The time has come to begin preparing for your nanny's arrival...how exciting! Providing your nanny with quality orientation and training is essential to setting them up for success! This component is how you contribute to a positive experience. Everyone can relate to those first day jitters in a new job; most of what's being said to you might even go right over your head under the pressure of it all. Have you ever started a job and not been provided with an orientation binder???...'tisk tisk' is the sound of my finger wagging at your employer if you answered "yes" to this question!...you should ALWAYS be provided with an orientation binder and training regardless of the job. Now imagine if your job took place in someone else's home, this might intensify your feelings of anxiousness around knowing what to do and what not to do.

In order to start the experience off on the right foot with your nanny, do them a favour, and make their job just a little bit easier by providing them with lots of information about their job. As someone who has worked as a caregiver (both live-in and live-out) I can tell you that it is an overwhelming job to jump in to, and all of those little itty bitty details about where the silverware polish (who uses that stuff anyways) and laundry detergent (now that we use) are kept can go right over your head when you're amidst a major life transition. This orientation binder will help your nanny to feel at ease and rest assured that some of the information that you're telling them a mile-a-minute is written down somewhere.

But the buck doesn't stop here. You also need to put together some structured training. This may include going over specific tasks (performing them while they watch and then having them perform them while you watch and provide feedback), and shadowing you and your family so that they can see how you parent, play, discipline, and interact with your children and the world. You could go to do the grocery shopping, or out for dinner. This shadowing experience wouldn't require the nanny to jump in yet as a caregiver, but merely to absorb your unique family culture. Stay tuned for a post with a template/sample training guide. 

Whatever you choose to do and however you choose to do it, just remember - the first days, weeks and months of your time with your nanny are formative in how they will understand their job, view you, and be with your family. Take the time to think about how to communicate your expectations clearly and create an open comfortable rapport. Being clear in the beginning about how you want things done is critical to avoiding a situation with festering resentments (for either party...which don't need to exist). So long as you keep communication calm, upbeat, and respectful, nothing should be off limits to discuss. 

Good luck and happy orientating (is that really a word?)...

ORIENTATION BINDER TEMPLATE/SAMPLE HERE

Did you find this information helpful?...Comment below and let me know. :-)

 Did I miss something that would be helpful in the orientation binder??...comment below and let me know.

 Welcoming a nanny into your home when you maintain a specific diet (vegan, gluten free, organic, etc.) can be nerve wracking. If the food that your family eats is uncharted territory for the nanny, you may find yourself wondering how to approach the situation. 

I chose to be forthcoming from the very beginning, starting by explicitly stating that our family eats vegan meals and maintains a vegetarian household in our job posting and pre-interview email materials. There will of course be a learning curve, as there would be when adopting any new lifestyle, and learning new cooking methods. 

When it comes to getting your nanny started in the kitchen, you'll want a recipe that is easy to make, and delicious (because who doesn't want to feel glorified when the whole family asks for seconds). Over the next little while, I'll be posting easy and delicious recipes for various alternative diets. Here's an easy vegan recipe of my own creation to get them started. This is one of my go-to recipes when having friends over for dinner, especially those that are carnivorous in nature, as it seems to be a big hit!

Here's what you'll need:

•  2 boxes of oven-ready cannelloni noodles
•  2 packages of firm tofu, mashed
•  4-6 cloves garlic, minced or finely chopped
•  1/2 cup soy milk
•  2 tbsp olive oil
•  2 tbsp lemon juice
•  1 tbsp sugar
•  1 tbsp white vinegar
•  salt and pepper to taste
•  11 leaves of basil, finely chopped
•  3 cups chopped fresh spinach (or one small container of pre-washed spinach)
•  ½ large onion, finely chopped
•  2 cups of chopped fresh mushrooms (to keep it simple, just use 1 package of pre-washed and cut mushrooms)
•  2 jars of your favorite spaghetti sauce (mine is White Linen Collection’s All Natural Marinara Sauce, available at Costco)

Instructions: 

In a medium sized saucepan, sauté the mushrooms, 2 cloves of garlic, and the onion in a bit of olive oil at medium heat until onions are caramelized.




In a large mixing bowl, mash the tofu with a fork, then stir together the remaining 2 cloves of garlic, soy milk, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, salt, pepper, basil and spinach. Add the sautéed mushrooms and onion to the mixture.

Use your hands to scoop and stuff the mixture into the cannelloni noodles.

In a 9x13 baking dish, pour 1 layer of tomato sauce, then lay a layer of stuffed cannelloni noodles (two rows lengthwise), then a second layer of tomato sauce, another layer of stuffed cannelloni noodles, and a final layer of tomato sauce. For added deliciousness, sprinkle some finely chopped basil on top.

Cover the baking dish with tin foil tightly, and bake for 45 minutes (or until sauce begins to boil) on 375F.



Serve and enjoy! This recipe makes enough cannelloni for the whole family to enjoy, in addition to at least a day (or two) of leftovers.


Logan doing his part to help out in the kitchen ;-)


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The 411 on Nanny&Me

I am SO excited to have my son, Logan, provided with the one-on-one care of a nanny in our home. The process of recruiting and keeping a nanny seems intimidating at times and there are so many things to think about and consider. The goal of my blog is to support, encourage and empower parents who are considering and pursuing the path of a nanny.

Nanny&Me provides free resources and information that will support you in finding, selecting, and keeping a great nanny. Nanny&Me will also share our family's journey on the road to building a strong and positive relationship with our nanny.

About Me

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Hi! (not sure the exclamation mark was necessary, but I'm just excited to say hello). My name's Jenn. I am a passionate mom, non-profit executive, real estate hobbiest, and athlete. I'm an enthusiastic person with a growth mindset. I love learning and growing every day!

Hi Readers!

Hi Readers!
I'm Jenn. I'm a mom, animal lover (vegan), and non-profit leader who is all about sharing resources and having FUN. I lead an active lifestyle that includes a plant-based diet and lots of running, cycling, swimming, outdoor recreation, kayaking, and all things active and outdoors.

What else am I up to?

DAREarts empowers children and youth from underserved communities across Canada through arts-based leadership programs.

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