Happy Nanny – Happy Family

 

You met a great nanny, you hired her, you love her and you want to make sure you don’t lose her. OR you met a great nanny, you hired her but you have gotten comfortable and suddenly you start to feel nervous that she is getting restless OR you met a good nanny, you hired her but you want to build a great relationship with her. So how do you build a great relationship with your happy nanny while keeping a happy family? How do you communicate to her that she is a valued and important part of your family and that you appreciate the load she takes off your shoulders each day?

 

Happy Nanny – Happy Family

1. Communication – Communicating with your nanny about big upcoming events, schedule changes or incoming company as well as little changes in a routine can be very helpful. At Georgia’s Dream Nannies we have a daily communication log we recommend for nanny’s and family’s to use. If you find that you are short on communication time as you are leaving for work in the morning, then Mom or Dad can leave a note on part of the page for Nanny. How well did your child sleep last night? Did anything out of the norm occur? Is there a special task you need her to focus on that day? Let her know. Then at the end of the day Nanny can leave a note about what they did for the day, any behavior issues or funny sayings or moments shared. This keeps both parents and nanny quite literally on the same page. (Go ahead and laugh – that was funny).  But take communication a step further. Make sure you let nanny know verbally that you appreciate her, you recognize the contribution she makes to your family and you value the role she plays. Verbally affirm how important she is to your family.

2. Gifts – Let Nanny know she is a special part of your family and then show your appreciation with a massage certificate, a trip to a day spa or nail salon. Take Nanny out to dinner as a family. Buy her a special scarf or piece of jewelry or simply a snuggly warm sweater. Take the time to find out what would be meaningful to her and then treat her. It is easy to fall into the trap of just being an employer but truthfully, your Nanny is more than just a typical employee. She is the keeper of secrets, the washer of dirty laundry, the kisser of your children’s boo-boo’s and the organizer of your children’s or family’s life.

 

3. A Day Off – It is sometimes a little harder to pull this off, but if you have the opportunity then treat Nanny to an unexpected day off with pay. Let her know that you realize how much she does for your family and you want her to enjoy som
   e time to rest and relax. We have Mother’s Day and Father’s Day – create your own Nanny Day. She works hard so make sure you let her know how much you appreciate her.

Happy Nanny – Happy Family

I once heard someone make the observation that we all want to love and be loved, to know and be known and to celebrate others and be celebrated. If your nanny loves your children and your family, knows you and your family and celebrates you and your family then make sure you return the favor. When that happens you will find that your nanny will go above and beyond to keep doing a great job because she appreciates you just as much as you appreciate her.