10 Ways for Parents to Respect Nanny Professional Boundaries

If parents are reasonable and conscientious about respecting job boundaries of their caregivers, they will get better job performance from their nannies.

10 Ways for Parents to Respect Nanny Professional Boundaries:

1. Sign a work agreement. 

Detail the job responsibilities, house rules, emergency procedures, work schedule, vacation and sick time procedures, compensation, pay frequency, communication and review procedures, and anything else you can think of in a work agreement.

2. Follow the work agreement.

Don’t change the terms of the job unexpectedly.

3. Don’t be cheap.

No one wants to work for cheap parents. Pay nannies on time, provide enough petty cash to enjoy outings with the kids. Give nannies paid days off, pay them legally, pay them above average, and provide benefits. Give regular and fair raises and bonuses.

4. Compensate for all overtime.

Do your best not to arrive home late. When you arrive home late be sure to call to let the nanny you will be late, thanking them for the inconvenience, and providing the overtime pay.

5. Respect the nanny’s privacy.

Don’t invade a live-in nanny’s private space. Don’t gossip with other parents about their salary, benefits, and work habits with friends.

6. Respect the nanny’s time-off.

It’s especially hard for live-in caregivers to feel like they have time-off. Make sure all family members allow nannies their own space on time-off. Don’t consistently text, email, or call live-in or live-out nannies on their time-off.

7. Don’t overwhelm the nanny with too many chores.

Nannies are childcare providers. Caring for the children should be their priority.

8. Pet-sitting can be a pet-peeve.

Unless pet-sitting duties are already discussed in the work agreement parents must pay their nannies for walking, feeding, and training pets or hire a separate dog walker to do so.

9. Don’t contradict your nanny.

Respect your nanny and don’t undermine her decisions in front of the children or you decrease all her power in the children’s eyes.

10. Say thank you.

Be appreciative and give the nanny credit when credit is due.