We've been talking nanny shares lately. Two weeks ago we talked about what a nanny share is, and last week we talked about making a nanny share work. This week, let's look at what it means to a nanny!
A nanny share arrangement is attractive to a nanny because she may not be able to find a full time job, but by working for two families, she can have two part time jobs that compliment one another.
Nannies may also make more money work for a nanny share. If she works part-time for each family, she'll make a full-time wage, whereas if she worked for just one of those families, she'd only make a part-time wage, or the family would pay her less to work more hours so it works into their budget. If the nanny cares for both families at the same time, she will likely make more as well, because she'll be paid by both families.
Finally, as an added bonus to the families involved, the children have someone of similar age to play with! The children can then play together while supervised by the nanny, or they can all play together. Lots of families love the benefit of having a child of similar age for their child to play with, and may be the only reason they choose a nanny share arrangement.
If you have any questions about nanny sharing, please email us at info@canadiannanny.ca. For more inforamtion about CanadianNanny.ca and the services we offer, please visit us online at www.canadiannanny.ca.
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Friday, March 16, 2012
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.
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!
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
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.
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.
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 |
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.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Earth Day
Earth day is an important event that all Canadians should take part in one way or another. I would love to use this blog to create a list of things that parents and nannies across Canada do to help the environment. Here are a few things that my staff and I have done:
1) I now send all my kids lunches in Tupperware containers. At first, I was having difficulty getting the containers back and having to replace them all the time. So I purchased labels from www.mabel.ca and put labels on all of the containers that leave our home. Their labels are fantastic and they have not faded and are completely dishwasher proof. Just putting labels on lunch things has saved us time and money. And is really a unique way to be environmental!
2) I always bring re-useable bags on every grocery trip. We actually try and to keep them in our car so we do not forget them. Really, these bags hold more than plastic ones and are easier to carry. We also use them for other things, like beach days, soccer gear, etc. They're so durable and strong! The kind that I have are actually made from old plastic bags, and they are completely washable!
3) For the business, we turn everything off at the end of the day: computers, radios, space heaters (which also cut the energy bill), and lights. We also re-use paper wherever we can, and recycle what we can't.
4) My family has our own herb and vegetable garden in the back yard. We have a small backyard, but we are making a larger space for a vegetable garden this year. Hey if the Obama’s can do it why not us! The kids also love helping with the gardening and get a real kick out of it when we pick lettuce and make a salad with it right away!
5) Garburtors are not actually environmentally friendly; despite what I previously thought. I didn't know that until this year. Since garburators need a considerable amount of water to run properly, they place a strain on treatment plants and negatively impact aquatic life. Before we were using the garburtor serval times a day, now we have greatly decreased that.
Well parents and nannies what about you? What have you done this year to improve the environment? What are you planing to do?
~ Remember: Earth Hour 2009 is this Saturday, March 28th. Turn out the lights for one hour at 8:30pm local time, and join millions of people worldwide in saving the planet! ~
1) I now send all my kids lunches in Tupperware containers. At first, I was having difficulty getting the containers back and having to replace them all the time. So I purchased labels from www.mabel.ca and put labels on all of the containers that leave our home. Their labels are fantastic and they have not faded and are completely dishwasher proof. Just putting labels on lunch things has saved us time and money. And is really a unique way to be environmental!
2) I always bring re-useable bags on every grocery trip. We actually try and to keep them in our car so we do not forget them. Really, these bags hold more than plastic ones and are easier to carry. We also use them for other things, like beach days, soccer gear, etc. They're so durable and strong! The kind that I have are actually made from old plastic bags, and they are completely washable!
3) For the business, we turn everything off at the end of the day: computers, radios, space heaters (which also cut the energy bill), and lights. We also re-use paper wherever we can, and recycle what we can't.
4) My family has our own herb and vegetable garden in the back yard. We have a small backyard, but we are making a larger space for a vegetable garden this year. Hey if the Obama’s can do it why not us! The kids also love helping with the gardening and get a real kick out of it when we pick lettuce and make a salad with it right away!
5) Garburtors are not actually environmentally friendly; despite what I previously thought. I didn't know that until this year. Since garburators need a considerable amount of water to run properly, they place a strain on treatment plants and negatively impact aquatic life. Before we were using the garburtor serval times a day, now we have greatly decreased that.
Well parents and nannies what about you? What have you done this year to improve the environment? What are you planing to do?
~ Remember: Earth Hour 2009 is this Saturday, March 28th. Turn out the lights for one hour at 8:30pm local time, and join millions of people worldwide in saving the planet! ~
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