As we bid farewell to 2022 we eagerly look forward to what 2023 will bring. Now is a great opportunity to take a look around your personal and professional surroundings and make some changes to build and enhance your nanny job.
- Take stock of your surroundings. All those new toys and books that arrived but nowhere to put them? Discuss with the parents a plan to “Keep, Donate or Trash” old items and create new play spaces, e-learning spaces, reading nooks and quiet space. Get the kids involved and make it a special, fun project.
- Do you struggle with day-to-day communications? Consider a daily diary for writing out your day, concerns, observations, events and more. Our Nanny Diary is a great tool made by nannies for nannies for this exact purpose!
- Review time. When was the last time you had a review with your employers? What is working? What isn’t? Set up a time to sit down and discuss.
- Make self-care a priority. If we learned anything from 2022, it’s that we do so much in the day-to-day, that we often let our own personal care come last. Make self-care a priority for 2023. Take up a new hobby. Pick a day to unplug – literally. No phones, social media. Read a book, binge on Netflix. Reconnect with friends and family. Send cards with handwritten notes. Make a phone call vs texting or emailing to a loved one. And when you feel comfortable doing so, book a day at the spa, a weekend away with your besties or fly in and surprise a loved one. Make it a point to do something for yourself each month and make yourself a priority in 2023.
- Invest in your education. Whether you’ll be staying for a long while or looking for a new job this year, continuing education is vital to a nanny’s career. Consider an online course, subscribe to Nanny Magazine for current news and articles. How about a webinar hosted by Zero to Three or NAEYC? Or check out the International Nanny Association Annual Conference, National Nanny Training Day or Nannypalooza?According to the 2017 INA Salary and Benefits Survey:
Experience and education affect a nanny’s hourly pay rate
+More experience and/or more education means higher hourly rate
+Those completing INA Credential Exam & INA Basic Skills Assessment get higher hourly rate
If your new year means a new job, we’d love to hear from you and help you start the new year off right with the perfect job.