• To maintain the highest possible standards.
• To check and verify their personal documentation.
• It helps an employer build confidence and trust with the househelp.
• Reduces cases of theft, child abuse and adultery.
• To ensure competence in their work.
• Corroborate personal data and identity
• To make recruitment process easier.

These are the most important points why employers should vet their workers. There are companies that can vet your workers in Kenya. At NairobiNanny we use Darubini Screening and Vetting Company. With their assistance you can be able to i.D Check, Finger print and photo check, confirmation of previous two addresses and other contact details and criminal record check. Always remember do not assume you know your help have him/her screened before they start working.

Why children bite

Children bite for various reasons which include:
• They are in pain because of teething which causes swollen gums and causes irritation to them.

• They want attention – older kids use this as one of the bad behaviors to look for attention when they feel they are being ignored.

• They are looking for a reaction – children are naturally curious hence want to experiment and see the type of reaction their actions will provoke not knowing how painful it is.

• Exploring their world – Children use their mouths to explore since just about everything an infant or toddler picks will wind up in their mouth.

• Imitate other children and adults.

• Act in self-defense.

• Controlling: Some children know biting is a way of getting other children – or their parents – to do what they want. They don’t always do this consciously. It may happen when a group of children are jostling to be leader. Sometimes the youngest child in the family bites to gain power.

How to stop biting

It is good to have some prevention ways that will keep your child from biting:

• If you baby is teething always have a cool teething ring or cloth on hand making it less likely to bite someone’s arm.

• Make sure to avoid situation where your child may become irritable. Observe feeding and nap times are observed to avoid the child getting cranky.

• Encourage your child to express themselves once they are older instead of biting. Giving your child a break from activities may ease frustration.

• Whenever you have time always give your child the attention they need to avoid them seeking attention by biting.

• Offer activities and materials that allow your child to relax and release tension.

• Praise them for good behaviour: Catch your child behaving well – not biting siblings, playing well in groups, not biting to get his or her way – and be generous with praise.

• Teach them it’s wrong: When your child bites, use simple but firm words. Try, “that’s biting, that’s wrong” or a firm “no”. If you’re in a group, remove them from the situation. Explain that it hurts others and why you don’t like them doing it.

We have heard the stories all too often! Horror stories of babies and toddlers harmed by those entrusted to them by their parents, innocent souls who suffered punishments meant for their parents but meted out on them since they were the defenseless targets. All of us have a story or two to share, experienced by one-self or by a relative or friend.

My worst experience was a girl who left my then 3 year old toddler alone napping with githeri boiling for the evening meal on the stove…Luckily; she left the doors open and the keys hanging on the gate. Our neighbour, then a house-wife, noticed something was amiss and came to check only to find our baby asleep, the doors wide open and the girl disappeared. She didn’t steal anything nor harm anyone directly but I always shudder when I imagine what could have happened to our baby that day. What if the food had burnt and caused a fire? What if our toddler had woken up and injured herself in the house? What if? What if? Again, we all thanked God for watching over our baby anf keeping us all out of harm’s way. Needless to say that once I arrived home, I discarded all the food that was open including the githeri that was left boiling. On reporting the matter to the authorities, I was told to consider myself lucky that nothing more serious had happened to my family!

I was indeed grateful after the realization that something worse could have happened! This got me thinking and doing quite a bit of soul searching. Where and how had I wronged her for her to abandon my baby in that manner? Why didn’t she simply say if she was that unhappy in my house and we would have parted ways amicably? Did someone incite her to abandon her job may be with (false) promises of better pay? Had she found a husband that she had decided to elope with? Why did she wait for my baby to come back from school only to leave her alone when she was taking her nap? She could have left as soon as my child had been picked by the school bus in the morning. She had been brought to me by a colleague who didn’t even know her whereabouts and was shocked (or behaved as if she was shocked) beyond words to hear about what had transpired. Well, whatever the explanation and the cause of her decision, I can’t help but believe that there is a guardian angel who watches over all children. It is the only way I could explain how my baby was miraculously kept out of harm’s way on that day.

Share your story of guardian angels with us!

