What kind of help would you get from a Nanny?

                                                                  

What kind of help would you get from a Nanny?

First of all, we should have in mind that “taking care of kids” is not the same that “watching kids”.  The question is: What do parents expect when they decide to hire a nanny?

We know that people are different in many ways. Nannies and Parents usually have different kind of opinions. When a parent does not know what kind of education they want to provide to their child, they tend to expect a nanny to do it for them. In that case, hiring a nanny will probably turn into a disturb instead of being a help. 

I say that because kids usually copy the adults who they spend more time with, that’s the reason why parents need to be very careful and participant when defining the nanny’s set of duties and kind of approach that are supposed to be taken by her, since it must be consistent with what they believe is a good education. I mean the nanny has to follow the same point of view of the parents when they are absent.

I suppose that parents know when it’s time to say  “Yes” and “No”. Most kids are curious and hard to convince, so if they see you are doing something different, they will want to do it as well, then, you'll need much effort to make them understand why they can’t do it. Parents have to be stiff when saying “NO”, because children will try hard to make them say “YES”. It is more about teaching them who is on control than just avoiding them to see someone doing what they can’t do. When a child is raised under that kind of discipline, the nanny wouldn’t have much problems in following the same method. Just don’t be that kind of parents who let the nanny be the bad Guy of the story, the one that always says NO, and you the ones who always says Yes, cover them by kisses, hugs, Love and presents. It needs to be 50%/50% since it is a team work.

On the other hand, I find a big mistake when some parents decide to hire a nanny just to watch the kid while they are not around, and do not  allow her to discipline or even to treat the kid with much affection. They think all the nanny has to do is to make sure the kids are safe, clean and fed. They believe ­­­­that way, they can keep themselves as the only education reference, the bosses, and the ones the kids most Love and need. But that’s not as simple as it seems to be. Maybe It would work just for few hours, in case of a babysitting but not for a nanny. 

The kids use to have difficult times when they have two different kind of influences around telling them what to do all the time. If both don’t take the same direction, that becomes confusing and stressful for the kids. Therefore, when the parents do not let the nanny discipline the kids when she is in charge, kids will probably drive her crazy , and besides that they will only behave well when their parents arrive. Now I ask: Do you really want to hire someone to be there for your kids, taking care of them, teaching them, and besides making them safe also making them happy instead of just watching them? If the answer is yes, I can say for sure that you should hire a nanny,and remember to allow her to help disciplining them as well.

Based on this discussion , what I mean is that parents need to lead the nanny about the things they allow the kids to do and what they can’t do, giving her orientation but also authority and autonomy to discipline and to educate the kids according to their rules. On the other hand, they are supposed to talk with the kids about who is the boss when their parents are not there, and about the consequences they will have to face if they don’t listen to the nanny, because she will report to them all their bad and good behavior. It is very important that the kids listen to the nanny, otherwise, they will assume that the nanny is their maid and when their parents are absent and also they are on control. Being respectful is a fundamental which should be taught by parents before the nanny’s arrival.

As I mentioned before, Parents are afraid about losing the Love of their kids, they also hate the idea of having someone else raising their kids instead of themselves. That’s is understandable but not a reason to freak out, since it does not occur so commonly. Kids hardly Love a nanny more than their mommy and daddy, it is something so natural that is hard to explain. I believe when it happens it is because the parents really don’t care about their kids and do not give them any sort of Love.­­ The parent’s Love is the first and the greatest Love a kid gets to know in life and I am sure when they show their kids how deep their love for them is, even after getting absent for work or for a trip, kids will anxiously wait until they get home and they get to see them again. 

A nanny never replaces the parents. That’s a fact.  She is there to help them taking care and also disciplining the little ones, doing the best for them. Of course she is also going to give them some Love. There’s nothing wrong about letting someone love your kid. Actually, that’s a guarantee she is going to do her best and take good care of your children.

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