Everybody who has or had a job at least once in their lifetime experienced the feeling of doing something for the first time. It starts when we are kids in kindergarten then with school.
Everything is new, new duties, new people, new environment. Some of us can embrace these times and feel it a fantastic step forward, and some consider it quite stressful.
How is the first day as a nanny? Is it any different than in any other role? I think it can be different. In my experience, it depends on the age of the child, their previous experiences and also by their personality.
Likes and dislikes of the child (ask the parents to explain both in details).
Mood changes if there any, when they appear and what is triggering them.
Vital to ask about allergies and past illnesses.
Family contacts, parents, teachers, doctor (local emergency service too if you go abroad) Establish a reaction route in case of an emergency. Keep that in mind if the situation is dangerous then always start with a call to the emergency services to save precious time.
You can make your checklist make this complete. These are the essential ones, so when you arrive on your first day, you must know these. Children are excellent at sensing who understands them and who doesn`t.
Who is confident and who doesn`t and they interact accordingly. Who can blame them? Would you trust someone who does not project confidence in what they do? I guess not and believe me kids feel the same way.
Also many times they will use their knowledge about against you. So better be confident in yourself and your abilities. How to achieve that? Learning, experiencing and self-observation.
If you are not confident but you have all the knowledge then you have to learn how to be confident. If you are confident otherwise but you have gaps in your knowledge then you have to learn the necessary new skills or polish the old ones.
What should you focus on your first day?
On the child from the moment, you step into their world. Use all the information you got, observe the child as much as possible while doing everyday things.
Playing is the best opportunity to find out what needs they have, what skills you need to develop. If you see issues and know what to do then great, apply your techniques if you don`t know the answer then go home and finish your day with research so you can make adjustments the next day.
Anything you do from now on will be part of that child`s life and memory. Maybe 10-20 years from now they won`t be able to recall your name and stories what you did together, but their personality and everyday life will carry the little puzzle you put in.
Do your best and always remember this. It is not only a job. It is someone’s life, and every little detail will contribute to this small person`s future. Help them make it a bright one!
If you would add something, please leave a comment below. Thank you!
I really like how you talked about focusing on playing. Playing definitely helps kids develop faster and acquire skills needed for society. I’ll have to remember to focus on playing games with kids.