Making a Nanny Share Work

Last week, we talked about what a nanny share is, and how you can find your own nanny share arrangement. Once you've done that, how do you make sure it works?

Every family is different, and therefore it is important that you find a family that you get along with to get off to the right start. Both families will need to compromise so they're both happy with the arrangement. Meet with the family (without kids if possible!) beforehand and talk about what you each expect to get out of the situation. Discuss topics like:

• Where the care takes place - always at one home, or alternating?
• What duties are required in each home - this will have to be discussed with the nanny as well, but make sure that one family isn't expecting significantly more duties than the other.
• What will the nanny be paid, and how is this divided between the families?
• What happens if the nanny is sick, or the children of one family are sick?
• When are vacations being taken by each family?

We posted a blog at CanadianNanny.ca with 10 Steps to a Successful Nanny Share. Check this out and make sure you consider all the details before proceeding in order to avoid any hiccups as time goes on.

Next week, we'll discuss a Nanny Share arrangement from the nanny's point of view. See you then!

Visit www.canadiannanny.ca for details on our service, or contact us directly at info@canadiannanny.ca or 1-866-221-7918 and we're happy to answer any of your questions.

Nanny Share

Have you ever heard of a nanny share? If not, you may soon. It's growing in demand, and we're leading the pack!

A nanny share is where two families share one nanny for childcare. It could be that they are friends, family, or neighbours, and they want to split the cost of childcare, or give their child some social time with another child of similar age. The nanny usually works full-time, either for both families at once, or part-time for each.

If you don't already know a family, you can look online for one - we have a page dedicated to this on our website - or talk to your friends and neighbours. You'll want to meet with the family in person first, to be sure they are looking for something similar to what you're looking for.

Then, you'll need to look for a nanny, if there isn't already one in the picture. Again, you can use our website to do this, we have over 11,000 nannies in Canada! We strongly recommend you interview the nanny as well, checking references and criminal record.

We'll provide some more information about Nanny Share next week, so check back then for tips on making the arrangement work.

Visit www.canadiannanny.ca for details on our service, or contact us at info@canadiannanny.ca or 1-866-221-7918 and we're happy to answer any of your questions.

Making your live-in nanny comfortable

If you choose to hire a live-in nanny, remember that not only are you inviting him/her into your home, but you're also providing a home for her. To make her feel comfortable and welcome in your home, consider these items, and ask her if there's anything she needs.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it's certainly a starting point. If she is from another culture, there may be things you wouldn't think of to provide, and she may not feel comfortable asking for it.

• Outline your expectations ahead of time - duties and days/hours required should be discussed, but so should expectations in regards to socializing and having friends over, both during work hours and non-work hours. Would it be a problem if she came in late one night on her days off, or wanted to have someone spend the night?
• A locking door, food and salary are the basic requirements, the nanny should not be expected to share a room with anyone in the family.
• Set clear boundaries on private family time in advance. If you'd prefer to have family-only dinners most nights of the week, find the nicest way to say this. For example, "you don't have to feel obligated to eat dinners with us, I'm sure you want time to yourself at dinner time." You could provide the nanny with a mini-fridge and microwave so she can have her own amenities. 
• To provide additional private time for the family and the nanny, you could consider providing the nanny with her own TV and/or computer so she doesn't have to share with the family in her off hours.
• Nannies need to have off-hours where they can enjoy their time without being called on. Therefore, you can't ask her to take over while you go for a run if it's her day off, unless that's been previously arranged. Respect her and her time off. This applies to the children too; they shouldn't bother her if she's in her own space during time off.

As mentioned, this isn't a full list. There are guidelines that must be followed for nannies working under the Live-in Caregiver Program, but it's common for families to provide above and beyond these minimums to create a comfortable environment for their nanny.

I always encourage families to have open communication with their nanny. This way, you can feel comfortable talking to her about your concerns, and so can she. Lastly, make sure there isn't any confusion about the guidelines listed above; if you want her to make the most of her time off but don't mind her spending additional time with the family if she wants, make sure she understands this.

