In Home Child care
Nanny Poppinz™, Nannies have your child or children and their safety and well-being as their primary focus. The expectation for in home child care is that it should not include tasks not related to your children and their care. Minimize asking your Nanny to perform non-childcare related tasks that may take away from what should be their primary focus - the care, safety and nurturing of your child(ren). Tasks directly related to childcare can be within the realm of a Nanny's job description, however - depending upon the circumstances of your family. these may include:
- Children's laundry
- Prepare children's meals
- Clean dishes/wipe down kitchen after children's meals
- Load/unload the dishwasher
- Keep children's bedrooms and play areas straightened up or help the children to do these
An experienced Nanny may abandon good order to spend the day exploring the difference between leaves, grass and trees with your toddler or practicing cutting anything the color "green" out of a magazine with your preschooler. Nannies are typically tolerant when children repeatedly make the same mistakes and can often be patiently intuitive of a child's way (because it is his/her profession, it common for an experienced Nanny to be very knowledgeable in the ways and of child(ren). Remember that he/she is there to mentor, guide, teach, and nurture your child(ren).
Encourage a positive, long term employment relationship between you and your Nanny, start by looking over your job description and eliminate that which even you couldn't accomplish in a day. Know that the individual you are looking for should be primarily interested in giving the best childcare possible to your children. A Nanny who cares for one infant who takes morning and afternoon naps should be able to complete basic laundry for the infant and keep the house in the condition that he/she found it. As the number of children increase and/or the children get older and more mobile, you may be seeing more finger paintings and less "chores which were accomplished". A great Nanny will usually choose to complete the finger painting, rather than worry about whether every last toy is carefully stored in its proper place.
Many families find the best solution to the "care for children" vs. "clean the house" dilemma is a weekly or biweekly housekeeper to handle the heavy cleaning (full vacuuming, dusting, bath and powder rooms, mopping floors, etc). Nanny Poppinz™ can help you with that too. Nanny and family (including the children as they get older) can maintain day to day order; the housekeeper will be in as schedule to handle the rest.
The benefit of hiring a Nanny Poppinz™ Nanny is the personal bond that only an experienced Nanny is capable of forming with your children. If you are thinking of hiring a Nanny, make sure that you take the time and effort to make this bond possible, and to therefore make your children's, your Nanny's, and your experience more worthwhile.