1~Unreasonable expectations from their employer.
When you originally hired your nanny her responsibilities included care of the children and their laundry. You've slowly added in grocery shopping, running errands, feeding the dog, etc. A nanny's job expectations include caring for the children and everything that goes along with that. They are not housekeepers or assistants. Giving them other responsibilities that weren't originally agreed upon in your family/nanny contract may cause your nanny to want to leave.
How to fix it?
If your contract with your nanny doesn't currently include the extra responsibilities that you've recently added stop expecting them. It may be time to revisit your contract and either add those responsibilities in with additional pay or hire someone else to cover your other needs. Never change the position without it being agreed on between you and your nanny first.
2~Your Nanny Feels Undervalued.
When your nanny cares for your sick child, goes above and beyond your expectations, or puts in some extra hours do you make sure you let them know how appreciated they are? Did you notice they had a particularly difficult day with your child and asked about it or offered a sympathetic ear? If not, your nanny may feel undervalued.
How to fix it?
A spontaneous gift for a job well done or a homemade item from your children to show your appreciation goes a long way. Can you afford a bonus? A spa day? or a personal day off? Your nanny will love this and will feel appreciated and valued. At the very least, a verbal expression of gratitude towards your nanny for a job well done will help her to feel important and valued in your home.
3~You've Changed the Schedule
When you hired your nanny, you likely had a set schedule in your contract. It's important to stick to the scheduled hours that were part of your agreement. Like all of us, nannies have lives outside of their jobs and make plans around their work schedule. They may have children of their own, a second job, or make appointments for before or after their work day with you. If you’re often asking your nanny to come in early, stay late or work extra days, they may become frustrated because they may need to change their own plans.
How to fix it?
There may not be a great solution to this problem since this can be a big source of frustration for your nanny; but you should consider paying a higher rate for extra hours worked, giving your nanny plenty of notice of early or late days, or offering them paid time off to make up for the change of schedule.
4~You're Micro-Managing Your Nanny
When you hire a nanny you are likely hiring someone with many years of nanny experience and/or an educational background in a child related field. They may have learned some unique techniques for caring for your child from classes or previous families they've worked with. When a parent second guesses or questions what their nanny is doing throughout the day the nanny will feel like you don't trust or respect their ability to care for your child. This can and does cause dissatisfaction with their job and they will very likely begin looking for another position.
How to fix it?
Remember that there is more than one way to get from point A to point B. Just because your nanny does something differently than you do doesn't mean it's wrong. As long as your children are happy, healthy, cared for, and engaged, you may want to let your nanny take the lead and utilize her expertise in caring for your children. Of course, if you feel your children aren't being cared for properly or her method goes against your family values, by all means have a conversation with the nanny to make sure you are both on the same page when setting boundaries, disciplining, or otherwise engaging in the day to day activities of the children. Which leads to #5...
5~Poor Communication With Your Nanny
Most, if not all nannies during interviewing with our agency, state that the most important thing they are seeking with a new position is good communication. It's difficult for a nanny to start a position with little or no guidance from the parents; or if they are being criticized for how they are handling a situation without receiving feedback on how mom and dad would prefer it to be handled. This is probably the number one reason we hear from nannies that they are seeking a new position.
How to fix it?
Be clear with your nanny during the interview and during her first week especially about what your philosophies are in parenting and caregiving. Having clear guidelines and an open door policy for questions is extremely important for a successful nanny/family relationship. Mollycoddlers strongly encourages families to set up regular meetings or check ins with the nanny to discuss any questions, concerns or issues that are coming up so the parents and nanny can work together to find a solution.
