Babysitting ideas for 8 year olds: 209 Kids Activities (Games & Fun Ideas for Babysitting or Home)

30 Fun Babysitting Games To Play On Job

Keep your child entertained and foster bonding with these indoor and outdoor babysitting games and activities.

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Babysitting games are a great way to enhance children’s skills and bond with the babysitter. While parents are away, many children would not adjust to the babysitter. In such cases, introducing fun games and activities can keep them calm and entertained. Engaging children in activities is easy if babysitters come with a little preparation. Craft activities such as making a yarn necklace or games such as hide and seek are good ways to distract children and add some fun. So, if you are looking at ways to delight your children while a babysitter looks after them, try some games from the ones given in this post. Your children will enjoy them.

Babysitting Games To Play On The Job

It’s challenging to keep children entertained when their parents are out. A few games and activities will help the children get comfortable with you and keep them entertained.

1. Hide and seek

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Hide and seek, a classic children’s game, is excellent for both older and younger children to play inside the house.

The rules are simple; you need a seeker, and the others hide. Ideally, four or more children make the game fun, but you can also play with two or more children. The seeker closes their eyes and counts to fifty or any decided number while the others hide. After the countdown is complete, the seeker goes looking for the other players.

Another variation can be one where the person babysitting hides a specific toy, and all the children hunt for it together.

2. Puzzles

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Puzzles are engaging and keep children occupied for several hours while their parents are away. When you are babysitting, you can pull out a stack of games the children already possess and love to play. They will jump at the chance to do so with you. Alternatively, you can bring a few with you. New games and activities might excite children.

Puzzles are engaging, educational, and rewarding. But it’s important to determine the child’s interests, attention span, and skill level when you pick a puzzle.

3. Animal movements and sounds

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Children love animals, so a fun, easy game with a zoo theme can bring out their personality and help you break the ice if it’s your first day.

Take a square box, and write the name of an animal on each side. Ask one child at a time to gently toss the box like a dice and enact or make the sound of the animal written on the side that’s facing up. Throw in a dice to mix things up. The number that faces up is how many times the child has to perform that movement or sound.

Such games bring about multiple opportunities for learning while having fun, too. They also help build vocabulary, improve listening and social skills, and encourage them to follow directions.

4. Eye spy

Here’s a game that can be played by almost everyone and just about anywhere.

• One player starts. This player picks an object that everyone can see and says the first letter of the word out loud as a clue.
• For instance, if the player chooses “television,” they should say, “I spy with my little eye something beginning with T.’
• Whoever guesses first gets to choose the next object.
• Another way to play the game is not to involve letters. For instance, the player can say, ‘‘I spy with my little eye something that is red,” or “I spy with my little eye something that I can eat.” This way, you can easily tweak the game for younger or older children.

This interactive game helps children open up, develop social skills, cooperate with others, and build vocabulary.

5. Lip-sync competition

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Ever spotted your child standing in front of the television and singing their favorite tune or making use of different household items as a mic?

If yes, the perfect game for a babysitter and children is a lip-sync competition. Set up karaoke on the television with kid-approved songs and let them sing away. To add to the fun, you can even bring out pots and pans or use a broom as an air guitar.

6. Charades

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If you’re babysitting many children at once, you could organize an interactive game, such as charades.

To play the game of charades, divide the children into groups of two members each, and choose a couple of kid-friendly topics.

• One player acts out, without saying a word, the name of a movie, animal names, well-known actions, such as brushing teeth, the name of a famous person, the title of a book, or the title of a song.
• If the other teammate guesses correctly, the team scores a point. The team that gets the most points wins.
• Alternatively, you can play as singles. Each player enacts, and the first person to guess the word or phrase scores a point.

It’s an excellent game because it’s almost clutter-free, there’s no running around, no mess, and no one gets hurt. Plus, it works as both an outdoor and indoor game. The game can help stir children’s imagination and facilitate brain development.

Related: 20 Smart Brain Games For Kids

7. Storytelling

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This is a fun activity wherein everyone draws a picture on a piece of paper. Then you go ahead and swap your drawings with the person to your right. This person tells a story based on the drawing they have in their hand.

Not only is it an excellent game to help you bond, but it also helps children improve their interpretation and visualization skills and stimulates their imagination.

Quick tip

You can go the extra mile and introduce puppets to children. Have your very own puppet show and engage children by conversing with them. You can also ask children to play some characters from their favorite cartoons or movies.

8. Freeze dance

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Ready to jiggle and wiggle? Freeze dance is a wonderful idea to keep children in a good mood.

• Play age-appropriate music and let everyone let loose and dance.
• Once the music stops, you have to freeze.
• Everyone has to freeze in the exact stance that you are in until the music starts again.
• If they move, they lose. Play the music for about 30 to 60 seconds between stops, so little dancers get into the groove.

Dancing is an excellent way to improve coordination, build muscle, and develop listening skills.

9. Fun with chalk

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Everyone loves chalk. It’s a lot of fun to write messages and draw all over the driveway. It’s a great way to go outdoors and enjoy the sun, as well as let a child’s creative skills shine. From fun learning activities to doodling, chalk art possibilities are endless.

Related: 21 Fun Educational Games And Activities For Kids

Older kids can try twister, foursquare, or hopscotch, while younger ones can indulge in drawing and coloring. For an educational twist, get them to write letters and numbers.

10. Balloon tennis

When you can’t head outdoors, a fun indoor game that you could play to engage children and improve their hand-eye coordination is balloon tennis. Essentially, it’s tennis, but with a balloon instead of a ball.

The rules are pretty straightforward and depend on the number of children and the age of the players.

• To start with, you need rackets.
• You can either stick a popsicle to the back of a paper plate or use fly swatters.
• Next, to divide the room into two, you can keep two chairs a few feet apart and tie a rope between them. Ensure it is low enough so the children can hit the balloon over.
• Each child stands on either side of the court. One player starts by tossing the balloon to the other side, and the other players hit back.
• Let them continue as long as they’re enjoying themselves.

11. Paper plate ring toss

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Bring home some carnival fun with the homemade version of this jolly game, paper plate ring toss.

You need paper plates, scissors, glue, paint, and paper towel rolls to play this game.

• Cut out the centers of paper plates to create a ring.
• You can have the children paint them for some added fun. Set them to dry.
• Meanwhile, take the paper towel tube and glue it to any sturdy base.
• Once the tube dries, voila, you’re ready! Get the children to toss the plate onto the tube.

This is a brilliant activity to help relieve boredom, build hand-eye coordination, develop gross motor skills, and improve spatial perception.

12. Pop the bubble

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Bubbles never fail to fascinate children. Go outdoors with the children, blow bubbles into the air, and tell them to pop as many bubbles as they possibly can. All the children can pop the bubbles together or take turns.

Bubble games help develop visual skills, improve gross motor skills, and boost eye-hand coordination.

13. Bowling with plastic cups

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Who said you need to leave the house to go bowling? You can set up your own mini-bowling alley at home with plastic cups or bottles as bowling pins and a regular-sized ball or tennis ball to knock the pins down. You can also go with the traditional triangle setup, stack the cups in different ways, or create a stacked pyramid.

Note: Children will nag you to play this over and over again. Be prepared.

14. Drawing game

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In this game, you have to use 10–15 cards that contain instructions on how to draw pictures of specific things. You can ask them to draw a lion or draw an apple. For older children, you can set a timer to make the game more interesting.

