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Need a daily cleaning schedule for your housekeeper?

DAILY CLEANING SCHEDULE:

Kitchen:

* Wash dishes

* Clear & wipe down counters

* Clear & wash table & chairs

* Wipe down stove area & sinks

* Sweep & wash floor

* Take out garbage

Living Room, Dining Room, Family Room:

* Tidy

* Sweep & wash floors

Front Hall / Foyer:

* Sweep & mop front area

* Straighten up coats, hangers & shoes

* Sweep front door mat

Bedrooms:

* Make beds & tidy the room

* Clear all dressers

* Empty garbage

* Take laundry baskets to the laundry room

Bathrooms: 

* Wipe down counter area, sinks, tub, & floor

* Empty garbage

* Wipe mirror

Laundry:

Wash & put away laundry

ONCE A WEEK TASKS: (choose one task on this list per day)

* Change linen

* Clear out fridge & freezer

* Wipe down kitchen cupboards

* Vacuum all carpets

* Dust furniture & blinds

Monthly Tasks: (Choose one task per week)

* Wipe walls

* Wipe down windows

* Dust & wipe staircase & light fixtures

* Clean oven

Please note: Schedule should be adjusted depending on the size of the home and hours of daily cleaning help.

What Gift Should I buy my Nanny for the Holidays?

The holidays are a perfect time to show the person that cares for your home and children some appreciation. The big question is always what to buy. Here are a few ideas:

1) Cash – A cash bonus is always useful and most appreciated.

2) Winter Gear –  A warm coat , boots and hat is practical gift as many nannies do quite a bit of outdoor walking.

3) Mall Gift Card- Give your nanny the opportunity to splurge on something new.

4) Do you know a restaurant where your nanny likes to eat? If you do you can give her a gift card to her favorite restaurant.

Most importantly, make sure to include a card expressing appreciation for all your nannies hard work and dedication to your family.

The holidays are a special time for families to get together and celebrate. Many nannies are away from their families and the holidays can be bittersweet. It may be an emotional time for your nanny being so far away from the ones she loves.  A bit of extra love, care and sensitivity toward your nanny during this time can go a long way!

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year!

New Nanny Jitters

Our new nanny is starting tomorrow and while I should be so happy and excited, I feel like a nervous wreck. I have been cleaning and organizing my house for the last week in honor of my new nannies arrival. I am not sure why I am cleaning non stop, isn’t that supposed to be her job?

How do I go about settling our new nanny into a routine? Should she follow a daily schedule or should I let her do her own thing?  Am I the only one that gets the new nanny jitters?

Elizabeth

Hi Elizabeth,

It is completely normal to feel anxious about the arrival of your new nanny. Having a new person  in your home and caring for your children is new and can be very overwhelming. It is a change for both you and your family.

Your  cleaning and organizing all week does not make you crazy- it makes you smart. Its a great idea because you want to show your new nanny how you would ideally like your closets and cupboards to look. If you left everything disorganized and messy she may think that you are comfortable with your home looking that way.

After your nanny settles in, you may want to show her around your home. I always like to take some time to sit together with our new nanny and my baby and play all together. I like her to see how I interact with my baby and hope she will learn and do the same.

In regards to cleaning, training and scheduling, I think that depends a lot on your personal style. I know some people that like to go from room to room showing their nanny exactly how they would like everything cleaned, organized and put away. They will specify which cleansers to use and which cloths to clean with. Others are more laid back. They may give general instructions and allow the nanny to learn and figure  things out on her own.

I think a general schedule is always a good idea. You may want to include chores that you would like accomplished daily, weekly and monthly.

Wishing you best of luck with your new nanny tomorrow!

New Laws for the Live – In Caregiver Program

New Laws! The Live In Caregiver Program is changing! As of November 30th Nannies & Caregivers will no longer have to Live-in with their employers. The new program will be called Canada Caregiver Program. Click here to read more about the new changes.

http://www.cbc.ca/m/news/politics/foreign-caregiver-reforms-impose-cap-make-live-in-requirement-optional-1.2819800

Top GTA Mommy Blog features a Review on TheNannyPages.com

My good-friend Anna was 9 months pregnant and about to move houses.  To say the least, she was going to need some assistant in the coming months with house cleaning.  I had a great opportunity come up through my blog and I thought she might be interested in reviewing it on my behalf. TheNannyPages.com is a one-stop-online-shop for help in the GTA whether you’re looking for a nanny, elderly care or a house cleaner.  Here’s her review:

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As a mommy-to-be I am looking for help wherever I can, so when the opportunity came up to review TheNannyPages.com, I jumped at the opportunity.  I am a month away from mat leave (if this baby comes on time) and desperately need a cleaner because we just moved in to a bigger house. At 8.5 months pregnant, my mobility is limited and I need a nap after walking up a flight of stairs.