Make expectations clear.

Never make assumptions when it comes to your nanny and the duties you would like her to perform in her role. If you want her to do all house chores or just take care of your kids, tell her from the very beginning. If you add more new duties to her job after that, she may feel like you’re taking advantage of her or that you don’t appreciate her time. Make sure that your expectations are made clear from day one and that she agrees to them. If there are other duties that will come along , communicate clearly to her and be open to discussion so your nanny feels like she is part of the process as well.

Treat your nanny well.

In addition to a good salary package and time off, it’s nice to pamper her at times. Let your help not feel out of place in your family. Buy her a gift or do some shopping for her over the holidays or you can simply give her a couple of unexpected hours off during the week. All of these things show that you appreciate and are happy with her, that you thank her for the time and commitment to your family, and that you want her to be happy and enjoy herself.

Don’t get in the way of her job.

Don’t always get in the way of your help’s routine, this could cause frustration on her end and throw off her work day. For work-at-home parents that have a nanny to care for the children in the home during this time, let the children know that their nanny is in charge as this is particularly important. Children find it hard when there is more than one adult to answer to, and this could create an uncomfortable situation between you and your nanny. Create a system and stick to it so things can go as smoothly as possible.

N.B Parents and nannies can truly be on each other’s team! Creating a work environment that includes respect, fun, and healthy communication will give your nanny peace of mind and the ability to adapt to her new role in your family.

Most employers will tell you the biggest challenge they have with their house helps is low productivity, ineffectiveness and lack of trust. In today’s set up where mothers are also bread winners in their respective homes, more Kenyan mothers work longer hours, resulting in increased demand for house-helps who can take on more responsibilities. What initiative are you taking with your help to ensure you don’t end up hiring dozens of house help by the close of the year? Investing in your househelp or nanny is probably the best thing you will ever do. If she is happy, you will be happier. You will have peace of mind and will not have to invest in a nanny camera to monitor what goes in your home when you are away. Finding the most productive, effective and trustworthy house help is not easy. Below find ways you can make your relationship with your house help more professional.

1. Give them a contract

This has works perfectly from the beginning of employment. Treating a house help just like any other employee is one of the things you need to do. A house help should be given a contract where the two of you will agree on expectations to avoid future problems. When writing a contract indicate what you would want clearly and also allow your help to read before signing .

2. Training 

There are certain areas which your househelp will need training e.g. time management, safety and first aid, cleanliness and personal grooming, general housekeeping, resource management and personal development. Training in these aspects is pretty important because it will help your house help know what to do, how to manage your property and house, what to cook, how to handle everything at your place.

3. Close supervision

Close supervision is also important when dealing with a house help. It is necessary because it helps you to know if the house help is doing things right, the way you want. It also keeps her in check of the things she is supposed to do and how she is supposed to do them.

4. Clear communication

Good communication is paramount in almost all aspects of life. Teach your house helps how to communicate effectively with you, your children and even your visitors and everybody they come across. This will help them provide good services and save you the embarrassment that comes with poor communication.

5.Attractive reward system  

Everybody wants to be rewarded for a good job they have done. Employers should too reward their house helps when they do commendable jobs. So house helps will be thought on how to improve their performances, and impress their bosses for good rewards.

The most important aspect to look at when hiring a nanny is what qualities do you want from your nanny.  The best way of hiring a good care giver for your children is:

Get to know them well

Have face to face interviews with them. This enables the parent to know the care giver of your child/children on a personal basis, and also the facial expressions and body language are more clearly identified and understood.

Should be clean and healthy

Parents should be keen on cleanliness and good health with a caregiver. This is important because of handling small children and also teaching kids on how to maintain good hygiene. One can also have the caregiver to go for medical examinations to make sure they are safe

Have the ability to provide safe care

Discuss the importance of safety in your interview. Ask if a caregiver know first aid or how you or they have handled any situation that is an emergency.

Always clear and communicative

Consistent communication is key. Ensure the caregiver is free with you and can be able to communicate with you and your children.

Be warm and Responsive

Parents need to make sure your children are in a kind, loving environment and know that someone is dedicated to attending to your children’s need.

