Archive for June, 2010

Is Your Nanny Water Safety Certified?

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010

by, Lisa Werth  http://modernizingmarypoppins.com/
Lisa is a nanny with many years of experience

For more articles on nanny safety issues

In July of 2008 and now in June of 2010 two nannies have died in drowning accidents while caring for young charges. That is two nannies too many.

Many years ago, I myself as a nanny on duty at the time had to dive into a deep pool to pull a struggling child out of the water.

When I heard of both tragedies the immediate thought that came to mind was could they swim? Why did they never learn what to do in case of a water emergency?

After the first nanny died a few summers ago, I started to become vocal about the need for families with pools who were hiring caregivers to be responsible and hire only those that can swim. In May of 2009 I was out on a hike with another nanny one weekend near the Potomac River, and she asked if it was possible to swim in it? I looked at her as if she was crazy. Rivers have currents and the Potomac has big rocks.

This got me thinking though about what people do and don’t know about water in general and what precautions do they need to take.

With my charges, I like to get out in nature, whether it’s a trail over a creek or river, near a duck pond at a playground, or on the shoreline of a lake. I’ve done all types of things with them over the years. In hindsight, in most of those jobs my former employers never asked me if I could swim or test me for water safety knowledge.

Yes, I do know what to do; I nearly drowned when I was four. A childhood neighbor friend of mine did drown the summer we were twelve in a diving accident. A few years after that my cousin’s toddler drowned in a bath tub. I am perhaps hyper vigilant when it comes to children and water. I read all the articles and pamphlets that I come across about precautions and procedures to take.

According to the American Red Cross each year, more than 830 children ages 14 and under die as a result of unintentional drowning. On average, an annual 3,600 injuries occur to children due to a near-drowning incident.

I have been on many interviews with families that have pools, or go sailing and boating. Some live or vacation on waterfront properties. Many of my charges have been in swim lessons and then want to go to the pool or the beach, and the parents expected me to take them. Likewise, there are many nannies in our country working in situations where water is a part of the job. One thing I do know, is while life guards are good, it doesn’t mean a nanny should let down her guard.

I am American Red Cross Water Safety Certified. I received this training through a nanny retreat. At the International Nanny Association Conference in the spring of 2010 several others became certified in water safety too. It would be great to see a majority of nannies become trained in this. If there is a

nanny agency, association or organization in your area encourage them to offer a training time on water safety including the ARC certification.

Parents, if you are going to hire and nanny and you have a pool or even think there is the remote possibility of them being near or in any type of water, please insist that your nanny be trained in water safety. And, know water safety yourself; take the course together if you both need it. It is inexpensive and just a few short hours of your time.

After you complete the water safety training have drills with your nanny and children. Create Rules and plans for what to do in an emergency. Post them somewhere near your pool because in a panic situation having those steps there can be a extremely vital to help remind people on what to do.

Periodically look over the guidelines put out by the American Red Cross and other health and safety organizations. Know CPR and First Aid, sometimes the accidently drowning can occur after a slip and head injury. Have pool side medical emergency kits and devices to aid you if needed. Always have a cell phone nearby too. Put the address to your location on the safety rule board you have posted so if visitor needs to call 911 they can direct the dispatcher to where you are.

Please obey city ordinances regarding gates, covers, etc. around pools. Make sure household doors that lead off towards pools and bodies of water are securely locked so that curious little children don’t head out toward the water undetected.

Make sure your friends and neighbors know your expectations too. One time as a nanny, I came home while my employers and charges were away to discover some friends of theirs using the pool. Another time the neighborhood boys came over to apologize for being in it without telling their parents or us.

Here are some additional links for you to have as reference to go over with your family and nanny,

http://www2.redcross.org/services/hss/tips/healthtips/safetywater.html

http://kidshealth.org/kid/watch/out/water.html

http://www.safekids.org/safety-basics/safety-resources-by-risk-area/drowning/open-water-safety-tips.html

PLEASE, help prevent another child and nanny drowning tragedy.

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It seems like my nanny isn’t listening to me. I tell her one thing and she looks like she is agreeing and then will go and do something else.

Friday, June 25th, 2010

By, Dr. Lindsay Heller, The Nanny Doctor

As a professional nanny consultant, I hear from nannies and families all over the world about their struggles and daily challenges. The topic of a nanny not being a “self-starter” tends to be quite a common issue, however this topic is a bit more complex than it may seem on the surface. As with all nanny-family relationship issues, we need to look at both parties’ potential part in the problem. Take a look at this article on evaluating nanny success.

Examine how you are communicating your expectations and needs to your nanny. It is not enough sometimes to just tell your nanny to do something.

