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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

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Original poster

trainee nanny

8 replies

eidsvold · 30/05/2007 11:49

our family are about to be a prac family for a nanny college student.

hve 3 dds - 4, 2, 10 weeks. eldest has special needs - down syndrome.

waiting for the paperwork to see what is expected of us.

what should we do that would be essential nanny learning?/

hope you get what i mean!!

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Original poster

eidsvold · 30/05/2007 11:50

1st time we have done this too

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ScottishThistle · 30/05/2007 11:52

Just involve her in as many activities as you can & give her a little bit of responsibility where possible...She'll have tasks & essays to write which will dictate a certain part of what she has to do.

I hope it's a really good experience for you...Oh & depending on her age she may well benefit from a bit of help re cooking for children.

Original poster

eidsvold · 30/05/2007 11:58

i thought that - we have rather a busy life with dd1's commitments especially. THought she could also do things with the older 2 when i need to feed younger one.

i also thought I could teach her some basic makaton that we use with dd1 - extra skill would be helpful for her.

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nannynick · 30/05/2007 12:07

Great experience for the trainee nanny, as when I was training at least, special needs placements were few and far between. Just treat it as having an extra pair of hands around, someone to help out with anything that crops up.
When I did my placements, I would just shadow the childminder (didn't have any placements within an individual family) and help out. Doing games, puzzles, mixing paints, walking to school with childminder and mindees, going to the park and pushing the swings.
Teaching the nanny some makaton signs and about the additional childcare needs your eldest dd has I feel would be great. When I did my NNEB I did some makaton training, but soon after I forgot the signs - as not working with special needs children all the time, I didn't get to practice them. Just being more aware of children with special needs / disabilities is helpful for trainees, and could result in them choosing a job in the future working with special needs children.

Original poster

eidsvold · 30/05/2007 12:15

i just worry it might put her off - hopefully it won't and she will see it as such a positive.

I think it is a block and then one day a week. I am sure that we are not allowed to leave them alone in the house with children. Have a book party coming up so thought she could entertain the children downstairs in the family room whilst the mums are in the loungeroom.

OP posts:

nannynick · 30/05/2007 12:34

A trainee must not be left alone with the children, they must be supervised at all times. Can at times be awkward, such as what happens when you need the toilet... use common sense, you can't be with them 100% of the time.

Original poster

eidsvold · 30/05/2007 12:35

am in Aus so not sure of exact requirements until I see the paperwork in the next couple of days.

OP posts:

ScottishThistle · 30/05/2007 13:39

I'm sure it'll be a fantastic experience for your trainee & that she'll learn a lot from it.

I did a summer camp with children with SN when I was at college & became very attatched to some of the children, one boy had CP & an amazing personality...I still think of him often.

Sadly when I did my training in 1990 there were no home placements, I'd have loved it as I only ever wanted to be a Nanny not a Nursery Nurse!

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