Appliances

If you have any appliances make sure if you have any appliances they knows how to use them or your house could end up in flames e.g dishwasher, baby food warmer, washing machine etc.

Have thorough research done on references

If the caregiver your hiring has worked before, it is proper to call the references and check if it’s true, reasons why they left and more importantly how their former employer would describe them.

When hiring a nanny, as a parents you may choose to invite perspective nannies over to your house and watch how your child and nanny interact with one another. This can be a very effective and safe way of having a general overview about how a particular nanny may work for your family. Some families may choose to have this incorporated into the interview process so that they can find the best nanny in the most time efficient way.

In case you hire a good caregiver, remember to treat her just like you would like to be treated. The way you treat a caregiver will determine how long she will stay and how you children will be treated.

NOTE: MAINTAIN A CLOSE, OPEN BUT WORKING RELATIONSHIP

Step 1: Doing a family needs assessment

Before embarking on your search for a nanny first look inwardly. The success of a nanny is dependent on you as a parent more than your child. Parents need to make time and figure out what or who they need. Have a list of the nanny you want, write down things that your nanny must be able to handle I she gets the job. What you right down will help throughout you search for a help and also remember to include your spouse in the writing also ask questions to the kids so that you can wholly decide on what you want.

Step 2: Decide on how and what to pay

After knowing what and the type of person you want, you need to decide on how much you want to pay the person. Always have a set figure of what you can afford even before you even look for a help. Have a look at your budget and what you are capable to pay according to your needs assessment. Remember to always have a clear financial strategy so that you are able to decline in case the help asks for more than what you budgeted for.

Step 3: Finding candidates

Here you outsource for possible suitable candidates for the job. Most parents opt for nanny agencies and bureaus. Most of this will give you their terms and conditions and charge you for the services. When calling such agencies always remember to give them the list of thing you had listed in your needs assessment. This step is to gather qualified candidates for the house help job.

Step 4: Interviews

Most agencies give up to three candidates to interview. Face to face interviews are always advisable for the client and the candidates. Ensure you interview the candidates one by one and get information that you need. Ask where they have worked and why they left, also check their references and ask if it is okay to get in touch with them. This will help you narrow down to the best candidate you would wish to choose.

Step 5: Background check

Once you choose the candidate that you wish to employ, it is advisable that you have a background check on them. Make sure you know their proper identity and any known criminal records before they resume work. Once they have a clear record then they can begin working.

Below are tips that will help in teaching patience

Start small, start short.

Start requiring small doses of patience from your child at an early age. You may only be asking them to calm down and wait quietly for 1-2 minutes before you’ll put more milk in their sippy cup, but it’s a start. As your child gets older, you can push them to show patience for longer periods of time until their desires are met.

Teach self-control.

Having patience in children is a matter of learning that they can and should control their emotions and actions, even when they are anxious, eager, or tired. Teach your child to regain some self-control before you fulfill their request. Doing so while they’re acting out will only instill the idea that acting out impatiently isn’t the way to get what you want.

Purposeful delays.

Parents need to purposefully delay some things for no other reason but to teach patience. If your CHILD wants something new, there may be no real reason for them not to have it at the time they request for it. But waiting for certain events (Christmas or their birthday) might teach them that they can wait for things that matter, and have it all turn out okay in the end.

Taking turns.

Nothing tests a child’s patience more than having to wait his or her turn for something to happen. The only way to get better at this is to practice. If your child struggles with waiting his turn for the swings, make more frequent trips mostly for outdoor activities to reinforce the need to be courteous and patient. The repetition will help him learn to cope with the wait.

Model patience

Being patient doesn’t mean just being able to wait; it means being able to wait calmly . It can be difficult to remain patient when trying to get the kids to school and no one has shoes on, or when late for an important appointment. This is exactly when you need to remain calm. Use humor and games to keep kids moving along, laugh when something doesn’t go according to plan and solve problems out loud when something becomes stressful. When you start verbalize your potential problem solving strategies, the kids start acting it just like you do. It works.

