Managing a Nanny

Once you have found the right nanny you need to hold onto her! Many people do not stop to think about managing a nanny; they are too excited about all the wonderful games she will play with the children and how beautifully ironed their clothes will be. It is hard enough to manage people well at work, let alone in your own home, and where the well-being of your children is involved.

Even the most wonderful nannies will struggle to do a good job and keep themselves motivated if they are managed badly. It can really affect the atmosphere in the home; everyone is caught up in it, you, your nanny, your children and your partner. The opposite is true if a nanny is managed well; everyone flourishes.

Please, please take time to think about how you will manage your nanny - too often this area is neglected and people find themselves looking for a new nanny much sooner than they expected. There are tips and articles on this site and a Managing Profile or a more extensive Working Well Plan will give you a profile of your home management style with masses of additional tips and advice.

Below are some tips and ideas to help you start building a happy working relationship:

1. Keep up Communication: Remember that it is vital that you keep communication going on a day-to-day basis.

2. Don't be Too Controlling: Many of us feel that no-one can look after our precious children as well as we can. This can lead parents to manage in a controlling and rather stifling way. 

 3. Don’t be Too Nice: Trying too hard to keep things harmonious or being overly friendly, makes it much harder to manage someone well. You can end up bending over backwards to keep your nanny happy, but as a result you can start to resent her.  

4. Get what you Both Want: Manage in a fair, warm and constructive way so both you and your childcare get what you want from the working relationship. Click here if you want to find out more about your own in-home management style.

 5. Say Thank You!: It is so easy to forget in the chaos of family life. People always like to know they are appreciated and why. They are also likely to then keep doing it!