15. 100 cup challenge

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One of the things to do while babysitting, if you’re looking to make the children active, is to grab a stash of paper party cups.

• The challenge is to stack cups into the shape of a pyramid or a structure of their own creation.
• It’s the perfect way to awaken their engineering minds, and the challenge also helps improve their fine motor skills.
• If 100 cups seem a bit much, you can work around any number. If you’re babysitting just one child, it can be a competition between the two of you.

16. Paper Tetris

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One of the most popular video games from the 1980s, you can now play a screen-free version of Tetris.

• You can download and print a Tetris-challenge template online along with the different shaped blocks.
• You and the children can cut out the blocks and jumble them up.
• From the jumbled pile, pick one block and place it on the button of the template.
• Remember, all pieces need to go from the bottom to top as if it’s falling from the top.
• Similarly, keep picking different pieces and place them on the template.

There will be a point where you will not be able to place a piece on the template. At this point, the game is over. The number of empty squares on the board is your score. The goal is to have the lowest score.

17. Build a fort

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When your craft supplies run low, or you have no time to pick up things you need for games, a fort can come to your rescue. Gather the children, peek into the linen closet, grab a few sheets, and use them to build a fort. Fort building is a great way to improve team-building skills and pushes children to be creative. You can even encourage them to use pillows and other nonbreakable items. You can even go outdoors and create a cozy fort between trees.

18. Scavenger hunt

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Whether you’re stuck indoors or spending the afternoon outdoors, steering children towards a game like a scavenger hunt can be an excellent idea.

Start by creating a clue to find an item or location, then have another clue waiting at that spot. That clue leads to the next spot, and so on. Keep a treat or toy for the winner at the final destination.

Scavenger hunts help children complete tasks and learn to work in a group setting, which will help them later on in life.

Related: 60 Fun Indoor And Outdoor Scavenger Hunt Riddles For Kids

19. Tape shape game

Tape, owing to its stickiness, flexibility, and strength, has multiple uses around the house. Who knew just a few simple lines of tape can lead to a lot of fun, games, and activities?

• On a flat surface, use tape to create shapes, such as a triangle, rectangle, square, and more. You can also draw shapes on paper and use tape to stick them on the floor or carpet.
• Remember, the shapes need to be big enough for the kids to jump in, and there needs to be enough space between each shape to avoid any collisions.
• There are many variations to this game. You can have the child pull a shape card and run to that shape, walk around the cards, or hold up a card and let the child run to the matching shape.

All in all, it’s an exciting game that children can enjoy.

Quick tip

Engaging children in making a DIY greeting card for their parents using simple craft supplies is also another fun activity you can try while babysitting.

20. Obstacle course

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On days when you cannot take children to the park to play in the jungle gym, create an obstacle course on the lawn! Obstacle courses provide endless hours of fun, help kids stay active, and burn off excess energy.

You can build different stations where each one contains a different challenge, movement, or activity that the child must complete to move ahead. You can even make use of stuff that’s lying around the house, such as jump ropes, kitchen tongs, blankets, and paper towel rolls.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Jump in and out of a hula hoop three times
• Do a ring toss
• Walk on a balance board
• Crawl under a row of chairs
• Somersault from one point to another

You can create simple courses for younger children and include a few zig-zags and more complex obstacles for older children.

Related: 15 Indoor And Outdoor Obstacle Courses For Kids And Benefits

21. Sack race

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The sack race is a classic game that has been around forever. It’s one of the perfect games to play while babysitting. It’s pretty simple and so much fun. All the children need to do is get into a sack and hop around a racetrack in the hallway or on the lawn and toward the finish line. Whoever gets to the end first wins! You can keep an eye on the stop clock and make sure the children don’t get hurt.

22. Name that animal

Young children love to pretend play. In this game, each player takes turns to pretend to be an animal they think of, and the others have to name that animal. The child can slither like a snake, hop like a bunny, or crawl like a spider. You can play this game indoors or outdoors, but make sure there’s enough room for the child to move around without injuring themselves.

This game encourages children to think and use their imagination. It’s also a good form of exercise!

23. Pin the tail on the donkey

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A crowd-pleaser that’s been around for ages, pin the tail on the donkey is a fun game that requires a blindfold and an image of a donkey on a large paper. Make sure you cut out “donkey tails.” Mount the image of the donkey at an appropriate height on a vertical surface.

Give each player a donkey tail with adhesive. Then, blindfold a player and spin them around five to ten times. It’s not necessary to spin young children. Next, the player has to walk over to the donkey and pin the tail on the donkey by attempting to stick the tail in the right spot. The child who places the tail closest to the right spot wins.

24. Pass the balloon

Pass the balloon is a game of agility and teamwork that requires a few inflated balloons or any round object.

• Create two teams, and ask them to stand in a line opposite one another.
• The first person in each team starts with a balloon between their chest and chin.
• They have to pass the balloon to the person next to them without using their hands, and that person should take the balloon only with their chest and chin.
• Continue until the balloon reaches the last person. If the balloon falls or bursts, the team has to start from the beginning.

25. Simon Says

Simon Says is an exciting game that never seems to get old! As the babysitter, you will be Simon.

• Get the children to gather around in a circle or line in front of you.
• As Simon, you have to begin calling out actions. You have to start with the phrase, “Simon says.” For instance, “Simon says, clap your hands.”
• The children have to follow this action.
• When you say a statement without the phrase “Simon says,” the children mustn’t complete the action. Any child who does the action is out of the game.
• As Simon, you can trick them into doing actions without uttering the phrase “Simon Says.” The last player left in the game wins and becomes the next Simon.

26. Hot potato

This activity will get everyone giggling instantly. Ask the children to sit in a circle on the floor. Give one person a softball or a potato, turn on some music, and ask them to pass the item around in a circle as fast as they can. As soon as the music stops, the person holding the item leaves the circle. This continues until only one player is left.

27.

Touch-and-feel box

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For this fun-filled game, you need a corrugated box with a lid. Cut a hole in the box – it should be large enough for a hand to fit in. You can even decorate the box with paint, stickers, etc.

• To start the game, you need to put an item inside the box and have one of the children put their hand inside and guess what is in it.
• They can ask questions about the item, and you can give them clues.
• Use simple objects, such as a bar of soap, or tricky objects, such as spaghetti!

As the game progresses, it gets super-duper fun!

28. Tape maze

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Here’s another fun game with tape. Firstly, you need to have lots of floor space in a room. Use the tape to design a maze. For the younger kids, the maze can be simple, while for the older ones, you can add dead ends, zig-zags, and obstacles to make it challenging.

You can ask the kids to kick or dribble a ball through the maze without crossing any lines. Another interesting variation is helping children recognize the number by marking numbers along the route of the maze, which the child has to follow in the correct order from start to finish.

29. Balance beam

You can set this game up quite easily. Again, you need tape to create straight lines or zig-zags. Challenge your child to walk on the line all the way to the end. Zig-zags and spirals are always fun! You can spice things up by getting the children to walk backward, walk with their eyes closed, walk without footwear, jump the line, or walk heel-to-toe.

30. Floor is lava

A classic indoor game perfect for all age groups, it’s also one of the fun things to do while babysitting. The game can encourage children to use their imagination while having a good time. Anyone can play this game anywhere!

• When someone shouts out, “floor is lava,” everyone has five seconds to get both feet off the ground in any way possible.
• After five seconds, if anyone is still on the floor, they lose. If everyone is off the ground, you resume the game.
• For younger kids, you can keep pillows on the floor for them to jump on.
• Another version that fosters learning is using sheets with letters and numbers and placing them at random spots on the floor.
• Instead of using pillows or obstacles to avoid lava, call out a number or letter, and challenge your little one to find it.