Most families want to enter into an employment relationship that will last for years. Have you ever asked yourself questions like “why do I keep employing new nannies?” “Do I really need a nanny” “Is my nanny okay” “Am I treating my nanny right?” etc. A long lasting relationship is best for the family but how can you make that happen. Here is a list of reasons why nannies stay long-term:

The family appreciates the nanny’s work.

Being grateful for what the nanny is doing goes a long way in creating a great relationship between the family and the nanny. We all know that taking care of house chores and children takes a lot of patience and hard work so, being truly thankful encourages the nanny to stay.

The nanny enjoys her day to day work.

Depending on the working hours of your nanny they really need to be able to enjoy their work. When they are happy and satisfied they provide the best care. Encourage her to make her own schedule or make it together to make sure she is comfortable. When a nanny gets what she feels is important from her job, it entices her to stay with that family.

The nanny loves the kids!

This covers the huge factor in the nanny job. If they builds a good relationship with the kids helps them build their motivation and work things out when it gets tough and also encourages her to stay year after year.

The family pays a competitive wage.

Money isn’t the most important thing in a nanny job, but it does matter. Every nanny wants to be paid a wage that allows her to meet her financial obligations and goals. When a family pays a competitive wage and offers regular raises, their nanny is much more likely to stay long-term.

The family respects the nanny’s time.

Most nannies generally work longer than average work weeks. So when a family is respectful of their nanny’s time off the clock, it means a lot. Making sure a nanny gets plenty of downtime to rest and relax is an investment that pays off for both the caregiver and the family.

The family respects the job description.

Every nanny job description is different. The one thing that’s the same is that it’s easy for the description to slowly expand over time without the parents even noticing. When a family is careful to stick to what was originally agreed to, the nanny doesn’t have to deal with job creep and doesn’t feel overworked or underappreciated. Of course, the family’s childcare needs will change over time and the job description will change too. Talking about these changes openly and making sure the nanny is on board is the best way to keep the relationship on the right track.

NOTE: MAINTAIN A GOOD BUT WORKING RELATIONSHIP

1. Tell her your expectations.

Your maid can’t read minds. Give her a list of the things you will expect her to maintain and to do. Every household has its rules. She may not be having an idea of your household unique rules. You have to set the rules. In this way, she can come back to the list if she forgets something. There would be less disappointments for you. Give her a proper training if you want to! The maid agency is a different place, and so is your house. You might have a different regulation in your place so it is better to train her personally.

2. Be considerate.

Let her get enough hours of sleep. A person obviously works well if they have adequate amount of energy. Just as much as you need food and proper diet, also provide for her enough food so she can be healthy and perform her tasks well. You can also give her a schedule that includes the chores she must do. Include there the times she could rest, eat or sleep.

3. Set boundaries.

People can be insensitive at times or it could just be because of cultural differences and there are unfavorable practices she doesn’t limit. She might be using the home fixed line for too long every day or she might be entering your room to clean without your permission. Whatever it is, make sure to clarify to her the boundaries she must be careful about.

4. Tell her your personal preference.

Two people can have two different ways of handling and carrying out chores. If she does a certain chore in a different way, tell her frankly how you would want things to be done. Don’t be angry, using ‘common sense’ as an excuse to yell at your maid! She came from a different background so it could happen that her ways are just different.

5. Stay consistent.

Give consistent feedback’s. Tell her if she needs to improve or if she’s doing things just fine. If you keep changing your opinion, she might get confused and everything may turn out worse than you expected.

6. Reward her.

Maids can be more motivated to work hard if she sees that you are happy with her job by rewarding her. Rewards can come in different types including extra day off, a small amount of cash or anything she likes. You’ll see her become more productive and that’s the most important thing.

7. Do things you can do.

Don’t be too dependent on your maid. There are things you still can do by yourself: carrying your small bag, tying your shoes and other things. Such work doesn’t require a maid! Your maid can do more things if you do the small stuff yourself.

8. Never abuse her.

Abuse can happen physically, verbally or even in the form of cyber bullying. Don not do any of this thing. Correct her properly by talking to her privately. Badmouthing will not improve her performance and will only damage her emotionally.