YOUR Connection
to Professional Childcare in Ohio
A Nanny/Sitter's Great Eight- 8 Tips to be a Successful Nanny or Sitter!
by Emily Allen
Hello fellow nannies!
I have been an active nanny with The Nanny Connection for the past year. Being a part of this agency has been a complete blessing for me, as I have an education background and a strong passion for children! I truly enjoy being able to care for children of all ages. It is important to me as a nanny that I perform my absolute best to give a pleasant experience to both children and parents.
I always have two goals for every job:
- To keep the children fully engaged and have a great time with me
- For the parents to feel I am a good match for their children, and would like to request me again. In order for parents to invite me back, they should feel as if the nanny met all their needs, was active with their children, and had a good connection to the family.
I would like to share some ideas and things I do as a nanny that not only I find to be successful, but parents appreciate as well.
Following is a list of the things I do when I begin and end a job:
- Upon Arrival! Introduce myself and ask for the parents/ children’s names if they have not told me yet.
- Clarify Expectations. Ask the parents questions such as when do the children need fed, nap/bed times, any allergies, favorite activities, where important things are stored in case of emergencies, etc.
- Communication. Exchange phone numbers with the parents and keep them updated. Parents really appreciate a nanny who will update them on how their children are doing without asking the nanny.
- Explore. See what the children are interested in and go from there to plan activities to do. For example: If a child really enjoys science I think of a little experiment or activity I can do with him or her.
- Engage! Parents are paying me to engage with their children, so I try not to let the children have too much media time. TV and iPads are wonderful in small doses, but should not be relied on and approved by the parents in advance!.
- Explore the Child’s creativity! Take the children outside, play hide and seek, find some board games, color/make crafts, create experiments like slime or fake snow, play with their favorite toys, create imagination games, etc.
- Recap! When the parents get home, I give them a recap of how the day/evening went. Usually I give positive feedback, but if there were any negative points to address I make sure to bring those up. I always say I had a great time with the children and explain a couple activities we did together.
- Closure! Hand the parents a Nanny Connection card with my first and last name on it so the parents can request me in the future if they choose.
Parents are more likely to request a nanny again if they know they did engaging activities with their children, updated them on how they were doing, showed interest in their children, and gave an accurate and sincere recap of the day.
Like I said, this is a routine I do at every job that works well for the children and parents. I hope you find my ideas helpful and that you find as much success as I have with The Nanny Connection. I am proud to work for such a wonderful company doing what I love to do!
-Emily Allen