Do I need to put ‘Taking my child to a playgroup’ in the contract?

[Fiona2011231]

I'm drafting a contract for my potential nanny and was wondering if I have to put this in writing.

I would like her to bring my child to a playgroup at least once per week.

Should it be written in a contract?

Thank you

As a nanny I would be a bit upset if the patents felt the need to write something like that into a contract, shows a lack of trust. You'd be better of saying in person that you want your child taken out to a group, or picking groups yourself and asking her to take the Child.

I don't think it needs to go in the contract specifically - just generally under "duties" put something like "taking child to groups and classes as instructed" or similar.

No, specific things will change as children get older. Failure to do as you instruct would be dealt with via discipilinary procedure.

In contract you could say something more general under duties, such as outings.

Thank you so much.

Sorry I disagree. I would put it in the contract. None of our au pairs have had an issue with it (as it was pretty obvious!) but we have just had issues with our latest au pair selling herself in as outgoing, healthy, active and then she begrudged leaving the house with the children (except for school drops/pick ups) even though playdates and playgroups were in her contract. Like any business situation, if you don't have it in writing, you don't have a leg to stand on. Better safe than sorry, include it!

what Thescience said

Assuming you are employing a nanny not an au apair like halfawife they are experienced childcares I don't think there is any need to really put it in. That would
just be just one of the general things you would discuss about going out to activties.

Halfawife - you don't have to list specifically everything you might have to ask an employee to do in order to have a leg to stand on. Surely "playdates and playgroups as required" more than covers it, rather than "Gymtots every Thursday at 10am"? My contract doesn't specify every activity I might possibly have to carry out in order to do my job.

I have always listed duties in an appendix. That way I can be very specific and it's easy to review and modify at the contract review time.

No. I don't know anyone who only takes their child out once a week anyway..

Just say something like regular fresh air and outdoor play. Then on a nice week they will be out 6 hrs a day, and when it's stormy they can use initiative to schedule something indoors. Or find welly boots and rain coat

TheScience, I agree with you, I don't list specifics(I.e. Gymtots on Thursday at 10.30am) but I did list "play groups and play dates" to cover the types of basic activities I expect.

I agree with NomdeClavier, it helps at review time.

you could do what they do on nurseries and have a contract for the legal stuff and a job description to go alongside it

No why would you? Just tell the nanny to.

Tbh if you got to the point where your nanny didn't do stuff like that then you need a new one.

Why would you put it in? So if she doesn't do it you can initiate disciplinary proceedings and get a new one. The broad sense of taking the child outside and going to groups needs to be in there or you're in a tricky position further down the line.