The Nanny Podcast

When someone asks you a question, what you might not think of or realize is the enormity of responsibility that comes with. Let me frame it for you. When I ask a client what they are looking for, it happens that I can see them over the phone tapping their fingertips together in delight of being granted the wish of being able to have whatever they can think of. Which of course is not true. Same with nannies and for example salary wishes. www.rivieranannies.fr

A common question you might get in an interview is “why are you applying for this job”. And I bet that the person asking it has something in mind that they want to hear. It's never going to be the same answer that is the right one. This is one that I have been thinking a lot about recently, I had a client who said the first question they ask is always why are you applying for this job, and the way he told me it seemed very obvious I should know exactly what his right answer was. www.rivieranannies.fr

Let's talk about a gap in your CV and how people read it. First off, I just want to say that I generally think that it is much better to address possible objections first, meaning, if you think someone is going to ask or wonder about something, take charge of that conversation and lead it where you want it to go rather than be caught off guard and not feel prepared to answer, or even comfortable to.  www.rivieranannies.fr

Since the beginning of the Sars Cov2 pandemic we have all collectively gone through a traumatic period. We are all affected differently, but regardless of how, the world is different now. We are different. Some things are good, some things are awful and I always try to look at it, trying to find the silver linings. One of the things I like, that I wish will stay with us but I am not sure if it will is a new level of honesty. We have relied on each other's honesty to stay safe and healthy, and we will continue to do so.  www.rivieranannies.fr

Parenting values can be controversial topics in all kinds of circumstances. What philosophies do you agree with? Which ones do you disagree with? That's what we will talk about today. www.rivieranannies.fr 

Today I thought we could talk a little bit about your career path and whether or not you have an idea of where it's going. www.rivieranannies.fr

Have you thought about where you want to be in five years? Not only geographically, but emotionally, physically, in your career, in your relationships? I think it's always good to have goals to aim for, and for the areas that are your priority right now, a clear path to take you to the next step. That's what we will talk about today. www.rivieranannies.fr

“Who do you want to be?” This podcast is brought to you by the Riviera Nannies and Staff Academy, your place to learn and fine tune your career path and professional profile at any stage of your career. Visit www.rivieranannies.fr for more information. Who are you? Who are you now, and who do you want to be? It can be in any area of your life, but because we usually talk about work and career, let's talk about who you want to be as a professional. We all have areas that we are happy with as they are, and we have areas that we want to improve. And although it wasn't meant as such a big and profound question, the phrase “Who are you today” is just such a great one to ask ourselves. Who are you today? Today I have these things going for me. I have honored my integrity and values in this and that way, but I would really like to improve this part, and the way to do that is by these steps.

Friends, this is the first episode of the third season of The Nanny Podcast. I am so psyched you are here with me. Let's start this season with something a little different.   This episode is a hands on exercise, if you want to do it and play with me, you need something to write with and something to write on. Today I am going to ask you a question. And you might think it's silly, or wonder what it has to do with being a nanny, and I am going to ask you to bear with me, hear me out. You will know more in a minute. If you are up for playing with me, grab a pen and paper and write down your answers as we go along. www.rivieranannies.fr

Today I want to talk to you about figuring out who people are, using simple tools like search engines online. Always a good first step to start building the image of the person you are trying to figure out.   First I want to tell you that all the things you find are clues to build the image of the person you are trying to figure out. Try to see it from an as objective place as you can, it will help you get a better idea.   Many years ago I got divorced. When I was looking for an attorney to represent me I did some digging on them before making my choice. When I googled the lawyer I ended up working with I found a hate blog dedicated to spewing anger and hateful rhetoric about him. I went further down the rabbit hole and found that the person writing the blog was a guy whose ex wife had been represented by the lawyer in their divorce. In this case, negative publicity helped me make the decision to hire this guy. Negative information isn't always bad, it helps paint the picture.   So when you google someone, look at all the information. When I look at review sites to find a hotel or a restaurant I always read the bad reviews, because I want to know if what people don't like matter to me. Slow service is not something that bothers me, but a dirty kitchen is. It might be the same for you, or it might be different. It's the same with people.   So if you are looking into someone, a nanny or a family that you are looking to work with you want to figure out what your priorities are, what is important to you, and when you start looking into the information there is to find, weigh them there.   Look at the sources, who are they? What are they saying about the person.   When my daughter was in preschool in California there was a teacher there who had a criminal record for years and years ago being in possession of pot. We were all informed about it when we applied, to make our own choice. If she had a violent record, it would have been an entirely different choice to make.   It might be helpful to make a visual, either a graph or a visual representation you relate to with the information about a person, about the gist and gesture you get from different sources. How are they presenting themselves on social media? What do their non fans say? What do their fans say? Their records?   Add it all, objectively, to make a clear picture that you can use as a base for your evaluation whether you want to collaborate with them.   I think with intention and some sleuthing skills, google is your friend. You might want to reverse engineer this and look into yourself to see what other people see and tweak accordingly. Your online presence is a part of your image, take charge of making it work in your favor, whatever that is.

