Your nanny should already have an idea of what to expect from the position from their interviews and the work agreement they signed when accepting your job offer. But it’s well worth it to set aside time on your nanny’s first day for job orientation.

When your nanny arrives for their first day, you want to help them get comfortable with their new surroundings, work environment, and other such aspects of their job. You also need to take into consideration what types of information they may need and require to perform expected duties.

Key Items to Include on Your Nanny Orientation Checklist

To ensure your nanny is well-prepared, you should create a nanny orientation checklist. By having an orientation checklist, you avoid forgetting to provide any information or details your nanny needs to know. Some of the more important items and information to cover during orientation include:

#1: Tour of the Home

Give your nanny a detailed tour of your entire home. Show them where light switches are, how to operate appliances they will be using, and so on. If there are specific rooms or areas you do not want your nanny to enter or use, let them know during the tour.

#2: Review Your Nanny’s Work Schedule

Go over the work schedule you agreed upon with your nanny. If there have been any changes since the work agreement was signed, discuss these with your nanny and verify they are okay with the changes. Remember to attach a signed addendum to the work contract that shows the changes.

#3: Introduce Other Household Staff

If you have other household staff, take the time to introduce your nanny to each person. Explain what their responsibilities and household duties entail. This is also the time where you should review the hierarchy of the household staff, such as who your nanny should consult with if they have questions and you are not available.

#4: Review Household Staff Schedules

Go over the schedules of other household staff members with your nanny. For instance, if your landscaper only works on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, your nanny needs to know this information, as well as anything they might need to tell the landscaper to do.

#5: Review Your Expectations

During the orientation, it is important to review your expectations so your nanny has a clear understanding of what is expected. For example, you may expect your nanny to feed your children snacks after school, stick to scheduled nap times, or make sure they do their homework.

You might also want your nanny to do other tasks related to caring for your children. By reviewing what you expect and how you want tasks to be done, there will be no misunderstandings later.

#6: Establish What Is Not Allowed

There may be specific things you do not want your nanny to do while they are caring for your children. Be clear about what things are not allowed, like smoking, drinking, having friends over, posting pictures of your children on social media, and so on.

#7: Review Any Health Issues or Concerns

Go over any health issues or concerns regarding your children. Let your nanny know if they have any food allergies, medications they need to take, and other vital information. Provide your nanny with your children’s full name, date of birth, medication allergies, and other details they need to know.

#8: Provide Emergency Contact Information

Your nanny should be supplied with emergency contact information like the name and phone number of your pediatrician and how to reach you in case of an emergency.

#9: Review Home Security Information

If your home has a security system, show your nanny how to use it. Call your security monitoring company and let them know you have hired a nanny. They can help you set up a secret word your nanny can use in case the alarm goes off, and create a pin code they can use to arm and disarm the system.

#10: Review School Drop-Off and Pick-Up Procedures

If you expect your nanny to drive your children to school and pick them up, review any appropriate details they need to know. Contact the school and update your parental authorization information to include your nanny.

#11: Review Details for Play Dates and Outings

If you expect your nanny to be present during play dates, take your children to the park, or other sporting and social events, go over any details they need to know.

#12: Review Auto Insurance Details

If your nanny will be using their vehicle to transport your children, review their auto insurance to verify they have the right coverage. Provide your nanny with car seats for your children if they require them.

Otherwise, if they will be using your vehicle, show them where your registration and insurance card are kept inside the vehicle. It is also worthwhile to put a signed statement in the glove box that says your nanny has your permission to transport your children along with your contact details.

#13: Review Your Sick Day Procedures

Review how they should notify you if they are sick, such as by text message or calling your cell phone. You should also let them know if you will require a doctor’s note for an extended illness.

#14: Review How to Request Personal Time Off

Your nanny may want to take personal time off for a vacation or other such reasons. You will want to review the process for them to request the time off, like giving you at least a month’s notice.

#15: Review Any Benefits You Are Offering

If you are providing any benefits, like paid sick time, paid personal time, healthcare insurance, etc., go over these with your nanny on their first day.

#16: Provide Your Nanny with a Journal

A journal is a great way for your nanny to record daily logs for your review. Decide what information you want them to record. For instance, you may want an hourly summary of what activities your nanny did with your children.

The journal can also be used for other purposes like your child asked if they could have a friend sleepover. Or they might have informed your nanny about an upcoming parent-teacher conference you need to know about. Recording these types of details in the journal allows you to know what is going on with your children.

#17: Provide Your Nanny with Medical Authorization Forms

Accidents can happen at any time. You need to make sure your nanny has the authorization to seek medical care and treatment for your children when you are not available. You can decide to what extent they can make medical decisions for your children, where you want your children treated, and other such details on the form.

#18: Provide Your Nanny with a Set of Keys

It is a good idea to provide your nanny with a set of keys to your house so they can lock up whenever they leave with your children. If they will be driving your vehicle, make sure that they have access to a set of keys for the vehicle.

While the orientation checklist might seem like a lot of information to cover, it will better prepare your nanny for caring for your children. If it helps, you can type the information on the checklist out, put it in a folder, and give it to your nanny to reference should questions arise.

Most importantly, remember to customize your nanny orientation checklist to fit your specific needs, requirements, and expectations.

For assistance in finding the best nanny for your children, please feel free to contact Staffing at Tiffanie’s by calling 866-484-5550 today! We can also assist you with filling your other household staffing needs.