What do you look for in a nanny/mothers help?

[pixiella]

Hi, I'm starting a mothers help/nannying job soon and I'd love to hear some tips!

I'm going to be working for this really lovely lady - but she seems very laid back and hasn't told me what hours I'll be working (3 days a week). She said 'we'll just have to muddle through'.

She's 7 months pg too so maybe she's just got pregnancy brain hehe.

She was very vague about the job description too and didn't ask me any questions about myself or ask me for any references/CRB check although I was recommended to her by her friend so maybe that's all the peace of mind she needs.

I'll be looking after her 1 year old, cleaning, cooking lunch and then dinner for her 5yo when he gets in from school.

Anyway - any good tips on stuff like...how to cook a shepherds pie...what things mothers find annoying that i shouldn't do, what things you wish your nanny/mothers help would do...etc etc.

cheers! xx

I think you need to very quickly define:
Your hours of work
Your job description / duties

And I would definitely advise showing up with some recipes at hand. She probably doesn't want to teach you how to cook shepherd's pie. It's easy peasy. Do a quick google for recipe. Take guidance from the mum on what kinds of things kids can/can't eat and then go find some recipes yourself.

I once had a nanny who texted me at work to ask what she should coook for dinner. I was not impressed.

lol thanks eleusis - i'm meeting with her tomorrow (although she hasn't told me what time yet..!) so i will discuss all that with her then.

also i've got loads of recipes - it's just that they're in a massive recipe book so maybe i should just print out a few from a recipe website and take them with me.

she just strikes me as the sort of person who wouldn't have any ingreidients then would tell me to go shopping and forget to leave money or maybe forget to tell me that one of the kids has a dairy allergy or something..! eek

i'll just have to go through everything with her.

thanks for the advice!

Yes, I would show up with a few recipes to hand, like mac and cheese (with some veg snuck in if she is anything like me), chicken korma (with veg), shepherd's pie. I'm a master at hiding veg. And it's really important to me. But this mum might not be so picky about it.

You could always suggest you order the food online for delivery while kids are napping or at school, and she could give you a credit card to pay for it. And she could give you a budget as well, say £50 / week. That should be enough to feed a few kids (and yourself) for three days.

I would advise that you suggest things wherever she hasn't thought of them. For example, "I don't really make enough money to front the cost on these things so I was wondering how you feel about setting up a cash kitty in the kitchen and I'l lprovide receipts for everything I spend. And I'll live within a budget of say £50/week. Or, if you don't want to do that, I could make a list each week and you could do the shopping over the weekend so I have the food available to me Monday morning."

Get a written agreement on hours, pay, holiday and job descriptions.

Then work through the practicalities - she might be relaxed, but it's the whole "everyone was supposed to do it, but everyone thought someone else was doing it and no-one ended up doing it" scenario.

good suggestions eleusis and frannikin - thanks!

i feel more confident about talking to her now tomorrow : ) xxxx

good plan elusis...

i used to feed myself and 2 children for 5 days, almost all orgainic for around £30 per week... (all meat and dair was organic)

the really basic stuff was already in the kitchen though, flour / herbs etc, but i would replace those 'as and when' too!