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DoUnto others

ByBeth Bokunewicz

Shewants me to clean the house, cook, iron, do laundry AND care for her childrenbut I only get paid the salary I was hired at to just care for her children.   I work 50 hours a week and the one day I was 14 minutes late, hedocked my pay!

Theseare actual words spoken by nannies complaining about their employers. Being a nanny can be an isolating and exhausting job often paying aslittle as $5.00 an hour for a position requiring a person to care for that whichwe hold most dear: our children.

Whywould a person choose to be a Nanny? Childcare providers chose this profession primarily because they lovebeing around children. Nannies take their profession seriously and enjoy the satisfaction ofknowing they are influencing a young childs life in a positive way. Its very rewarding to be spontaneously hugged and kissed just becausea child loves you and loves spending time with you. Its important to note that most nannies quit their positions not dueto issues with the children but because of problems with parents and conflictsover job expectations.

Asan employer of a childcare professional, it is your responsibility, to make therelationship between you and your employee a positive one. Take these steps to foster a long-lasting relationship:

Step1:  Workout the details.

Thecomplaint most often heard from a nanny is parents are consistently adding jobresponsibilities without additional compensation. Imagine your frustration if your boss did this to you. If job duties are defined from the start, many misunderstandings andresentments can be avoided. Creating a contract is a good way to resolve any issues that might arisein the future.  Whilenot a legal document, a contract can clearly define the responsibilities of bothparties.  Newduties that arise after the nanny is hired should be discussed with the nannyand the nanny should be fairly compensated for these additional duties. CCC has sample nanny contracts available upon request.

Step2: Respect

Professionalcaregivers take pride in their position in your family. Parents need to be careful not to damage the nannys ability to handlethe children.  Thiswill happen very quickly if parents discipline or change directions given by thenanny in front of children. Any discrepancies regarding rules, discipline or other issues should bediscussed in private with the nannys feelings in mind.

Step3: Incentives

Everyone wants tofeel appreciated. What better way to show this appreciation than to offer your nanny a paidday off?  Howabout a bonus or salary increase at the end of the year or an extra week paidvacation after their first year? Showing your nanny you appreciate her will make her feel special and willcontinue to give her incentive to be the best caregiver possible.

Step4: Be Fair

Havingunfair expectations is the fastest way to lose your nanny. Nannies are by nature giving and loving individuals who want to work withchildren.  Ifyour children require a lot of time and energy, additional duties such ascleaning can be next to impossible to accomplish. Think about how much you are truly able to accomplish while caring foryour children.  Itis upsetting to a nanny to have a parent fault them for not being able to scrubthe floor while chasing around a 2 year old all day. If the nanny truly has your childs best interest in mind, cleaningwill not be the nannys priority. In addition, expecting the nanny to get the cleaning done during naptimeis unrealistic.  Yournanny deserves a break as well after chasing around or playing with energeticchildren.  Ifyour nanny is spending a lot of time cleaning then what kind of care is yourchild receiving? 

Thebottom line.  Unfortunately,all relationships between parents and their caregivers are not perfect and someare just not meant to be. However, if you want to foster a long-lasting relationship with yourcaregiver, simply remember they are people with feelings and treat them withhonesty, open communication and most of all respect.