Today we are going to talk about something we sometimes hear from our families. That the nanny is dressed inappropriately.   So let's start from the beginning. What is inappropriate? That depends on the situation.   Have you ever heard the expression dress for the job you want to have? When I get reported to me that nannies are dressed in short skirts, low cut tops and over the knee boots, I am not sure what job they are applying for.   To be clear, I don't think there is anything categorically wrong dressing in any way at all. I used to go to clubs where clothing was optional or sometimes plastic wrap, I'm pretty jaded on the shock scale when it comes to dressing in alternative ways, but I do think there is a time and a place for everything.   So when you are applying for a job as a nanny, what should you wear? I would say, to start, go conservative and neutral. Then read the situation and go from there. I once had a manny interview with me who showed up in a suit and tie. I wondered, what does he think the job is? Does he think it's a desk job in an office?   If you are going to be playing with kids, dress  accordingly. I had a nanny show up for a job in a long tight dress. That's great for a party, not great for taking care of toddlers.   Same with heels. Same with suits.    If your intention is not to seduce one of the parents, don't dress like that's what you intend to do.   Some families have a dress code, most appreciate discretion and function.   Now you know what I think, what do you think? Email me at hello@rivieranannies.fr and tell me what you think :)

Today we are going to talk about the simplest way to kindness and compassion. It's something that means a lot to me. I try to do it every chance I get :)   I hear comments from both nannies and families, as well as parents and kids, it's all connected, about how they want to be appreciated. How they want to be heard and seen. Acknowledged, as they are.   It is quite rare that people ask for or expect expensive gifts or big bonuses as a token of appreciation. I'm sure lots of people want that too, but from my anecdotal collection of data it seems more important to most people to be seen and heard than to get material compensation as a thank you for being awesome.   What all these people want is to be seen and appreciated. I would even go so far as to say that all people want to be seen and appreciated for what is important to them. A mother wants to be appreciated as a good mother to her kids. She wants her efforts seen and heard. Professionals want to be acknowledged for the work they do whether it is launching rockets or waiting tables. As a nanny it is important to get to hear that your family appreciates all the love and all the things you bring to their kids. It's important for everyone to be appreciated at work, and in your private life.   So isn't it awkward saying nice things for no apparent reason? It can be, but it doesn't have to be :) I think the key is authenticity. Say things that are real, not exaggerated and that you mean.   As a nanny, you know what is important to your family. I am sure you know where your family might feel insecure, what kind words would mean a lot to them. Tell them something nice. Be sincere. Be thankful and generous.   And as a family, tell your nanny how you appreciate her. I am sure there are lots of things he or she brings to your family that you are so thankful for. Maybe you are thankful for how they make you feel safe. How your child gets exactly what they need. Maybe it's a specific activity that you like that they do. Maybe it's something they taught you about yourself. It's not hard to find.   You see what happens when you do these very small, simple, huge and free gestures, you connect. You do something that makes another person feel good about themselves. And when people feel good in a situation, in a relationship, they go above and beyond what is expected of them and what they have to do.   So think of some nice things to say to your nanny or your family. Be specific and authentic and see their souls thrive.

Welcome to the Nanny Podcast, I am Hanna Schaer from Riviera Nannies. I am so happy you are here :)   Today we are going to talk about governesses.   Sometimes there is a bit of confusion to what a governess is. We recently had a client say they needed a housekeeper or a governess. That's kind of like saying you need bananas or batteries. Completely different things :)   So let's talk about what a governess is and isn't.   A governess is a teacher. It is a quite old fashioned position in a household that is much less common now than it was in Victorian England. A governess is responsible for a child's education and usually looks after older kids than a nanny does, but a governess can work with children as young as three. Often there is a nanny working in parallel with a governess because their duties are quite different.   A governess is traditionally responsible for the children's education, whether it is a well rounded knowledge in English, Maths, Music and the Arts or social things like etiquette and manners. A great governess would teach life and social skills as well as basic academia.   The governesses that we have in our database are highly educated, often teachers with further education and their own specialties that stand out. They often speak several languages and know how to carry themselves in all kinds of situations. The families that hire governesses nowadays are not your average families.   Governesses don't do nursery duties, but form a child's all around educational experience, with a deep knowledge of child development.   As you can imagine a governess makes quite a bit more money than the average nanny, figures showing about four to five times more depending on the job, it's a highly qualified and specialized job that is in many ways quite different from nannying.   If you are listening and thinking, wow, what an inspiring job, I want that to be my career, depending on what your qualifications look like now you might be closer or further away from that possibly being true for you. If you would like help making out your road map, we offer that service for you and you can email me to find out more at hello@rivieranannies.fr

