TIPS FOR TRAVELING WITH YOUR NANNY

Here are some tips for traveling with your nanny, for work or family vacation.

Compensation and Benefits NYC-area nannies typically get $100 per night in addition to their usual pay for every hour worked.

Click CLICK HERE for more tips on nanny pay.

Accommodations and Meals Try to make sure she gets her own private room (separate from the kids), and pay for all of the nanny’s meal costs and entry fees to events she attends while working. You do not have to pay for events and attractions she attends when she’s “off the clock” but you may want to offer to pay for some things as a thank you for traveling.

Work Schedule and Expectations Wheveer possible, discuss travel plans with your nanny before you leave. Let her know about her meals & accommodations and work schedule in advance. Be clear about her job duties during the trip to avoid any misunderstandings while you’re traveling.

Emergency Preparedness Make sure your nanny knows what to do and who to contact if there is an emergency while travling. Set up a communication plan for regular check-ins during the trip.

Downtime and paid “recovery day” We suggest provide your nanny with some downtime each day while traveling if you can. Because traveling is hectic, she will probably appreciate some alone time. Additionally, if return on a Sunday, try to give your nanny a paid recovery day on the Monday after returning home if feasible.

THE NANNY TRIAL -- TIPS FOR PARENTS

We are a nanny agency in the New York City (NYC) area but these tips will apply for nanny trials anywhere.

Nanny TRIAL DURATION

Most families decide if they want to hire a nanny candidate after one full trial day, but if you’re not sure how you feel at that point you can request another day or more as needed (usually up to one week).

But keep in mind that many nannies will assume you are not interested if you don’t hire them shortly after that first trial day, so it’s important to keep the lines of communication open and schedule follow-up trial days as early as possible if they look promising.

Nanny Trial Pay

At the end of the trial, please pay the nanny candidate the same hourly rate listed on job description, plus round-trip public transportation to & from your home (or gas money).

CLICK HERE for more information on nanny pay.

BEFORE nanny TRIAL

• CREATE A SCHEDULE — If you have time before the trial, write & print out a schedule for the nanny that includes meals, playtime, naps, outdoor time, etc. Keep the document as short & simple if possible (i.e., NOT too wordy, NOT too crammed with details)

• SIT DOWN AND CHAT WITH THE CANDIDATE IF TIME PERMITS. This will help her relax (she’s probably nervous!) and give you a chance to learn more about her personality.

• GIVE THE NANNY A BRIEF TOUR OF YOUR HOME — Show her the areas of your home she will use the most; give her a copy of the schedule and briefly review it together. Show her where the childcare/household supplies are. Try to avoid information overload. Even an experienced, highly qualified nanny may get overwhelmed by too much information on the first day.

DURING nanny TRIAL

• OBSERVE NANNY, BUT AS DISCREETLY AS POSSIBLE— After the nanny is settled in with you and the kids, give her apsce so she feels comfortable and can do her best. Try to blend in to the background and leave her alone with the child for brief periods (as long as you feel safe doing so).

• OFFER BREAKS AND A SNACK — If nanny is staying a full day, offer her some break time and something to eat and drink. She may need it but doesn’t want to make a bad impression.

• TAKE NOTES — Write down a few observations about the nanny during and after the trial This is especially important if you are having trials with more than one candidate. (write down a few specific details about each nanny so you don’t get them confused with one another later).

AFTER nanny TRIAL

• ASK THE NANNY CANDIDATE HOW SHE THINKS IT WENT — Ask her for an honest assessment of the day. Ask her if she thinks the position may be a good fit.

• PAY THE NANNY - As stated above, don’t forget to pay the nanny (usually cash is best after a trial but they may take Venmo or Zelle). Use the job description as your guide for how much to pay for each hour, plus about $6 for public transportation.

• LET HER KNOW NEXT STEPS - Let the nanny know soon after the trial if you'd like to move forward or not, or if you’d like to schedule more trial time. If you wait too long, she will assume you are not interested and move on.

SUMMERTIME SAFETY TIPS FOR NANNIES

Here are some quick tips for parents and nannies to care for kids during the summer.

Nannies, please TELL PARENTS as soon as possible if an accident or injury occurs, but CALL 911 FIRST if there is an emergency. Always ask permission before giving any medication.

CLICK HERE to watch child safety information video in Tibetan/English.

