And as luck would have it – you might have the chance to work on this now! Changes in nannies and babysitters tend to happen most frequently at the end of the summer or the end/start of the calendar year. With a new year approaching, now is your chance for change!
A change in Nanny or Babysitter can be “good leavers”, i.e. there is a personal change of circumstances for your nanny or babysitter that means they cannot continue or maybe the change is driven by your growing child, such as starting to school.
There are also “bad leavers”, i.e. you have to let your Nanny or Babysitter go because it is not working out for whatever reason.
Whichever the circumstance, this type of transition does have the ingredients for becoming a stressful time for you as parents. But you need to pull it together and focus on the kids! Here are some tips to help make the transition to a new Nanny or Babysitter as easy as possible for your children:
- Tell them as far in advance as possible so they have time to absorb the news and ask questions, particularly if this is the first transition.
- Help them understand why someone who cares for them would leave and the difference between someone close to the family versus an actual family member (i.e. their sibling will not be leaving anytime soon!).
- If possible, have the new Nanny or Babysitter over in advance of the transition. This will give the kids time to get to know the new person and time for the old and new Nanny to compare notes.
- Carve out time to spend with your kids and the new Nanny or Babysitter once they start to provide comfort as they build trust and to help with the settling-in process.
- Keep a closer than usual eye on your children during this period so you can give them any extra support they need. In most cases, they will just need time to adjust to the change, so be patient and be supportive. And remember, they are not only learning to adjust to a new Nanny or babysitter, but they are also learning a very important life skill... adapting and accepting change!
