Tag: childcare

100 mile summer

Keeping active, getting fit and having fun is what this summer is all about! So we want to challenge you to a 100 mile summer

Keeping active, getting fit and having fun is what this summer is all about! So we want to challenge you to a 100 mile summer.

The idea is that you walk, scoot, bike, swim, skip, hop or move in any other self-propelled way 100 miles before the start of the next school year. You can create a poster to keep you going, with key milestones marked, to track your progress all the way to 100 miles. You can even add in motivating treats and activities along the way if it helps you get going. You can do your 100 miles together with each person travelling 100 miles or you can count each person’ mile towards the total – but being pushed in a buggy doesn’t count! You can colour code your miles according to the type of transport, or according to whose miles they are, as long as you start racking them up.

So on your marks….

Get set….

GO!

When’s it due?

Only around 4% of babies are actually born at 40 weeks, commonly known as the due date. 80% of babies are born 2 weeks before or 2 weeks after. That leaves parents with a dilemma – when should they start looking for someone? And when should they book someone to start?


Many people choose to have some kind of childcare around or just after the time a new baby is expected to make an appearance but predicting when that might be if you opt for a natural birth is not an exact science. Only around 4% of babies are actually born at 40 weeks, commonly known as the due date. 80% of babies are born 2 weeks before or 2 weeks after. That leaves parents with a dilemma – when should they start looking for someone? And when should they book someone to start?

That all depends on what kind of care you want. If you’re talking about care for older children while a mother is in labour then it’s a wise idea to have someone on standby from 2 weeks before. If it’s an existing nanny or childminder then that can make life a lot easier if the baby is born during the week (as long as you’ve agreed contingency plans in advance). If you want someone to be on standby and not make plans to go out then you can expect to pay them some kind of retainer so it’s a good idea to have a backup plan for your chosen carer. Ideally you’ll have someone in place by the time you’re 6 months pregnant, but tapping into existing childcare networks earlier on means you have a greater chance of finding joined up care if your preferred carer can’t make it. For expectant mothers who don’t usually use childcare, or who have children in school or nursery, a temporary nanny/mother’s help may be a good solution and if you employ them during the day even part-time they’ll give you a chance to grab some much needed rest. It’s a good idea to make sure your older children are familiar with the child carer before the due date, as a new child carer and a new baby all at once might be unsettling.

A doula who provides care for you during labour should be used to making arrangements to be on standby for the month around the due date and that is usually reflected in the price of a birth care package. If, however, you choose to book a doula solely for the post-natal period you should discuss with them when they usually start and what the arrangement is if a baby ends up arriving late. Many mothers feel they benefit from having a doula in the early days on an occasional basis especially if their own mother can’t be around to help. A doula is generally more flexible in their duties than a maternity nurse and less intrusive as they don’t live in for the duration of the booking. Depending on your location doulas might be difficult to find, so it’s advisable to start looking early in pregnancy.

A maternity nurse, who will care for mother and baby and ease the baby into a routine will usually start around 2 weeks after the due date (although some may have availability to start earlier than booked). If a baby ends up being later than expected most will charge either a full or reduced fee from the date the booking starts. Many families also prefer to have a few days together as a family and aim to have a maternity nurse start just as the other parent goes back to work. Some maternity nurses can get booked up far in advance, and as they are likely to be on a booking which may not be in your area while you’re searching for them interviewing may be tricky to arrange. Most people start to look for a maternity nurse around 3 months into their pregnancy and book by 6 months to ensure availability but, unlike doulas, there are several agencies which place maternity nurses and maternity nurses are often not restricted by location so finding an emergency maternity nurse or late booking is easier to accomplish.

New Job, New Family

Starting a new job is always nerve wracking but when there are children, parents and possibly animals involved it can be doubly so! But remember the family are probably as nervous as you are….

Starting a new job is always nerve wracking but when there are children, parents and possibly animals involved it can be doubly so! But remember the family are probably as nervous as you are, they may never have had a nanny before or their previous one was well loved and in their minds difficult to replace or maybe they have had a nightmare with childcare previously and they are worried this won’t work out either. So going in with an open mind and a friendly, respectful attitude will almost certainly get you off to a good start and have the children and therefore Mum and Dad loving you within days!

Preparation for those first few days is key and we have some top tips on how to get the foundations of a good working relationship off to a good start.

1. Once you have been offered the job try and spend some time with the previous nanny while they are still with the family or arrange a day with the family so that you can all get to know one another a bit better. Expectations and requirements should all have been discussed prior to accepting the job and should all be stated in a formal contract, for example are you responsible for just watching over the children and keeping them entertained or are you also expected to cook and clean up after them. Do you have regular days off or is it on a week-by-week basis and if the parents are in the house who has responsibility for bedtimes etc all these are important factors to discuss prior to starting work. But getting to know the family and all the personalities that go with it takes much longer and spending time with them before you start may help that first week go more easily.

