Have you found an AMAZING nanny that you don’t want to lose? Here are some great tips on how to keep your favourite nanny around.

You don’t want to make your nanny feel unappreciated and overworked. It could be a reason for her to look around for another job.

There are a few basic things you should know about nannies so you can keep yours. It is definitely worth the effort.

By keeping a nanny that you are happy with you in turn make your children happy.

You wouldn’t want to put your kids through nanny after nanny whilst you try and find one that suits your family and that you all love and trust.

Here are some tried and tested methods of solving even the littlest of problems with nannies.

Make your nanny the boss!

We all have different methods of discipline and make different decisions. One problem that could arise is if you don’t support your nanny’s decisions and methods of discipline or the way she deals with any situations.

Your nanny could be left feeling distrusted and defeated. The solution to this problem is simple. Just let the kids know that whilst the nanny is in your home she is the boss and if she makes a rule or decides to take a disciplinary action, it is law.

When you return home discreetly consult with her to see how the kids have been throughout the day and then either back her up or praise the kids for their behaviour. By doing this you will show her that her opinion matters to you and I promise you, this will make her feel more all the more valuable.

Nannies’ methods of discipline are usually objective and calm because of their experience, don’t forget that it could have been one of the reasons you hired her in the first place.

If you feel that the nanny is doing a good job then TELL HER, tell her that you learn from her every single day. This will make her feel appreciated, happy and eager to do an even better job each day.

Pay your nanny well!

The next thing you need to look at, with no lesser value, is what you’re paying your nanny.

This is definitely the one thing that can make your nanny move on to a new job. You need to be aware of the going rate so you don’t pay too little compared to what others might pay.

Ask around to your friends and colleagues who might also have nannies or you can simply ask a nanny agency what payment is expected.

Another good practice is to ask your new nanny how much she was paid in her previous job and how much would she expect from you – remember that she might not have been happy with what she she was paid before . The other thing is that you must be regular with your payments.

We need to think about the fact that the nanny’s job is extremely important and for good quality you usually have to pay well. There might be the odd occasion when the nanny dips in her own pocket to pay for petrol and other little bits and pieces so make sure you pay her back as soon as possible, otherwise she could end up feeling frustrated.

In my opinion you should not allow her to pay for anything. You should aim to give her enough money for petrol, snacks (stock up the pantry when you can!), lunch and anything else she might need in her day – it’s always great to take the kids out for a babycino or a milkshake so allow her enough money to cover this.

By showing that you trust your nanny with your money they will feel appreciated and put in more effort on the day to day.

Set and adhere to the hours!

When you sign a contract you agree to certain working hours and think about if you were in her shoes – would you be happy if your boss changed the rules whenever they like?

No, so make sure you consult your nanny with any changes to the schedule. If you want to make even the slightest change you must first consult her and ask her if it’s OK for her to do the extra hours for which she gets extra payment of course.

Don’t forget that she has a life outside your house.

Don’t ask too much of your nanny!

Too much housework is a very big problem. Remember that when you hire a nanny you are not hiring a personal housekeeper.

Nannies should do only nursery duties like ironing, washing, tidying up the playroom or the bedroom of your children and cooking for them if you need them to. If there are periods of the day when there are no children in the house you can ask your nanny to do some chores but only a reasonable amount of them.

If you want your kids to have more attention and proper care from your nanny, give her less work so she can spend more time with them playing games and helping to develop their skills.

If you are too busy to do the house cleaning, gardening and other chores unless you have agreed to it when you first hired her then please don’t expect too much of your nanny. Just hire professional house cleaners and gardeners to do that part of it. On one hand they will cope with the job faster and much better than your nanny will and on the other hand you will keep your nanny and make her happy.

Do you have any tips on how to keep your favourite nanny happy?

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