For more of my blogs, visit CanadianNanny.ca - Martha's Blog!

Geocaching - Get Active Spring!

Despite the snow that is currently falling outside my window, I heard that there are only 15 days until Spring! That's wonderful news for a Monday isn't it?
Once the weather warms up a bit, it's natural for families to want to get outside and enjoy it after the winter season. We have very mild winters here in BC, but that still tends to keep people inside. I know spring is on the way because, just this weekend, I saw several people out walking or riding their bikes in the sun!
One way families can get out in the spring (or summer or fall, really) is by geocaching.

Geocaching.com: Geocaching is a treasure hunting game where you use a GPS to hide and seek containers with other participants in the activity.

Geocaching

You may not have heard of it yet, but it's gaining popularity worldwide, and there are a reported 1.6 million caches hidden around the globe. You'd be surprised, but I'm sure there are at least 10 hidden treasures near you! Most geocachers use a handheld GPS device that they load with coordinates from the geocaching.com website, but you can also use your smartphone.
It's essentially a high-tech treasure hunt for plastic containers with small prizes in it. You go for a walk, hunt for the cache and (hopefully) find it, log your visit, trade some items, and replace it exactly as fond. Once you're home, login to your account and record your find and share your story. Some are very easy, others are VERY hard!
Go take a look at your area on their website, and give it a try! We like to leave stickers, erasers, small toys, pens, and the like. It's a great way to pass along the small toys the kids get and no longer play with. If you leave something, you can take something that someone else has left, and pass it along to the next cache.
We wrote a blog way long ago about geocaching when we first started... go to http://canadiannanny.ca/index.php?p=3_6&nid=96 to read!
_______________________
Founder of CanadianNanny.ca, Martha Scully and her team have helped thousands of parents find childcare across Canada for over 10 years. In 2011 she added Adult/Senior/Elder Care, Housekeeping and Pet Care services to Canadiannanny.ca, giving families one place to find all their care needs. Just like other moms, in her spare time she is a taxi driver, teacher, cook and housekeeper to her two daughters, Sophie and Charlotte. She has been featured on CanadaAM, in Today’s Parent, the Globe & Mail, as well as being selected as the 2008 SavvyMom Entrepreneur of the Year. For more information, please visit www.canadiannanny.ca. To contact Martha, please email martha@canadiansitter.ca or phone 1-866-221-7918.

Canadian Kids and TV Time

A while ago, I read a post about young children and TV watching. At that time, the study found that children between the ages of 4 and 7 spend about 14 hours a week either watching TV or staring at a computer screen. This study was in 2009, and with the new electronics available, I'm sure this has increased. As we've all heard, this has created a generation of children that have various issues relating to their weight, health, and behavour.

I was once a babysitter and now have two children of my own. I feel very strongly about how much time children should be allowed to spend on "screen-time". I don't think electronics should be used as a "babysitter" to occupy children for hours on end. As parents, nannies, or babysitters of these children, it is our responsiblity to keep "screen-time" to a minimum or acceptable level for the little ones in our life.

Children often try to push their limits when their parents are out, leaving them with a babysitter or nanny. Because of this, the parents and nanny/sitter need to discuss what an appropirate level of screen-time is appropriate and agree on the guidelines so they are presented as a team to the children. This agreement should include the type of content, the time of day, and the number of hours watched. This allows the caregiver to structure fun activities for the children, knowing the parents back-up their plan instead of the children trying to get additional screen-time becuase it hasn't been discussed.

• The children should know these boundries aren't negotiable when their parents aren't around  
• There should be consequences if the rules are not followed, agreed upon by the nanny/sitter and parents for consistency  
• The "screens" shouldn't be the highlight of the nanny's visit  
• Nannies/Sitters can include the children in their duties, such as preparing a meal or folding the laundry  
• Children can be set up with age appropriate activities when the nanny cannot spend one-on-one time with them

Check out my regular blog at CanadianNanny.ca by clicking http://canadiannanny.ca/index.php?p=3_6_Blog.