2. If they family have had a nanny previously it may be a good idea to discuss the routine they had with that nanny and what worked for them and what they would like to see done differently, remember that it’s possible that the children may have had the nanny from a young age and that routines and house rules need to be changed to consider the more grown-up child. Check that you have been fully informed about allergies, medications, disabilities, or anything that may make the child particularly anxious. Having a better understanding of the children you are in charge off means you can often exceed expectations and avoid the need to constantly be referring to Mum and Dad with questions they might expect you to already know. Having all the specifics of how they would like things done from what time mealtimes are to when they should go to bed means that you can structure the day and make sure that the children are happy, healthy, and having fun!

3. Make sure the first week or two with a new family are full of activities, days out and plenty of getting to know you time. It’s important that you bond with the children quickly and that they are comfortable around you. The parents will love to see happy, smiley faces and hear about all the thoughtful and well structed activities their youngsters have had. Parents like nothing more than to see that their children are learning and having fun. Hands on activities help children bond with strangers and get them chatting without feeling self-conscious around new people and try and find time to do something with each child individually and find out what they like and dislike. Gaining their trust and confidence is imperative in the early days and will make for excellent solid foundations if a bit if time and effort is put into this.

4 Plan for things to go wrong, make sure you know where the first aid kit is, how the doctor or dentists are and do a quick trip around the house to identify a hazard (you’d be amazed how many families forget to mention they have a pond (or even a swimming pool!). Check you have all the necessary contact telephone numbers and

5 Most Nannies now use their mobiles to pop a photo or message about how the day is going but it is also a useful tool to debrief parents each day about what has gone on and what the highs and lows of the day have been. It’s also great to look back if there are any issues further down the road to see if there is a pattern in a child’s behaviour or to clarify a situation. Mum and Dad love to hear about their children’s day and being involved in this way, being asked questions, or letting them know about some of the positives and negatives of the day helps them to feel involved.

6 And finally, have some little treats planned for yourself throughout the first week. Starting a new job is hard work and when working with children there definitely isn’t a minute to yourself during the day. So, arrange to meet friends, go for a massage, or visit the cinema, it will help you relax and switch off and you will go into work feeling refreshed and ready to face the new day.

Nannies and Disabled Parents: It’s a Winning Combination

Parenting is one of the most challenging things you’ll ever do. Raising a baby through childhood isn’t easy, and it’s even harder for disabled parents. Especially those without a solid support system.

Disabled parents often have a harder time admitting when they need help. Every parent has days where they feel overwhelmed and in desperate need of respite, but disabled parents don’t always have the courage to stand up and ask for the help they need for fear of negativity from others like being seen as unfit to parent or unable to cope.

By welcoming a nanny into your family, you can gain the help you need without worrying about negativity – after all, it’s not like nannies are unheard of!

Here are our top reasons why a nanny is a perfect choice for disabled parents: Continue reading “Nannies and Disabled Parents: It’s a Winning Combination”

Can starting a blog be good for children?

It might seem like a strange question, especially with all the warnings about children and screen time that are constantly in the news, but can blogging actually be beneficial for children?

According to online safety charity WiredSafety, in 2017, there were over 6 million children around the world, regularly writing blogs and whilst there are a number of dangers revolving around children and the internet, there are also a number of benefits to blogging.

Continue reading “Can starting a blog be good for children?”

Online Safety Tips for Nannies

Over the past few years, we’ve seen a significant rise in internet fraud, phishing scams and other ‘traps’ that aim to trick victims into handing over money, providing sensitive information or even putting themselves in physical danger.

To help you stay safe when applying for your next nanny job, we’ve put together our top online safety tips for nannies:

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New Year Resolutions for Parents and Childcare Professionals

How many New Year’s resolutions have you seen or heard from your family, friends and co-workers so far? How many of those were about weight, smoking, drinking, or travel? How many of those were about parenting or childcare? I’m guessing the latter was a significantly smaller number than the former.

This New Year, wouldn’t it be nice for us to make a New Year’s resolution that will not only benefit ourselves but our children and the rest of our family? That’s why we’ve put together a list of areas that we can all try to improve upon in the New Year when it comes to caring for our children.

Continue reading “New Year Resolutions for Parents and Childcare Professionals”

Fun Elf on the Shelf Ideas!

How are you getting on with that mischievous little man (or woman) known as Elf on the Shelf. It can be difficult to think of new mischief for your elf to get up to, especially if this isn’t the first year he’s come to stay.

That’s why we’ve put together plenty of new Elf on the Shelf ideas to help delight children of all ages this Christmas!

Continue reading “Fun Elf on the Shelf Ideas!”

Helping Children Deal with Bereavement and Loss

Bereavement can occur without warning at any time of our lives and it’s important to understand how as a nanny, you can help the children in your care deal with the losses that they may face.

Loss can be exceptionally difficult for children to understand as they are not always able to process the emotions and thoughts that follow, which is why it’s important that children have a strong support network at times of great upset.

Bereavement can be the death of a loved one, a friend or a pet, it could also be the loss of someone close to them, which can often be a result of divorce or separation of a child’s parents.

To help you further help the children in your care deal with the losses they face, we’ve put together the following advice:

Continue reading “Helping Children Deal with Bereavement and Loss”