A Professional Nanny is an Organised Nanny

3 easy ways to impress your nanny employers

If you are a nanny who is happy to help with organising and jobs around the family home then thank you thank you thank you from all of the parents out there! I can’t stress enough how much parents appreciate a nanny who is happy to help with the washing and dishes and keeps the family home running smoothly.

The challenge as a nanny is to learn how to do this while:

a) giving the children lots of love and attention
b) getting through the day to day activities
and c) still having time for a cup of tea!

Your nanny family will probably give you a list of jobs to complete but it’s likely you will manage your own time from day to day and choose when to get things done. This is great but the real challenge is being self motivated every day and always striving to get through as much as possible. I can promise you that you will feel fitter, healthier and happier if you avoid the couch and the fridge and get satisfaction from ticking off your ‘to do’ list instead.

Here are a few tips to keep things running smoothly, make your job easier and impress your employers:

1. Keep a timetable.

No matter how old the children are a timetable is a useful way to keep track of what’s happening each week. I’d make a template with the ongoing activities on it, then print a few copies that the family can write on/ add to week to week. For older children as well as play dates and after school activities note down which days they have sports at school so you know when to have sports kit ready. For my 9 month old we just simplify things and have a list of the local activities on each day- so if we decide to take her to music or play group we know which day it’s on and where it is.

2. Have a daily plan.

You should have your own morning routine which over time will become like clockwork. When Hannah arrives at my house the first thing she does is head to Amelia’s room to check the washing basket and put a load of washing on. While Amelia has breakfast she empties the dishwasher and puts away any washing from the day before. After that she plays with Amelia before her bottle and bed at 9am, and while she sleeps she gets her nappy bag and lunch ready, hangs out the washing, does any other odd chores that need to be done (cleans the high chair, preps some veges etc). There’s always time for a cup of tea as well! We all know what’s getting done when, and it’s amazing for me to be able to come home from work and know that those small jobs are already taken care of.

3. Keep a meal plan and recipe book.

I’m not what you’d call a great or inspired cook. It’s a recurring stress for me if I’m not organised- what am I going to give Amelia for lunch and dinner today? How can I keep it interesting but still easy? It’s bad enough finding inspiration for our own food let alone for kids as well!!

I’ve found the best solution is to take the thinking out of it by recording favourites and keeping them on file. To keep it simple I just take a photo of what Amelia likes eating and upload it to my ‘Kid’s Meals’ board on Pinterest. You might prefer to write it out in a recipe book but for me this is a quick and easy way to get my meal inspiration. I’ve also got a record of what Amelia is eating at different stages so the ideas will still be there for baby number 2.

Bonus tip! 

Don’t forget to get ready for a good day tomorrow by preparing the night before. Packing the kids bags for school while they do their homework is a great way to make sure they have everything they need without a chaotic morning fluster. It’s also a great time to leave a note for mum and dad with any important information from the day. Good luck!!!