Category: nannies

Summer 2012 Fun Activities With The Kids!

With the days finally drawing out, and the smell of Summer hanging optimistically in the air, comes a wonderful time to think about doing things outdoors with the little ones. However – many of us feel a sensation of mild panic – how will we fill the long Summer days, and make the most of the weeks on end where there is no school or nursery to take over?

Children love being outside when the weather is fine, they can talk louder, jump higher, run faster and get dirtier. So what better excuse to lock away the games consoles and DVDs, and get some good old fashioned colour in their cheeks?! For the good of childminders, nannies and parents alike, here are our top ideas to keep children of mixed age groups occupied in the great outdoors (good old Blighty weather-dependant of course!):

Nature Drawing

If you have some woodland locally, or would prefer to just explore the garden, this is a great opportunity to wander around with sketchpads and take advantage of getting children to draw what they see. Whether it is sketching flowers, worms, trees or simply scribbling with some colour pencils for smaller tots, this is a lovely way of getting their creative juices flowing. This is also a great way to teach children the names of trees and flowers at the same time, and gives them something to stick on the wall once they get back inside.

Host your own back garden Olympics!

What better an activity for this Summer, whilst the professionals are battling it out in London, why not get into the spirit in your own way by setting up an Olympics style tournament for the children? The back garden, or local park are perfect locations, and kids will love choosing what ‘events’ they would like to compete in, be it running races, jumping into a sandpit, throwing bean bags as far as possible or whatever ideas they have! From making signs, leader boards and marking out tracks, there are many hours of fun to be had and you are sure to have stress-free bed-times after all the exercise!

Teddy bears picnic

No matter how many children you are responsible for, a teddy bears picnic is a great way for them to feel that their friends are included – whether they are fellow play mates, or a host of teddy bear friends! Set up beside a big tree for shade, cover picnic tables with gingham table cloths, and have large picnic blankets for the kids and their special friends to sit on. Make sure you send each special teddy his own invitation, and make place name cards for each one. Make some simple teddy ears for each child, by attaching ovals of brown felt to basic headbands, and paint the end of each little nose with black face paint, to make them really feel like one of their fluffy friends. Oh, and don’t forget to sing ‘If you go down to the woods today….’

Cycling

What’s that saying again – once you learn how to ride a bike you never forget?! Well, prove that you haven’t by hiring bikes with the kids and going on a designated route, or simply hitting the park for the morning. If you look after children who are too small to ride, bikes with baby seats are available to hire, and mean that everyone can be involved. www.cyclehireinfo.com offers great information and advice about hiring bikes all over the UK.

Whatever you decide to do, make sure you get out there and enjoy the good weather whilst its here! Why not let us know what you plan to get up to by posting your summer activities onto our Facebook page?

Nanny Contract: Why and How

When you hire a nanny, you become an employer.  And as an employer, you will need to provide your nanny with a contract detailing important information about her responsibilities as your employee, and your responsibilities as her employer.

Why Do We Need a Written Contract?
Verbal agreements are legally binding, but they are open to interpretation.  Furthermore, providing a written contract shows that you take your responsibilities as her employer seriously, and that is important.  Feeling valued is a big part of being a happy nanny – and happy nannies are usually great nannies.

Employment law will protect both of you regardless of whether or not you have a nanny contract in place, but a contract is personal to your own circumstances.  Employment law covers the basics.

What Should be Covered in a Nanny Contract?
There are two schools of thought here.  Some believe that a nanny contract should be extensive, covering things like duties and house rules (if the nanny is live-in).  Others say that the contract should cover the basics, and that the details of day-to-day tasks and responsibilities should be covered in a separate job description document.  Either way, your nanny contract should always include the following points:

Your name and the nanny’s name
Place of work
Start date (and end date, if the nanny is filling a temporary position such as maternity leave)
Job title
Weekly working hours
Details of the nanny’s salary – including when and how often she will be paid
Details of the nanny’s holiday entitlement
Details of the nanny’s sick leave entitlement
Details of the nanny’s pension (if there is no pension plan, this should be stated)
Notice period
Probation/trial period (if there is one)
Information on disciplinary procedures
Details of sackable offences.

