But what does a work agreement include?

Agreed upon salary: After you and your nanny have agreed on a salary, it should be clearly stated in the work agreement. This salary should include a description of paid holidays, how many allotted sick days your nanny has, and how many vacation days also. It should also include how sick days and vacation days will be handled. How much notice is needed for vacation days? Will vacation days be paid or unpaid? Will sick days be paid or unpaid? Whatever you decide should be defined in the agreement to avoid any conflict.

Job description: To ensureÌýÌýquality work, your nanny needs to know what is expected of her. In your agreement, you should write out a detailed description of what her daily duties include. Written clear expectations give you something to refer back to if responsibilities aren’t  completed. 

Employment reviews and raises: Let your nanny know how her work will be evaluated and how often. Will it be a discussion every two weeks, will it be a written review every month, or will it be a bi-annual evaluation? Once you figure out the mechanics, add them to your work agreement. Your work agreement should also include whether this is potential for raises and bonuses.

Termination: Although hiring an in-home caregiver feels much more intimate than most jobs, it is important to remember they are still a household employee. In the work agreement, you should outline clear steps to what happens when you or the caregiver is ready to terminate the position. How many weeks notice do you need from the caregiver if they decide to leave? If you choose to fire the nanny, will it be on the spot or will you give her notice? If so, how much notice? Once you figure out what is comfortable for you to do in this situation, define it in the work agreement.

As you can see, a work agreement will set the tone for the job and assure that everyone is on the same page.

The professionals at ŒÅë³ÉÈ˵¼º½personally assist nannies, babysitters and families in St. Louis, Atlanta, Chicago, Nashville, Memphis, Charlotte, Miami and Orlando to find the right childcare arrangement. Our mission is to provide a safe and personalized  approach for families and caregivers to connect with each other that is not an internet search. TLC has worked with families, nannies, sitters, newborn care providers, and tutors for over 35 years and looks forward to working with you! To find great nanny and babysitting jobs visit us at tlc@tlcforkids.com or Call 314-725-5660.

The post The Benefits of A Nanny Work Agreement appeared first on TLC Family Care.

As they gets older, when a child knows what is going to happen and who is going to be there, it allows them to think and feel more independently, and feel more safe and secure. A disrupted routine can set a child off and cause them to feel insecure and irritable.

Dinnertime is a great place to start setting a routine. Sitting together at the dinner table gives children the opportunity to share their day and talk about their feelings. This is also a great time to include some responsibility in your child’s routine, such as helping to set or clear the table.

And regardless of how exhausted you or your children may be, don’t be tempted to skip winding down from the day. This is part of a nighttime ritual and allows both child and parent to decompress after a busy day. It also helps bedtime go more smoothly. This is usually the time of day when parent and child can spend some quality time together, so fight the urge to start the laundry or do the dishes until after the child has gone to bed. If this isn’t possible, consider trading off these duties with your spouse each night to ensure your child has quality time with each parent on a regular basis. Take the time to find out what wind-down strategy works best for your child. Some children are actually energized instead of relaxed by a warm bath, so if that’s the case with your child, bath time should be saved for a different time of day. Whatever routine you settle on, make it quiet, relaxing, and tranquil for everyone.

And though routines are essential, there should be some room to be flexible as well. You might be out late at night on a family outing, have unexpected company show up that may result in a skipped meal or nap in the car while running errands in the evening. In these instances, it’s important for you to keep your cool. If you express frustration or anger about disrupting the routine, your child will as well. Prepare children for such unexpected events and show them that though it can happen from time to time, the routine will return the next day.

The professionals at ŒÅë³ÉÈ˵¼º½personally assist nannies, babysitters and families in St. Louis, Atlanta, Chicago, Nashville, Memphis, Charlotte, Miami and Orlando to find the right childcare arrangement. Our mission is to provide a safe and personalized  approach for families and caregivers to connect with each other that is not an internet search. TLC has worked with families, nannies, sitters, newborn care providers, and tutors for over 35 years and looks forward to working with you! To find great nanny and babysitting jobs visit us at tlc@tlcforkids.com or Call 314-725-5660.

The post The Importance of a Regular Routine to your Child appeared first on TLC Family Care.

Caring for children with special needs mean facing many obstacles and challenges that can be difficult at times. These children need extra attention that can take up much of your time. There are numerous hours required for medical appointments and hospitals visits and some children even require regular therapy sessions.

When you are caring for a child with special needs you not only have to consider the present but you must also think about the future. What will happen to that child if you were to become sick or if you are involved in an accident? As you age you may no longer be physically able to care for them but they may still need assistance. As important as the here and now is, the future must be considered.

Part of planning for the future includes taking steps to teach that child as much as they are capable of learning now. You will work with them to help them achieve independence and teach them the basic skills needed to survive but that still may not be enough. It will depend on their disabilities and they may always need someone to be there and help care for them. Take the time now to plan for the future and it will help to relieve some of your worries.

