If you have always dreamed of a well-run household, staying organized is the key to unlocking your front door. Parents should be prioritizing themselves, their children and their nanny. Today, we will discuss the top 3 ways to stay organized as an active parent and/or nanny.
Prioritize Your Child:
According to Care.com, “organizing with a kids’ eye view is crucial.” Ask yourself – what are some of the things that kids prioritize? For example, placing toys in a noticeable manner, within reach, will make the most sense. Otherwise, children could get frustrated from climbing too high for them. Also note, spaces in the house should prioritize safety. Child safety cabinets, toilet locks and tamper-resistant outlets are just some ways to prevent various hazards for children.
Communicate Organizational Ideas:
Nannies must keep in mind the families they work for when getting organized. First, nannies need to communicate with their employer on their needs. Parents may be particular in the way they do things and that’s ok. Just remember – organizing in a new family’s home will be different than your own. Offering ideas and suggestions to parents can be extremely useful. Nannies learn how to integrate themselves in a family’s life. A family learns how to incorporate a new person into theirs. Let’s discuss a few examples:
- Label Markers: Labels are a great way to identify certain household items easily. For example, you can use label makers for pantry staples like sugar, flour, and such. If nannies will be cooking family and/or children’s meals, this may be more helpful. Also, you can label boxes with the word and a picture of the object to improve and encourage reading skills.
- Clear vs. Covered Containers: A nanny may suggest using clear containers or opaque ones. Clear containers will make objects more accessible quickly. Therefore, nannies can access specific toys more easily as well. Opaque containers may be of great use to hide certain items away from kids. This is why it’s important to discuss which option is preferred or if there is a way for both solutions to work.
Create a Chore List for Kids:
It’s important for parents and nannies to set good habits with children from the start. For example, children may be used to throwing their toys across the floor without consequence. This may happen continuously throughout the day and now the parent may feel forced to clean up after their child(ren). This does not have to be the case. If we teach children to clean up after themselves, that time we spent cleaning up could instead be used for other things. Encouraging a child’s curiosity is also important. What are some ways we can make organizing fun? For example, every time you ask a child to clean up, you can play their favorite song at the moment. As they’re cleaning, they may sing or dance along! IT IS SO CUTE.
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Stay tuned for part 6 of our “NANNYING 101” series which will break down the best practices for nanny and parent scheduling. The Cradle Boss Baby is the #1 resource for new and current parents to help break down the best practices for pregnancy, parenting and beyond. Our team is composed of highly-skilled childcare specialists, nannies and caregivers (some who are parents themselves!) to best support and understand your needs as a new parent.
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