This week we are going to talk about some of the differences between nanny and daycare as childcare options. This is I suppose geared towards families making the choice, and can be helpful for nannies both as a perspective, but also to have a leg to stand on when negotiating and talking to a family.   The first thing that we should talk about is the big elephant in the room, cost.   Having a private nanny for your child is most likely going to cost you a lot more than if they were in daycare. But not always. Depending on how many hours you do it will make more or less of a difference, but in general, a nanny is more expensive than daycare.   The second big question for me as a parent is how much your kid is going to be sick when they are little. There are many variables there, but in general a child in daycare is sick a lot more than one that is with a nanny. But of course, if you are lucky enough to find a daycare where parents don't bring their kids when they are sick and follow good guidelines, then they might not be as sick as with a nanny who is not well versed in hygiene and illness prevention. But again, generally, for the first year or so, a kid in daycare is sick a lot more than one with a nanny, which might even end up costing you a lot more in lost work time, so a lot of the money saved putting a child in daycare might be lost in sickdays where you either miss work or have to get a, wait for it, nanny.   Getting your child socialized, able to make friends, share toys and function in a group happens organically in most daycares. But, on the other hand when you have a great nanny, he or she will be taking part in playgroups, meet with other kids, learn basic social skills, including good manners and interacting with others, so in this case I think it's more a question of having a great nanny with an intentional routine, vs how it happens kind of on its own in daycare.   Making friends is closely related to socialization where your kids will make friends from an early age. Again this happens more organically in daycare, but with some organizing you can do the same things with the same kids every week, like music or dance lessons. It's not really the same as spending all day together though, so if this is important, daycare has the advantage.

Today we are going to talk about what you ask when you are interviewing, either with an agency, or for a job.   I have a pretty radical view on collaborations that most people don't have. Are you ready? I don't believe in hierarchy. At least not in the traditional sense. I don't think anyone is above or below, I think we all bring value and that it would benefit us all to see that value in each other.   So that's my radical belief. What do you think?   Some people might think that when I say that they are welcome to sweep in and do whatever in my business, family or wherever we are moving. That's not true. Lack of this particular structure does not mean lack of integrity. Just getting that out of the way.   So when I hire childcare it is with the understanding that they need a job, I need their service. When a client comes to me, they need a nanny, my business needs clients and we happen to provide what they need. We are in symbiosis. It is very tempting to try to take advantage of this situation, but it's not a good idea. People like me will then move on. I can assure you, it's not worth it.

I think imagining different fictional people in their jobs, why they are there, what kind of personalities they have and what brought them to where they are is really fun. So I thought, today we are going to talk about Becky Sharp, the fictional governess in Vanity Fair. Becky is thought to be a composite inspired by several real women. And that isn't really surprising to me, what do you think?   Becky Sharp is the first time a governess was the main character of a story, she was poor without social status, and typically at the time her friend Amelia would have been the main character.   So Becky does something that with the tweaks and twirls of time and culture still happens today, doesn't it? From a cynical point of view we can read her as being a ruthless opportunist who uses people as stepping stones in her quest to climb the social ladder to riches and glamour. I have seen it in the CVs I get from people from marginalized countries with no childcare experience who say “I will take any job in Monaco”. (just a side note, we do not work with people who are not in it with the same values we have, quality is king with us, so no thank you.)   From a less cynical and more modern and entrepreneurial perspective she disregards the social norms of the time and goes out to get what she wants. I see that too in CVs I get from people who tell me, I know I don't have any childcare experience, can you please help me build my CV to be a nanny. For those people, I am happy to see if I can help.

Today we are going to talk about something that is kind of a pet peeve of mine, and I have been guilty of it myself as a parent. I am talking about how we expect our kids to do what we say not what we do.   Any experienced parent or nanny will know that this is not how kids learn and work. Right?   I find that when I don't back up my talk with walk my kids see and know it right away, I can't fool them, even if I can briefly fool myself that I am not full of it.   Showing our kids that we are real people with flaws and feelings is I think one of the most important things we can do for them. I will explain what I mean. If my kids say or do something that hurts my feelings, or that hurts me physically, I tell them. If they say something rude or unkind, or act dismissively with epic eye rolls, I tell them how it makes me feel. Not overly dramatic, but letting them know that they are not invisible, that their actions have an impact on people around them is essential for them to grow up to be empathic and kind people. And that is my goal, for sure. When my daughter was in preschool she had a teacher who had four children, and she told me that sometimes her kids made her sad and she would cry in the bathroom. I thought that was awful, both for the mother who got her feelings hurt, and for the children who didn't get to learn how to express themselves and act towards others. I kept thinking that if she pretends that her kids' hurtful behavior isn't hurtful, what is she teaching them? Will they go on thinking that what they did, their behavior did't impact anyone else? How could it benefit anyone to think they are invisible in a vacuum?

