advice please for settling in sessions for a new nanny

[nowwearefour]

my nanny will be starting to look after my two girls on a one day a week basis from beg June. We have 3 settling in sessions starting tomorrow. i have asked her to come for the whole day for all 3 days and thought i would gradually withdraw from the amount of time spent with them- though not to the full day amount until i start work as that feels a bit unnecessary to me. Am I wrong? Going about it in roughly the right way? ANyone got any top tips/ do/ dont do it this way? She is lovely and has already been round a fair bit for coffee so the girls know who she is and enjoy playing with her.

If you and the nanny are happy with that then its absolutley fine.

bear in mind that most nannies prefer to be just left alone to 'get on with it'

In my previouse job i had just 1 day where mummy was at home (but she nipped out for an houe that very afternoon), and in my current job daddy was around for the morning, mainly pointing out the fuse box, washing machine instructions, childrens routines etc etc.

I would recommend just asking / telling your nanny to have a really good rummage through the kitchen (all the drawers and cupboards etc) just to see where everything is, and the same for the childrens bedrooms and toy stores, play rooms etc.

I dont like to feel im being nosey but when working in a house i do need to know where pretty much everything is kept!

I've never given that much attention to handover. When current nanny arrived, I took Monday off and did the school run with her, showed her where the activities are, took her to the gym to organise her membership, etc. Then left her to get on with it on Tuesday.

if you are still around for all 3 days your dcs may think that is how it is going to be. Maybe best to start withdrawing on day 1, then take yourself completely out of the way on day 2, out of the house but nearby, for at least half the day. The you get the possibility of a day to yourself on day 3, no work, no childcare - what luxury!

yes thanks that is what i thought - do need to be careful they dont think i will always be on hand but need to be a bit gentle with them or with myself!).

I had a family that i was doing proxy parenting for. I met the family briefly (about 20 mins) on the Saturday morning and was to have the 4 children myself the following day/night.

On the Sunday, I let myself into the house and the children were dropped back to the house (and me) from the previous night's sleep overs. I had a piece of paper telling me the children routines and what to put in their lunch boxes etc but no "hand over" at all!

They are a lovely family and the children are all very well behaved and were all a great help at helping me find my way around their house. I have had the children several times since although not always as a proxy parent.

I like having a one day handover - it's easier for the children to 'be thrown in at the deep end' as it were.

I would concur that a swift handover will be better for all - especially the nanny, who may also be anxious to make sure that she's doing a good job and might feel awkward if she thinks you're 'hovering' all the time!

Another thing to do, right from the start, is to make it clear to your dc that when the nanny is working she is in charge and that she makes the decisions - good to get them used to that immediately as it gives your nanny the right status/authority.

Good luck!