Household Chemical Hazards

Household chemical products are among the top products responsible for injuries and deaths in children under the age of five years. Bad taste and odours often do not keep children away from household chemical products. Even a small amount of a chemical product can be harmful to a child and the person using it.

Use, store, and dispose of household chemicals carefully. Learn and teach your nanny the meaning of the hazard symbols and follow all directions on the label.

Safety tips

Read the label before you buy or use a household chemical product.

• Follow the instructions every time you use a household chemical. 

• Do not cover up or remove the labels from household chemical products.

Use household chemical products carefully, especially around children.

• Never mix household chemical products together. Some mixtures can produce harmful gases.

• Child-resistant does not mean child-proof. Close the cap on the container all the way even if you set it down for just a moment.

• Put emergency phone numbers at your telephone and/or program the number into your phone and your nanny's phone.

Store household chemical products safely.

• Store all household chemical products in their original containers. Keep all safety information.

• Keep all household chemical products locked away, where children cannot see or reach them.

Dispose of leftover household chemical products safely and NEVER:

• burn household chemical containers

• pour the contents down the drain unless directed

• inappropriately re-use empty containers

Why train your nanny more than just First Aid?

Prevention is better than cure! For a young, recently mobile baby just able to explore the world by touching, tasting and seeing everything there is to see and finding those hidden things, the home and its surroundings can be a dangerous place. The majority of new moms, first time nannies and grandparents are blissfully unaware of the dangers that lurk in the home, and your baby is a master at finding them. From plug sockets under beds, toilet brushes in the guest loo and moms favourite nail polish in the bed side table. Creating an environment that is safe for the baby to explore without the risk of hurting themselves, is far better than having to deal with a cut finger, broken bone or worse.

Good hygiene starts in the home. Long before the baby is crawling, they have an incredible reach and will put everything they find into their mouths as this is a very reliable source of information it gives them answers to the questions “how does it feel?”, “is it hot or cold”, “what does it taste like?” and more. This includes the old piece of bread that was dropped and not noticed, the toy that the dog stepped on etc, so it is very important that good hygiene is practiced in the home for at least the first few months of the child’s life while their immune systems are developing. Everyone needs to understand the importance of and put into practice the key best practices such as washing hands, sterilizing bottles and not sucking on the dummy before putting it back into baby’s mouth.

A healthy baby is a happy baby and feeding the right foods contributes greatly to the health and growth of the child. With an understanding of nutrients and their sources, your nanny is able to make educated decisions on what to feed the baby once they are weaned off their milk.

There are many learning opportunities that present themselves at home the sounds of barking dogs and singing birds, the smell of freshly squeezed orange juice and freshly washed clothing, the colour of the sky and dad’s socks. The baby’s natural urge to explore is a wonderful opportunity for the care giver to teach a willing and very keen learner. Being able to identify and use these opportunities in addition to learning simple ways to stimulate, teach and entertain the baby appropriately, creates a fun day for both baby and care giver.

A plan, good time management and a structured routine that is stuck to help the nanny to get through her work, care for the baby making sure there is time to play, prepare food, sterilize bottles and finish the ironing all according to the family’s unique needs. www.nannytraining.co.za

Tips for Hiring a Nanny

There is no such thing as the perfect nanny. Qualities to look for are a good attitude, honesty, reliability, shows initiative and a willingness to communicate and do the tasks the mother’s way. Skills can always be taught. Remember to trust your gut instinct when making your choice.

my 5 tips:

1. Use a reputable agency – make sure that they do check written and verbal references and that they can supply you with the contact numbers so that you can speak to the previous employer. 
2. Don’t judge a nanny purely on age and training, but rather on personality – at the end of the day you will probably hire someone based on their personality/character and how they relate to your family rather than their impressive skills on paper. You can always train someone to do it your way. You can’t train a bad attitude.
3. Pick a nanny that has a stable family background and good support network in case they have young children themselves.
4. Insist on a trial period – an agency cannot guarantee how a nanny interacts with your children. The trial is the real interview.
5. Before hiring your nanny, seal the deal by insisting that the nanny gets a police clearance from the police station. Please pay for this as it is a big expense for the nanny if she is not working. Also ask them to go for a free TB test at their nearest government medical clinic. TB is a worse household predator than HIV.

The right nanny will love your child and will have your child’s best interest at heart. They are looking after your most precious being – your child, so it is worth looking after her, treating her with respect, showing or expressing your appreciation and remembering to say thank you even when they are just doing their job!