(When Working With Kids) Many nannies look forward to the summer holidays. It’s the chance to achieve more in a day than normal now that school pick ups and drop offs don’t define your schedule. Summer holidays mean slower mornings, leisurely special breakfasts (like pancakes instead of cereal), and the opportunity to plan the daily activities together. Summer brings excitement, laid-back vibes, renewed creativity and a plethora of activities that don’t involve being isolated and house-bound.
But the summer holidays can also be challenging. If we don’t look after yourself and the kids, things can quickly go from fun to nightmare.
To make sure you and the kids survive and maintain the happy vibes, here’s 7 ways to make the most of your summer holidays.
1. Have A Plan For The Day
The idea that an entire day stretches ahead wide open for the taking and not limited by school picks ups and appointments can be great. But it can also be overwhelming for the children. If you’re tempted to leave it open and ask them what they want to do, you might find they either don’t know or can’t decide on activities. It may be best to have a semi-formed plan for the day before arriving for work, and then to plan alongside the children to fine tune the schedule with their input. This can also be beneficial for kids who don’t yet understand the concept of time and time’s limitations, or those who are more comfortable with a structured day similar to a school setting. It’ll mean that at 5pm when you’re about to serve dinner, you won’t have to deal with tears and distress as Miss 4 suddenly asks if you “can go to the zoo today.” Tip: formulate a daily schedule on a large piece of paper or with drawings and let the children cross each activity off as you progress through the day.
2. Have A Play Date Policy
There’s nothing worse than arriving at work to learn that multiple children are about to be dropped off for “playdates” with your charges. Establish with your Nanny Family the difference between a playdate, and a child being there all day requiring your nanny care. Agree to conditions and an arrangement in advance, and ensure that if a playdate is actually going to be a nanny-share/child-share arrangement, that conditions are set accordingly. To promote the best outcomes for your charges, set a limit as to how many playdates are possible per week, the length, the location, the times, and the activities. This will mean you don’t end up over-scheduling them and then having to deal with difficult behaviour due to exhausted children. Tip: make sure you receive all respective contact and emergency numbers from the various carers and parents, and impress a hard-line on pickup times.
3. Stay Hydrated
You’re well practised in telling your charges to drink up, and you take their water bottles wherever you go. But do you remember to stay hydrated yourself? When you’re on-the-go all day, it can be very easy to forget about your needs. But when out in the summer heat, you can’t afford to become dehydrated. An easy way to keep yourself healthy and well prepared for the day is to make sure you drink plenty of fluids. Tip: if you’re carrying around drink bottles for your charge, pack one for yourself too.
4. Protective Clothing
If you’re not dressed appropriately for the day’s events, it’s likely you’ll be in for a difficult day. Practise what you preach and ensure that you’re also wearing a hat and sunscreen when outside like the children. The last thing you want is to suffer from heat stroke or make a long day feel even longer by being uncomfortable. Invest in some kid friendly nanny clothes that let you feel stylish and well put together, but that are also comfortable and cool light-weight material. Tip: wear supportive shoes that will let you run around all day on your feet and allow you to keep pace with the kids.
5. Keep Well Fuelled
You spend 45 minutes trying to get your charge to eat their lettuce and tomato and yet you nibble on peanut butter crusts and chocolate biscuits as you rush out the door. Sound familiar? You need constant, high-energy levels to work with kids. It can be tempting to reach for the short-term energy foods that give you a quick burst, but in half an hour you’ll find yourself crashing again and wanting to reach for another sugar hit. Give your body the proper nutrients so that it can support you all day long. Load up on slow release carbs, proteins and plenty of fruit and vegetables to allow you to operate at maximum efficiency. Tip: pack a ziplock bag with nuts, grains, and dried fruits to give you a quick burst of energy if you need to snack on-the-go.
6. Be Well Rested
Summer is the festive and social season, day light savings is here and you’re urged to do more with the time you’ve got. If you’re saying yes to the late night movie showing with the view that you can just “power through the coffees” the next day to survive, there will come a time when you regret that decision. Probably right around the time that your charge is refusing to nap, they’re grumpy from the heat, you’re on a short fuse because of the giant list of errands, and you really just want to drink your coffee from the morning that’s now been re-heated in the microwave more times that you can remember. Your body needs sleep so that it can replenish you on the busier than usual summer days. Tip: let your body do it’s job by getting a decent night’s sleep before work. Set yourself a goal of being in bed by 10pm each night before work and stick to it.
7. Know When To Slow Down
Yes it’s important to make the most of every opportunity and to give the children the best summer holiday ever. But read the signs and know when to slow down. If you’ve had three busy days out in the sun, or you know the kids didn’t have a great sleep the night prior, there’s no harm in planning a quiet day at home together. Embrace the “slow” and get re-acquainted with indoor activities like craft, baking, painting and building forts. Tip: you can source a midday movie or theatre showing to give the kids an exciting activity whilst still embracing the “slow”.
The summer holidays are usually a manic period when working with kids. There’s end-of-term excitement, quickly followed by brief bursts of sugar and gift loaded Christmas and New Year, summer activity camps, and extra children hanging around on playdates. And if that weren’t chaotic enough, you’ve got to do all of this whilst battling the extreme summer heat.
With these 7 ways to make the most of your summer holidays, you’ll ensure that you get the most out of your experience and keep you enjoying your time spent with the kids.
>>> What are YOUR tips to make the most of your summer holidays?