Nanny Podcast season 2 episode 8 “Mary Poppins”   Welcome to the Nanny Podcast, my name is Hanna Schaer from Riviera Nannies and I am your host today. I am so happy you are here :)   Today we are going to talk about Mary Poppins, the fictional super nanny that we have followed on her mission and adventures in two movies now, based on the books by P. L Travers. Disney has brought the stories to the big screen and into our homes in the most Disney of ways.   I hadn't watched the first movie until a few years before I started Riviera Nannies. I had a friend who just couldn't believe that I hadn't watched it and it kind of became an event between us when I did. Thank you James for insisting I watch it and for introducing me to the amazing world of Mary Poppins :)   I think there are so many things in Mary Poppins that are great guiding principles for both parents and nannies, so many lessons and learning moments in big and small things. I definitely feel both inspired and validated as an adult spending a lot of time with kids after watching Mary Poppins.   Let's talk about a few awesome things :)   The Mary Poppins films talk about how sometimes it takes a team to raise kids, and there is no shame in that. In the two films they address the change in nanny culture, in “Mary Poppins Returns” we hear that nobody hires nannies anymore, and the idea that the relationship between nanny and family is one that both nanny and family needs is mentioned. I think that's something we don't talk a lot about, not from that angle. When you question the constellation of relationships I think you are approaching how amazing and humble really deep and real relationships can be. Acknowledging that we both need each other is a start.   How helping people to figure out what they need to do by gentle suggestion can be the most effective way. Mary Poppins is clever, suggestive and never aggressive. She plants ideas with people and let them figure it out themselves. Isn't that what we do on our best parenting days? See, hear and observe our kids and nudge them in the right direction? There is a deep calm in this kind of leadership. A confidence and level of respect for others. When we give others the space to be their best selves that's pretty beautiful, isn't it? I think it applies to all kinds of relationships we have, don't you?   How discipline and good education is not in opposition to a rich imagination. Well behaved kids are not curbed kids, or don't have to be. Being smart and well educated and letting your imagination take you on the most exciting adventures is possible even when you do your chores and learn how to be a contributing part of your family. Every day events turn into adventures when you dive into the bath tub during bath tub and go on an adventure.   Insisting on magic in your life is a great path to your ethics, morals and your education. Learning right from wrong, and how to not only see right from wrong, but being able to identifying and fighting for what is right, with all the magic and the beautiful places you go in your imagination is again one of the pillars of not only great but amazing parenting and nannying. I am thinking of the movie Life is Beautiful and all the stories through history where grown ups have used the imagination and magic to not only cope but to thrive. Allowing yourself to go with your imagination, creativity and follow your heart without judgement is such a powerful lesson, both for us and the kids. Don't you think?   It's about being a rebel, fighting for what is right. I love how the slow, steady and unapologetic the call for rebellion is. Maybe I am reading a lot into this, but I love a rebel, I love someone who decides to do what's right even when it's not within the rules or convention. I love a sincere protest and standing up to the man. I feel like Mary Poppins is raising free thinking rebels who are not afraid to protest, and I like that very much personally. Isn't that what we all want for our kids? I know I do :)   And then there are all the stories that help you through difficult things. Giving kids stories to hold on to, letting them know that they are not alone and that the hard thing they are experiencing will be survived is always a strong message in children's books, and no less in the teaching of Mary Poppins. There is so much to learn from all of our favorite nanny, and I wish that we could all be so open and willing to see and hear how much we would all benefit from a slower pace, more rebellion and good manners.   Thank you so much for spending some time with me today. Today's episode is brought to you by the Mamatoto Pregnancy and Birth course from Mamatoto, the community for conscious mothers where support and community is everything. Take a look at mamatoto.info and see how they can support you.   If you haven't already, head over to our instagram and follow us at @riveranannies. See you next time when we will talk about showing our kids, not telling our kids. See you then. Bye :)

Nanny Podcast season 2 episode 7 “ending a job”   Welcome to this week's episode of The Nanny Podcast, my name is Hanna Schaer from Riviera Nannies and I am your host. I am so happy you are here.     Today we are going to talk about ending a job. We get questions about this from nannies from time to time, often from nannies we haven't placed.   This might sound strange, but how you will end your job has a lot to do with how you started it. Did you feel a good connection with the family? Did you feel like you had a good and honest line of communication?   Ok, so let's break it down.   You want to end a job. There are lots of reasons why people want to end a job. Let's say you have decided that you want to take your career in a different direction and you want to look for a job that is a better fit for you.   Of course it could also be that you want to earn more money, that you want to work different hours and you want your tasks to be different.   Then maybe you don't want to end the job bur rather renegotiate the terms of the job.   Assume you have a good communication and relationship with your family. And you have a contract in place. The importance of a contract has so much nuance. It is an agreement between you and your employer, they know what they can expect from you, and you know what you can expect from them. You have agreed on terms and it is very important that you keep them. It is as important that you honor the salary you have agreed on and don't go asking for more a few weeks into the job (the time for renegotiating the salary can be in your agreement too) as it is that your family doesn't start asking you to do things you have not agreed to do, like tasks not related to the kids, unless you have renegotiated the terms of the new work. You see where I am going with this.   If all those things are in place, having a conversation around ending your job might be a difficult conversation from an emotional perspective, but with agreed terms for how long ahead of time you give notice and so on, there aren't any surprises.   From the nannies who come to us for advice, I know that most people do not set themselves up this way.   This is why it is so important from the beginning that you work with families that share your values, that see your value and that you respect and who respect you.   So if you don't have that relationship with your family today, there are steps to take. Have very clear agreements. Just as a very basic start, what are the hours you work? What do you get compensated for that time? What happens if you work more, how are you compensated then? What are your tasks? If they want to renegotiate the tasks, you have to bring it up, either say, I am not comfortable doing this task, I am hired to do xyz, or say, with the added work responsibility I would like to talk about how I will be further compensated.   So when you want to end a job, be courteous, be kind, be respectful. Know before hand what you want, so that if you end up in a situation of negotiation where the family might want to keep you with different terms, you know what you want and where your boundaries are. Allow for their feelings and reactions and remember that they have nothing to do with you, it is about how they are feeling. There might be a moment of panic, looking for a new nanny is hard and emotional. Maybe they feel overwhelmed. That is not on you, but you have the option of creating the space for them to end on good terms.   Speaking of ending on good terms, do it. You might need the references, but it is just good manners and good human behavior to try to not end relationships badly if you can help it.     Thank you so much for listening and spending some time with me today.   If you have any comments on today's episode, if you would like to ask any questions or if you just want to say hi, you can always email me at hello@rivieranannies.fr and put podcast in the subject line. I love hearing from you :)   Today's episode is brought to you by Mamatoto, the place where mothers go for education, support and connection. It's a great place to learn about prenatal nutrition, take courses to prepare for pregnancy and birth and find support into motherhood. Check them out at mamatoto.info