How Can I Be Sure Our Contract is Legally Satisfactory?
If you use a nanny agency to hire your nanny, they will be able to provide you with a sample contract that you can amend as necessary.  If you wish to create your own contract from scratch, it may be a wise idea to seek advice from a professional.

The nanny contract should, ideally, be drawn up and signed by both parties (and the nanny provided with a copy) before the nanny starts work.  In any case, the contract should always be dealt with within one or two months of the nanny’s employment start date.

What If We Want to Change the Contract?
If you and your nanny wish to change any terms on your nanny contract, you are free to do so at any time.  A new contract should be drawn up and signed by both parties, making the old contract obsolete.

Nanny Interview Tips: What to Ask

When you interview for a nanny job, it’s not just you going under scrutiny.  The interview is an opportunity for both nanny and employer to figure out if they are a good fit for one another.

 

During your interview, there will be a time that your prospective employer asks you if you have any questions for them.  So what kind of questions should you be asking?

 

Parenting Style

It is very important that you and your employer are in agreement with how the children should be raised.  You need to feel comfortable employing the same or similar discipline methods as the parents would use.  It would not be fair for your employer to expect you to use, for example, time-outs, if that is not something you are comfortable with – instead, they should find a nanny whose childcare philosophy meshes with their own.  Similarly, the parents need to know that their own efforts to discipline their children are not going to be undermined when they are in the care of their nanny.  Be sure that you are both on the same page.  It is worth bringing a written list of specific questions relating to common situations – for example, what would the parents do if an older sibling hit a younger one, or if a sibling is repeatedly snatching from another.

 

Holidays

By law, nannies are entitled to 5.6 weeks of holiday per year, which includes 4 working weeks of standard leave and 8 bank holidays as paid days off.  Some nannies will be offered more holiday than this, but this is the statutory amount that, by law, you are entitled to.  When interviewing for a new nanny job, it is worth discussing how the timings of your holidays will be arranged. Unlike most other jobs, it generally isn’t possible to take time off whenever you feel like you need a break, because the parents will need to find additional childcare for that time which can be difficult to do.  What many nannies agree with their employers is that they will choose when to take two of their weeks, and the employers will choose the other two weeks – they may choose the time to coincide with when they will be taking a family holiday, or when the parents themselves have time off work.  Finding out where each of you stand when it comes to holiday now will save having to deal with aggravation later down the line.

 

Other Duties

It is essential to find out at an early stage if you will be required to complete any other duties on top of your childcare duties.  Housekeeping arrangements can be somewhat of a bugbear if not dealt with early on. Obviously, you will need to do a basic amount of housekeeping in order to keep the home running smoothly whilst you are in charge, but it is worth finding out if your employer expects you to do anything on top of the required amount of laundry, cooking and picking up after yourself and the children.  Nannies are generally not housekeepers too, but some will happily take on extra housekeeping duties – find out what your employer expects.

Private Tutor 101

What is a private tutor?

A private tutor is a highly knowledgeable, usually somewhat qualified individual who teaches students privately to help them develop their knowledge of certain subjects.  Tutoring can be a fulfilling and very lucrative part-time job – or even full time, if you gain enough students.

 

Who would hire a private tutor?

Private tutors teach tutees of all age groups, from very young children to mature adults.  There are a huge number of reasons why someone might hire a private tutor – private tutoring is popular with many different people.  They may be:

 

  • A teenager wanting to improve on a certain subject that they are struggling with for their GCSE’s
  • Parents of a home educated child, who feel that their own knowledge or teaching skills in some subjects is lacking
  • A mature student (or indeed any student) who feels the need to ‘bulk up’ their learning outside of school hours
  • Anybody who feels they need a more tailored approach to education than a school environment can offer

 

How much will a private tutor cost?

