Even if they get along 90% of the time, there will always be moments when siblings don’t see eye to eye. Personalities can clash and arguments can begin over a variety of things from who has the most attention, playing with certain toys, playing with friends, and even the clothes they’re wearing.
The truth of the matter is that sibling rivalry is, and always will be common place, which is why we’ve put together some top tips to help you keep things running smoothly.
The subject of vaccinations is a tricky one, with everyone having their own opinion on whether or not they wish to vaccinate their children.
However, in recent years it’s become common for employers to require that a nanny or other childcare provider has received their vaccinations. In particular, vaccinations for the flu, measles and whooping cough.
The reason for this is that even healthy people can contract any of these three illnesses, all of which are contagious and all of which can cause severe complications in young children.
Continue reading “Should you ask your nanny to get vaccinated?”
What’s the difference between a nanny and an au pair? It’s a question we hear from a lot of parents looking for childcare.
Nannies and au pairs are both extremely different and it’s important that you understand the differences and exactly what you’re looking for from a childcare provider, before you make any decisions. Which is why we’ve put together this article to help you.
Continue reading “Au Pair or Nanny – What’s the difference?”
Do you give your nanny a Christmas bonus?
A Christmas bonus is a great way to show your nanny how grateful you are for all that they’ve done over the past year.
Your nanny takes a lot off your plate by helping with homework, nap times, meal times, school runs and so much more. So, how do you show your appreciation?
Many families aren’t clear on why Christmas bonuses are important, or how to go about giving one. That’s why we’ve put together answers to the most common questions about giving a Christmas bonus.
Continue reading “Should you pay your nanny a Christmas bonus?”
Observe
Obviously we’re always watching children but simply watching is very different to keenly observing with an objective in mind. If you’re notice a pattern of negative behaviour make a special effort to observe and find the triggers. Sometimes the incidents seem random but there may be a bigger pattern behind it – common causes are unexpected tiredness, over-stimulation, teeth coming through. Sometimes it’s linked to something that we’re doing, albeit unintentionally. A child who doesn’t know what is expected of them will lash out when confused. This is particularly noticeable when children are growing in independence and learning new skills, but at the same time the mistakes they make are behaviours we don’t want to encourage. It’s difficult to learn to drink from an open cup without spilling once or twice.
‘They never behave like this with me’. ‘The minute the mother walks in the door all hell breaks loose’. ‘The house is like a zoo when I get home’.
It’s a common complaint on both sides. Why do children act up when both nanny and parents are present? Here are 3 possible explanations:
They’re playing ‘power struggle’. Kids know that there’s a sense of hierarchy and they’re trying to navigate the complicated world of human relationships. When two people who are in charge of them are together, who is the one who has the ultimate power? The surest way for them to test this is to behave badly and see who tells them off, and whether the other person can over-rule any consequences.
Hiring a nanny is a risky business. You’re working from CVs with a variety of qualifications and employment histories, and a three line personal statement which is telling you what you want to hear. Not only that but you’re choosing someone to take your place, in a high-pressure, unsupervised role with unrestricted access to your children. Mitigating risk, a natural human tendency, is going to play a big part in your decision making when choosing a nanny.
To do this you may place arbitrary limits – you want your nanny to be confident handling an emergency so you insist they have a first aid certificate (sensible), you want to know they are a reasonable and law abiding person so you ask for a DBS check (also sensible). You may have preconceived notions about certain academic backgrounds or hobbies, which again is you trying to reduce risk by avoiding the unknown. You may be put off by an unprofessional email address, or an overly-familiar voicemail message, because it calls that person’s judgement into question.
A good nanny is a prize, one that other families may stoop low enough to try to steal from you. Nanny poaching can happen anywhere from the school gate to your own garden gate and it can be anyone including your next door neighbour or anyone close friend.
Some will say that a nanny who allows herself to be poached wasn’t happy in her job anyway. After all when you’re in a content and committed relationship you’re not casting around for a better partner! If you do sweep the room occasionally it’s just eye candy, and while your nanny might periodically flick through job ads it isn’t necessarily a sign of discontent. Poaching is more dangerous. Poaching is the equivalent of someone coming up to you in a bar, buying you a drink or six while whispering sweet nothings in your ear and ultimately enticing you to come home with them.
You can’t stop someone coming up to your nanny and buying them that drink, but you can make sure their sweet nothings fall on deaf ears and here’s how…
Continue reading “How to poach-proof your nanny relationship”
As employees nannies are entitled to paid holiday and the amount is specified in the contract. It can be expressed as weeks, days or hours depending on the nanny’s employment pattern – see here for more.
Previously the norm was to give 4 weeks plus Bank Holidays, but recently the trend has been to state 5.6 weeks (28 days) including Bank Holidays, which usually works out to the same amount but fairer to part-time workers who may not be actively working on Bank Holidays but are still entitled to the same proportion of holiday as full-time employees. Holiday in a nanny share can be complicated to arrange but it’s important that the nanny gets their full holiday entitlement so both families must communicate clearly.
As of December last year businesses providing food, which includes childcare providers, have to give information about the allergens in the food they provide. This applies not only to home-made food but also pre-prepared food bought and served when out and about. In practice children are unable to make their own decisions about avoiding allergens so it’s important to communicate with parents about foods to avoid, what you will be serving, and when their children have consumed allergens.
The legislation applies to 14 allergens:
Nannies tend to cook food that parents provide, so the parents should be aware of which allergens are available for consumption. It’s worth noting down in a communication diary what allergens were contained in the food consumed that day. Similarly if eating out inform the parents what allergens were present in writing, so make a habit of noting down food information when out and about.
NB Self-employed nannies, as a business, do have a responsibility to provide this information, like nurseries and childminders.
