Back to school is often a nightmarish time for working parents. At a time of year where colds, illness, and head lice are rife, not to mention tantrums and an unwillingness to go back to school, it’s a time where your nanny can make the difference between a bad day and a great day.
We’ve put together our top tips for both nannies and parents to help with the back-to-school transition.
Child-led play is exactly what it sounds like; children choose what to play and the adults follow the child’s lead. The sole purpose of this type of play is to allow children to explore and discover independently whilst making their own choices and decisions about what to do.
We’ve put together some tips to help you encourage child-led play whilst also identifying learning opportunities:
Continue reading “What is Child-Led Play and Why is it So Important?”
The summer holidays can be stressful for parents and nannies alike. Trying to find new and exciting activities to keep the kids entertained every day is no easy feat. When you consider the many rainy days experienced in the average British summertime, you might find that you and your children are going a little stir crazy.
Over the summer holidays, libraries all around the country will be pulling out all the stops kids entertained by putting on various activities including hosting character visits and read-a-longs to craft or computer sessions, and much more.
Continue reading “Why You Should Visit Your Local Library This Summer”
Having one baby is hard work, we all know that. The thing is, unless you have a multiple birth (or children very close in age) you don’t realise just how tiring and relentless (although extremely rewarding!) looking after two or more tiny tots can be.
So, as always, we have a wealth of top tips to help if you have your own, or nanny for, twins or triplets:
Having one baby is hard work, we all know that. The thing is, unless you have a multiple birth (or children very close in age) you don’t realise just how tiring and relentless (although extremely rewarding!) looking after two or more tiny tots can be.
So, as always, we have a wealth of top tips to help if you have your own, or nanny for, twins or triplets:
For more help and information on twins and multiple births visit Twins Trust | Twins Trust – We support twins, triplets and more…
British summertime is often unpredictable when it comes to the weather. It’s not unheard of to experience rain, sun, wind and even snow all in the same day. That’s why we’ve put together our top summer holiday activities for kids that you can do, no matter the weather.
British summertime is often unpredictable when it comes to the weather. It’s not unheard of to experience rain, sun, wind and even snow all in the same day. That’s why we’ve put together our top summer holiday activities for kids that you can do, no matter the weather.
Continue reading “Perfect Summer Holiday Activities for Children”
Being a parent is tough! Being a nanny is tough! Working in a nursery is tough! Raising a child is one of the most rewarding, but also one of the most challenging things you could ever do. The trouble with constantly taking care of the needs of your child or young charges is that it’s easy to push aside your own which can quickly lead to burnout that can affect both you and your children.
Try these top tips to help you take care of and re-energise yourself:
Continue reading “Childcare is Tough! Stay Energised with These Top Tips!”
Hiring a nanny means finding someone who you can entrust your children to all through the day. As you will be opening your home to the nanny, it is extremely important that you don’t make mistakes that mean you’ll end up regretting hiring her. If you wish to successfully hire a nanny, all you need to do is follow these simple steps.
Determine the Type of Nanny You Want To Hire
Generally, there are two types of nannies: live in and live out. Live-in nannies, as the name implies, are child-caregivers who stay with you in your house. If you are looking for someone who can take care of your children all through the day and sometimes through the night, or your work / life hours are often changeable and you need different hours each week you you might consider hiring a live-in nanny. On the other hand, if you are simply trying to balance your work and personal life, you might prefer a live-out nanny. Remember that a live-in Nanny will need her own space, ideally a bedroom with an en-suite and she will need to be able to use the house a bit like her own on her time off so if you don’t like the thought of someone being there in your family time this may not be for you. Like regular employees, live-out nannies have specific working hours during the day. Nannies of each type provide different benefits. In essence, what seems to be the advantage of one proves to be a disadvantage of the other, and vice versa.
Before the Interview Process
Write a detailed job description including the duties that you want the nanny to take up. Remember though that the more chores you give the nanny, the less time she’ll spend looking after your children. You could ask some of your friends, neighbours or family for essential pointers on what to look for in a nanny.
During the Interview
You can conduct two to three interviews before you hire a nanny. Do not let your children get involved during the first interview. During this phase, you are still figuring out whether or not you move to the second interview. Ask vital questions related to the resume and discuss with the applicant your expectations, as well as your children’s personalities. Make sure that the applicant can provide references from previous employers.
Calling previous clients to ask about her performance is vital before hiring the nanny. Do not hire a nanny without investigating her background and work experience. Ask about previous traffic accidents, driving under the influence, or any criminal offences. You may also want to check her work visa, passport, driving license, criminal record, etc. If you are using the services of a nanny agency, you need to make sure that they have already verified the candidate’s DBS.
If you decide you are interested in pursuing the applicant, you may now want to conduct subsequent interviews that include your whole family. Always maintain a comfortable level of communication so that you can easily spot potential problems before you hire a nanny.
Do not commit to hire a nanny until you’ve had the opportunity to investigate her records. If everything goes well, detail a written agreement with the nanny and make sure the contract includes the nanny’s duties, terms of employment, wages, taxes and insurance.
Anyone can become a nanny, but how to be a good nanny is a totally different story. If you want to impress your employer then you have to be able to demonstrate the qualities of good nannies. Here are some tips for fulfilling the role of a good nanny.
Anyone can become a nanny, but how to be a good nanny is a totally different story. If you want to impress your employer then you have to be able to demonstrate the qualities of good nannies. Here are some tips for fulfilling the role of a good nanny.