Depending on the subject and level of education, you can expect to pay somewhere between £20-£35 per hour for private tutoring.  However, many trainee teachers will offer their services as a private tutor for much less than this as a way to hone their teaching skills further.  If the private tutor will have to travel, it is generally expected that the tutee will pay their travel expenses.

 

I want to become a private tutor. What qualifications do I need?

You will need to have an excellent level of knowledge in the subject you wish to teach, plus the ability to tailor your teaching techniques to your student.  Excellent interpersonal skills are of a very high priority.  It is not necessary to have a teaching qualification, however your level of formal qualification will dictate how much you can charge.  PGCE graduates will be able to charge more than those who haven’t qualified yet, just as experienced teachers will be able to charge more than NQT’s (Newly Qualified Teachers)

 

How can I find work as a private tutor?

You can advertise your services anywhere you wish – local papers, shop windows and billboards are popular choices. However, arguably the best way to advertise is through specialist agencies.  These of course will charge a fee but many feel that it is a small price to pay to ensure your ad reaches those who want to see it.  Many private tutors find work solely through word-of-mouth recommendations, so do a good job and you may find your tutees spread the word!

 

Is there anything else I need to know?

As a private tutor you will be self-employed, so you will need to deal with your own income tax and National Insurance contributions.  Also, it would be very beneficial for you to obtain an enhanced CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) check.  At the present time it is not possible for individuals to obtain these, so signing up with an agency for private tutors would be a good idea.

A Career As A Nanny, Is It For You?

What is a nanny?

A nanny is a professional childcare provider.  A nanny works in a similar way to a childminder, with the difference that she will work in the client’s home rather than in her own home.

What does a nanny do?

Many people are under the assumption that being a nanny is easy.  They think that it’s simply a case of playing with somebody else’s children all day. Well, there is playing involved, but there’s a lot more to it than that.

A nanny will usually work long hours, and will spend the majority of her time ferrying children around to various activities, doing the school run, preparing meals and tidying up after the children. As a nanny, you will earn a reasonably good wage but you will not usually get very much time off.

Being a nanny is hard graft.  You will need to have excellent interpersonal skills and a high level of patience.  As well as looking after the children, you will likely be responsible for some housekeeping too – the level of which should be negotiated when drawing up your contract.

However, the rewards are not just monetary.  Being a nanny can be an incredibly enjoyable and rewarding job for somebody who loves taking care of children.  It is a very important job – the children you care for will remember you for the rest of their lives.  You will be the person who is mostly responsible for their day-to-day care, therefore the bond you will forge with them will be strong.

 

Why a nanny?

All kinds of families hire nannies, but the majority of families that do are busy, full-time working parents.  They choose nannies because they are the most convenient solution to their childcare needs. They often start work early and finish late, so they need a childcare provider who will either be on-site (most nannies are live-in nannies) or who will come to the house to work.  They haven’t got the time to be dropping off and picking up their children from nursery or from a childminders home.

Additionally, many parents prefer to use a nanny because it can be beneficial emotionally for the children.  It is vitally important that children are able to form strong attachments with their carers in their early years.  A nanny often becomes like a much-loved relative, or even a third parent.  This kind of bond is very important and this may well be the parents’ motivation for choosing a nanny.

What qualifications do I need to be a nanny?

Although you do not technically need any qualifications to be a nanny, employers will be looking for proof of your skills.  The N.N.E.B Diploma is widely recognised and, up until recently, was considered to be the only nanny qualification that was necessary.  Now, there are many courses you can attend to gain skills, but an N.N.E.B Diploma is what employers will be looking for.

However, many experienced and brilliant nannies will have no formal qualifications. They will have excellent references, though, and many years of experience under their belts.

You will also need to provide an enhanced disclosure to be able to work as a nanny in the UK, and at least a basic first aid certificate.

