Being nice to the nanny

[latchmeregirl]

She's starting next week - 3 days a week looking after my 7 month DS and my 3 year old DD (who'll be at nursery 2 of those 3 days but she'll be doing pick ups and drop offs). She is lovely - just wanted some ideas/tips on making her job easier. It's been sooooo difficult finding someone we liked, I don't want this to go wrong! Anything I definitely should do? Anything I absolutely mustn't do?

I guess usual things for someone who is in your home - make sure that it is a reasonable place for someone to work in, so fairly clean and tidy (of course given the presence of lo's it is unlikley to be immaculate). Work out what your nanny's strengths/preferences are and see how that can be best used. My last nanny liked swimming as do the dcs so I added her to my health club membership. Make sue that the job description is clear, and start off with weekly feedback sessions to ensure that if she does have any concerns etc she gets an opportunity to say. Pay her on time, get her a proper contract, give her payslips, pay her expenses. Don't micro manage - if she makes scrambled eggs in a different way from you that's OK!

Don't be late. (Worth setting a formal finish time which is 15 mins later than you need - so that in the normal course you'll always be letting her go "early". Then if you are ever late, you have a goodwill cushion.)

Give her an info pack, with the children's routines, likes & dislikes, local amenities, doctor's number, etc., all written down. Then she won't feel embarrassed if she needs to remind herself of something you've already talked about.

Buy her some inexpensive gift cards to help her get to know local hang outs or just make life easier. Like £10 on a Starbucks card, etc. Or some phone top up... or even a phone.

Welcome pressies are difficult if she is live-out and already local. But I'm sure there is something you could do.

all of what has gone previously plus I try to make sure I get home 30 mins before the end of her day at least a couple of times a week, so I can make her a coffee, sit down with her and see how she's doing, what plans she has with regards to trips with the kids, ask after her family/hobbies/friends, general chatty stuff, so that I know she knows she can raise concerns or issues in a friendly setting. Sometimes to be honest these conversations bore me to tears, but my nanny seems to love them. And every few weeks I will ask her if she wants to stay for dinner.

We do a curry and Brothers and Sisters night in once every month or so. Or sometimes we go out.

We sometimes have an "office party" on a Friday. I think it is quite easy to forget that nannies can feasibly go for quite a few days without ordinary adult conversation (and by that measure quite a few days having to answer questions about the Planet Tatooine and whether ATAT pilots are droids etc etc).

DH and I get home a bit early; DH buys some nice crisps (h-u-u-u-ge treat for DCs!) and we all sit down and have a chat - sort of like going out for a drink with your work-mates on a Friday. The adults have a glass of wine as well. It always feels like a really nice unwind of the week.

Having been a nanny for 18 years, the two most important things you can do (and I'm sure all nannies would agree!) are to come home on time and pay her on time. You'd be surprised how many people don't.