Nanny podcast season 2 episode 6 “nanny as educator”   Welcome to this week's episode of The Nanny Podcast, my name is Hanna Schaer from Riviera Nannies and I am your host. I am so happy you are here.   Today we are going to talk about the nanny as educator. I think that when a lot of families think about hiring a nanny or even hire a nanny they think about it as someone who is going to look after their kids and keep them safe. But you and I know that there are benefits way beyond keeping safe and looking after when it comes to what a nanny can do for your family and your child's education.   As a nanny you have a huge responsibility, not only to keep your kids safe, but to set a good example and emotionally nurture the kids. And to teach them. We know that kids do what we do, not what we say, so setting a good example in your behavior is so important. That's also why parents who are hiring a nanny should look for how a nanny carries herself, how she communicates and how she interacts, that is what will imprint on your kids if they spend a lot of time together.   Your nanny can teach manners, they can teach your kids how to be respectful to all people and to always say please and thank you. Provided that is how they are themselves, I don't believe you can be one person in private and one at work.   Please and thank you, for example. I don't know about you, but I don't really fit into one category of parenting style. I like to think that I am pretty laid back and progressive, but then I find myself really valuing some traditional values and one of my biggest pet peeves are kids that are rude and don't know how not to be. I'm not talking about less than perfect, I mean kids who act inappropriately towards others. This is maybe a can of worms and might vary a lot between cultures, we are famously a mix culture family who mixes and matches, but this is where the person you choose as a nanny comes in.   Your nanny is probably going to be spending a lot of time with your children, so you want to make sure that they teach your children the values that you promote as a family. This is a great opportunity and potentially really good news.   When you have a good fit with your nanny, she or he will be an essential part of your child's education and they learn how to navigate socially based on the cues you give them, but also the day to day, minute to minute things their nanny teaches them.   So if your nanny is adamant about pleases and thank you's, your child might be too, and if you think about how being kind and considerate sets you up for success, the choice of person who is part of your parenting team becomes bigger.   I know one family where the little girl has grown up with the nanny as the primary caretaker, a highly educated, very focused nanny and this girl is the most well rounded, empathetic and polite child you will ever meet. She could have been spoiled and entitled, but she is not, thanks to being raised by an amazing nanny. That's a good example of both good parenting and nannying, a team working together to give the kid the best it can have.   And your nanny is good for teaching all kinds of things.     Like Tying our shoes, literally and metaphorically.   When I was a kid I had the fastest and coolest shoes. I don't remember the brand, I think it was “Lejon'”but they were light blue, had white stripes and velcro binding. I was the first one out on the playground at recess. Probably because I didn't have to tie my shoes. (I went to school in Sweden where we take our shoes off inside.)   My dad always loved technology and novelties. In Sweden in the early 1980s velcro shoes were very new and cool and hip. So were digital watches. So even though my dad meant the best for me when he got me those cool gadgets, I didn't learn to tie my shoes or read time until I was a bit older. I did have a cool watch though, from Donald Duck, my favorite character.   There are so many big and small gestures, much smaller than tying your shoes or reading time that our kids are learning every day. The person spending time with them is going to be their guide learning a lot of these things, like holding a pen, gross and fine motor skills, recognizing the nuance of colors and shapes, seeing relationships between objects, and navigating different surfaces. Every little thing they meet and experience each day is an opportunity to learn and relate. You want the person next to your child to be tuned in and conscious of that.   Your nanny will help develop your kids gross and fine motor skills. Like Holding that pen   Children are naturally creative, I find that observing my kids make things, tell stories around their creations and getting to experience their world through their play and creativity is a way of getting to know them in a very deep and meaningful way. Drawing, painting, mark making in general is such an important and fun part of their development, from learning to hold and handle a pen, to the brain-hand connection that helps them process their stories and information in a way a tablet doesn't, is significant. The time, the patience, the slow pace it takes to master skills like this is often overlooked but is essential.   One of the things I am personally really fascinated by, both for myself and my family, but also for work, is neuroplasticity. It is how our thoughts, actions, experiences and relationships physically change our brains, and the way we think.  How our brains can be rewired and our triggers and reactions changed. I am so interested and inspired by relationships between people, energies and objects and I think it's pretty amazing how we throughout our lives can rewire our brains. Imagine the possibilities. Imagine exercising and strengthening the connections that make the pathways in our brains.   I have a friend that I love very much. Her name is Cara and she is a visual communicator and facilitator, and she told me something that I really loved. When you work visually, like doodle or draw something, or express yourself visually, your brain lights up in a completely different way than if you are just reading, or listening to something. And you process information more efficiently if you are doodling while listening, did you know that? I didn't, but I like it. That is one reason that we ask our families to incorporate a visual element at the end of the client intake when hiring a nanny, through your drawing or making of the avatar we get a lot of information about who you are and what you like, in a way we don't with a questionnaire.   Allowing space for creativity and visual thinking makes better results because it goes deeper. For both children and adults.   Thank you so much for listening and spending some time with me today.   If you have any comments on today's episode, if you would like to ask any questions or if you just want to say hi, you can always email me at hello@rivieranannies.fr and put podcast in the subject line. I love hearing from you :)   Today's episode is brought to you by Mamatoto, the place where mothers go for education, support and connection. It's a great place to learn about prenatal nutrition, take courses to prepare for pregnancy and birth and find support into motherhood. Check them out at mamatoto.info   I will see you next week when we will be talking about ending a job. Until then, be safe and awesome. Bye :)  

