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10 Ways for Nanny and Mom to Get on the Same Page
May 10, 2012
In order to ensure things go smoothly in the home, it’s important for a family and their nanny to work together and establish a routine that works for everyone. Hopefully, much of this has already been accomplished during the hiring process, but even so, it’s a good idea to make sure you’re on the same page from time to time. Here are ten ways to do that:
- Work Agreements – As stated above, when the nanny is hired draw up a working agreement that establishes standard work hours and clearly defines the role and responsibility of the nanny in your home. Discuss in as much detail as possible what a typical work day will consist of, and what each party can expect from the other.
- Reassesments – Situations are apt to change over time, and what worked previously may need to be amended as a result. Re-visit your working agreement periodically in order to track progress, determine what’s working and what isn’t, and make any necessary revisions.
- Regular reviews – Agree to meet regularly to grade your nanny’s job performance. Feedback is a valuable tool to help stay on course. Let your nanny know how well she’s doing her job and that she’s appreciated, and talk about areas of opportunity to help make her job easier.
- Make a schedule – Live-in nanny arrangements can be a challenge as far as establishing boundaries goes. Living full-time in the home with the family makes it more difficult to set limits for working hours and responsibilities. Make sure you set firm guidelines on this.
- Know who the boss is – Also, when both the parent(s) and the nanny are at home together, it can be confusing to the children if there isn’t a clear delineation of authority for them to see. Make sure it’s clear that when a parent’s home that the nanny’s job is supplemental to the parent’s authority.
- Brainstorm together – It might be a good idea to share ideas occasionally about activities for the kids, where to take them on field trips during the day, and whether they are allowed to attend events to which they are invited.
- Stay on the same page – Sit down each week and go over the schedule for the coming week so that you can get everyone up to speed on any appointments or errands that need to be handled. Make sure everyone knows what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, and by whom.
- Talk often – Keep in regular contact throughout the day whenever necessary, such as letting parents know when the nanny is out with the children and where they’re going. Provide contact information if need be also.
- Keep information current – Update emergency information and contact numbers periodically to ensure that everyone has the most recent info in their phones or devices. Older children with cell phones need to have everyone’s info in their phones too.
- Take classes together – An optional idea for staying in tune with your children’s care is to attend local classes or seminars together on childcare topics. You can both develop a better understanding of one another and your jobs as parent/care giver in the process.
Making sure that the family and their nanny are on the same page is imperative to having a successful relationship. If you aren’t on the same page then it just sets everyone up for disaster, so regularly check in with one another and address any concerns immediately.
← Three Types of Nanny Care | 20 Things That Should Be In Your Written Nanny / Employer Work Agreement →
My boss and I meet once a week for a short meeting to discuss ohow things are going and make sure everything is flowing the way it should. We also have a longer meeting once every three months to check in with each other and discuss any big changes that need to be made, as well as have an annual review. It keeps everyone on the same page and happy!
We have regular check-ins too – so far we haven’t had any major disagreements, so I’d say it’s working!
having a WRITTEN work agreement in place is one of the best things you can do when it comes to staying on the same page. that way, if there’s ever any question, you can refer back to what you signed off on together. if something needs to be revised or isn’t working, you can update the agreement and go from there.
I feel like a lot of these boil down to the same thing: open communication. Without that, you’re pretty much doomed to run into problems.
If the parent and the nanny aren’t open with each other and receptive to each others ideas and to those of the childrne you can end up with some big problems on your hands! Thats why its so important to not settle until you find a family/nanny match that fits well. Good tips!
Regular reviews have made the all the difference in my current job vs. my last one – before I never felt like I was ont he same page as the parents and vice versa and now with my new family I feel like we’re super in tune with one another. Communication is definitely key!