Since baby is born, you’ve spent all your time with him and are the expert in his well-being. It is therefore natural to feel anxious to leave him with a nanny for the first time. To take this step with confidence a little preparation is necessary. We have gathered some tips to ensure that the first separation goes smoothly.
The best way to feel confident is to thoroughly select the nanny to whom you’ll entrust your little one. Beyond the necessary precautions to follow and the advice that apply to any caregiver selection (see the several posts on the subject on this blog), if it’s the first time that you leave your child with a nanny, you should be looking for an experienced candidate. Caring for a baby is very different from babysitting an older child, and some skills are more important than others. In addition to being confident that the nanny will know how to take care of your baby, you will certainly learn some useful tips from her.
Once you have found the perfect nanny for your family, introduce her to your child before the first day of leaving her with the caregiver. Ideally, the new babysitter should spend at least half a day with you and baby so that he gets used to seeing her in your home and see you talk and interact with the nanny. In addition, it’s the opportunity to show her where things are, the daily routine that you have with your baby and how you like things to be organized in the house. Don’t forget to take the time to leave her alone with the baby for a few minutes while you go to another room.
Now that you have prepared everything, it’s time to take the plunge and leave baby with the nanny for the first time. The most important thing is to act naturally because the child will feel your stress. You have already reviewed your home set-up with the nanny and given her a list of contacts to call if anything happened. The last thing you need to do then is to welcome the nanny and say good bye to baby, explaining simply that you will be back soon. Do not hesitate and linger, even if your child cries. He is testing you! Plan activities for the nanny to keep baby busy right after you leave and ask her to send you SMS or email frequently.
Simply follow these simple steps and you will be able to enjoy your day without baby, stress free and without guilt.