Welcome to the Nanny Podcast, I am so happy you are here. Today I am going to tell you about a request we have gotten in different variations that always leave me with more questions and feelings than others might. The request is, I want an ugly nanny. First of all, we do not have any ugly nannies. I have met very few ugly people in my life, it's hard for me to even think of someone ugly, and this is about to get a little personal, so be warned. You know how we say that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder? What does categorizing people as ugly or not ugly say about you? I am guessing that the people asking for ugly nannies have a few things going on, first they have decided what is visually appealing in a person, my guess is that they don't know or understand a lot about personality or charisma, which is what most people are ultimately attracted to, but they base their judgement on a person's physique, facial features and grooming habits, maybe? If they met me what would they think? Their ugly algorithm would probably put me in the ugly category.   The other thing they have going on, apart from judging people around them based on their parameters of beauty is a level of insecurity that makes me feel sad. I'm going to tell you a personal story about a nanny, my husband and a very insecure wife who heard the story. A few years ago we had a nanny do a trial with us, she didn't last long, one of the reasons you will find out about in a minute, but that was really the smallest of the reasons, she was not good with kids and didn't have honest intentions, her flirting with my partner was mostly funny. So I come home from a meeting, my husband and I both work from home. I hear her fake laughing in the dining room where my husband is having lunch and I know him so I knew how uncomfortable that makes him. He gave me the “help me” look as he sneaked out when I came. She would ask him for computer help and have lingerie pages open when he came to her screen, make inappropriate comments and be very flirty with him. I didn't like it, but it was really my husband who was most uncomfortable with it. A nanny who does that by the way will get fired, at some point. And nannies with this kind of intentions will net get through our screening process, it is very obvious to us what your intentions are, so don't even.   So I was telling the stories to some friends at a party and one of the moms gasped and was worried for me that he would leave with her. To me, being in a respectful and loving relationship that was not even on my radar, and also, if he wanted to be with her, I am very obviously not a good fit for him and he should leave. So she said “but you don't want him to leave you do you”. Of course not, but he is not my prisoner. And we love each other and have chosen to live together, and most of all trust each other, other people flirting with us is most of the time not a problem. And I do not want to be my partner's prison warden. So I think that families who ask for ugly nannies are more like the gasping mom who worries that her partner will leave, and less trusting, that's my guess.   And of course the nanny who was doing the trial with us was not professional, honest or a person you would want to work with or have take care of your children, but it is a bummer that the assumption that an attractive nanny will try to get in someone's pants first chance she gets, and it's sad to think that a partner in a committed relationship would fall for it.   The nannies we work with are professionals, and even though there are people in many industries who rely on their sexuality to get ahead, I have personally been more bothered by the hair flicking woman in the short skirt at my partner's software company than our flirting nanny, when you know serious nannies you know that it is not a stereotype in the profession.   So you might be asking yourself, but Hanna, affairs between dads and nannies happen, so how do we avoid them?   The times we see it in the tabloids, I don't think it has much to do with it being a nanny and a dad. I think it's people who connect and for whatever reasons end up filling a need in each other, it might be a lack of affection, communication or connection. Why do people cheat? There are lots of reasons and lots of research done on the subject, I think most of the time it is when something is unfulfilled in them, I don't think it has anything to do with their partner, it's a personal problem and it won't be fixed by hiring an ugly nanny, just like avoiding a bar does not cure an alcoholic, setting up an obstacle course to make it harder to cheat or drink is a short term solution. What you might want to ask yourself is why you feel like that and talk to your partner about your insecurities, and heal that insecurity instead of insulating your bubble with judgements about other people and making sure your partner sees less pretty by hiring people you find ugly to surround you.   There is so much beauty and awesomeness. Don't seek out the ugly.   Thank you for spending some time with me today. Head over to Instagram and follow us @rivieranannies and let us know what you want me to talk about next :)