Be Respectful and Well-Mannered
If you offer a full time nanny service, the chances are you will be living in an environment that could be radically different from what you are accustomed to. If you have a different religion, or are from a different race, have different values or culture, will you be able to adapt to and respect their environment? You may have a distinct child rearing philosophy that deviates from that of your employer. If so, are you willing to adapt and follow child rearing rules set by the parents?
If you are a live-out nanny, make sure to let your employers know about emergency absences immediately so they can make alternative arrangements. A good nanny is respectful and realises that parents rely on her punctuality so they can go to work without any delays.
Be Playful and Creative
Encourage the children to be as active as possible. Find something fun and productive to distract them from spending long hours in front of the television. You may take them to the park or museums, read to them, or get them involved in artistic activities. If you are playful and creative you will be a real asset and prove to be a good nanny to the family.
Keep Children Safe All the Time
Always make safety a priority when you are in charge of the overall wellness of the children. You may not be aware of it but your employer will be keeping out an eye on you all the time. Holding the child’s hand while crossing the street, closing the gate, and fastening the child in the car seat are just a few instances where you will be keenly observed by your employer. So if you want to know how to become a good nanny, the answer is straight and simple, treat the children as if they are your own.
Maintain Open Lines of Communication
Your employers need you to openly communicate with them as this is the only way for both parties to catch up. You need to understand that they will be interested in what the children have been up to the whole day. Open communication will also keep your employers up-to-date of any problems. On another note, you need to know how you can communicate with them easily as concerns may arise any time of the day.
It is extremely important to remember that a nanny plays a vital role in nurturing a child. So if you want to know how to become a good nanny, think like a parent wondering how to be a good parent and you won’t go far wrong.
In a competitive market a nanny who regularly refreshes and expands their skills will stand out from the crowd. Luckily a number of training providers have stepped in to fill the gap but it can still be hard to find a course that is on a date that suits you in a location that you find convenient. To help you along Nannyjob have secured discounted courses for you. Check out the courses on offer here Training for Nannies – Nannyjob
In celebration of this we’ve pulled together 3 top tips to make sure you get bang for your buck!
1. Ask About Course content
Don’t be afraid to ask questions about what is covered in the course. A good training company will be able to give you a fairly detailed breakdown of the topics you’ll encounter, which will help you decide whether the course is worth your time.
2. Check Accreditation
A course which has been accredited will have undergone a certain amount of scrutiny from the awarding body, which means you can have a measure of confidence in the delivery and assessment procedures. Some awarding bodies, such as CACHE, will also check the content of the course to ensure that it’s factual and based on best practice.
3. Get opinions
It’s rare to find a course or training provider that everyone raves about, although they do exist, and one nanny’s meat is another nanny’s poison and all that BUT if you get overwhelmingly negative reviews or the same bad points keep coming out then do take that into account.
Holidays can be a sticky topic for nannies and employers to discuss. Every employee has the right to take 5.6 weeks (28 days full time, pro rata for part time positions) holiday per year. This breaks down to 8 Bank holidays and 4 weeks of other holiday, which is how it’s been expressed for many years in nanny contracts, although with an increase in part-time positions this is no longer a good idea.
Holidays can be a sticky topic for nannies and employers to discuss. Every employee has the right to take 5.6 weeks (28 days full time, pro rata for part time positions) holiday per year. This breaks down to 8 Bank holidays and 4 weeks of other holiday, which is how it’s been expressed for many years in nanny contracts, although with an increase in part-time positions this is no longer a good idea.
Many people plan to take their most substantial holiday between June and September to benefit from the summer weather or because they are restricted by school holidays. It’s important to agree ahead of time when holidays will be so both parties have a chance to make plans, particularly as prices during school holidays can be very high. It’s not unheard of among nannies for employers to only inform their nanny of holiday plans at the very last minute, leaving the nanny with 2 weeks holiday that they’ve made no plans for.
For nannies it’s never a good idea to book a holiday without clearing it first with your employers. Employers can refuse holiday requests, although they do have to enable you to take your holiday at some point during the year. Most contracts say the holiday is 50% the employer’s choice and 50% the nanny’s but this is a custom rather than a legal right. It may be very inconvenient for you employer to find cover for you that week so communicate your plans well in advance and try to offer a couple of different dates. Your employers should appreciate the flexibility. The best case scenario is to sit down at the beginning of the school or calendar year and work out when holidays are likely. Then as plans firm up you can confirm or change holiday plans.
A common stumbling block is when employers take more holiday that they have given their nanny in the contract. There is no legal right to have more holiday than the 5.6 weeks every employee is entitled to, however it is a customary perk (and excellent compensation for working long hours) to give a nanny additional paid time off when their employer is away. If your contract explicitly states that there is more holiday then this is a contractual right. A nanny might be asked to do some jobs around the home while their charges are away, such as sorting through toys or clothes, batch cooking for the freezer, buying and naming new school uniform or spring cleaning children’s rooms. If you do request this additional work from your nanny then leave them the autonomy to decide when it’s done. They may choose to ‘work from home’ buying and naming school uniform, or spend an evening sorting clothes or cooking instead of arriving at 8am.
Finding cover for a nanny can be a problem; If it’s impossible to take time off working and you have no family support then investigate activity camps for older children, or ask your nanny if any of their friends would be interested in a week or two of extra work. Alternatively a temporary nanny will provide the same level of cover you are used to – particularly important if you need to travel for work or work long hours. You can either use an agency or search our database to find a temporary nanny.
As always, communicating with each other about your plans is vital! If you do this then there’s no reason holidays should cause any hassle!
Image © Siart | Dreamstime Stock Photos & Stock Free Images