1. How can I be a cool babysitter?

To be a cool babysitter, you should be active and know how to have fun with children. Participating in their crafts and plays, involving in their activities, and being playful can also help. However, before you decide to babysit, you should be aware of your limitations, such as the number of children you can care for at once and their ages.

2. What are three things not to do while babysitting?

While there are many things you should avoid when babysitting, the main things to keep in mind are –

• Do not take the baby out without their parents’ permission
• Avoid looking or spending time on your phone when at work
• Do not click photos of the baby or make their family’s business public

Babysitting games provide a good opportunity for the child to bond with the babysitter and stay occupied. These babysitting games can be played with simple things already at your disposal at home. Games like a scavenger hunt or obstacle course will give your child an opportunity to explore the outdoors and connect with nature. And on the other hand, games such as puzzles or lip-sync competitions could help tap into their intellectual side. These games may also help your child enhance their educational and creative skills. So, when your child is with the babysitter, incorporate these games into their routine and let them have a gala time.

Key Pointers

• Trying out some fun and interesting games can help a babysitter bond with the child and keep them entertained.
• Hide and seek, eye spy, and charades are some of the many fun games that you can try.
• Know more interesting games such as animal movements and sounds, lip-sync competition, and freeze dance as you scroll down.

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Games & Things To Do Whilst Babysitting

Here are over 70 of our favorite babysitting activities.

Apart from being entertaining, many of these babysitting games are also
educational! Nearly all activities promote development of language,
cognitive skills, fine and gross motor skills. So not only do you get to
have fun together you can also be proud that you’re helping a child build
his or her skills!

Be led by the child

Let the child’s play guide you. Ask what they’re interested in! Observe
them and engage in their play. Most children will appreciate your interest
in them and their favourite things. It’s such a great way to connect and
build trust with others (big and little!). If you have not met the child
yet, ask the parent about the child’s interests before your first
babysitting shift. This way you can come prepared with some ideas. Maybe
their child loves unicorns and you can bring along a book about a unicorn
or some sparkly unicorn stickers. Or maybe they’re a big Bluey or Peppa
Pig fan and you can print up a colouring-in page. Perhaps they love The
Wiggles and you can check Spotify for some songs. Plan ahead to have a few
babysitting games or activities prepared, so you’ll have some fun ideas to
engage the children.

Be guided by the parents

Many parents are time-poor and will be delighted to have your help with
activities. Are there activities or outings they’d love you to do during
your shift? Some families want the children to spend more time outdoors
playing. Parents might want you to get the kids out of the house, on their
bikes and scooters. Others might like you to spend time in the house and
backyard, keeping the kids happy at home. Check if there are things the
parents don’t want you to do too (e.g., limits on watching tv or gaming).

There are literally hundreds of baby sitting games to entertain children.
Here are just a few to get you started.

Craft supplies for babysitting

Collect some craft supplies to make a box of fun art and craft items for
kids. A craft box stocked with basics will always help you find plenty of
things to do with children. This is especially helpful for those rainy
days when you’re stuck inside and looking for inspiration! Bring your own
craft box along, or ask the parents if they already have some supplies.

Some crafting basics include

• Plain paper
• Coloured paper
• Cardboard
• Glue stick
• Glitter glue
• Glitter
• Crayons, pencils, markers
• Sticky tape
• Cardboard boxes of all sizes – from cereal boxes to Amazon boxes
• Egg cartons
• Pipe cleaners
• Buttons
• Stick-on eyes
• Felt
• Ribbons
• Fabric scraps
• Paper plates
• Paint
• Paint brushes
• Small scissors
• Old magazines to cut out

20 Fun art and craft activities for babysitting

Wondering what to do with all the art and craft supplies? Feeling a bit
stuck? We’ve got you! Here’s a long list of babysitting ideas to keep the
children entertained using art and craft.

1. Make playdough – use a simple microwave recipe. Create some characters!
2. Fold a paper chatterbox for a fun, interactive game.
3. Make animal masks – use cardboard or paper plates, crayons, glitter,
   ears, feathers. and fine elastic to make masks of favourite animals
   like dog, cat, rabbit, chicken.
4. Design funny faces – use paper plates with paint and glitter to make
   funny faces .
5. Make hand or foot prints with paint or outlines with crayon.
6. Create a crocodile – use egg cartons with green crayons and paint.

7. Thread bracelets – create stacks of bracelets with fruit loops
   threaded on fine elastic.
8. Make a collage – with glue, paper and pictures from pages of
   magazines.
9. Paint with rollers, stencils, brushes, stamps, sponges.
10. Do sticker art – place stickers (e.g., frogs, butterflies) on
    coloured paper to make a work of art.
11. Use stencils – trace with stencils, paper, crayons or paint and
    rollers.
12. Create a self-portrait – draw a self-portrait OR trace around the
    entire body lying on butcher’s paper for a life-sized portrait.
13. Create an under the sea scene – using green paper background & shapes
    stuck on for fish and coral.
14. Make puppets – use colourful socks and sew on some buttons for eyes.

15. Design aeroplanes – use paper and markers to create your own flying
    machines. Try different designs and see who can fly further.

16. Thread necklaces – use pasta, paint, glitter and elastic to make
    necklaces.
17. Adopt a pet rock – create and adopt a pet rock with rocks, markers,
    and sticker-eyes.

18. Design spoons for a Spoonville – use wooden or plastic spoons to
    create characters for your own spoonville.
19. Make a card for someone special – use paper, drawings and photos to
    create a card to send to grandparents.
20. Make music shakers – use little plastic juice bottles, filled with
    rice

20 Great indoor babysitting activities and games

Apart from art and craft there are lots of really fun babysitting games
and activities to play indoors. Sometimes the simplest thing will
entertain children for hours. Who doesn’t love a pillow fort? Or a pretend
train trip in boxes?! Having a babysitting game ready to play can help
make time together more positive.

1. Have a puppet show.
2. Read to each other, tell stories, listen to audiobooks as you
   play.
3. Make a personalised story book about the child.
4. Build Lego.
5. Create a blanket and pillow fort.
6. Sing along to favourite songs or movies.
7. Disco dance to different music.
8. Compose music with instruments or with improvised kitchen implements.

9. Play board games and card games.
10. Have fun with dress ups.
11. Play hide and seek.
12. Build an indoor cubby house.
13. Decorate cupcakes and biscuits.
14. Host a teddy bears’ picnic.
15. Take train rides inside big boxes lined up like carriages.
16. Go camping with an indoor tent.
17. Play indoor sports in the hallway (ten pin bowling with plastic
    cups).
18. Play the Freeze / Dancing Game with music switched off and on.
19. Play Simon Says.
20. Use TV and technology – ask the parents what limits they set and work
    within this.

