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The four C’s of gaining family trust

The four C’s of gaining family trust

 Gaining trust of the parents is the top priority as a professional nanny and childcare provider. If the parent is weary and doubtful the child can feel it, internalize it and express those feelings in ways that will make the experience painful and not painless. If you are a childcare provider here are four helpful hints on making the relationship a healthy and trust worthy one with your charges. Let’s work on gaining the trust of a family!

 Confidence is a key factor in landing a position as a professional nanny. If you lack confidence in yourself as a childcare provider rethink your profession and start the job hunt over or take more classes at a local college to gain knowledge in the field of Child Development. That may sound harsh but it is the honest truth. Before taking on the position of a personal childcare provider you must have the education, experience and knowledge to be highly confident in yourself. No parent is going to feel comfortable leaving their children in the care of someone who presents themselves as a doubtful provider that can not make the best decisions for the well-being of the charge(s). How can someone trust you when you doubt yourself and lack confidence? Be Confident!

 Communicate openly with the parents about aspects that concern you or that you find to be a positive impact on the children. Tell the parents you desire to keep communication open about concerns you have and questions with the events that go on while you are caring for their child. When communicating with the parents be honest! Honesty is another key aspect in gaining trust and through healthy communication it is achievable. Be honest even if it is something you are uncomfortable discussing or if you made a mistake. Every employee and every employer will make mistakes at some point. Ask questions about the routines that are in place or changes that have been made. Some of the changes could be working out great for the parent and not so great for the nanny or the other way around.  Communicate with not just one parent but both the parents. Make sure everyone is on the same page with routine and discipline. A great thing to remember when communicating with people is to listen more and suggest less. Even though you could have a lot of input on every situation that arises, pick and choose your topics. Pick the topics you feel are imperative for the child’s well being and future. Most times the parent will talk the problem out on their own. That gives the parent a scene of success, rather than have someone else tell them how to fix or change a problem with their own child.  Remember, even if you, the professional childcare provider and nanny, does not agree with what is taking place and the child is not at risk or in danger, parents have the final say so when it comes to discipline, religion and any other sensitive subject you could encounter.  Communication is the key to all relationships, so keep it open when working with the families. Communicate with the parents daily!

 Competence is defined as “the quality of being competent; adequacy; possession of required skill, knowledge, qualification, or capacity” on www.dictionary.com.  Be qualified for your job as a professional childcare provider. Someone who has a master’s degree in engineering is not suitable for a position as a professional nanny and childcare provider. A person who has been putting software together or working behind a desk does not know the fundamentals of early childhood development unless they study up on the psychology of children, get some experience with working in a classroom or be exposed to educational activities suited for children on a daily basis. Make sure you are up to date on your CPR and First Aid qualifications so the parents can trust you will do all you are capable to do in an emergency situation. Read and study child educational books constantly! Stay up to date on new techniques in the field. Attend teaching workshops and take credential classes at a local college or online. Be a competent childcare provider!

Consistent employees are the best to have at any place of employment. As a personal and professional nanny the families you work with depend on you to be responsible, do as you say you will do, and be where you say you will be when you say you will be there. As the only other child care provider in the home you are the working parent’s right hand. It is understandable that emergencies are going to take place. An employee will get sick and everyone needs an occasional vacation time. Don’t abuse that. Make sure you and the parent have a back up plan for any last minute situations that could possibly take place. Keep your charges on a consistent schedule that allows the parent to estimate where you and the charges are throughout the week. Things may get a little off schedule sometimes but with consistency it should be a rare occasion. When a childcare provider is consistent in what they do it provides healthy boundaries for not just the parents but the children as well. The children are the top focus. As a professional childcare provider you should know that all children need healthy boundaries to excel and learn to control themselves. By being consistent this helps the child to develop trust in outcomes of certain situations and trust in you!  In almost all child rearing books written it is said somewhere for the parents to be consistent with how they discipline and educate their child. As a personal childcare provider and nanny you are helping the parent’s discipline, educate and over all raise their children. Do as the parents are taught and be consistent!

So there you have it. There are the four C’s of gaining the trust of the families you work with. There are a lot of other qualities and tons of other hints to be considered a professional childcare provider and nanny, but if you follow these few tips you will be on the right path for success in the field of Personal Childcare and Development. Remember to be Confident, have Communication, be Competent, and always stay Consistent!

The Number One Characteristics ALL Nannies should have!

The number one characteristic that all nannies should exhibit is compassion. When someone is compassionate many other astounding qualities follow, such as being; loving, supportive, understanding, encouraging and on and on and on the list could go.

At every stage in life rigid times will occur. There is no doubt about it, when you’re an infant you must deal with the uncomfortable and painful problems such as teething and diaper Toddlers may deal with separation anxiety, learning daily lessons, being sick or hearing the word “NO!”. At ages of 3, 4 and 5 you must learn to deal with disappointment, frustration, sadness, anger and so on. All of these feelings and emotions are not fun to handle  and learn about but they are apart of life.

When anyone is confronted with a difficult situation, whether it be a small or large, having a compassionate person in your life there to help deal with the situation is very beneficial. So why wouldn’t you want a compassionate person there with your child in some of the most imperative times in their lives?

Compassion is a trait not only every nanny should have but every adult and child should have. According to www.merrian-webster.com,  Compassionate is defined as; having or showing compassion. By having AND showing compassion to your charges, a nanny is teaching the children ways to handle tough situations in their future. It can help the children realize how fortunate they are to have the essentials in life such as food, shelter, clothing, and people who love them. Having toys to play with isn’t a necessity, it is a luxury. Yes, that’s what was just said, children don’t HAVE to have fun toys, televisions, computers, cell phones. Children need to realize the difference between wants and needs. They need to be thankful for the things they have and have compassion for those in need and don’t have all the essentials, much less luxury items.

When a nanny has compassion it will help lead to being a trust-worthy nanny.  Trust is something that is gained through positive characteristics. A trust worthy nanny who has great communication skills and respect for the entire families will  make for a great relationship with families. This is the number one reason a compassionate person is such an important quality to have in a nanny.