|
Nanny Guide > The Months that Follow
Maintaining
a Good Working Relationship With the New Nanny
Monitoring
Performance: There are many different ways
to determine how well your employee is performing their
responsibilities. Most are informal; however, the use
of more formal methods have become increasingly prevalent
over the past few years. One such "formal method" is
the use of video surveillance while your are out of
your home and the nanny is caring for your children.
Video surveillance is controversial; therefore, you
may want to first discuss this method of monitoring
performance in greater detail with the company that
would be installing the equipment and/or an attorney.
If you believe you might want to use video surveillance,
this should also be discussed with the candidates during
an interview. The parent | nanny relationship is based
on trust, and many nannies react to 'secret' video surveillance
as evidence that the parent' s have lost trust in the
nanny. This can destroy an otherwise satisfactory relationship
if not addressed in advance.
It
is easier to become acclimated to your nanny if he or
she is living with you; however, in many cases that
is not the situation. It is important that you arrange
from the beginning to have certain mechanisms in place
to use as a guide to determine how everything is going.
The following are some of the older, "informal" methods
of assessing employee performance on the job, as well
as some additional suggestions for getting the relationship
off to a good start right from the beginning.
| Feedback
From Your Children: Inevitably there
will be ups and downs, but listen to  your
children and give them the opportunity, without
interrogating them, to let you know how they
feel about their nanny. Your understanding and
support will help the nanny to help the children.
If
your children are older, ask them what they
did during the day and listen for clues which
do not sound like "your child". If, however,
your older children are in school and the nanny
cares for an infant while they are not at home,
or if your only child/ren are infants or toddlers,
this gauge may not be available.
Plan
some quiet time with your children on a regular
basis. Let them know that they can share their
feelings with you. Your children need to know
that you trust their nanny. They also need to
know you will listen to them and will take action
if necessary. |
|
Direct
Interaction with Nanny: When feedback from
your children is not available, plan for ways in which
you will be able to observe or at least receive regular
feedback on what went on during the day. Plan some time
where you are able to observe the nanny and your child
interacting - either at the beginning or the end of
the day. If your job permits, stop in during the day,
just to say hi. Have the nanny bring your child to meet
you for lunch. Call home to see how things are going,
or arrange for your nanny to call you at certain time(s)
each day.
Especially
for the live out nanny, regular phone contact during
the day (provided you can arrange this) can strengthen
your relationship with that individual - you will have
a better idea of what things are on his/her mind and
she will become more comfortable talking to and communicating
in general with you. Be sensitive to boundaries; the
phone calls should be informational in nature, not an
attempt to micromanage the nanny's day.
Written
Communications: As a practical matter, you
may find it difficult to remember or find the time to
tell your childcare provider everything that you want
them to know on a day-to-day basis, especially if they
are living outside your home - you may just barely pass
each other in the morning and again at night.
One
option is to purchase a notebook or DayTimer type organizer.
You can write your childcare provider a "daily note"
which tells her things she needs to know for that particular
day. Pediatrician appointments, preschool events, play
dates and such items can be jotted down for future reference.
The nanny can also use this same book to let you know
how the day went - when your child slept, ate, was bathed,
took medication, etc. Use of a book (Often referred
to as a Nanny Log) to communicate should only be used
for delivering very factual type information, not problems
you are having with your childcare provider. Issues
of concern should be handled face to face and where
your children can not overhear you, if at all possible.
Click Here to View 4nannies.com Sample Nanny
Log (PDF)
When
evaluating how your nanny is performing certain tasks,
consider that there is usually more than one way to
get a task accomplished, so in certain circumstances
a compromise may be in order. Most employers are not
perfect, so consider this when you are assessing your
employee.
Included
in your 4nannies.com subscription: Nanny Performance
Review Format, Nanny Self-Review Format, Guidance: Delivering
the Nanny Performance Review.
|
RESOURCE
BOX |
| FAMILIES |
NANNIES |
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|