
29 Oct Nanny tips you can learn from
Professional nannies spend years taking care of other peopleโs children. Theyโre exposed to a wide range of personalities and situations and seem to know all the tricks of the trade whether itโs dealing with fussy eaters or how to effortlessly get everyone organised and out the door on time!
Nannies also form strong bonds with most of their charges and in this blog we share some of Sydneyโs most popular nanniesโ top tips for forming great relationships with your kids.
- Take time to be โinvolvedโ
Connection is something that children thrive on, but in this day and age, the reality is that most parents work outside the home and in between juggling a myriad of responsibilities it is not always easy to carve out time for kids. But the research continually shows that kids who feel very connected to their parents act out less, have more patience and more resilience. The way to create this connection is with time spent together.
โThe good news is that quality time counts just as much as quantity,โ says Jasmine, a Sydney-based nanny with more than 10 yearsโ experience working in Australia and the UK. ย โMake time in your day โ and not just at bedtime. While a bedtime routine with a little story and a chat is a wonderful way to end the day, kids are often tired, so itโs not the best time to talk and really find out whatโs going on with them.โ
Similarly, because mornings can be rushed, especially if youโre working, then making sure you spend time at dinner with no distractions โ no phones or TV or other gizmos. Sitting down to a meal can be a good time to talk and listen to each other. Making time after dinner can be great too. Choose an activity that you can do together โ a puzzle, some colouring in, drawing, or take the dog for a walk. It doesnโt have to take up the whole evening, just spending 15-20 minutes doing something together can make a big difference to your relationship with your children.
- Have a timetable, but be flexible!
Kids like routine, but that doesnโt mean you always have to have dinner at 6.30pm. Or bed that time should be strictly 7pm. Some days just donโt run that smoothly! And kids have a way of messing up your timetable like nothing else โ you can guarantee that the very ย morning you need to be out of the house at 7.45am, is the morning that youโre going to run late, no matter how prepared you think you are!
If youโre someone who doesnโt like to rush, or be late, then you do need to adjust when you have kids. One good tip, if you want things to run smoothly, is to build โbuffer zonesโ into your schedule so you do actually have an extra ten minutes when your toddler wants to change shoes three times, or when your ten-year old canโt find their favourite
T-shirt, or when your teenager sleeps in!
Trying to push against circumstances, makes everyone stressed, so work with what is going on in any given moment. Experienced nanny Sarah, says, โGo with the flow when you canโ. She says being prepared helps, but even the most organised days wonโt always go according to plan. But, she says โ your expectations should be age-appropriate.
โWhen you have older children who can read the time, then of course you should expect that they can meet the schedule and they can help the younger ones along too.โ
Give your children responsibilities
When youโre a busy parent itโs easier to โdo it yourselfโ, especially when youโre dealing with toddlers and young children โ they take so long to clean up, and they donโt really do the job properly. It can be frustrating.
But habits start early, and young children can be taught to tidy up, and be responsible for their belongings and to help out with household chores โ putting out rubbish, unpacking the dishwasher, setting the table and getting their own breakfast. ย Teaching them to do these things does take time and effort and a lot of supervision in the beginning, but it pays off, because as they get older, they can be valuable help, especially when youโre busy. They also learn important life skills because theyโll need to do these things themselves one day.
Teach your children the value of entertaining themselves
Throughout life, we all spend time alone, and teaching children to be able to entertain themselves from an early age is an important life skill. They can learn to enjoy their own company simply by observing the world around them, making their own fun or tapping into their imaginations.
โWhen theyโre little, children tend to demand a lot of time and attention,โ says Nina, a Nanny with more than 20 years of experience working with families across Sydney.
โBut, as parents and caregivers, itโs not our job to continuously entertain them. Itโs critical that children learn to entertain themselves. Technology is a great educator, but it can also be a distraction, and being able to make their own fun is an important life-long lesson for kids. They donโt need to have every moment filled with activity.ย Learning to love reading also means that kids will always be able to find something to do if thereโs a book or magazine around.โ
Have fun!
Being silly, and playful and sending yourself up are all great ways to have fun and create laughter โ and laughter forms a great connection between people. Sometimes, as parents, we think we need to have complete control over every situation and be the disciplinarian at all times. But kids need to know were human. When we send ourselves up, particularly in moments that could potentially lead to tension or an argument, we can diffuse the situation and end up with a totally different outcome.
Be positive!
Sometimes being a parent feels like youโre endlessly nagging to โpick up toysโ, โdo homeworkโ, โeat with your mouth closedโ etc. But a great parenting strategy that pays off in the long run is to use positive reinforcement. When you see you children do something great, tell them so!ย Whether itโs kindness to another, or handing a bad situation well, or even remembering to do something without having to be asked. These can be real game changers in terms of getting your kids to do what you need them to.
Be affectionate!
From hearty hugs to high-fives, itโs important to enjoy physical touch with your kids. From an early age you can teach them boundaries โ when a wrestling match becomes too much and one of you says โstopโ itโs a good chance to reiterate whatโs appropriate and whatโs not. When theyโre little itโs always easy to find a reason to snuggle on the couch together, but as kids get older, particularly into adolescence, theyโre less likely to seek physical contact with their parents. This is ok too โ itโs part of their development and their wishes should be respected, but aiming to maintain the hugs โhelloโ and the kisses โgoodbyeโ are signs of a healthy, affectionate parent-child relationship and can be a great way to let your kids know theyโre loved no matter what age they are.