I have found Mary Poppins, how do I keep her ?

[Hideehi]

The lady I have working for me is amazing, can I have a list of all the things that would make nannies leave so this one doesn't.
Honestly I'd adopt her if i could :-)

-Make sure you give her a fair contract that you both understand and you stick to it. The more detail in there the better.
-Get home on time, let her know if you're going to be late AS SOON AS YOU KNOW and pay overtime if more than 15mins. If you're late on a regular basis discuss extending her hours. Accept that she has her own life and might have plans.
-Communicate with her on a regular basis, little niggles that she doesn't know about won't be sorted
-Pay her on time and give her a payslip
-Say "thank you" (little things count...)
-Leave the kitchen clean in the morning, last night's washing up that nanny has to clean away before preparing breakfast/lunch is annoying
-Likewise the washing machine - if you expect her to do children's laundry don't leave your own in there for her to hang out
-Give her a kitty for occasional expenses or a pre-loaded debit card so she doesn't have to pay out of her own pocket and worry about getting you to reimburse her
-If she asks for something reasonable to do with the children (paint/ingredients for cooking) and you say you'll get them, make sure you keep your end of the bargain. Otherwise agree that she may get them using aforesaid kitty.

I'm sure I'll think of more things that have niggled in the past!

Also you deserve to be congratulated on being such a considerate employer!

you could share her out, I'm first in the queue!

hideehi, coming from an experienced nanny, i've made a list of things to make sure she stays put!

If she's live-in, treat her as one of the family. Allow her to use the home as her own so she feels completely comfortable and occassionally ask her to join you in the evening when the children are in bed to watch tv, listen to music, whatever!

Don't expect too much off her with the housekeeping side, just childrens laundry/meals/cleaning rooms and playrooms in normal.

If you take the children out at weekends, ask her along sometimes so she feels involved.

Always try to get in on time so she can do as she pleased from the time she is supposed to finish

Hold regular " how do you think it's going?" meetings with her...just really informal sitdowns and smile alot and praise her so if she has a problem she can feel completely comfortable to let it all out rather than leave the job because you are unapproachable (which has ahppened before with me!)

Take her round the local area if shes new to it so she doesn't feel boxed in all the time and she can treat the area as home.

Thank her everynight before she clocks off and tell her how much the children love her and what a great help she is.

Give her a weekly allowance perhaps £15 or however much you can afford so she can take the children out to places or buy new things, such as ingredients for a specific dinner she wants to cook.

Dont ask her to decorate the bedroom . LOL

Pay her ON TIME

every month always.... and pay the correct amount AND the same amount on payslip (that you should also give on pay day)

(can u tell that these are the main issues with my boss at the moment ?)

also NEVER over rule her and if the children dont eat the dinner she provides dont give them anything else in the evening except to offer back tea.

If the chidlren play up when you enter the room during meal times then learn to not enter the room!

also dont do.... they were very badly behaved last night... so arnt allowed to do X / Y / Z in nannies time

YOU punish / discipline your children in YOUR time, and let nanny get on with it during HER time. folow the same strategies etc by all means but it would drive me insane when my old boss wouldnt let me charges do MY things cause of the way they behaved with HER (they would never behave like that for me btw )

Steal her umbrella

Agree with nannyL - reason for leaving my last job was parents over-ruling me, especially about snacks. Eldest charge learnt that if I said no to an after-school snack, she could just go ask Mummy and Mummy would say yes.

When nanny is on duty it's nanny's rules. My current boss is fab because she knows to say "Go and ask nanny".

Talk to her about future plans so she feels involved -eg holidays,starting pre-school,clubs for children. Nice to feel involved and you feel important!

not saying you would you do sound nice ,but dont treat her like paid help when friends come round.in a few of my jobs i have been made to feel so small by people ignoring you because you are only the nanny(must say this was in chelsea)good luck glad to hear you appreciate her.