Please note – for the purpose of this article I have referred to nannies as female. However, there are male nannies out there, but they are not as common as female nannies.

Childcare: Which Provider is Right for You?

Childcare is something that nearly all parents will have to consider at some stage. Nowadays, most parents need to work at least part-time, or they may choose to work.  Even those that are full time stay-at-home parents will probably need to utilise the services of a childcare provider at some point during their children’s lives.

 

There are lots of options available to choose from when it comes to childcare.  In this article, we will go over the commonly available childcare providers in the hope that we will make a sometimes-difficult (and often emotional) decision a little easier.

 

Childminders

Childminders are self-employed childcare professionals who look after children in their own homes, from very young babies to pre-teens.  They are usually able to provide flexible hours, and are sometimes able to pick up and drop off children, which can make life a little easier for a busy working parent.  Childminder rates across the country vary, but the average is £3.84 per child per hour.  The benefits of using a childminder are many, especially for the child who will usually find it easier to settle in than they would at a nursery.

 

Nurseries

Nurseries provide childcare to many children at once.  They generally accept children from a few weeks old, until the age of four.  The children are usually cared for in large groups, with the babies being kept separately from the older ones.  Many parents prefer to have a childminder or nanny to provide childcare for their little ones because the busy environment of a nursery can be too much for a baby or toddler.  However, some children thrive on the stimulating and structured environment of a nursery – it all depends on the child’s individual temperament.  Nursery fees vary, but for a child under two it can cost £177 per week for a full-time place – even more in inner London.

 

Nannies

Nannies provide childcare in the child’s home, and usually live on-site.  You would be the nanny’s employer, and therefore would be responsible for paying her tax and NI contributions.  Nannies are a popular childcare choice with parents who both work long hours.  They are generally the most expensive childcare provider, with their take-home wages ranging from £280-£380 per week.  Many parents see this as a small price to pay to have their childcare provider on site, available for unsociable hours if she is needed (although her hours will need to be agreed upon in advance and contracted).  There is also an emotional benefit to the children, who will be looked after by the same person each day in a familiar environment.

 

Au Pairs

Au pairs are usually the cheapest childcare option, as they don’t generally charge a real wage.  They will live in your home, so you will be required to feed them and house them, as well as paying them pocket money of a minimum of £65 per week if they are working 25 hours. Au pairs come from other European countries, and come to the UK on au pair schemes to improve their English whilst doing some babysitting to earn money.  They will also usually do some housekeeping.  Au pairs should be treated as part of the family rather than an employee, and they shouldn’t be required to work the same long hours of a nanny because they need time to study.

Jobs in Childcare

Childcare refers to supervising or caring for children under the age of eight years. It is also called early childhood education or early years education due to an increased awareness of the impact of early experiences of a child on his or her psychological development. With governments spending more on creating early childhood workforce to improve the quality of support young children receive; a lot of jobs in childcare are opening up.

Jobs in childcare are diverse and offer different roles and working environments. On a broader level, jobs in childcare can be divided into two categories – home-based care such as nannies and family care and centre-based care such as day-care and preschool.

Different levels of qualifications are needed to work at various stages of career in early years and there is a range of training and education available to help you qualify and pursue part-time or full-time jobs in childcare.

The Children’s Workforce Development Council regulates the statutory framework and qualifications norms required for various jobs in childcare in United Kingdom. Training starts from Foundation Level (also called Level 1) to Foundation Degree (Level 5). Level 6 is the gold standard for people working with children and is called EYPS or Early Years Professional Status.

Working with children can be a rewarding one but almost all jobs in childcare demand high energy levels. While it is fun playing with young children, you need to take your job seriously. You must always keep in mind that their parents have entrusted them to you and you are responsible for their safety and well-being.

Work as a Nanny

Becoming a nanny can be a satisfying career and it lets you contribute to a child’s learning and development. The responsibilities of a nanny may vary from one household to another depending on how you negotiate with the child’s parents but the basics remain the same. Normally you are expected to provide care for the child, mentally stimulate them by playing and reinforce appropriate discipline. You may also be required to cloth them, prepare meals and do the laundry.