Welcome to the Nanny Podcast, I'm Hanna from Riviera Nannies, I am so happy you are here today.   Today I wanted to talk about a complaint that I sometimes see from families, that their nanny is always sick.   I think there are two ways to see and talk about this.   First, is your nanny ok? Is she getting sick from your kid and is she ok? Is she really sick or is she not happy coming to work? For most issues, talking about it and having good communication with your nanny will resolve a lot of problems, so first, talk to her. What is going on with her?   I know how frustrating it can be as a family when you depend on your nanny for your work and to make sure that your kids are well taken care of. There is so much guilt and feelings of not being enough as a parent anyhow, you have hired a nanny because you want your kids taken care of, and now she is not there as consistently as you need. How can you support yourself and your nanny for this to work?   Talk to her. Ask her if there is anything she needs? You get the idea, see her and talk to her. Maybe tell her about how you stay away from germs situations or support yourself during flu season.   The other thing is of course, is it your kid passing germs to her that makes her always sick? Kids have germs and they often make their caretakers sick. There are lots of things to do to prevent it like eating well, exercising, getting enough sleep, taking your supplements of vitamins, minerals and probiotics, and of course, washing your hands and having good hygiene, but sometimes when the kids are sick a lot, whoever is close to them will be too. So what do you do then?   Most families realize this and gives the nanny time to recover, which benefits everyone of course. Legal requirements are different in different countries, we are just talking about the ethical requirements that all employment should have in my opinion. It does not benefit anyone if your nanny is working when she is sick. In some cases maybe look over routines to make sure you eliminate some ways germs might spread. This requires good communication and listening skills on both sides, if someone gets defensive it won't work. Approach it with kindness and without judgement. We have routines in our house depending on what kind of bugs the kids have to make sure they spread as little as possible. Knock on wood it works most of the time.   The thing to make sure though, as a nanny is that you eat well. Cut out sugar and processed foods. Eat whole foods, take your vitamins, minerals and probiotics. Get your vitamin D levels checked. Move your body, take care of yourself. And get enough sleep. And if you are a family that struggles with a nanny being away a lot, talk to her, and express your desire that she is healthy.   Thank you for spending some time with me today.   Today's episode is brought to you by Mamatoto, the community for moms through pregnancy and birth and into motherhood. Go to Mamatoto.info to join the club.   Go over to Instagram and follow us @rivieranannies where we post all kinds of nanny things. See you next time :)      

D is one of our nannies, she is wonderful, kind and experienced.  In this episode she shares her story of her nannying with us.  Enjoy :)

