By Katie Brenneman
A nanny can help any parent reduce their stress levels, all while ensuring their children get quality care from someone they trust. Whether you’re going through hard times or simply need a self-care day or date night, your nanny has your back.
However, while great nannies are amazing at childcare, they don’t always know the best way to respond to a serious emergency. Additionally, nannying and babysitting is a popular summer job for teens, which means the person caring for your child may not have the skills, resources, or experience to respond to situations immediately and/or effectively.
Creating a nanny action plan is a simple step that parents can take to help their sitters (and themselves) feel calmer and more prepared in unexpected situations. Here are three reasons you should consider putting together a nanny action plan.
Finding the Right Contacts Can Take Time
Nannies usually aren’t trained to deal with fires, break-ins, or medical emergencies like injuries, allergic reactions, or poisonings. While most will know to dial 9-1-1 when a life-threatening situation occurs, they may not know what to do beyond that or who to call when a scary event isn’t necessarily an emergency. For instance, if a child falls and bumps their head due to poorly maintained outdoor equipment, they may want to call their pediatrician to double-check if an exam is needed.
Finding the right contacts can be time-consuming. Plus, if you’ve hired a nanny, there’s a chance you’ll be too busy to immediately answer the phone. To help your nanny get help as soon as possible, create an action plan that includes the contact information of family doctors, poison control, and pediatric urgent care centers that can help with non-life-threatening emergencies like broken bones. Your local fire and police departments should have non-emergency numbers, too.
Including trusted relatives on your contacts list can help nannies deal with particularly challenging behavior issues from teens and children alike.
Panic Can Worsen a Situation
When faced with a serious emergency, it’s easy for panic to set in. Panic can lead to more mistakes and make a situation feel more high-pressure than it already is. When your nannies are equipped with an action plan, parents and nannies can both work with clear minds and take a logical, step-by-step approach.
Help Your Nannies Identify Who to Trust
Criminals with bad intentions are often convincing, especially to impressionable young babysitters. Creating an action plan that includes trusted relatives — as well as who is allowed to pick up your child in case you’re running late or experiencing an emergency of your own — can prevent miscommunication and serious incidents like kidnapping.
A nanny action plan is key to giving you and your nanny peace of mind.
Author Bio: Katie Brenneman is a passionate writer specializing in lifestyle, mental health, and fitness-related content. When she isn’t writing, you can find her with her nose buried in a book or hiking with her dog, Charlie. To connect with Katie, you can follow her on Twitter.