While
setting aside time each week to meet with your nanny may seem like
overkill, it actually can be quite beneficial to your working
relationship. Here are 10 reasons why doing so is important to
maintaining a healthy nanny and employer relationship.
1. Weekly meetings help to keep the lines of communication open.
The key to a successful nanny and employer relationship is open
communication. Having a time set aside each week to discuss your nanny’s
job, her performance, or any concerns either of you may have helps take
the pressure off busy parents and nannies who find it hard to say more
than two words to each other during the often hectic hello and goodbye
routines.
2. Weekly meetings provide an opportunity to discuss non-pressing, but important issues.
Sometimes something comes up that you want to discuss with your nanny,
but you don’t want to start the conversation off the cuff. Knowing that
you have time scheduled to meet with your nanny can elevate concerns of
when and how to broach a discussion.
3. Weekly meetings create accountability. Most
nannies work alone and unsupervised. When this is the case, nannies and
employers rarely care for the kids at the same time. In addition to
providing incentive for your nanny to do her best since she knows you’ll
be evaluating her performance, weekly meetings help to ensure that
everyone is keeping their commitments when it comes to childcare
issues, like taking a pacifier away or potty training.
4. Weekly meetings open the door to air grievances.
Often times the anger and resentment that builds over an issue is worse
than the issue itself. Perhaps your nanny doesn’t load the dishwasher to
your standards or she shrunk a chenille blanket in the wash. Knowing
that you’ll have a forum to discuss non-pressing and non-safety related
issues can help keep the negative emotions in check.
5. Weekly meetings give everyone the opportunity to regroup.
Behind every busy nanny employer is a busy nanny. With crazy schedules
and out of sync routines, it can be easy for parents and nannies to
stray in different directions. Meeting weekly provides an opportunity to
regroup, reaffirm goals, and regain strength as a team.
6. Weekly meetings allow for uninterrupted, private conversation.
Finding unscheduled time to speak with your nanny sans kids can feel
like a mission impossible. However having uninterrupted time to speak to
your nanny is essential, especially when the topics aren’t appropriate
for little ears to hear.
7. Weekly meetings provide a chance to talk about what works and what doesn’t.
Perhaps you’ve started your baby on solid foods or you’ve transitioned
to one nap a day. Having a weekly meeting allows you the opportunity to
evaluate and reevaluate your schedule, routine, and decisions.
8. Weekly meetings establish an opportunity to discuss scheduling changes.
Flexibility is required in most nanny posts. Providing your nanny with
information about any scheduling changes, conflicts, or upcoming
appointments is essential to ensuring everyone is where they are
supposed to be, when they are supposed to be.
9. Weekly meetings help avoid tension build up. In
the nanny and employer relationship, addressing issues as they come up
is essential. When safety issues arise, it is vital to discuss them on
the spot. However, when other issues come up, however minor they may be,
meeting once a week guarantees you have the opportunity to discuss them
before they become bigger.
10. Weekly meetings lend themselves to an annual review.
If you’ve established a pattern of meeting with your nanny regularly,
you’ll naturally want to end the year with an annual performance review.
In addition to discussing your nanny’s performance, during an annual
review you are able to examine and amend your job description, your
nannies duties and responsibilities, adjust the schedule if needed, and
reward your nanny for a job well done with a bonus, along with an
updated and executed work agreement.
While meeting once per week is ideal, each family and nanny will need
to determine a meeting schedule that works for them. And while some
meetings may be longer than others, most parents and nannies find that
20 to 30 minutes of discussion time is sufficient. Working the meeting
into your nanny’s working hours is essential, as she should be
compensated for her time during this important work related activity.
Some nannies and families prefer to meet by phone, once the children are
asleep. If this is the case, be sure to compensate the nanny for her
time.
P.S. This post was proposed to me for publication by Sarah
Tucker. I'm therefore publishing it by her invitation and
under her permission. See also the link below fore more information:
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