Your new nanny has started! (And we hope you found her/ him through Kinder Nannies!) Now that hurdle is behind you, the next steps are to settle a new nanny in, train the nanny to fit in with your family and routine, and you’re all set! Or are you? What happens if you are actually a bit disappointed? Your new nanny is all too apparently NOT Mary Poppins. Do not despair.
Nanny Agencies have tons of experience with Nannies, Families, and Nanny placements, and are well versed in how placements proceed. With a Nanny Agency’s experience, they can work out if it’s possible to make this placement work, or if the likelihood is that the placement will not work. Use them for their experience and guidance. If your Nanny Agency agrees that your nanny is so severely missing the grade that you actually need to change nannies, they will help advise you about the termination process. Most agencies, like Kinder Nannies, will offer a Free Replacement if the placement breaks down within the first weeks.
Kinder Nannies would like to think that all our nannies are carbon copies of Mary Poppins, but we know that’s just not true. It is important to understand that, actually, Poppins is not real, just like you are probably not Wonder Woman or Superman. However, the key point here is also that the vast majority of people, employees, want to be the best possible version of themselves. People enjoy being valued and making employers (and their children) happy by doing a great job. This means, with a bit of steady guidance, encouragement, and training, you can turn your currently less-than-perfect nanny into a far better nanny than she or he is currently.
How can I turn my nanny into Super Nanny?! You may ask.
Firstly, identify any serious failings and require those to be addressed and improved upon immediately. For lesser failings, you can make changes at a slower pace, one at a time, to avoid overwhelming the poor nanny and making her/ him give up.
Take the points in order of importance (most important first) and give your employee guidance and training in how to achieve what you need. Be realistic of course. Miracles aren’t possible.
When discussing your nanny’s performance make sure you point out and praise the things they are doing well. People respond far better to positive praise rather than negative criticism. Humans are generally pleasers; we like to make people happy as it makes us feel good. Use this to your advantage, and you’ll be making your staff happy too – this is a win win situation!
If nannying is your employee’s long-term career choice, then encourage them to see their time with you as an essential part/ step in their career. Nannies can learn and improve whilst on the job. This will benefit you and your family in the near term, and if the nanny believes you to be the perfect employer, then you might also reap long-term benefits, as they’d rather work for you, where they are happy, than chance it with a new employer.
See your employee as a person who wants to make you happy and to keep on learning and further their career. Train them in how to be the perfect nanny, what matters to you will generally matter to most other employing parents (punctuality, healthy meal preparation, hygiene, creative indoor and outdoor activities, stimulating educational games).
Further ways in which your nanny can develop their skills:
- If Nanny is not already, they should consider becoming OFSTED registered.
- Your nanny can make sure she/he regularly attend a paediatric first aid course.
- Nanny can progress through the various levels of CACHE Childcare Qualifications (levels 1-5). This will add greatly to their future earning capability.
There are many training companies around the country which offer short courses in childcare, children’s development, and other child and baby related topics such as:
- Making Nutritious Meals for Children,
- Baby-Massage,
- Effective Potty Training.
- Sleep Training
- Also some might wish to specialise and educate themselves in topics concerning twins, ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, to name but a few.
So, although we hope you are blissfully happy with your nanny, whether you sourced her/him through us or not, the important point is not to see your newly arrived nanny as a ‘finished product’ (for want of a better expression!) but as someone keen to do well in this job and who can be trained and moulded. Your nanny will be happy to learn, become more skilled and experienced, both for your family’s benefit and also for the benefit of their own career/ CV.
Got questions? We are happy to help
Want to start a search for a new nanny? It’s Free to register with Kinder Nanny Agency, payment only upon selection of your nanny