{"id":18291,"date":"2019-05-03T12:08:13","date_gmt":"2019-05-03T16:08:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gtm.com\/household\/?p=18291"},"modified":"2020-06-08T11:42:26","modified_gmt":"2020-06-08T15:42:26","slug":"why-your-nanny-will-quit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gtm.com\/household\/why-your-nanny-will-quit\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Your Nanny Will Quit and What You Can Do About It"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"why

Need reasons why your nanny will quit? Caregivers who are overworked, not trusted, underpaid or treated unprofessionally won\u2019t stay with you for long. Here’s how you can prevent that from happening.<\/p><\/div>\n

If you find a great nanny, you\u2019ll want to do everything in your power to keep them. Rotating through nannies means continually going through the hassles of the hiring process and re-training employees. Who has time for that? Plus it\u2019s a disruption for your children who may grow fond of their caregiver only to find out that they\u2019re leaving and a new one is coming on board.<\/p>\n

Sometimes, you can\u2019t prevent a nanny from leaving. They may be moving, going back to school, changing careers or some other reason beyond your control.<\/p>\n

However, nannies who are overworked, not trusted, underpaid and\/or treated unprofessionally won\u2019t remain long in your job.<\/p>\n

Here are seven reasons why your nanny will quit and how you can prevent it from happening. Along the way, we\u2019ll share key results of our recent nanny survey that show what nannies want out of their jobs and from the families that employ them.<\/p>\n

1. Job creep<\/h2>\n

You hired a nanny to take care of your children. But then asked them to prepare dinner for when you get home. Then it was adding family laundry, house cleaning, grocery shopping, and other errands. Nannies expect to care for your children, clean up after them during the day, and prepare their meals. That\u2019s their role as it should be spelled out in your work agreement<\/a>. They\u2019re not housekeepers or personal attendants nor do many of them want to add those responsibilities. They\u2019re professional caregivers and may leave your job if you want them to be more than that.<\/p>\n

Solution:<\/strong> Look at your work agreement<\/a> and assess the current duties of your nanny. Have you been adding non-child care tasks? If so, stop and keep them in their role as caregiver. Add new responsibilities only if mutually agreed upon and update your work agreement<\/a>. You may want to consider a raise for your nanny if they start taking on additional obligations.<\/p>\n

2. Lack of appreciation or recognition<\/h2>\n

In our recent survey of nannies, 57 percent said that appreciation for the work that they do is one of the top things they want from a family. When was the last time, through your words or actions, you made your nanny feel valued? Did you thank them for tending to a sick child or going above and beyond their caregiving duties? Did you recognize that they may have had a challenging day and offered words of encouragement?<\/p>\n

Solution:<\/strong> Consider a small gift and\/or something handmade by your children to recognize your nanny on their birthday and job anniversary. Here\u2019s a list of nanny gift ideas for any occasion<\/a>. But don\u2019t feel like you need to wait for a special occasion to show your appreciation. Spontaneous gifts for a job well done \u2013 perhaps it\u2019s some extra time off or you come home early from work to give your nanny the afternoon off \u2013 will always be welcomed. A year-end bonus, typically one week’s pay, or a holiday gift are also appreciated. But even simple, kind words can turn around a bad day and will go a long way to boosting your nanny\u2019s job satisfaction. Perhaps offer to let them leave early one day with pay because of their flexibility when your work schedule was crazy.<\/p>\n

3. Weak or no communication<\/h2>\n

According to our nanny survey, lack of communication with their employer was the number one reason \u2013 that was out of their control \u2013 why they would leave their job. Also, 72 percent of nannies said open and honest communications are what they want most from a family. It’s hard for a nanny to do their job if they get very little direction or feedback from the family. Or if the only reactions they get are critical without any constructive solutions. Your nanny can easily become frustrated and choose not to work in a negative environment.<\/p>\n

Solution:<\/strong> Set up a regular schedule to communicate with your nanny. Have a daily check-in when you get home from work or have your nanny leave a log of their day. Once a week, have a longer discussion about how the job is going, concerns they or you may have, what\u2019s going on with the children, and what may be coming up (starting potty training, learning to read, etc.).<\/p>\n

Some ideas to try and improve communications with your nanny<\/a> include:<\/p>\n