20 Active outdoor activities for babysitting

The great outdoors is so beneficial for children’s health and wellness.
Outdoor activities also give you lots of things to do when babysitting!
Whether you are exploring the backyard or taking the kids to the local
park, there are plenty of ways to explore the outdoors. Always get
parents’ permission before you go on outings. Remember to take hats, bike
helmets, sunscreen, water and snacks. For smaller children be sure to take
the nappy bag, with all the essentials. Here are some ideas for outdoor
play:

1. Play with sand and water.
2. Blow bubbles with big and little bubble wands.
3. Go on a treasure hunt in the backyard.
4. Make mud cakes in the backyard.
5. Paint outdoors, use a roller brush and water on the fence.
6. Plant a garden with herbs.
7. Visit local parks.
8. Ride bikes.
9. Ride scooters.
10. Skate board.
11. Rollerblade or rollerskate.
12. Play ball games.
13. Have a teddy bears picnic at the park.
14. Play hopscotch drawn with chalk.
15. Basketball
16. Soccer
17. Football
18. Create chalk art on the footpath.
19. Take an ‘awe walk’ where you look for ‘awesome’ things (e.g., little
    flowers).
20. Create your own obstacle course in the backyard with boxes and
    brooms.

10 Easy things to bake or make with kids in the kitchen

Baking is such a great thing to do when babysitting children. It often
works well with children who are 4-5 years of age and older. Ask the
parents ahead of time if you can use the kitchen and their ingredients to
bake. Start by checking for any food allergies, to avoid issues. Plan
ahead to ensure the space and the activity is done safely with the
children. You might choose a ‘no bake’ recipe to avoid using the stove or
oven. Or you might choose to bring along something pre-baked and spend the
time on decorating. Remember to always keep small children away from
ovens, hot water, and sharp objects in the kitchen. Always make sure you
turn appliances off at the wall. Here are some ideas to get you started:

1. Decorate gingerbread people.
2. Set jelly cups – fill clear plastic cups with different coloured jelly.
3. Put frogs in jelly – put chocolate frogs into jelly cups when they’re
   half set.
4. Pour homemade icy poles – create your own icy poles with juice e. g.,
   watermelon juice.
5. Make ‘funny face’ biscuits – ice an Arnott’s Marie biscuit with plain
   white icing and add lollies on top to create faces.
6. Make Rudolph the Reindeer biscuits – ice an Arnott’s Milk Arrowroot
   biscuit with plain icing and add a raspberry lolly for the nose, m&ms
   for the eyes, a jellybean smile and pretzels for antlers.
7. Make dolls’ tea cups – using icing to glue parts together – place a Tic
   Toc biscuit on the bottom, then a marshmallow in the middle, then a
   chocolate freckle on top. Attach a half a lifesaver on the side of the
   marshmallow for the tea cup handle.
8. Decorate muffins, biscuits and cakes with coloured icing and decorations
   – sprinkles, mini marshmallows, m&ms.
9. Make fruit skewers.
10. Make a chocolate ripple cake.

Engaging Kids Activities for Seasonal Celebrations

Using seasonal events is a great way to plan enjoyable things to do while
babysitting. It helps mark special occasions and also teaches children
about the months and seasons of the year. Use a calendar to show the
children the year and where the month and day falls. Days and celebrations
you can plan for include:

• February 14th – Valentines Day – cut out and colour in love hearts to
  hang around the house.
• March 17th – St Patrick’s Day – make anything green! Draw a 4 leaf
  clover.
• April – Easter – make an Easter bonnet, go on an Easter egg hunt.
• April 25th – Anzac Day – bake Anzac biscuits.
• May – Mothers Day – make a gift or card for mum.
• July 14th Bastille Day – eat croissants for morning tea.
• September – Fathers Day – make a gift or card for dad.
• October 31st – Halloween – make a costume or a basket for trick or
  treating.
• December 25th – Christmas – make decorations for the tree, bake, write a
  letter to Santa.
• Ask about traditions their family celebrates.

We hope these ideas help you find lots of great things to do when
babysitting. You’ll be the favourite babysitter once you add these games
and activities to your skillset. We hope you enjoy these ideas and feel
free to send through new ideas for us to add to the list!

What does the nanny do during the day. Responsibilities of a child nanny

This question is often raised in the conference about nannies and governesses – both by those who are just about to invite a nanny and draw up a contract or schedule for the day, and by those who are embarrassed or alarmed by something in the work of a nanny. So, the first discussion we chose is devoted to the cool attitude of the nanny to the development of the child. The participants of the conference gave a lot of useful advice to mothers whose children are from one to one and a half years old. The second discussion was caused by a list of requirements for a potential nanny for two children of different ages – and for many this list seemed impossible.

Topic : girls with children about 1.2-1.5 years old
Girls with children about 1.2-1.5 years old – tell us WHAT does your nanny do? I need to know this, because. I don’t know how I can continue to build a relationship with our nanny. I’ll tell you what she does with us: A child (he is 1.3 years old) wakes up at 8.00-9.00, for breakfast (at 10.00) he eats porridge (we breed “Baby”). The nanny comes at 11-12 (sometimes at 10). He sits, drinks tea, the child sits in an armchair watching TV. Around 11-12 he usually goes to bed for the first time. He sleeps for a short time, a maximum of 1.5 hours. This time the nanny washes in a typewriter or irons his things. Then he watches TV. After the first sleep, the child eats fruit (sometimes live, sometimes cans), and they go for a walk. They walk for a maximum of 1.5 hours. They come home, eat dinner (cans), and she tries to put him to sleep a second time. If it works out, then the child falls asleep again for about 1 hour. If not, then they “play” with him in the room. Those. the nanny watches TV, the child either watches too, or she reads books to him. She reads like him, and he crawls around the room, opens cabinets or throws books off the shelves. He has little interest in toys, most of all he loves all sorts of remote controls, telephones, etc. Well, maybe she’ll lay down a pyramid with him, but all the same, he pays practically no attention to her. She doesn’t potty train him. Those. he says that he teaches, but for 4 months he has been “accustoming” – there is no result, the child does not go to the potty. At about 6 pm, she gives him cottage cheese and biscuits. Then they watch TV. At 20.00 the child sleeps. At about 23-24 hours I give him porridge from a bottle. All. This is roughly our day. I feel that something is wrong, in the sense that somehow she is doing something wrong with the child. No, everything is fine with him, he does not get sick (pah-pah), always well-groomed, clean, fed. But I’m reading about all sorts of hardening, early development and so on. How far it is from us … When I told her that a child needs to be developed, she told me: “Go to the store, ask something for early development. Buy it, I will develop it.” She is basically a good nanny, kind. A little lazy – it is. The nursery is cleaned by a housekeeper, although this was originally the duty of a nanny. Well, in general, I don’t know … The agent from the agency where we took the nanny says that we have a sanatorium. The machine is washing, the housekeeper is cleaning, there is always any food (for the nanny), the child eats “adjustable” cereals or cans. You don’t need to cook anything. He can no longer live without TV, he is bored. And when there is an advertisement, he freezes and can eat the whole plate of porridge and not be capricious … Well, in general, I have a question for you – what am I doing wrong?
local

I would put away the TV (generally) and let the nanny read to the child at that time, take a walk twice, play. Buy some developer really. Show the nanny how and what to do, look at the result.
Frog