TheNannyPages.com is a service for families looking for Nannies, Elder Caregivers, and Cleaners in the Toronto area. It also helps caregivers, nannies and house cleaners find work. It’s a win-win service!

I signed up for the service and filled out my job ad information which took me about 5 minutes.  Once signed up, I was able to contact any potential cleaners on the site as well as be contacted by interested cleaners who saw my job ad. I am only looking for service once or twice a month, and I received 25 applicants within six hours. This is great!  You have the option of receiving the applications via text or e-mail. My one recommendation is to ask people to send their applications via e-mail. I clicked on both e-mail and text as an option, and all of the people looking for work, sent me messages via text. I love text messaging as much as the next girl, but when you receive 22 messages from phone numbers you don’t know, it becomes really hard to track. I am still going through the people who sent me messages!

That said, I have been looking for a good cleaner for a couple of years and have only ever used other corporate services that charge an arm and a leg and  pay their cleaners an hourly wage. I like that I was able to go straight to the source for just $19. Soon I am going to have a house cleaner that I can work with and pay directly. No more strangers coming in to clean my home when I am desperate for a break. Relationships are important and if you find a good cleaner, you’ll never let her go which is why I am excited to have somebody to connect with. When the time comes for me to go back to work, I will definitely look at TheNannyPages.com as an option for child care services as well.

Fun And Educational Activities For Your Nanny and Baby To Do Together

While its much easier to plop the baby in front of the TV and let your nanny clean, consider some of these activities for your nanny and baby to do together.

1) Walk to your nearest Library & Read Books Together- It is never too early to expose your baby to books. The earlier the better.

2) Go for Walks- It is healthy to go out and get fresh air every day.

3) Talk- Babies love information. Whether your nanny is around the house or out and about encourage her to talk to your baby. Let her point out everything around her; trees,  the sky, bees, flowers, laundry basket etc. Babies love to learn new things.

4) Visit your nearest Ontario Early Years Centre, they offer wonderful education programs for children up to the age of six. It is free. Click here to find a centre near you. http://www.oeyc.edu.gov.on.ca/locations/index.aspx

5) Sing Songs – Babies love music. Purchase some instruments or make your own (Pots and spoons can work). Turn on the music and let your nanny and child dance and sing together.

6) Outdoor Water Play- Babies love to play with water. Let your baby pour water from one cup to another, water the plants or squirt with a spray bottles. (You can purchase spray bottles at the dollar store!)

7) Count out loud-  Count blocks together as you build them, count cheerios together as he eats them or count how many stairs there are as you go up.

Activity Ideas for Elder Caregivers and Seniors- Keeping Seniors Stimulated & Happy

One year ago today my grandmother peacefully past away in Toronto. She was 99 years old and fabulous! She cooked and baked for her children and grandchildren almost every day until the day she passed. The highlight of her day was when the kids called to tell her how fantastic her food was. Her face glowed as she told them to enjoy and she then planned with her live in caregiver what she was going to make next day.

I firmly believe that my grandmothers cooking and baking added years to her life. People need to feel accomplished, acknowledged and appreciated.

It is important for caregivers and families to discuss what activities can be done to keep the senior happy and feeling accomplished. What does the senior like to do? What is he good at? What makes her feel happy?

Here are some activities that caregivers can do together with the seniors they are taking care of:

1) Baking & Cooking- Have fun experimenting with food in the kitchen. Try cooking soup for a neighbor or baking cookies for the grandchildren.

2) Games – Card games, Scrabble, Trivia and Bingo are all stimulating and fun to play.

3) Arts & Crafts- Painting, Drawing, Beading, woodworking and Sculpting can be relaxing and entertaining. Make something special for a friend, child, or grandchild.

4) Sewing – If sewing or knitting is something they know how to do try making blankets, hats or scarves for a loved one.

5) Dancing- Blast the music and sing & dance to his or her favorite oldies.

6) Talk about the past- Ask about childhood experiences, how he or she met their spouse, first job, best vacations….

7) Watch old movies- Watch old movies together and act and sing along.

8) Walks – Air is good for the mind and body. Try and get out every day. You can stop and pick flowers to give to a friend or to put on the dining room table.

9) Shopping- Going to the mall or grocery store can be a nice outing.

10) Look at old photo Albums- Ask questions about the pictures. Every photo has a story and you can ask about them all.

11) Spa Day- A manicure, pedicure or new hairdo is a great way to spend the day.

12) Massage- A nice warm bath followed by a back rub is therapeutic and relaxing