There are many factors that could affect communication. Ask yourself is there a language barrier issue? Is there a cultural misunderstanding? Are you not being clear in setting the expectations? Are you assuming that they “should know this because they are a nanny”? 

These are common contributing factors to the problem of your nanny not following through on one of your requests. The best way to communicate your expectations to your nanny is in a thorough, purposeful manner. This may mean:

1)   Demonstrating how you expect a task to be completed

2)   Writing out directions regarding your expectations

3)   Sitting down and setting aside some time to discuss why it didn’t work, or why it wasn’t exactly how you had requested.

If you troubleshoot and determine that there isn’t a language problem, it isn’t a cultural misunderstanding, you have set clear expectations, not made any assumptions, then it may be an employee behavioral problem. Your nanny may have an idea of how they are going to do something and have rigid beliefs that they have a better way of doing something. This is when you need to sit down and have a talk and explain to her that things cannot continue this way. Assess the current situation. State that you have requested she do xyz, and ask why she hasn’t been able to do xyz. Listen to your nanny, there may be a real reason why xyz is not happening. However, if there isn’t really an answer probe a little further and ask her what you can do to ensure that xyz happens. In other words, find out how you can set her up for success!

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Time to hire a nanny. Where do I start?

Monday, June 21st, 2010

     by, Dr. Lindsay Heller, The Nanny Doctor

        So you’ve decided that you need a nanny. The first thing you need to do is identify your family’s nanny needs. For more information on identifying your family’s nanny needs please see this Nanny Doctor video. Think about all of the practical needs like days, times, number of children, ages of children, etc. Additionally, think about the temperaments of your children, their activities. Do you need a nanny who drives? What will the nanny job duties be? Do you need someone who is an “all-things child” nanny? Or someone who also helps with housekeeping what we call a nanny-housekeeper?

        Here are some quick and easy steps to get you started:

        1) Identify your family’s specific needs

        2) Write up a nanny job description.

        3) Go to enannysource.com and begin to look at the nanny profiles. Consult your job description and begin to look at what nanny seems as though they would fit your family’s needs.

        4) It’s best to start this nanny search around 3 weeks before you actually need a nanny. Sometimes this process may seem overwhelming, allow enannysource to guide you through this process. For more support check out our Nanny Success Kit for details and tips about finding and maintaining the right nanny.

        5) Narrow down your search! Put your favorites on the My Top Picks list

        6) After you narrow down your search, e-mail the nanny using the enannysource mail system. Inquire about any questions or concerns you may have prior to setting up a phone interview.

        7) After you have found a couple of candidates, set up a phone interview.

        8) The next step is to check references and conduct a nanny background check. This is an essential step. Do not skip this step. Conducting a background check through enannysource.com is simple and easy.

        9) Interview your nanny in person and make a decision.

        10) Have a try-out period for your potential new nanny!

 This is just a quick list of how to get started. Go to the enannysource library for more information and details!

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We have found the right nanny for our family, what information should I keep on file about her?

Monday, June 14th, 2010

By, Dr. Lindsay Heller, The Nanny Doctor

Congratulations on finding the right nanny for your family! Now what? 

Once you have been through the interview process and the vetting and nanny background check and have decided on the right nanny for your family, it’s important to collect important information to have on file about your new household employee. You are now an employer and your household is now a workplace. This may be the first time you have ever managed or employed someone. Here is a list of things that you should have on file:

1)   a copy of your nanny’s driver’s license.

2)   A second form of identification

3)   A copy of her resume

4)   A copy of her references

5)   A copy of the nanny backgound check you conducted

6)   A copy of her cpr/first aid certification

7)   A copy of the signed work agreement

8)   A copy of her job description

9)   A copy of a confidentiality agreement if you have one

10)A copy of her driving record from the DMV

11)A signed I-9 form

Once you start a personnel file on your new employee, make sure you keep it in a place where you can find it! This file is a great place to keep notes about your nanny doing something exceptional and discussing it at the review date! It is also a good reference for knowing when you will need her to get recertified for infant cpr/first aid.

Unfortunately, sometimes things happen such as theft or fraud and you need to protect you and your family. One way of doing this is collecting important information about your nanny upfront so that if something goes wrong, you know in fact who she is and have verified it prior to employ.

By creating a personnel file, it forces you to formalize the relationship which can also be important in establishing employee/employer boundaries. This may seem “impersonal” but it is absolutely essential should you wish for this relationship to last!

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How do I conduct a nanny background check?

