A recent study by Deloitte[1]shows that Africa’s middle-class population has experienced a drastic hike of about three times its population in the last 30 years. It also indicates that the number may hit 1.1 billion by 2060. This number suggests there will be an increase in demand for commercial nannies in the future due to the increased labour force participation of parents with young children.
Understandably, parents would want to see their children’s well-being, whether they are around or not. In the latter case, it becomes a worry. Nanny services have become a viable and reliable option for parents to explore to ease this worry. Parents, however, have a crucial role to play for the child-nanny relationship to blossom. Parents should set an enabling tone and provide room to ease the burden. Below are some of the ways parents can achieve this:
- Establish deep connections.
According to a study[2] the sense of kinship between nannies and the families they work with makes them feel confident to carry out their responsibilities without overwhelming anxiety. It also relieves the parents from worries associated with having to worry about leaving their child in the trust of a totally emotionally disconnected individual. As parents, despite your busy schedules, you should make time and regularly engage your nanny and child or children. This regular time together helps both the nanny and the children feel supported. It also helps the children feel safe. Since nannies spend most of their time with your children, building quality connections with the nanny demonstrate that you value the relationship and want to protect it by all means. Building strong connections with your nanny will inspire a cooperative attitude, as confirmed by a study by Devereux, a not-for-profit organization in the US[3].
Making the environment welcoming by connecting with your nanny can be essential to how they respond to your child’s needs, which subsequently would help improve their relationship.
- Be generous with nannies.
Nannies are humans and humans are bound to feel tired or sometimes under the weather. As a parent, if, for instance, your nanny is not feeling well someday, you can give them time to relax and take care of themselves. Labour law regulations in most countries require nannies to be given days off and time off their work. Parents should not expect their nannies to work 24/7 as this is against the law and inhumane.
Not limited to sick days, you can occasionally arrange for outings for your nanny and your child or children. This can be very important for fostering the nanny-child relationship. Also, even though it can be tough to respond to conflicting situations with empathy, you are better off exercising patience and understanding the circumstances leading to such situations. You will strengthen your relationship if you can resist the urge to react in anger and instead seek to understand the other party’s point of view. This approach will form a mental picture as a reminder to your nanny to remember your desire to help sustain your relationship and increase efficiency in taking care of your child.
- Trust your nanny to do their job and avoid frequent micromanagement.
To foster the relationship between your child and their nanny, there must be a good working relationship between you and the nanny. This is essential as far as the child’s development and reaching their milestones are concerned. Set boundaries and house rules and clarify them to the nanny and child. Eliminate all communication barriers to ensure you are always in the loop of what is happening in your household. It is best to communicate your decisions on delicate childbearing decisions around naps, meals, and activities with the nanny and ask for their input since they spend a lot of time together. Set the daily framework of the child, including educational and social activities.
Making rules and regulations known upfront provides room for peaceful coexistence and ensures continuous high-quality childcare.
It takes time, creativity, and a sense of trust to establish this close relationship with strangers especially when it is about people you care for daily. To enhance the nurturing environment and a child’s sense of comfort in your nanny’s care, begin by creating a bond with loving actions and fun activities. Trusting a new person with your child’s care can be challenging, so it is crucial to get to know caregivers and hire a trained nanny with specialized childcare expertise. Such nannies know and understand the development and needs of young children. Trusting their expertise is an excellent way to boost their confidence in providing the best of themselves.
To sum it up, strengthening the relationship between the child and their nanny is essential for the child’s development and the family’s peace of mind. The parent bears a significant responsibility to ensure nothing is lacking.
-written by Suraju Inusah Iddrisu
[1] Deloitte & Touche “The Rise and Rise of African Middle Class”, 2013.
[2] Zhang, Cong. 2016. Patrilineal Ideology and Grandmother Care in Urban China. Doctoral dissertation, Harvard Graduate School of Education. Retrieved from http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:27112687
[3] Devereux, https://learn.devereux.org/nd/guides/qs-Relationships.html
Recent Comments