My first opinion: put the TV on the balcony or forbid it to be turned on. This is very harmful to the child and distracts the nanny from him. Second: buy educational games (books with stickers, cubes with letters, Nikitin and Montessori manuals, felt-tip pens, water coloring, nesting dolls, large Lego, loto and dominoes, if you have money – a sports center or a horizontal bar and a trampoline, hang children’s cards and posters on the walls – everything that the child will be interested in considering) and make a list of desired activities for the nanny. Start slowly, let her master the games and begin to enjoy it. And if you can’t or don’t want to, you will think about breaking up.
At the age of one and a half, I have such a list (everything is not done every day, and not everything is done by the nanny, but both I and she have a reference point – as a result, there are always a lot of ideas of what to do, and the days are fun and useful):
Physical development
Rollers 3 minutes a day along the corridor
Hangs on the horizontal bar and rings
Jumping
Walking up and down stairs
Ball/balloon games – hand, foot, racket, club. ..
General Knowledge
World map – looking for animals and plants on the children’s map
Warehouses/letters – Zaitsev’s cubes
Charging songs
We read books by 5-15 pieces. per day
Cards of 3-4 categories of 10-20 cards are viewed for feeding instead of advertising:)
Computer presentations – 6 presentations about different fields of knowledge are watched 1-3 times a day (very good instead of cartoons)
Mathematics
Counting fingers
Zaitsev’s numbers
We are looking for a pair (shoes, socks, mittens) and the game “The Third Extra”
Practice
Buttons, zippers, laces
Roll, throw, catch balls
Pour / pour / shift water, buckwheat, beans
Blow mouth, nose, spit
Speech
Facial expressions (faces)
Sound games
Finger games
Listen to Zaitsev’s chants
Creativity
Drawing, plasticine
Music (synthesizer, songs, dances)
The way your days go by is not great, the child learns to watch TV, it will be very difficult to wean. It’s not the babysitter’s fault – you need to decide what you want to be done and teach her.
In addition, it would be good to teach a child to go to bed and fall asleep on his own, put toys in place and wipe puddles behind him – to teach independence and allow adults to help. This is my opinion, my year and eight now.
The fact that we try to teach or repeat this in the game does not mean that the child will learn tomorrow, but these are goals, guidelines, so as not to forget anything important.
And all this for 1-2-3 minutes – i.e. your life does not stop. I am also a working mother, I also don’t have enough time for everything and to be with my husband – I learned to connect the child to my worries and “develop” him between chores in the literal sense.
Here is one of our evenings when my son was 1 year and 2 months old.
I arrived from work quickly, not at 19, but at 18.30, I run in for bread and meet the nanny and Danya – they were walking. I entrusted the bread to them, and she ran home, put on roller skates and skated in the park for 20 minutes . .. I haven’t skated for two years – either pregnancy, or a baby in a stroller. 20 minutes in total, but each of them is only for me – and I took a break, and I trained my legs a little !!!
Came home, let the nanny go – 7 hours. Danya and I began to cook fish and boil cauliflower. I cut and give Dana whatever pieces I can: this is cauliflower, it must be boiled, this is a tomato, it is eaten raw. Danya puts it in her mouth, then in a saucepan. I counted the sweets – 7, put a jar, a cup and a bowl on the floor, showed that it was necessary to put the sweets there. Danya undertook to lay out sweets, I cut the salad. I look – he gnaws one, apparently, he saw that dad was eating them, and guessed how to open it … took it away. I fed him dinner while he ate nectarine for dessert, I ate it myself. We sat opposite each other, Danya in a chair on one side of the table, I on the other, and were quite happy (dad was late). Let’s go pee.
8 ocloc’k. Let’s go take out the trash. Our staircase is very clean, we both go out as is – barefoot. 8 steps up – a little, but for the baby and fun, and useful. At 1 and 2 months old, Daniil walks the first two steps vertically without support, like adults, then he takes my hand. Mom opens the garbage chute – throw it, Danya. Danya throws, mom closed it, opened it – and there is nothing – a miracle!, again I put in his pen what is not dirty: a used folded diaper, a plastic bottle, a cabbage stalk – he throws it, and we listen to how it falls, what is heavy, and what lung. We went to wash our hands, feet and the trash can. Mom explained in detail that the bucket is dirty, and you can’t touch it with your hands, Danya learned to obey :). To control his desires and his hands is now the most important skill that he needs to learn, because the ability to climb everywhere and get everything has increased dramatically, but obedience has not yet :).
Let Danya get things out of the washing machine. You can’t turn these handles, but this one can, fine motor skills have gone 🙂 We lay out things – this is a T-shirt, it’s white, these are socks, they . .. Danya ran away to play with the car – I fold things myself, what I plan to wear tomorrow. Danya returned, they assembled a wooden mosaic of a bunny. For a long time, apparently, they did not ask him where the eyes are, where the nose is, etc. Danya forgot, they began to repeat, he very actively patted his mother by the ear. Then they played cubes – my mother built a pyramid, counting the cubes aloud – she would put two, then four (we repeat the numbers and the count), and Danya, with utter delight, turning into a squeal, broke. So we raged that we turned on the radio and began to dance, swing and twist the child – Daniil held on like a staunch rider, “machinations in space” according to Doman are over. We read books, looked at pictures, but I already wanted to run. They ran away from mom along the corridor, hung on the horizontal bar, looked like on their hands (mom holds her legs up:) the program of physical development was completed .. 9hours … let’s go swimming. They swam with delight, and my mother washed off her makeup, combed her hair and sang the letter “o” to different motives. In the end, Danya sometimes repeated “o”. They began to brush their teeth, mom cleans, and Danya puts a small brush in her mouth – because mom does it so funny. Mom taught me to spit out water in a trickle. Danya laughed and tried to get water into his mouth too – but it doesn’t work yet. They began to remove toys from the bathroom, it is necessary to pour water out of them. Look, Danya, – the duckling is pissing, the panda is pissing … Danya concentrated – and also peed into four hands to thunderous applause. Mom wrapped her in a towel and went into the room – we dry ourselves in a cool room for hardening, and we rage naked on our parents’ bed: we play peek-a-boo and hide a card with the letter O either under the pillow or under the towel – Danya, where is O? 9:30… Dad came. Danya and I hugged dad a little more, found his eyes, unzipped all the zippers, checked what he brought in his bag. 10:00 – go to bed. Danyukha sucked in a bottle of yogurt and fell asleep in an embrace with his mother to the lullaby “Grazki sleep, nose sleep, cauliflower sleep, Oh sleep, pillow sleep . ..” – repeated new words. I rolled him into his bed, which is close to ours, and I myself was tired on the other side. Here is such an evening from the life of a one-year-old boy and his mother 🙂
And today the baby woke up in the morning, crawled over dad, looks, and there mom … smiled. And mom: “Good morning, son,” and again the letter o. But Danya did not hesitate, he also folded his lips into a tube and said his childish “o” …. and a new day began.
Good luck to you!
Natal

If you don’t want to change your nanny, then definitely turn off the TV! Come up with something – the doctor forbade it, the TV broke down, etc. A very small kid and watches a lot of TV, as I understand it, these are not even cartoons: ((times an advertisement.
And immediately she will find what to do with the child 🙂 really buy literature on early development, download it from the Internet – and let it work.
I-ris

I didn’t find anything good in your nanny. .. :(((
I took my daughter a nanny when she was 11 months old. At your age (1.3), my daughter slept during the day 2 times for a walk (in a stroller), and at home the nanny played with her all the time, read, studied, and she had no free time at all !!! The nanny immediately asked for a potty and at home removed diapers from her daughter.
I do not work and often at home, the nanny’s mouth does not close, she is just a storehouse of poems, folds, songs. She washes her daughter’s hands – and then a rhyme in the subject, changes her daughter’s clothes – she sings a song.
To be a good nanny, it is not enough just to follow the cleanliness – IMHO. You need to have talent :)))).
And if it is not there, then even if you buy half a store of developing books, it will not help. If it is through an agency, is it possible to change it? Try it! I myself know how scary it is to invite a stranger again, but you must find YOUR nanny who will put her soul into your child. My nanny says she loved my daughter like her own. And I am very pleased with it :).
chamomile

