A nanny is a professional that is employed by a family to attend to the needs of their child or children. The nanny is supposed to do so within the family home. Nannies not only take care of children’s needs but also provide them with motivation, love, inspiration, etc. If you do employ a nanny, don’t forget to use a nanny salary tax calculator to determine the exact pay for your nanny.
Activities within the home
Nannies are typically expected to do household chores when the children are at school or in the nursery. They not only do babysitting and spend some nights taking care of the children but they are usually expected to do general housekeeping as well. Some housekeeping tasks that they are expected to do include:
Cooking
The vast majority of parents are not at home when their kids return from school. Due to this, they typically require the nanny to cook healthy meals for them. These meals can be either dinner, lunch, afternoon snacks, or even breakfast. A nanny that is a good cook is definitely quite desirable.
Restocking
Another responsibility that a nanny would be responsible for is grocery shopping. They will also need to re-stock cleaning solutions and materials as well as anything the children need for school. They should be able to do the grocery shopping at a local grocery or online.
Pet care
The vast majority of homes have pets such as cats, dogs, small animals, etc. These pets are not seen as animals but as additional members of the family. So, the nanny would also be required to take care of the pets in the home daily.
Ensure the home is clean and safe for kids
Another important task that the nanny would be responsible for is ensuring that the home is clean and safe for the kids. They should also ensure that all the toys and equipment that are used by the kids during playtime are safe to use. They must also know first aid in the event of any emergencies.
Activities
Nannies need to provide appropriate stimulation for children to ensure that they are engaged within the home and outside of it. For example, they can take part in activities, play with them, take part in projects, assist with academic projects, etc. This is important so that the children are well-stimulated every day. A couple of interesting ideas include:
Helping the kids to learn a new language: Many parents want to have a bilingual nanny so that they can teach their kids another language. In addition to learning another language, they also want them to learn about another culture.
Go to clubs and playgroups: If the family has moved from one location to another, then going to clubs or getting into a playgroup is a great way to transition. It is can help the children to get accustomed to the new community so that they can have a smoother integration.
Picnic at home or a local park: If the kids love to be outside, then they will love this activity. The nanny should be able to make and pack appropriate meals for the picnic and take the kids out to the local park. They can even do it in the backyard at home.
Visit museums and libraries with the kids: A great way to stimulate the imagination of children is to take them to the library or museum. The museum can also help the children to learn about history in a very stimulating manner. It can also get them interested in different cultures and build their knowledge of science.
Recreation, crafts, art, etc: There are lots of arts and crafts activities that most kids enjoy such as photography, sewing, painting, making origami, playing various games, etc. These activities help children to become more patient, learn to problem solve and enhance their creativity. When kids play with messy things such as making pottery, painting, etc, it helps to build their sensory skills. Nannies are responsible for planning these types of activities to help their overall development.