SUNSCREEN

• ASK a parent if this child has any allergy to sunscreen

• APPLY sunscreen to all exposed skin areas (don’t forget face, neck, ears, hands and top of feet) 20-30 minutes before going outside

• USE SPF 30 or higher (discuss with parent if SPF is less than 30 and reapply more frequnetly if less than 30)

• RE-APPLY every 2 hours or sooner if the child is swimming or sweating

BUG BITES, BEE STINGS & SUNBURNS

• For bug bites, ask the parent for permission before applying calamine lotion or hydrocortisone cream to reduce itching, then wash the area with soap & water. {seek immediate medical attention if the child experiences severe symptoms such as difficulty breathing, swelling of the face or throat, or dizziness}

• For bee stings, REMOVE the stinger, apply a cold compress, and monitor for allergic reactions. Tell parents immediately!

• For sunburns, ask parents for permission to do the following: give child a cool bath, apply aloe vera gel. (if parent agrees, refrigerate the aloe vera gel for a soothing effect.

DEHYDRATION

• DRESS kids in light, loose-fitting clothing (e.g. cotton, linen)and hats

• ENCOURAGE kids to drink water frequently

• TAKE frequent breaks in shaded or air-conditioned areas

• AVOID strenuous outdoor activities during the hottest parts of the day.

• WATCH for signs like lethargy, dry mouth, headache, dizziness, or dark yellow urine

• CHECK local weather advisories and air quality alerts

WATER SAFETY

• NEVER leave kids unattended near water, even for a moment

• ALWAYS use life jackets or flotation devices. Follow parents instructions!

• MAKE clear rules with kids about staying within designated areas

Click HERE for Tibetan/English child safety tips for nannies.

THREE TIPS FOR READING TO BABIES

Reading to your baby is essential and, of course, not very hard, but here are few important "do's" to keep in mind. The only "don't" is "don't don't read"! 

1. PICK THE RIGHT BOOK

• Board books are better than paper books for babies. They're fun to hold and won't damage too easily.

• Pick books with large pictures, simple drawings, bright colors and familiar objects. Reading with your child is a great way to help your child get her or his 30 Million Words by Age 4. Book reading ignites conversation between caregiver and child, so the more visually attractive and clear the images are the better.

2. BE INTERACTIVE (i.e. don't just read the book)

• Point to something in the book.

• Ask what it is, and then answer it for them if the child is to young to answer herself. Then say something interesting about the image, and don't worry if the child is fully grasping every point you make!

• Tune in to the baby's responses and repeat them back to her so she knows you heard her. This introduces the concept of back-and-forth conversation into the baby's world!

3. BE POSITIVE

• If a child is wrong, correct them only in a positive way. EXAMPLE: If a child incorrectly names something as a dog, for instance, tell her "It's brown like a dog, but this is a kitty. The kitty has has two eyes like a dog, and fur like a dog. This kitty is so pretty!" 

Most importantly, enjoy your reading time together! Kids sense when adults are having fun, too.

No Carrot, No Stick

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Very few parents or teachers believe any more that punishment (corporeal or otherwise) is an acceptable way of correcting bad behavior.

But many still do believe in a hybrid a "carrot and stick" approach, e.g. time out in the naughty corner for bad behavior combined with verbal praise and/or a colorful sticker when the child improves.

For other adults, taking a "carrot only" approach seems like an even better, gentler option. But as Katherine Reynolds Lewis points out in a recent Mother Jones article, experts believe that carrots and sticks in any combination are ineffective and short-sighted techniques.

According to Ross Greene, author of The Explosive Child and Lost at School, good behavior shouldn't be programmed into children as if they were lab mice or house pets. Why?

Because when we try to program behavior we are not really helping the child learn how to control her own behavior.

In psychological terms we are not helping our children develop autonomy. 

The best way to help the child develop autonomy (and thus control their own behavior) is not to program the child with reward/punishment schemes but to help them figure out why they're behaving in a particular manner.

The parent, teacher or nanny must help the child with this investigative process. Understanding her own behavior naturally promotes development of executive function in the child, i.e. the ability to control impulses and get yourself organized and on track. 

At Tibetan Care we encourage all of our nannies and parents to follow guidelines set by the New York Office of Family and Child Services (OCFS) on managing difficult behavior in children.  Similar to Ross Greene's Collaborative and Proactive Solutions (CPS) model, the OCFS approach encourages first getting to the WHY of a behavior, and never trying to punish the behavior away. 

Save the carrots for your salad and the stick for a nice long walk in the woods with the child where together you just might get to the why of the matter.