A solid relationship with your childcare provider that is built on trust, honesty, and mutual respect is important in making your arrangement work for everyone involved. Open communication keeps you, as the parent, in the know about your child’s activities, progress, and behavior. It also helps to provide positive reinforcement for nurturing your child’s growth and development.
In selecting a childcare provider, it is important to take the extra step to make sure that you work together to promote a positive relationship with each other. Here are some helpful tips toward building an open line of communication. These tips can be used for any childcare arrangement:
Promote Ongoing Communication
• Help a childcare provider get to know your child by sharing a family photos.
• At the beginning of the day, tell your provider how your child’s morning has been and make note of any items of interest that could affect him or her throughout the day.
• At the end of the day, ask your provider how the day went. Be sure to ask about napping, eating, activities, or any other relevant issues.
• Schedule a private time to discuss sensitive issues that might not be appropriate for the child to hear.
• Be cautious of body language – the way you sit, cross your legs, or posture your arms. If your words tell a caregiver to not worry about something but your face looks worried, it will tell the caregiver that something is wrong.
• Put yourself in the caregiver’s shoes. Try to see the issue from the caregiver’s point of view. Listen to their words, and try to sense their feelings.
• Give your care provider’s suggestions a chance. You know your child better than anyone else but he or she may have some great recommendations for things that have worked in the past.
• End each conversation in a positive way with a plan. Talk about what you can do together to take care of the issue.
Stay Involved
• Participate in field trips and volunteer activities.
• Invite your in-home care provider to a family dinner.
• Share outing ideas with your in-home caregiver.
Find a Communication Method that Works
• Find out what methods of communication are best for you and your caregiver.
• Notebooks or logs are wonderful tools for communication. It gives you and the childcare provider an opportunity to discuss your child’s growth and development.
• In addition to ongoing communication, conduct quarterly or annual reviews on your in-home care provider. A regular performance and compensation review sends your nanny the message that you view him/her as a professional and a valuable member of your team.