Thursday, June 10th, 2010

By, Dr. Lindsay Heller, The Nanny Doctor

Congratulations! If you are ready to conduct a nanny background check, you are probably very close to finding the right nanny for your family! There are several layers to the background check that you need to be aware of before you hire your nanny. Check out these tips for conducting a nanny background check:

  • Ask the potential candidate to provide you with at least three references from former employers. Don’t just rely on letters of reference, take the time to call the nanny references. Ask them about the details such as how long they employed the potential candidate, how they managed their children, what was it like to manage them? Did they have any issues with communication? Why did the employment end? Would they hire that nanny again? What are the ages of their children? Use the eNannySource Nanny Success Kit’s nanny reference check form.
  • If you find that you are unable to reach the references provided, ask that they provide you with alternative references or ask that they track down their former employers and get back to you. It’s very important that you hear from former employers.
  • Go to enannysource.com and click on “Order a Nanny Background Check”. Online background  checks are very affordable starting at $49.00. You can complete everything online and in a very short amount of time. Through their comprehensive background check, you can check for criminal activity in all 50 states – scanning as many as 300,000,000+ records!
  • Make sure you order a nanny background check as soon as you believe you have found “the one.” An online check can take 2-3 days, however the completion time varies according to candidate and state. If, in some cases you need the nanny to start immediately, put it in your work agreement that employment is dependent upon background clearance.
  • Make sure that you have authorization in writing to complete a background check on your nanny candidate. Enannysource’s process is completely online. All checks are fully FCRA compliant.
  • By all means just run the nanny’s name in a Google search. You may be surprised what you find!

Beware of websites that promise “instant” reports. These nanny background checks tend to rely entirely on information from preexisting databases that are outdated and incomplete. However, these “instant” background checks are valuable as preliminary background checks, for example in the case that you need a nanny to start right away and will have to wait a few days for the comprehensive background check.

I cannot stress enough the importance of a background check. So many people skip this step and later discover something in their nannies background that is troubling. No matter how “sweet” you nanny appears to be, no matter how many families gush about her, conduct a nanny background check.

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How do I get my nanny involved in doing crafts and activities with my kids? How can I help our nanny to get in the groove?

Friday, June 4th, 2010

by, Dr. Lindsay Heller, The Nanny Doctor

Sometimes new nannies need some guidance and sometimes a nanny you’ve had for awhile needs a little jumpstart when it comes to being a self-starter. As a nanny employer, you need to provide your nanny all of the tools she needs to be successful! Here are some tips:

 1)   Find books or workbooks with craft ideas that are age appropriate for your children.

2)   Go through these books and mark activities you think your child will enjoy doing.

3)   Clip activities from parenting magazines about activities that would be good throughout the year. Put these together in a binder and separate the tabs according to months in the year.

4)   Make sure you have all of the materials needed and pulled together so that these craft projects are easy to start. Set aside a specific day or time for craft time.

5)   Make sure you take the time to sit down with your nanny and discuss what you expect…don’t assume she already knows! Nannies come from their own family background as well as other families they have nannied for. All families are different; educate her about your family needs.

6)   When it comes to activities other than crafts, show her where to look in your community for child friendly activities. Is there a local magazine that lists a calendar of activities? Or perhaps a local website? You may need to help her and guide her on how to look at these at first but then you should be able to “take the training wheels off” and let her go on her own.

Remember, communication of your expectations is key. Don’t assume she knows “because she is a nanny.” Strong communication helps maintain healthy relationships between nannies and families; sometimes it just takes a little preparation ahead of time.

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Review your nanny’s position yearly

Tuesday, June 1st, 2010

by, Dr. Lindsay Heller, The Nanny Doctor 

1) Review your Nanny Job description yearly

When was the last time you updated your nanny’s job description? As your life goes on and your children develop, your needs will change over time. As a result, you will need to update your job description accordingly.


2) Update your Nanny Work Agreement/Nanny Contract

Didn’t develop a nanny contract/work agreement when you first hired your nanny? Well, it’s not too late! Develop a work agreement that includes a start date to the agreement and an end date. Include a 6 month review date and an annual review date. Include your nannies duties, agreed payment and payment schedule, rules and expectations of the household, how you expect your nanny to handle differences or any questions she may have regarding raising your child. Be sure to include the hours and days your nanny has agreed to work. Include also what days off your nanny has throughout the year as well as how sick/personal days will work in your household.

3) Have your Annual Meeting with your nanny.

You should have an annual meeting with your nanny every year. Ideally this meeting should take place on the same predetermined date every year. At this meeting you and your nanny should sit down, formally discuss your nanny’s current job description, discuss what has been working and what hasn’t been working. This meeting should be a collaborative dialogue. Listen to your nanny and her ideas and make sure you do your best to help her to feel comfortable to discuss her thoughts and concerns.

4) Show your nanny appreciation!

At this time, it is also a good time to discuss a raise for your nanny. When giving her a raise, you should pair it with why you are giving her a raise and address all of the wonderful things that she has done for your family. This is a time to express your appreciation! A raise should be anywhere from 2-4% of her nanny salary.

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