A Nanny's Housekeeping Responsibilities
When you care for someone else's children in their own
home, you should remember a simple rule: the house should be left as
clean as when you entered it. You are expected to clean up after the
children throughout the day. The majority of people who hire a nanny
expect them to perform some light housekeeping, too. These
responsibilities can include:
- Laundry: be prepared to wash the children's clothes
- Cooking:
You will need to cook meals for the children in your care. Depending on
how long the children are with you each day, you may be cooking
breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Be prepared to also load and unload
the dishwasher after cooking.
Be a Positive Role Model
Part of being a nanny is being a good role model. Below are some things that a nanny should not do in a child's presence.
Nannies should not spend all day talking on the phone about personal
matters nor should they park themselves in front of the TV for hours.
Another thing to remember is that even though your cell phone has text
messaging capabilities, you shouldn't be using it while working nor
should you be surfing the Internet. Making the kids your main focus is
what being a nanny is all about.
Avoid entertaining guests that were not approved by the parents
beforehand. Don't invite friends or a significant other over to the
family's house unless the parents have given prior approval. Even in
that instance, you should be conscious of the amount of time they are
visiting and be sure that your main focus is on the kids.
Be On Time As a Nanny
It is imperative that you are on time for work as a nanny.
The reason most families hire a nanny is because the parents are
working. If you are a live-out nanny and arrive late, you're causing the
parents to be late to their job. This is considered unprofessional and
could affect your job status or pay.
If you are a live-in nanny, you are expected to be awake and ready to
go at a designated time. You should never put yourself in a position
where you oversleep and your employer must wake you up. Not only is that
irresponsible, but it is also unprofessional. Just because you live in
the home doesn't mean your nanny job doesn't have a specific start time.
Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
An important nanny responsibility is to communicate with
the people who hired you: the parents! If you don't have time to talk to
the parents at the end of the day, then you must find a way to share
what happened that day with the children. If you need to, you can start a
journal or a log where you record important pieces of information such
as where you went for nanny activities, what was eaten during the day,
how the child's appetite was, what behaviors you saw throughout the day
and even any school work that may need to be done. These are important
pieces of information and should be shared with a parent.
The best way to communicate with a parent is of course, face-to-face.
Having a candid conversation every evening before you are done for the
day is a good way to do this. A parent should expect an update from you
daily and if you can't do it in person, use email, a note or even a
phone call to let them know how the day went.
Keeping Kids Safe
A nanny has many responsibilities and the most important
one is keeping the children in your care safe. Because a nanny is
usually responsible for transporting children to and from activities and
school, it is essential that you have a safe driving record and that
you know the car safety requirements for the state you live in. If the
children under your care require car seats, make sure you have the seats
installed correctly. You must also remember that each and every time
you get in the car, the children are buckled up. Keeping kids safe in a
car is one of the most important nanny responsibilities.
A nanny should also be CPR-certified and trained in case a child
needs simple first aid or is choking. If you are not trained or
certified when you take the nanny job, make it a priority to become
educated as soon as possible.
Provide Stimulating Activities
As a nanny, part of your job is to provide the children
with stimulating activities. Few parents want to pay a nanny who lets
their children sit in front of a television all day. An important nanny
responsibility is to ensure the child is getting academic and social
stimulation throughout the day.
Reading is a great activity for a nanny and child to do together.
Read to the children daily. Not only is it stimulating, it is also a
good way to endorse the importance of reading at an early age. You
should also designate playtime on a regular basis. Take trips to the
park, go to a playgroup and allow for interaction with other children.
Take the children to the library for free activities; keeping a child
engaged in play is a must when being a nanny.
Another great idea for nannies is to do arts and crafts activities
with the children. Arts and crafts can get messy, but it is a rewarding
and engaging activity for children to participate in.
If you have a school-aged child in your care, be prepared to help them with their homework.
Time Commitments As a Nanny
When you agree to take on a nanny job, you will discuss the
time commitment that is expected of you. However, there will be
instances where the family might need more of your time and you should
be prepared to handle request for additional nanny time commitments
professionally.
If you are scheduled to nanny until a certain time, but a parent asks
you to work late (they're stuck at work themselves or an emergency came
up, for instance), you must be flexible enough to stay and care for the
children until a parent arrives home. Your contract should state how
you will be compensated in such an instance. It is the parent's
responsibility to contact you in enough time to let you know you are
needed longer than usual. If a parent is continuously asking you to stay
late or asking you to work late with little notice, you should speak up
and talk to them about this problem.
Some nannies are asked to work nights so that the parents can go out
for the evening. It should be stated in your contract that you will be
asked to provide childcare on designated nights each month for a
specific compensation.