A Working Mum’s Guide To Effectively Managing A Nanny

Every year, thousands of Australian families are choosing to employ a nanny over other childcare options available. The benefits are numerous, not just for the children, but for busy parents too. Amongst other things, nannies offer working mums and dads more flexibility, familiarity, and consistency in care. 

But, the management of the nanny relationship is what will determine whether it’s a roaring success or an abysmal failure. Here are some important factors to consider. 

A nanny will become a regular presence in your home and, in many ways, part of the family, so the relationship can feel very personal. That’s a great sign that you’ve chosen the perfect nanny for your family! 

However, it’s important to remember that your relationship with your nanny is also an employer-employee relationship first and foremost, and as such, it needs appropriate boundaries and working guidelines. 

With that in mind, start as you mean to carry on, with fairness and transparency, and professionalism, including all the right documentation. This protects both parties. 

The right time to do this is upfront, at the very start of your relationship. 

Set Clear Expectations 

A professional working agreement, with a clear and comprehensive job description, remuneration, and benefits, is absolutely necessary. You might choose to draw up other documents, too, to define the parameters of the parenting partnership that you’ll develop with the nanny. This can include some written expectations about “how” you want things to be done. 

In a commercial employee-employer or ‘contractor’ arrangement, there’s usually an organisational Code of Conduct which establishes legally-binding behavioural and ethical standards for employees. It outlines an organisation’s official position on a wide range of issues, like conflicts of interest, harassment, bullying, and dishonest behaviour. 

You don’t need a Code of Conduct, but it’s helpful to outline preferences and guidelines for any jobs your nanny may undertake, from the completion of household chores to disciplining the children. This document can also include ‘house rules’ like appropriate screen time, meal times, care of animals, or homework expectations. These documents should also include a schedule for regular meetings, feedback sessions, and reviews. 

The Employer-Employee Relationship 

The benefit of using a specialist nanny recruitment service is that the agency will help you to draw up these documents so that there are clear ‘ground rules’ and ‘rules of engagement’ for the nanny relationship. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is not having your working arrangement written down. 

Another big mistake is not paying your nanny correctly. When you engage the services of a nanny, you become an employer. As such, you have a number of significant responsibilities, such as ensuring that your nanny is remunerated for hours worked, has the breaks he or she is entitled to, is covered by insurance, and receives a record of employment for tax purposes, to name a few.  

It can get complicated, especially if you have never been an employer before! The simplest way to manage this is to outsource to a nanny payroll specialist service such as that offered by CarePayCo – a payroll system that will track hours and annual leave and holiday entitlements and ensure you’re meeting your superannuation, taxation, and legal responsibilities as an employer. 

These professionals will help you understand what your obligations are under Australian workplace legislation, and they’re a vital resource if you have questions about health and safety or what to do if you need to make a workplace compensation claim.

Parenting In Partnership 

With all the formal paperwork done, the cornerstone of your relationship will be maintaining an ongoing dialogue with your nanny, which is often easier said than done when life gets busy! 

One of the best ways you can make sure that you keep the lines of communication open with the nanny is to have a family journal so that you can both jot down things to remember, appointments, and, most importantly, particular issues a child might be going through, all in one place.  

While a nanny should complement parenting and serve in its absence, it’s important for parents to also respect that a nanny brings something ’extra special’ to the relationship with children, in much the same way that relatives and neighbours can. Children really do benefit greatly from spending time with a range of adults as they grow because it gives them different perspectives and helps to develop their confidence. 

Communication Is Vital 

When the relationship has been set up with the right paperwork, you can relax and trust that the children are being cared for to your standards and expectations. 

Of course, as outlined above, make sure you have a regular scheduled time, perhaps a couple of times a week or weekly, depending on what you need, to discuss the children’s routines and personal development. 

Children constantly change. That’s the nature of growing up. With so much change going on, regular, open communication provides an opportunity to be on the same page with the nanny. You’re a team, after all, as the nanny contributes greatly to the health and happiness of your children.