What can Nanny do with DD12 this summer?

[Jinglebellsarenearlyhere]

Hi there

It's my first time having a nanny as we have used childminders before and I'm beginning to panic about what the nanny and my only child DD age 12 will do.

If you have this age children what do they do in the summer or if you are a nanny what do you plan?

Surely it is the job of the Nanny (who is presumably trained/qualified/has experience) to think up activities rather than you?! Is this not what you are paying them for? Hope it goes well OP.

Surely a lot depends on what your child wants to do? By 12 mine both spend quite a lot of the summer holidays doing things with friends- my role was generally cook and taxi service, apart from a few planned family outings and sometimes some sort of summer school -music or drama or something.

What does your dd enjoy?
My 13 year old has planned

• cinema trips to see BFG and Finding Dory with friends
• work through more recipes out of her Tanya Burr book. (YouTuber for those who don't know)
• read

-play computer games

• hang out at the shops with friends
• go swimming
• listen to lots of music and learn the lyrics to any that she likes
• watch movies/tv with me (Amazon Prime)
• go on holiday with her Dad

The 12 year olds I know go swimming with friends (swimming pool is walking distance so go without parents), go to friends houses and spend the rest of the time watching tv and on the computer on most days. Once or twice a week have a day or trip out with parents/ family to town, big parks etc. Once or twice in the holidays they will go to theme parks and zoos etc but I don't know if you'd prefer to do those big trips.

I aim to get them out of the house for some of the day. If I had just one child to care for then: Countryside walks, museums, geocaching, swimming, rock climbing, GoApe, go down a coal mine, Harry Potter Studio Tour, picnic in the park, going to Oxford/Cambridge somewhere like that to have a wander around parts of the uni. Whatever takes their interest and is in budget. Somethings they could bring a friend.

Thanks all.

I guess it's the one child thing that it is bothering me. I don't want her to be isolated but can't expect the nanny to look after other people's kids. And we live in the middle of nowhere so day trips to meet friends are not possible.

Nannynick - good ideas! do you come up with ideas or expect parents to be directive. Assuming I have read right and you are a nanny!

I come up with them generally. Sometimes my boss may see something that may be of interest to the children and let me know about it.

Does seem to get a lot harder as the children get older to find things they will do. Trying to fit with a school holiday project can be useful... does she have any assignment/project to do over the holidays?

If you live in the middle of nowhere, she is going to be isolated. Not sure you can do anything about that. Skype, Facebook etc perhaps so she keeps in touch with friends. Could she not meet up with a friend at a particular place - such as going to the same place? Nanny would not be responsible for other child in that situation, just two 'families' meeting together for an outing.

Its normal for nannies to do "playdates" with other children, so I wouldn't worry about your nanny having to look after another child. Its even written into most standard nanny contracts.
Your daughter is going to want to see her friends over the holidays. The best thing about a nanny is that you are the employer so you can just ask your daughter what she would like to do and the nanny can do that with her.

My charges are 12 and 14 year old girls. They mostly hang out with friends but the 12 year old and I are quite close and have similar interests so we go for walks and get ice cream, I've taught her how to braid her friends' hair, we bake and meal plan, I take her to visit various animals as she is obsessed (a friend has kittens for example), we rehearse lines for drama performances, I introduce her to "old" music (from the 90's!), we watch movies and tv, she plays her guitar, we go swimming. I have also made it clear to both my girls that they can have friends over whenever they just need to give me a bit of notice so we have enough food. Much easier to care for a bunch of them than only one!

I think your nanny should plan also as that's the point

If your remote doesn't yor nanny have use of a car or can use public transport?

I would say they do something local each day like bike ride somewhere, stop off for cake somewhere, take a picnic on a wood walk, have baking sessions at home, holiday homework, hanging out in garden ( maybe make small vegetable garden or similar), reading in garden, small bbq in garden, invite a few friends with nannies over to play in paddling pool and watergun fight.

Then each week nanny also does a longer trip in car or public transport to somewhere else like cinema/ castle/ beach/ museum/ whatever

Nannies don't mind other children over, as long as they aren't being used as free childcare for that other child also. It needs to be child's own parents bring over, or are contactable to take home if a disaster, not stuck with them all day. I would suggest a few sleepovers in a tent in garden if nice. 2-3 friends over at 3pm and nanny keeps and eye on them all and helps set up tent/ provide food and guidence until 6/7pm when your home and can take over. Can be collected by parents at 10am next morning so nanny has them again 2 hrs in morning. That's 2 days of activities really as first preparing and second getting over visitors!

Thank you all. Hair is a great idea as I haven't a clue and nanny does.

We have decided to put in a bit of a routine to keep us focused. Out of the four days they will have a home day, one day on a trip out, one play date day and a sporty day. We are going to plan each week in advance and see how it goes.