Although nannies are largely female, male nannies or mannies are also not uncommon. These jobs can be part-time or full-time or on a live-in or live-out basis. Many parents and nanny placement agencies prefer you to have a professional childcare qualification such as Level 3 Diploma for jobs in childcare as defined by Children’s Workforce Development Council.

Work as a Childminder

The roles and responsibilities a childminder are similar to a nanny except that they work in their homes instead of the child’s home. They must have a professional qualification recognised by the local authority and must hold a paediatric first-aid certificate. They must register themselves with OFSTED or the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills. A childminder can only take care of a maximum of six children.

Work in Playgroups or Pre-schools

Pre-schools provide early education to children aged two to five years. They primarily focus on building social and educational skills in children through play and play-based activities. Pre-school education improves the confidence in the young children and helps them adapt faster to a school environment. This segment offers the most number of jobs in childcare.

Playgroups generally operate for about two to three hours during school term time. Playleaders or the people who take care of children in preschools are required to have at least a Level 3 qualification as defined for jobs in childcare by Children’s Workforce Development Council.

Work in Nurseries

Nurseries may operate as voluntary or community organisations or private business or as a part of a school. They vary greatly in size, handling about 15 children to around 100 children. There is greater emphasis on educational play and child development than childcare alone.

Normally you can join a nursery as a trainee nursery assistant without a childcare qualification but to progress further in the career you need a minimum Level 3 qualification. With adequate experience and proper qualifications, you can move up to become a qualified nursery assistant, supervisor and finally a manager of the nursery.

The Manny Poppins Phenomenon

Childcare is no more a career for the girls. Male nannies or mannies, as they are known, are increasingly invading what can almost exclusively be considered as a female turf. Working mothers are increasingly open to the idea of hiring mannies rather than nannies.

According to a survey, eight of ten parents replied that hiring a manny is more acceptable today than it was ten years ago. 94 percent of respondents said they would surely consider hiring a manny to take care of their children. And about 20 percent said someone they knew actually had a manny.

According to an October 2009 survey by Children’s Workforce Development Council, mannies form a miniscule 1 percent of over 30,000 registered nannies working in England. Though this number is small, what is worth noting is that more males are looking at childcare as a long term career option and have a strong commitment towards working with children.

Another trend in nanny business is mushrooming of agencies specialising in male nannies. Though there is a societal prejudice over males entering childminding business, the manny population is on a steady rise.

Some celebrities like Britney Spears, Jemima Khan and Gwyneth Paltrow are among those who hired the services of a manny and certainly had the media talk about it but there is also a general surge in the public interest about manny services. So why is there a sudden interest in manny poppins phenomenon?

Matthew Black, who has been in manny business for eight years, said that the threat of an attractive female spending so much time in the house is an issue to working mothers. Male nannies, on the other hand, do not offer any titillation to fathers and do not stoke the natural female insecurity, jealousy and suspicion in anxious mothers.

Mothers are also happy that their boys are at more ease with a manny than a nanny. Mannies do not mind to go out, get a little dirty and play with the kids a lot more than nannies who just tolerate the boys. Young boys relate to their female nannies as an extension of their mom rather than simply a girl. But with a manny, it’s different. He is like their elder brother and the kids tend to be completely at ease with him.

“The attitudes are really changing. Earlier when someone hears the words male nanny, the first thing that would probably come to their mind is paedophilia. Such popular anxiety is lessening and now people view a manny with more respect and admiration. The bottom line is, man or woman, anyone can do anything to your kid. To think that only men can be sexual predators and female nannies are safe can give you a false sense of security but this is not true,” Black said.

