You just hired your new nanny. Everyone is very excited, and you are totally optimistic that she’s going to work out great. A nanny starting with a new family might feel very much like she has just arrived in a new “town.” Suddenly she is working—and oftentimes living—in a new home with a family she knows very little about. She doesn’t know the ins and outs, the routines, or the family dynamic.
As a new employer, the most important thing that you can do to ensure an easy transition is to act as a family interpreter; you need to teach your new nanny the “language” of your home.
Explain Your Expectations
Describe in detail a typical day with your kids and be very specific about what role you expect her to play. Communicating these details clearly will ensure that she understands what you expect of her.
Create a Family Manual
Provide your nanny with a written “guidebook” containing summaries of your family’s schedule, routines, preferences, and medical issues. Any information you can provide to help her adjust will go a long way toward making her feel more capable in her new job. Don’t forget lists of area activities and playdate contacts.
Be Patient
Your nanny is going to be in charge of the health, safety and wellbeing of your children, so it’s in everyone’s best interest to facilitate mutually respectful dialogue if you need to raise any issues. It’s going to take time, patience, and effort – but eventually your nanny will be a fully integrated citizen of your “town”. And taking the time to be a helpful “interpreter” throughout the transition period will be the key ingredient to ensuring a happy and healthy relationship with your new nanny.
