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