He has a point. The idea that male nannies might be a sexual threat to children is overblown. A 1988 study by Crimes Against Children Research Centre at New Hampshire found that women are more likely to abuse children at daycares than males. Another 1995 academic research paper found that 23 percent of female sexual abusers were babysitters and 8 percent were teachers, only 8 percent of the male sexual abusers were babysitters and none were teachers. A 1997 BBC report found that 86 percent of sexual- abuse victims were not believed when they complained that their abusers were actually women.

Male nannies realise that they are entering what is traditionally a female bastion and hence put a lot more effort than nannies in doing their job. They usually have more education and experience and hence a more verifiable history than nannies. The natural hesitation over male nannies also drives agencies to conduct a more thorough background check and ensures only the most qualified come out on the top.

Mums At Work

Mums at Work

We hear a lot in the media these days about put upon working mums and the pressures they face, even in 2011, trying to combine a career with raising a family. Allison Pearson’s 2002 novel “I Don’t Know How She Does It” about a harassed working mother has now been made into a film starring Sarah Jessica Parker. A decade on, Pearson’s portrayal of a professional woman multi-tasking and tying to juggle family life with a career is still relevant. Let’s examine some of the issues facing working mothers in particular and see what needs to change.

“Having it all”

We’ve written before about the American study that deems “having it all” impossible. Its findings show that the so-called “supermoms” who try to be fantastic at work and at home put themselves under too much pressure and are more likely to succumb to depression. By comparison, those working mums who are more “realistic” and recognise that they cannot do it all fare much better.

In the opening scene of “I Don’t Know How She Does It” the protagonist, Kate Reddy, is in the kitchen furiously bashing shop-bought mince pies in an attempt to make them look homemade. It’s a very funny scene but it also pinpoints the societal pressure on women to work both the domestic and the professional. Hopefully, ten years on, most women have learned to accept that they can’t do it all. Outsourcing the household chores as much as is financially possible as well as educating one’s partner to see childcare as a shared responsibility goes some way towards helping ease the burden. Allowing a certain amount to slide is also an option! We can neither have it all nor do it all.

Staying put

In the trailer for “I Don’t Know How She Does It”, SJP’s character manically makes lists, rushing from the office to home while a neighbour tells her she and her kids “just fooled about in the park today”. When the pressures of juggling work with running a household and looking after the family seem overwhelming, it’s tempting to think that staying at home would be a doddle by comparison. But research shows again and again that work is good for women. Jamie Oliver, quoted in The Sunday Times Magazine at the weekend says that as he sees it, the women “that are most happy are the two- to three-dayers. I see both models of mum [those that work and those that stay at home] and definitely the ones that remain engaged, vivacious, humorous, have got the mechanism of work in their lives”. So according to Jamie, and others, there is a middle way.

Making it work

The fact is most women nowadays want to go out to work as well as have a family. Many have to in order to pay the bills. Excellent childcare is a must and NannyJob can help you in your quest to find the right nanny. If you wish to share a nanny and cut down on your childcare costs then that’s also an option.

And while it’s true that a good nanny will definitely lighten the working mum’s load, other things come into play too. A recent discussion on Radio 4’s “Women’s Hour” suggested that men were at the heart of any change in working practices amongst women. Having your partner share in household duties as well as getting them to share pick-ups and drop-offs will help. In the debate about rising childcare costs, we most often hear about women quitting their jobs because their take home pay after childcare means “it’s just not worth it”. Surely the childcare costs should be deducted from the parents’ joint income? Childcare needs to become the domain of men as well as women. And of course it’s not going to be perfect. Your partner may not do things exactly as you do; however, once again, being realistic is most important. With your partner’s cooperation, life is made somewhat easier for you.

Work life balance

Women need to remember too to slot in some “me time” in their busy lives. Merely getting out and going for a walk with a friend is good for your health and wellbeing. Prioritise this. The old adage “what’s good for mother is good for baby [or child]” is true.

So working women are under pressure – as are working men, we’ll leave that article for another day. What’s new you say? Accepting our limits and learning to compromise and assert ourselves will bring us some way towards harmony at home and at work.