Resources for Special Needs

What resources exist for children with special needs? When your child was diagnosed with a disability or other issue, you were probably told then that there are many resources available for special needs. But you may be surprised to find out how many different options really exist for you out there. Search for resources for special needs with:

• Doctors
• Therapists
• School
• Online resources
• Online support groups
• Local support groups
• Books
• Videos/ DVDs
• Other parents and caregivers

These are just a few of many places you may be able to find more info about your child’s special need and what is available to help you.

When you are caring for a child with special needs don’t hesitate to use any of the resources designed for children with special needs. It’s a difficult task and no one expects you to go it alone. You should never feel like you have to deal with it all on your own, especially when there are so many people out there who know what you’re going through and so many resources to make it easier.

Seeking Help with Special Needs

As a parent, the more you learn about special needs and what options are available to you, the better prepared you will be to give your child the help they need and deserve. Don’t hesitate to seek help with the special needs of the one in your care. There are people out there more qualified and more experienced than you in this type of problem and they can help show you the ropes and gives you hints, tips and ideas for how to better care for your child.

As a parent or caregiver for a child with special needs you will spend countless hours worrying about your child and doing all that you can to comfort them. Many people spend sleepless nights simply listening and watching over the child so they will be right there in the event they are needed during the night.

Parents and caregivers of children with special needs display extraordinary strength and courage when caring for these kids. They focus all of their attention on the child and do all they can to nurture and protect them in every way. In the end, the most important thing is that you give your child the best opportunities available, regardless of what types of special needs they may have. In the end, caring for children with special needs can be one of the most rewarding experiences you ever have.

TLC For Kids, Inc. has been St. Louis’ premier nanny and babysitting agency for over 30 years. TLC For Kids’ dedicated staff is ready to assist you in finding nannies, tutors, newborn care specialists, sitters and more.  We serve St. Louis, Atlanta and Florida. Reach us at tlc@tlcforkids.com or 314-725-5660

The post Caring for Children with Special Needs appeared first on TLC Family Care.

Most families know the familiar responsibilities of a nanny, which include taking care of the child’s physical needs such as preparing meals, making sure he/she is safe, washing the child’s clothes, and making sure your child’s surroundings are kept clean. When the amount of cleaning is not perfectly mapped out to you, disputes with the nanny can arise and you sure don’t want that. Not after you’ve spent weeks or months looking for one.

Laying down the nanny job description prevents disputes, at least nothing that concerns the nanny’s paycheck. Most nannies are briefed ahead in the nanny agency. Yet, you’d still want to talk to the nanny personally to inform her of your expectations and the job that encompasses being a nanny.

A Nanny is part of your child’s life. Since the nanny will be spending more of the waking time of your child, you must let her understand that she has a role to play in your child’s areas of development: emotional, social, cognitive and language, and physical. Although it is the parents’ responsibility to provide educational materials to the child, the nanny will usually be the one to supervise stimulating activities during the day.

The nanny job description, then, transcends meal preparations and giving your child a bath. Included in the nanny job description is cleaning the play areas of your child, reading a book to the child, plan daily activities that can stimulate intellectual development, monitoring TV and computer time, and making sure all his/her needs are met.

Furthermore, part of the nanny job description is to drive children to activities and arrange play dates to ensure a child receives all the exposure he/she needs for social and emotional learning. When driving is part of the job description and you are providing a vehicle for your nanny, make sure and discuss whom is responsible for making sure there is gas in the vehicle – especially come Monday morning, and whom is responsible for scheduling service for the vehicle.

The nanny job description actually varies from one family to another, and is largely determined by the needs of the child and the family. Don’t assume your nanny will do something – discuss in advance.

You should also discuss emergency plans and especially inclement weather. If it is not safe to be on the roads, your nanny should not be expected to drive to work. If you do require your nanny to be at work, discuss her staying overnight or having back-up child care plan in place. This should also be in place for when your nanny is sick. Nannies are exposed to all the germs your child brings home from school, and it’s inevitable that at some point, she will get sick. Be prepared. TLC can help by providing temp care or back-up care in the event your nanny is unable to work.

Nonetheless, nannies should bear in mind that their job is more than just receiving a weekly paycheck. The fulfilling part of this job is knowing that you became instrumental in a child’s life, and in the day-to-day of the family.

When done properly and discussed in advance, the nanny job description is a win-win for both parties. Clear, open lines of communication are key to a successful nanny-family relationship.

ŒÅë³ÉÈ˵¼º½ happy to assist nannies and families with their work agreement.

TLC For Kids, Inc. has been St. Louis’ premier nanny and babysitting agency for over 30 years. TLC For Kids’ dedicated staff is ready to assist you in finding nannies, tutors, newborn care specialists, sitters and more.  We serve St. Louis, Atlanta and Florida. Reach us at tlc@tlcforkids.com or 314-725-5660

The post Writing a Nanny Job Description appeared first on TLC Family Care.