SitterTips: Building Trust through Arrivals & Departures
How do babysitters and nannies gain the trust of parents when most of the time, parents aren’t there to watch them in action? It’s all in the magic of a few simple moments: hellos and goodbyes. While there isn’t a specific punch-in and punch-out protocol in childcare, there are best practices on how to approach arrivals and departures. The moments at the beginning and end of each day set the overall tone for the family-nanny dynamic, so read on to make sure you are making the most out of your arrivals and departures.
Timely Arrivals
As with any job, arriving on time is a given necessity, but at SmartSitting, we subscribe to a little phrase that says “Early is on time, on time is late.” Arriving 5-10 minutes early gives you time to remove your shoes, wash your hands, exchange greetings, and get ready to begin your work. When you are ready to work at your start time (rather than arriving at your start time) you make a great impression, build rapport with parents, and get a sense of the family mood and dynamic for the day. Like with anything, having a few extra moments to observe, think, and plan before jumping into action will allow for a more focused, intuitive approach to being part of the family in that moment. Sometimes, parents forget to plan enough transition time, so having those few minutes to acclimate, especially if you’re caring for a family with young children who experience separation anxiety, can make all the difference. Plus, you build trust and deliver on SmartSitting’s core values of accountability and support.
Thoughtful Departures
As your babysitting or nanny job comes to an end each day, make sure you take a few minutes to let the parent get settled, give them a brief overview of the day, and ask if there is anything else you can do before you leave. Touch on age appropriate events, like poopy diapers or number of ounces consumed when dealing with very young babies, or behavioral observations with older children (“Sammy handled his big feelings so well today but had a little trouble with the transition to nap time.”) This level of engagement helps you connect with parents and truly become part of their parenting team. It really does take a village! Racing out the door can make families feel like you are uninspired by the work you’re doing and that it’s just about getting a paycheck. Leaving in an unhurried fashion is one of the most impactful ways to show a family that you care for them and their children.
Have some great tips on how you connect with families and nannies? Tag SmartSitting in Facebook and Instagram posts so we can learn from you! Want to know more about our tips and tricks? Make sure you sign up for our newsletter for all the latest info coming from our team! Contact us! Are you a babysitter or nanny looking to join our team? Apply today!