Looking to hire a wonderful nanny? Then this post is for you. Not sure yet, read more about the right childcare option for you.
Nannies are an essential part of life for many of us. A good nanny doesn’t just look after your children. They can help your children to learn fun and useful skills, provide entertainment and enrich their lives in so many ways.
Every child’s needs are different. Communicating closely with a nanny is beneficial for all parties. Your nanny can let you know about new activities that your children respond well to. Equally, you can suggest activities that you know your children enjoy and point out any activities you’d rather avoid.
Here are some activities you might want to suggest to your nanny while you’re away.
Artistic Play
Activities like colouring-in books, marble painting, and clay modelling are favourites among children. Creating bright colours and fun shapes keep children occupied for hours, so arts and crafts are very popular with nannies.
Most of these activities have the benefit of having no ‘loser.’ Colouring-in books might be frustrating if your child doesn’t like making mistakes, but at preschool age, they’re safe and fun and create relatively little mess.
Clay modelling is slightly messier and should be done outside and away from nice paving. Creations can be left to bake in the sun in summer if you’d rather not have clay in the oven. There’s no real ‘right’ way to model clay, which is a benefit again.
Marble painting is one of the ultimate satisfying activities for young children. Each painting is unique and dazzling but doesn’t invite comparisons. Your nanny should know that marble paints are best kept away from expensive flooring. Otherwise, this is a harmless activity, and your children will be excited to show your their creations.
Baking
Speak to your nanny about baking before encouraging it. If your nanny knows how to bake cakes and clean up properly, it can be a delicious activity for young children, as well as educational.
Allergens should be discussed, and they will need to keep your children away from cupboards full of ingredients. Nobody wants a dropped bag of flour!
Hide & Seek and Treasure Hunts
Young children enjoy searching for things and playing hide-and-seek. In this case, any off-limits areas of the house should be discussed with your nanny in advance.
Similarly, if you have delicate or expensive decorations, this may not be a good idea. Children love to hide but are clumsy and can easily cause chaos if unsupervised. You might decide on a ‘soft’ room where there is nothing breakable.
Read a Book (Bedtime)
The old favourites never go out of style. Helping your child to read simple books is an invaluable contribution your nanny can make. Just reading to your child to help them sleep is also never a bad idea.
If your child has a particular favourite story, sharing this with your nanny is a smart move. Your nanny can surprise your child with their knowledge of the story, which will bond the two. Likewise, if your nanny reports that your child finds a certain book relaxing, this is great information for you!
Conclusion: Keep the House Happy
Activities that will keep your children feeling happy and engaged are vital for a nanny. Equally, your nanny needs to know about any household rules and make sure activities are designed around these guidelines. Keep the house happy; keep the kids happy. A good nanny will do both!
