Nanny 101 - Planning Activities

When it comes to planning activities for various families there are many factors to consider.

• Do You Need to be Outside?

I've had jobs before where I was a Mom's Helper.  During this job it was important for me to keep the children outside while the mom could make dinner, take care of a new baby, and do the laundry.  When I would work this job I began to bring bubbles with me, have easy "outside crafts" like sidewalk chalk, or riding bikes. 

• Ages of the Children

The age range for children I have watched has been from about 5 months to 12 years old.  The activities for different ages vary very much.  Infants enjoy peek-a-boo and for development it's good to have tummy time around 5/6 months.  Also, one family had Baby Einstein videos which it seemed the baby enjoyed from the colors and objects.  Beginning activities I like are crafts, Play-doh, Memory or Go Fish.  Older children might like more involved activities like Crayola Model Magic clay or games like Disney's Scrabble Jr, Monopoly, or Life.

• Genders of the Children

I'll admit that for certain ages I do bring certain activities.  When I have jobs for girls ages 3-8 I usually bring my Princess and Hello Kitty activities and games.

Girl Activities and Games!

When planning activities for boys I like to bring Toy Story books and games.  Boys also like super heros and Transformers.  I have found a lot of luck with large sticker books from Michaels or finding coloring books from either the Dollar Store, or 99 Cent store.

Boys Activities and Games

While in college, I had a child development class and we discussed gender neutral activities.  I thought this made sense to have activities that could work for girls and boys.  While working for a family I found Pirates, Harry Potter, and Star Wars to be pretty gender neutral.  Stay tuned for information to come on my Pirate days!

Nanny 101 - Variety of Jobs

While working as a nanny there are a variety of things to consider with the jobs you accept.  You need to keep in mind the different responsibilities you may have while working as a nanny.  Communication is one of the most important qualities to have as it's important to talk about with parents of their expectations and make sure they match with your comfortability level.

• Mom's Helper - Taking a mom's helper job means that you may work while the parents are home.  I've done these jobs where the mom works from home and there is a child recovering from being sick with a small temperature.  The mom needs to focus on work but needs her child to stay home from school for another day.  Also, new moms might need help around the house to watch over their older children while they care for the newborn baby. 
• Does the family have pets? - I can be very allergic in some homes and then not experience any symptoms in other homes that have dogs and cats!  It's important to ask the questions and make sure allergies don't attack you!  I've also had to clean up many times after dogs, it has to be done!
• Does the family expect certain chores done? - Often families might expect a variety of things to be done before they return home.  They might expect dishes and laundry to be done, children to have baths, and activities to be put away.
• Does the job require you to drive children? - If a job requires you to drive children it's important to think ahead to the potential problems.  It wouldn't be wise to drive other children with liability insurance alone!  This was brought to my attention and if you talk to your insurance agent it's possible to add more medical coverage and it doesn't change your bill that much in the end.
• Will the children need baths while you are there? - Giving children baths can be worth mentioning just because it is a safety issue.  My tips are pretty obvious but worth mentioning just on the off hand people need to know!  You shouldn't worry about phone calls or text messages while giving a child a bath.  Don't let yourself become destracted for any reason!
• Does the family have any activities planned? - I have had some jobs where it's expected I can go swimming with the children.  Also, I have had a job at a horse ranch resort where I worked with the children during their horseback riding lessons.

Clear communication and asking questions is the best way to make sure parents and nannies are on the same page for what should be done and when it should be completed.

Nanny 101 - How to Get Started

Welcome to the beginning of my Nanny 101 posts where I explain more about the job and the variety of questions you need to ask to get started.  If you're interested in nannying read my posts under the labels "Getting Started" and "Nanny 101."

So you want to work with children and you find yourself asking, "How can I do that?"  While in college, I struggled with finding what to study and what to be when I grew up.  I thought about careers in pharmacy or in nursing but it just couldn't seem to fit.  It was like putting a circle in a square shaped hole and I was not happy.  Here are a few ideas that matched with my interests of childcare that I found along the way.

• College - I majored in Family Studies and Human Development at the University of Arizona.  This was a great major for myself of finding a program of family life classes, child development, and adolescent issues.
• Preschool - I worked at a preschool during college and it was a fantastic job where I learned more about kids and activities to help children learn and explore.
• Private nanny - After my job at the preschool ended, I ran into a family who needed a nanny and found I could do a "Job-Share" with another girl.  I worked in the mornings and she would work during the afternoons.  It let both of us work and continue with our college classes.
• Nanny agency - There are agencies out there that have a variety of employment options.  They can place nannies with full-time positions or daily positions as families need a sitter for the day.  This employment is more "on-call" and works for nannies with more flexible schedules.
• Word of mouth - It's true what they say, don't underestimate the power of the word of mouth!  When you find a family to babysit for they will likely recommend you to their friends.  I have received a lot of jobs based on recommendations from the families I already work for!

There are a variety of ways to get started with nannying and babysitting.  These are just a few ideas to help get you started!