You are extremely lucky! You got an excellent teacher and psychologist. Knowledge of rhymes and pestles speaks of high professionalism, and love for a child is generally just wonderful, I also work as a nanny, and I really fell in love with the children I sit with, and when I don’t see them for a long time, I miss them very much. Children feel everything.
And about that nanny, her professionalism is very doubtful!
Zaarina

My advice – don’t change your nanny. Awl for soap. Children at this age do not get used to new people well. Gently insist on your own about the schedule, if the nanny values ​​work, she will adapt to you. Also gently put the question about the TV – it’s better not to turn it on at all. About classes – he now knows the world himself, by touch, and this is normal. You need to constantly talk to him, if the child’s vocabulary is large, then your nanny does everything right (except for the TV).
babysitter

What vocabulary?! He doesn’t even say “mom”, let alone “dad”, etc. He says a lot of everything, but you can’t make out anything … all actions, name all objects slowly and articulately. Turn off the TV!
nanny

By the way, it’s too lazy to tell children, only if it doesn’t make sense – if they don’t listen to them and don’t try to understand them: what’s the point in telling them if an adult does it his own way anyway. Usually children speak as soon as the development of the larynx allows – it’s so nice to be understood. My son is so motivated that he replaces complex Russian words with simple English, if only they would understand him 🙂 (not “hot”, but “hot”, not “turn on”, but “he”, not “lift”, but “up” ), and he has been using finger signs since 11 months to show that he wants “more” (repeat the game), or a cookie, or a book. And, according to my observations, as soon as you understand it a couple of times and fulfill the request, the efforts to speak increase exponentially – it becomes easier to get what you want.
Natal

Topic : Maximum program???
Leave stones, plz! can be added constructively! 🙂
Nanny Requirements:
– age 40-50 years
– positive experience as a nanny
– own children
– love for children, responsibility, discipline, accuracy, punctuality, optimism, ability to play with children, fantasize, good contact with them
– no problems with registration/accommodation in Moscow
– availability of a telephone for communication
– the possibility of going out of town in the summer
Working conditions:
– hourly salary, at the rate of $2 per hour
– working day 8.30-20.00 from Monday to Friday (if necessary – longer (possibly with an overnight stay), on weekends/holidays)
Responsibilities:
– games with children, reading books to the younger
– hygiene procedures (for the younger): brushing teeth, washing, bathing
– daily cleaning of the children’s room – vacuum (including furniture), wipe the dust, wet floor cleaning, water the flowers, remove children’s things / toys / books (similarly – kitchens)
– cooking children’s food (breakfast-lunch-dinner), washing dishes
– ironing baby clothes
– senior – to meet from school, feed, follow the lessons, clean up their belongings
– walk, after it – putting children’s clothes/shoes in order
Fundamental points:
– do not open the front door to strangers in the absence of the owners
– when answering the phone, call yourself a relative, ask what to send
– know by heart / always have with you the full names of the parents, contact numbers, coordinates of the pediatrician / clinic, neighbors
– when walking with children, do not start conversations with strangers, do not tell them about children, their parents, home, about your work as a nanny
– do not let children go anywhere alone without special permission from their parents
– always keep parents informed about where the nanny is walking with the children today
– do not leave the younger one alone – even at home
– categorically do not allow children to take chemicals, sharp objects, medicines, turn on electrical appliances without permission, climb on window sills, open windows, look out of them
– talk to children respectfully, calling the full name (“Kolya”, “Vasya” – and not “Kolka”, “Vaska”)
– do not use swearing, rude words and expressions (“pissed”, “ass”, etc. ), always try to speak politely
– for any questions that arise, immediately consult with parents
– it is better to ask once again than to make a mistake!
– if children ask permission (to do something unusual, buy, go somewhere), send them with this question to their parents
– “quiet time” for children – working hours for the nanny!
Evil mother ;-)))

I am currently looking for a nanny myself. I think everything in your requirements is correct, except for household chores. Especially since you have two children. The nanny will not have time to do everything, which means that this will affect how she will communicate with the children. Yes, she should clean up after the child, but not wipe the dust, clean the furniture and so on. Only the biggest dirt) Wash also only what is urgently needed, or what is washed in the washing machine. In general, in this matter, it seems to me that we need to somehow weaken the requirements)
Natalia

The younger one sleeps during the day – 2 times for 1. 5 hours, the older one will be at school until lunch. Room – 14 sq. m, furniture – a sofa (1), dust is mainly on the windowsill and a desk … here are 3 more pots of flowers ;-))) For me personally, such cleaning takes, well, 30-40 minutes at the most … that’s if it’s very try hard! No one asks to wash the kitchen from floor to ceiling, but it would be strange not to wipe the floor where everyone tramples most of the day, and the child literally … licks!
ЗМ

Something tells me that with such a load, the nanny will only SIT with the children, and not deal with them.
I remember very well when I was sitting with my daughter: breakfast ended, we walked for an hour, then you cook lunch, then we have lunch, she has a quiet hour – I have ironing, washing, cleaning, then an afternoon snack and again a walk, then dinner.
I did not have time to engage in educational games at all, reading – 15 minutes. before bed 🙂
Xenny

Recommendations are required. And now it has become fashionable to call the reason for the lack of recommendations the departure of former employers. Ask for full name and address and say that you have connections and you will find them in any case in another country too. Look at the reaction. I’ve already encountered this. The previous nanny was fired because she yelled at the child about the fact that the baby at 1 year and 3 months old wrote on the floor, and not in the pot, and did not let her drink water all day (and I, stupid, could not understand why the child’s lips crack and she drinks a strange amount of water in the evening). And at the same time, the nanny in the evening reported to me with joy that the child did not describe a single panty. That’s it. And just looks like an angel. Both the schedule and the requirements were less than yours. Good luck.
Sashtash

Additions (constructive suggestions) :))
The conditions say nothing about vacation. With such a load (after all, this is her main job), you see, the point is important.
“Quiet Hour” for kids – working hours for a nanny?
Will the nanny have the opportunity to take a break while working from 8.30 to 20.00? She simply will not be able to work in such a mode and with such a load at 100% (with the joy and enthusiasm that you expect from her) without a short rest in the middle of the day. At any work (except slave) there is a break for lunch and rest.
There must still be, I think, a reasonable combination of duties / requirements with certain rights.
Nadezhda Grigorievna

Vacation – like all normal people: one 100% paid month (in whole or broken down – it depends on the situation).
With a lunch break, the situation is this: I cannot write, for example, “lunch – 50 (or 30, or 40) minutes”, because I know for sure that this time will completely depend on how a particular day develops (I myself stay with the children all day, sometimes more than 10-15 minutes until the evening and you won’t sit down :-(((. Therefore, I can’t guarantee , but I stipulate that the nanny must take a break / eat MANDATORY, otherwise by the evening she will simply fall – we have already encountered such selfless comrades … 🙂
Thanks for the advice, I’ll definitely put it on paper!
Evil mother ;-))) (ЗМ)

