A Nanny and a Cleaner are two completely different roles. You wouldn’t hire a cleaner to look after your children, and you shouldn’t hire a nanny to clean your home.
Nannies are experienced childcare professionals who are primarily responsible for the support and development of children under their care. Cleaners are solely engaged to provide cleaning services within the house.
Nannies are expected to perform some housework, but you may not be sure what this would involve. A good rule of thumb is that nannies are solely responsible for a child’s needs and are expected to perform any “light housework” duties that are associated with this care.
A great way to think about it is that a nanny should leave the home in a condition that’s similar to when they entered. For example, it’s expected that nannies will tidy the kitchen after preparing food for the children and clean the surfaces after meal time. A nanny will tidy up play areas and clean up after activities with the children. They can also do some laundry for the children, which includes bed sheets.
CLEANING AND TIDYING TASKS NANNIES CAN DO:
- Preparing meals and lunchboxes for kids
- Cleaning up after mealtime
- Unpacking the dishwasher
- Unpacking schoolbags
- Cleaning up after arts & crafts activities
- Keeping the child’s room tidy during the day
- Cleaning toys and disinfecting surfaces
- Doing a reasonable amount of the children’s laundry
So remember, a nanny is engaged to provide a supportive environment for children that nourishes their health, safety and wellbeing. Nannies are entitled to breaks, and it can be very draining to look after children and also clean a house. While it is ok to have a conversation with your nanny about what services they are comfortable providing, any additional tasks that involve cleaning and tidying will reduce their focus on the child.
