or a forgotten price tag could be the telltale signs that give the game
away.

Some children, especially younger ones, can find the idea of Father Christmas to be
very frightening. It is understandable – after all, who likes the idea of strange men
creeping around the house at night, even if they do come bearing gifts? There’s no
need to push the myth if you don’t want to. Many families choose to forego Father
Christmas altogether and their Christmases are no less magical for it. If you choose
to keep Father Christmas, and your child is concerned, there are some ways to help.
Many parents find it helpful to tell the child that they will tell Father Christmas to
come to the door and give the presents to the parents, therefore not coming into the
house at all.

It is also worth considering that the traditional “bribe” of the Father Christmas threat
(“If you’re not good, you won’t get any presents”) could pile a lot of pressure on
children who, when young, have little to no impulse control. Christmas time is
supposed to be fun and enjoyable – not full of worry and stress, least of all for the
little ones.

And when the time comes that the children are old enough to start figuring out that
Father Christmas cannot exist, many parents simply tell them that the spirit and magic
of Father Christmas lives in the hearts of all of us – the spirit of giving to others at
Christmas time.

…And there’s definitely truth in that.