But I don’t need 40 years. 30 is the maximum. He will teach me “what and how”, and the “run-up” is not the same. Service speed is not the same. The attitude towards the child is not maternal, but “grandmother’s”. Is it necessary?
– about the positive experience – I agree 🙂 Recommendations are needed verbal – from all previous employers. Others are not accepted.
– You don’t need your own children. Better not to have them. And then I’m jealous 🙂 Will be torn to my children, to my family, to compare mine with my children. I don’t want 🙁
– the ability not only to play with children, but also to teach by playing (this is me, in terms of additions 🙂
I agree with the last three points. And registration does not suit me, for example. ONLY Moscow registration.
Regarding the “duties” block: my nanny does it all herself, without reminders and complaints, which makes me think “I don’t want to part with her, let her stay forever, even as a housewife” 🙂
“Principal moments”: I absolutely agree. The third point “to know by heart”, IMHO, is not very real, it’s better to let him know WHAT to do and WHEN to do, WHERE to get the documents.
About working conditions. My nanny does not agree to travel far for the summer (that is, if the road is inconvenient) and agrees “only for a special fee.”
Good luck 🙂
Buyanochka

Thank you very much for such a detailed comment! 🙂
About age and children – IMHO, a moot point … Still, at this age (30), the nanny has her children still not very big, and it is natural that she will worry about not seeing them all day (by the way, with them someone should also be in her absence? and if they get sick?). If the nanny is older, the children are older, although anything can happen. But if the nanny is 30+, and there are no children at all – I would be wary, to be honest – how does she know what they eat with ?! ;-))))))))
The work schedule is a tribute to the mother’s work, in our case :-(((Unfortunately, less does not work (tested in practice).
But the blocks “duties” and “fundamental …”, in fact, are the reason for writing everything. Let me explain: fortunately, we have not yet had global problems with our nannies (TTTCHNS), but there were complaints about trifles; so, they could (IMHO) be avoided altogether if our requirements for a nanny were very clearly specified from the very beginning – then a person who is categorically not satisfied with any of these requirements could immediately refuse. Otherwise, everything pops up later, hence the problems…
About love for children. We once dealt with an agency – we selected a nanny. We were offered, incl. a former teacher of either physics or mathematics. In response to the question if she likes to play, the potential nanny expressed her sincere surprise :-((( – initially knowing that it was a 4.5-year-old child…
ZM

age of children. You write that you can’t leave the younger one at home and at the same time you need to pick up the older one from school. It’s interesting if your younger one sleeps at 2 o’clock in the afternoon, and the older one needs to be picked up from school at the same time, then what should she do? “In general, neither the age nor the sex of the children is indicated, it is difficult to say anything specifically. Your requirements could be met if this applied to one child. But with two it is unlikely.
~Kolibri~

I absolutely agree that there is very little time for LESSONS – but with little we are not looking for much in this regard. The nanny plays, reads – well, excellent.
Oh, by the way: we have a boy. .. and a boy :-)))
One is almost 7, goes to the 1st grade, NOT a nanny will pick up from school, but she’s the one to meet at home), the second is 1.1 (very active, he’s starting to walk right now and puts everything in his mouth – that’s why we can’t leave it for a second, be sure to naughty something, and there it’s not far from trouble …).
Our children are quite adequate, there are no problems with the elder at all (TTTCHNS), so we actually take a nanny only to the youngest (do you think that you should feed a 7-year-old with lunch, remind him to put his clothes away and sit down for lessons on time, and then take him with for a walk – this is a big load on the nanny and you need a separate person for this ???). We always inspire him that he should help the nanny in everything she asks – just like us; and, by the way, the benefits from him – wow, how many, if a little older – in general, it would be possible to leave him alone with his brother, but it’s a pity – it’s time to go to school . .. ;-)))))
ЗМ

Yes, I also planned to have a nanny in a year, so that I could look after the elder from school … mine have the same age difference … so far the nanny is only for the little one …
With the older grandmother, if anything, they help … The requirements are, in principle, normal, it’s just harshly written. Many keep this in their heads without writing it out on paper for the nanny. I think if the nanny of your children will love and deal with them perfectly, then you, if a smart woman, will close your eyes to the dust wiped off every other day. Write, if you find, share your experience…
echo

We hope that those who are looking for a nanny could add to their list of requirements for her or think about a more detailed discussion with the candidate of child development issues. And those who already have nannies were able to compare the rigidity or reasonableness of the requirements – and be happy for their assistant and their baby!

Conference on nannies and governesses

[Opinion survey]

Finding Mary Poppins: 8 tips for finding a good babysitter

October 11, 2015

org/BreadcrumbList”>
• Forbes Woman

• Alexandra Wakar

  Author

• Natalia Presler

  Author

Search for a nanny and her adaptation in the family as a business process – in the advice of a family psychologist.

Almost all working mothers who are faced with the need to find a babysitter go through fire, water and copper pipes before finding their Mary Poppins. The main mistake of even the most experienced and businesslike mothers is that initially they treat the nanny and her search as a purely personal matter. They look through acquaintances, trust verbal recommendations and do not ask to see the compiled resume, and when they take a nanny into the family, they manage her work haphazardly and relying largely on emotions. This approach, as a rule, turns out to be ineffective and in the overwhelming majority of cases ends in parting and new searches. Much more successful can be the application of business practices in the process of finding and onboarding a nanny – try to approach this as a search for an employee in a company and use accepted methods in business practice.

Of course, we trust nannies with the most valuable thing we have and it will not work to completely turn off emotions when it comes to our own children, so we asked Natalia Presler, a psychologist and mother of a four-year-old daughter, to comment and supplement our HR advice.

Diomedia

1. Connect all channels to search

In addition to the recommendations of friends, use the bases of agencies and thematic sites, as well as groups in social networks, where they often post announcements about freed nannies.

Psychologist’s advice: “You shouldn’t rely entirely on the recommendations of friends: what one likes may not suit another at all. It is not uncommon for a nanny to be taken on recommendations with little or no interview and probationary period, guided by the fact that she worked for a friend for four years and was doted on, and in general she became a second grandmother for a child. Then the nanny starts working, but for some reason the child fights with her, her mother barely tolerates her, and in general “she is strange” (so dad thinks). When choosing a nanny, listen to yourself and answer the main question: what exactly do you need? Often a nanny is looking for a child. I think it is more efficient to select a nanny for the family. It happens that the mother did not like the nanny, but the child immediately went to her. If a mother feels hostility, then a person will not be able to work in a family, no matter how wonderful he may be. Compatibility with mom is one of the most important factors. Therefore, turning a blind eye to this or “enduring for the sake of the child” is the path to a painful separation from the nanny. Remember that a nanny is needed primarily for the comfort of the mother.

Diomedia

2. Follow the standard HR process for hiring an employee in the company

Do not rely on first impressions and do not give in to emotions that can lead to hasty decisions. Remember that a nanny, unlike an ordinary employee of a corporation, cannot leave “without consequences” after probationary days. The appearance of a new person in the house is always a certain stress for the child, so the selection of a candidate must be approached with all care. Conduct several interviews – with the help of an agency, then on your own, one more, if necessary, with your husband or with someone whose opinion you trust, and invite the candidate you like for trial days.

Diomedia

3. Before asking questions, let the candidate tell in detail about himself, about his experience, area of ​​interest

Pay attention to details in such a free story. Then ask questions from a pre-prepared list. For example, ask them to talk about their strengths and weaknesses, as well as what the nanny finds the easiest in her job and what is the most difficult. In the part of the interview in which you will be interested in work experience, ask to share your impressions not only about children, but also about parents. Find out how the nanny will act if the child refuses to eat or sleep, as well as in an emergency – what will her action be if the child falls, gets sick or gets stuck with the nanny in the elevator? Remember that sometimes the excitement and stressful situation of the interview can negatively affect the quality of the answers and some fatal mistakes, in fact, can be made by even the most beautiful nannies because of the excitement. Try to win over the person and create a relaxed and trusting atmosphere at the interview.

