Once you’ve found a nanny that you like, how can you ensure that you keep her? “Be a good boss,” advises Mary O’Connor, former president of the International Nanny Association and owner of an agency for nanny services.
To find out how refer to your work environment.
What do you consider to be a great boss and what is the reason? What keeps people loyal to their employer? What is it about your employer that you are not happy about? Your responses could provide insights into the needs of your nanny to feel comfortable and valued.
A few pointers:
- Give a fair nanny salary. As you wouldn’t want to earn an unsatisfactory wage at your job, and neither should your Nanny. Based on the location you live in and the number of youngsters you’ve, what tasks your nanny is required to perform, as well as her qualifications and experience and experience, you could be paying anywhere between AEd2000 and AED3000 per month or more for a total of full month of service.
- If you can provide accommodation and food it could be less, dependent on her previous experiences and expectations. If you intend to employ your nanny for more than eight hours per day or more than 5 days per week, you must compensate her for overtime.
- To find out what a fair wage is in your local area and ask parents in your area who have a nanny what they earn or talk to the International Nanny Association.
- Provide good benefits. To make sure that your nanny is happy, you can create a delicious incentive package within your contract of employment that should include vacation days, paid holidays as well as vacation time. Parents may provide a vehicle for their nanny to use. (Make certain she’s protected under your insurance company for cars, as the cost is often high.)
- Be sure to treat her as a professional. Your job might be at a house instead of the office space, however, all nannies are taking their work seriously and you should too. If you’re confident about her capabilities, demonstrate you are confident in her abilities. You can trust that she will perform well and don’t doubt her choices.
- If you have something you’d prefer to be done differently Do not assume that she’s wrong and that you’re right. Be respectful of her way of thinking and tell her without defying them that there is a unique style of how you’d like to have it done.
- Resolve any issues or complaints that you be facing respectfully. Do not attack her personally, and focus on the issue that is at hand.
- Establish ground rules, and adhere to them. Remember that you have hired your nanny to take care of the child. They’re not housekeepers and shouldn’t be required to perform massive housework unless the contract stipulate this at the start.
- If the hours are scheduled to end at 6 p.m. Make sure you’re at home by that time (emergencies are not allowed). If you must request that she stay later make sure you compensate her fair. Keep in mind that she’s got her own life to live, and if she’s not in the same house as you do, she might have a family member to take back to after a long day. (See our post on setting ground rules for childcare.)
- Show your gratitude. Do you remember how great it feels when your boss tells you the importance you have to their colleagues? Your nanny should be reminded of the same. She’s performing a crucial job for you, so it’s essential to remind her regularly how much you appreciate her and the work she’s performing.
- It is possible to send your nanny a thank you note every time she’s doing something special or give her small gifts. If you’ve stopped off at the market while driving home, make sure you give her some fruit fresh. If it’s been a tough week for everyone then a bottle of bubble bath is an excellent gesture of gratitude.
- Enjoy her birthday celebration and other celebrations. You’ll also be thrilled to receive an unexpected cash reward for a job well done.
- Be flexible. Be prepared for some adjustments in the schedule of your nanny as you don’t let her make use of this. Sometimes, you need to leave in the day to go to appointments with your doctor or for other personal tasks. Your nanny will too.
- If she gives you ample time to make a substitution or alter your schedule, you should be able to meet her demands.
- Be open and honest. If you’re having praises or issues be sure to contact your nanny regularly and frequently. If she is comfortable with you and open to discussion about anything, she’ll be more inclined to come up with suggestions and queries.
- Numerous nannies boast about the benefits of having a written list of tasks. Write down what you need to do along with the date that you recorded it as well as a “due date” if you have to finish it within a specific date. Create a separate column in which you can write down the importance of the different tasks to help your nanny know which tasks to take care of when she has some spare time
- Consider your nanny as an individual and not only as an employee. The nanny’s job is likely to be to look after children, however, she lives her own life. If she’s still young, she’ll need evenings off to spend time with people of her age. If she has children with her, do not keep the hours that you need to, or she’ll feel as if she’s forced to choose between her children and your own.
- Remain respectful of her privacy, and teach your children to respect their privacy as well. If your nanny is living with you, ensure that everyone in your household knows that once the day is over, she’s done. The days she has free should be her own, without asking for any last-minute help with household chores or babysitting.
- Make sure to communicate this information to your child too If, for example, your nanny is off on Sundays Make sure that your child is aware this isn’t the best time to knock on her front door and request breakfast.
Nanny care: Positives and Negatives
What are the benefits of having a nanny?
Parents with good Nannies are raving about them. They love not having to worry about the issues of relying on their relatives or dealing with the hassle of regular drop-offs and pickups at the center.
Staying at home. “Mornings aren’t particularly stressful in my home since I don’t have to bundle Megan out the door, dressed and ready,” says Moira French, a full-time mother of two. With a nanny’s help, your child is in a familiar environment and can sleep and eat according to her own time.
One-on-one care. Parents also report it’s reassuring to know that your child doesn’t compete with other children for attention as she does in a daycare. Naomi Langer, an architect living in Los Angeles, says she was immediately sold on the idea of hiring a nanny as her daughter would receive individual daily care. “I was worried that if she was in daycare, she wouldn’t be the first one tended to when she cried or needed something.”
Flexibility. Scheduling is also more flexible when you hire the help of a nanny than the daycare center which closes every day at the exact time each day. If you are hiring a nanny, make sure you discuss ahead of time how you’ll handle any last-minute changes. So, you’ll be aware of how much flexibility the nanny will have in her schedule. Also, the nanny will be aware of what her rate of pay will be for this extra time.
What are the negatives?
The nanny’s care is generally unsupervised, so it’s essential to choose someone you can trust according to Mary O’Connor, former president of the International Nanny Association. You’ll need to find a new one when your nanny decides to quit.
There are no alternatives for backup care. “We switched our son to a daycare center after our third nanny in 13 months quit on us,” says Susan Webb, a mother of three in Amherst, Massachusetts. “We wanted a situation that wouldn’t leave us in the lurch.” It is possible to minimize the impact of a nanny’s absence by making it clear in your contract how the amount of notice she must give you. A month is the norm. It also gives you time to search for an alternative.
There is less social interaction with your child. The social life of your child is an additional issue Preschool and daycare automatically place children in daily contact with other children however home care does not. To overcome this issue it is possible to enroll your child in classes or ask the caregiver to accompany trips regularly to ensure the necessary connection with other kids.
Cost is an issue. Nanny care could costly type of child care to some families. According to a study conducted by the International Nanny Association, the typical nanny’s salary is approximately AED2500 monthly, however, that number may vary.
There is a possibility that you can make a lesser payment to live-in arrangements.
Privacy issues. Parents may feel that they’re infringing on privacy by having an outside caregiver at home all day, searching through the fridge to prepare meals, and juggling all other aspects of life.
