It doesn’t matter what your occupation is, if you feel undervalued, overworked and underpaid, you’re going to look for a new job.  And the same goes for your nanny.

A good nanny is hard to find so if you’ve found one, it’s important that you try to establish a good relationship based on mutual respect and consideration.

Here’s my top 5 tips to keep your nanny happy.

Tip One – Show Appreciation

Your nanny isn’t a competitor she’s an asset, so treat her with care.  Let her know you appreciate her, give her an occasional bonus or an unexpected perk.  Respect her free time too because even if she lives under your roof, she’s not on call 24 hours a day.  Make sure the children know that nanny is ‘out of bounds’ on her days off and that mummy/daddy are in charge.  If your nanny feels appreciated then she’ll be happy in her work.

Tip Two – Be Professional

As an employer, you need to be professional.  This means keeping on top of your paperwork obligations and paying your nanny’s salary on time.  It’s also a good idea to have some kind of petty cash system in place so that your nanny doesn’t have to dip into her own funds to pay for your expenses. Nobody likes to talk about money and if your nanny is regularly asking for reimbursements, it may get uncomfortable.  A professional relationship will earn you respect.

Tip Three – Explain Expectations

From the very beginning of your relationship, you should explain your expectations to your nanny.  If you want her to undertake other household duties in addition to caring for the children or have a specific way you would like her to do things , then establish this early on. Quite often we have expectations of our nanny, and when we don’t communicate them, they are not met and then all parties are not happy.

Tip Four – Communication is Key

If communication breaks down between you and your nanny, then this can quickly become a downward spiral.  So, keep communicating about the important things.  Have regular one-to-ones with your nanny – on an informal basis if possible and without the children – to highlight any concerns on both parts.  The longer something is left unsaid, the bigger it becomes.

Tip Five – Know Your Boundaries

It’s important your children know that nanny is in charge when she is working. Let her know you trust and respect her decisions, which will make her feel valued.

As you can see, having a happy relationship with your nanny is so important and it has a ripple effect on your whole household.  So I hope that these top 5 tips have helped you in some way.

If you have any tips for creating and sustaining a healthy relationship with your nanny, we’d love to hear from you.