Psychologist’s tip: “Try a favorite HR technique of asking awkward interview questions to see how the person behaves in a stressful situation. Usually these are quick and varied questions that should be followed by quick answers. For example , “How do you punish your children?”, “What did you dream of becoming as a child?”, “Have you ever wanted to hit a child?”

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4. Formulate in advance your requirements for the candidate and your vision of her work

Everything, including the payment of summer vacation and sick leave, should be agreed “on the shore”, perhaps even fixing your agreements in writing.

Psychologist’s advice: “Formalize on paper, as appropriate, the financial relationship with the nanny. If you can afford it, set the thirteenth salary (quite a logical bonus for a full year worked). Write in the contract how holidays, vacations, illnesses are paid. When negotiating the terms, you should not feel like you are doing charity work or think to yourself: “Oh, what a generous offer I am making to her! For her, a vacation of 56 days a year should be a gift of fate. You must be sure that the contract is fair for both parties. When determining the terms of the contract, be guided by the market. A person who is paid much higher than the rates accepted on the market must be somehow different from other candidates and have unique abilities (the talent “to love your child” cannot be such an ability).

You can also recommend discussing (and writing it down in the contract) a subtle point: that if the situation changes, then the nanny’s duties may also change. For example, the baby does not require much attention, sleeps, and the nanny has a lot of free time in which she takes care of the apartment, or cooks, or walks with the second child. When the baby grows up, the situation can change a lot. Or the mother decides to take the grown child to the pool herself. The nanny has 3 hours of free time in the middle of the day. Is she ready at this time to cook something or wash, wash the floors? This is not always a problem. The expectations of parents and the nanny may not coincide, as well as opinions on these issues.

Remember that it is impossible to discuss everything and foresee in advance. Therefore, it is important to have mutual understanding with the nanny, her ability and desire to negotiate, as well as the ability to express her own desires in an adequate way.”

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5. Prepare a detailed job description for the nanny

Prepare a full-fledged Job Description, which, in addition to the main duties and requirements that are important to you, can be accompanied by various reminders (children’s daily routine, list of useful contacts, recommended children’s menu for the week, parenting principles adopted in your family, a step-by-step description of behavior in emergency situations and how to provide first aid (for example, what to do when a child has fallen, burned, choked, or passed out. ) In addition, it is very important to immediately fix in writing the nanny’s work schedule, the conditions for paying for vacation, sick leave, and overtime.0005

Psychologist’s advice: “It is important to discuss what the nanny should do first in case of an emergency: provide assistance on their own or call their parents. For example: the child has lost consciousness: 1. Call an ambulance. 2. Call the parents. Unfortunately, this is not for everyone “Obviously. Sometimes they call their parents first and lose precious minutes. Sometimes they don’t call their parents at all.”

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6. Treat your babysitter like you would a new employee at work.

In the first months of babysitting in your home, behave in the same way as with a new employee at work – explain in detail (even if several times) exactly what you expect from her), correct her actions politely, benevolently, without hushing up discontent. Don’t be afraid to delegate, ask for feedback, monitor your nanny’s burnout, and make timely changes to your relationship and your nanny’s mindset.

Psychologist’s advice: “Information about the mood of the nanny will help to collect video surveillance records that you can install in the apartment with the consent of the nanny. This will allow you to see your child more often, feel connected to him, be aware of his small victories, and also see what is happening in the house in your absence.

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7. After some time, you can think about continuing education courses for a nanny.

If the nanny suits you in many ways and has proven herself well in her work, you can think about advanced training courses. For example, team up with your friends and organize an interesting training for your nannies. In this way, you can help your nanny develop her potential and update her pedagogical base, and in addition, increase the loyalty of the nanny herself, letting her know that you value her and are ready to invest in her development.

Psychologist’s advice: “It is especially important to initially take a person who is ready to learn and perceive information openly. Any educational method can be quickly mastered by a person with normal learning abilities. Today it is not a problem to read about Doman, Montessori, Nikitins, independently teach a child to read according to Zaitsev, etc.

It seems to me an effective investment in courses, lectures, trainings on interaction with children on some specific issues in which there are difficulties.For example, if parents are against corporal punishment and intimidation, and the nanny knows how to educate only intimidating “uncle-policeman”, and the other option for her is a complete “do-what-you-want”, then this is just the case to get training on this topic. It could even be just a couple of consultations of a nanny with a child psychologist with a request “how to set boundaries without intimidation” or a full-fledged training on this topic among other parents and stakeholders. If, for example For example, a child has asthma, then you can arrange a conversation with the nanny with a doctor who will tell you about this disease, first aid and so on.

On courses, sometimes they try to turn a nanny into a teacher, a cook, a nurse, a psychologist… They give a lot of theory: how to put a splint on a fracture, how to develop a full-fledged menu for a child, how to recognize a crisis of three years, etc. But all this essentially theoretical knowledge within the framework of the courses is completely useless. Because in a normal and even more stressful situation, the usual mechanisms will turn on. It takes time or longer training, practice to develop a skill.

But you shouldn’t get carried away with courses and studies. After all, you are not an institution preparing the perfect nanny for future employers, you need a person who will look after your child right now. 0005

8. Learn how to properly motivate a nanny

Any HR professional will tell you that a salary increase is the best way to keep an employee motivated for the next three months. After that, the performance will return to its previous level and the employee will again feel that he is underpaid. Keep in mind that true loyalty to the company (in our case, the family) is achieved by a good atmosphere at work, sincere gratitude and timely recognition of merit.

Psychologist’s advice: “Quite often, parents, guided by the fact that they trust the nanny with the most valuable things, begin to appease the nanny with bonuses, expensive gifts. I know a case when a mother was worried that the nanny might treat her baby badly, take out her anger on him for the fact that she had to leave her own child. Having put a recorder, they were convinced that the nanny could yell at the child. On other issues, the nanny suited the family very much, they found her with such difficulty. Mom talked to the nanny and she admitted that she was very misses her daughter and, probably, breaks down because of this. Once, after conferring, the parents decided to buy the nanny a one-room apartment so that she could bring her family to Moscow and not worry about this separation. As expected, there are no problems with the nanny

I also know stories when parents paid nannies for expensive treatment, surgeries, a kindergarten for their child, and made other expensive gifts. As a result, they achieve the opposite effect. First, oddly enough, there is such a psychological mechanism at work here that a person who feels that he is not doing the work for this generous amount experiences a feeling of humiliation. The other side of the coin will be that instead of increasing loyalty, parents will grow the self-esteem of their employee, which, most likely, will lead to mutual dissatisfaction and a painful break in relations.

The feeling that a nanny is fulfilling the most important mission in the family does not leave many working mothers. Such reasoning is often followed by compensatory appeasement, beneficence and forgiveness of the nanny, behind which, as a rule, a feeling of guilt and self-flagellation about “going to work FROM the child” is hidden. It could also be the fear that the nanny (not appeased enough with gifts and bonus days off) will not be kind enough to the baby in the absence of the mother. This is, of course, a myth. A kind, decent and adequate person (what qualities a nanny should have!) will not change his attitude towards a child depending on the amount of the bonus. It just can’t. But unreasonable expensive gifts, hushing up what you don’t like, inflated salaries will do their job.

If there is no motivation to work as a nanny, then such a worker is not needed at all.