Welcome to the Nanny Podcast season 2 episode 2. I am your host Hanna Schaer from Riviera Nannies, a nanny agency based in the south of France. I am so happy you are here.   Today we are going to talk about cell phones.   I think we can all agree that cell phones are really useful tools, we can choose to do a little or a lot on them. Some people use them just as phones. Some phone and text. Some use them as a camera. Some use them for social media.   I went to a really interesting talk with Elizabeth Milovidov from digitalparentingcoach.com about children and technology, and I thought her talk was really inspiring. I am not going to talk to you in this podcast about children and technology, but about us and technology. There are a lot of similarities though, and the most important points are the same.   I think technology is awesome. Thanks to technology you are listening to me now, I recorded this on my computer, edited it on user friendly software and brought it to you through syndication to your iTunes or android app and you are listening to me on a device. That's pretty awesome, don't you think?   We use advanced technology for our client and nanny intake, both for safety, efficiency and ease of use.     The problem I think, is when we are not in charge, and when we can't stop. You might be surprised that a tech fan like me who always ends up in tech conversations at social events and love learning about new technology do a few things entirely off line. I use an analog watch and a paper calendar. It's through trial and error that I found that those are distractions I do not need my phone to give me. I am more focused, efficient and present with those things separated from my digital devices.   I am not a multi talker. And if you want to be present, focused and do what you are doing well, you should not be either. There is a bit of research done on efficiency and multi tasking and it looks like if you want to do something well you need to focus on that thing.   I want to talk about two things that really apply to nannying when it comes to cell phone use.   The first is, what mindlessly being on your cell phone when working tells your family, both the children and the parents, and I will give you an example of their perspective of it. You might not like it.   The other is how you can protect yourself and your family, especially if you are working with high profile families, this is definitely a conversation you have to have with them about technology at work.   You and I both know that mindlessly being on our cell phones, I am talking about checking social media, scrolling through lists of useless information and playing games, is a waste of our time. When we are doing it we don't feel it, we are numb to it, but it's a waste of time. There is research done surveying how people feel on different apps, and the ones I am talking about all make us feel worse, while there are ones, like meditation apps, that make us happier. In my opinion, you should never be mindlessly scrolling or messing about on your phone, checking messages, texting or spending time on social media when you are at work. What you do in private, at home is your business, but practice self care when at work and do not fall into the black hole that is mindless scrolling. Even if the kids are asleep. I promise you, there are things for you to do that are better for you. If you have to be on your phone, try Headspace and take care of yourself. Or read a book.   You can absolutely not be present and take care of the kids, physically and emotionally the way they need if you are distracted by notifications on your phone. Likes on IG or messages on fb will be there later, and you know what? They don't matter. If you want to indulge and use the platforms (I sure do), do it after work, and do it in moderation. Make sure you are using tech, not the other way around.   Families ask how to talk to their nannies about tech, about using their phone during work, and I think it is pretty obvious that when you work you do not mindlessly mess around on your phone. If you need it to be able to call or be reached that is fair enough, but otherwise you do not need it. I don't think it is unreasonable to expect the person you have hired and are paying to take care of your child to not be distracted by their phones, what do you think?   The other thing is really important. Your safety. Do you know that to protect the conversations and integrity of my clients (and myself), I don't have the facebook app or messenger on my phone? I only use completely encrypted apps to talk to people.   Imagine this, you have given permission to a big social media app to have access to your photos, your sms conversations and your microphone. You are at work with your kids, and you take some photos of them. All your photos are then able to be accessed by the app. And with the access to the microphone it listens to your conversations. That's how you sometimes get freaky ads in front of you, apps that are listening. Do you know what access you have given to apps? Have you had the conversation about internet safety with your family? Do you even know where to start?   Many families and nannies talk about photos of the children. Some families want photos to see what is going on during the day. How do you share them? Who has access to them? Have you thought about it? It's not to scare you, just to make you aware of things you need to think of.   Do you know what? When I removed the fb app and messenger from my phone I felt such a relief. And I got back hours every day. I didn't think I was on it that much, but it was such a distraction. My recommendation to you is to think about it, take off all the things that distract you. Turn off notifications. Decide times you check messages, it is completely and totally ok to not be available all the time. You might not even need as much Headspace after reducing the number of things that demand your attention every day. You are welcome :)   Thank you so much for listening and for spending time with me today, I am very thankful for you.   Today's episode is brought to you by Mamatoto, the community for moms through pregnancy and birth and into motherhood. Go to Mamatoto.info to join the club.   If you aren't following us on IG yet, head over and follow us on @rivieranannies Just don't get stuck scrolling :)   See you next week, I will be talking to one of our awesome nannies Deidre then who will be sharing her story as a nanny with us. Bye :)    

Welcome to season 2 of the Nanny Podcast, I am so happy you are here.   Today we are going to ask ourselves the question “are you looking for the wrong things?”   It goes for both nannies and families, I think often nannies are looking for the wrong things in families to work with, and as often, families are looking for things in nannies that is not what is going to work for them.   Let me explain what I mean.   I get a lot of nannies contacting us, looking for work, and when they tell us what kind of work they want, to goal and the path to get there are often not compatible.   For example, we might have a nanny who wants to work in the villas in the cote d'azur, but she doesn't drive, doesn't have own transportation and is not interested in getting it. Fair enough, whatever the reason is for that, but looking for jobs in the villas is not going to work out in their favor, because often there is not public transportation that supports it, and the client might is probably not going to want to schedule their childcare around the bus schedule, so they will hire someone else.   Another example is high stress, high demand and high paid jobs. Are they right for everyone? No, they are not. Going into this kind of job requires a certain kind of skill and mind set. Know why you are doing it, the reasons are different for different nannies, and then set yourself up to thrive in that position, depending on what that is for you it can be everything from a social support network, sufficient self care that can be as simple as a good pair of running shoes or enough books to read on your downtime if you are in a remote place.   I see a lot of nannies who just want a job, if they just get the job they will figure it out after and make it work. If you are a quiet person who does not like physical activities you are not going to fit with a family that love the outdoors. If you are a sociable person who needs to feel connected to others, a remote rota position in Russia might not be right for you, no matter how much it pays. Knowing who you are, what your strengths are and where you do best is going to guide you to choose jobs where you shine, remember that there is a place for you to shine, and it might not be where you think it is.   The same things are true for families.   When you look for your nanny you might have a few things that you want, and then there might be things that are like shiny objects of desire on a CV that seem like things you really really want.   Families, I'm going to tell you something you might not like to hear, that shiny thing, that celebrity job or impressive training, it might not be what you need, or what is even compatible with your family.   I will give you an example. Imagine you are looking for a nanny for your six months old baby and you run into a nanny who speaks several languages and have an impressive list of education in early childhood development and has been a nanny to the stars. But she does not have experience with infants, she doesn't drive and you live outside of the center of town and you need her to be able to drive. Then you run into another candidate who has a long experience working with infants, has been with each of her families for years and, she drives. She has not been a nanny to the stars (I talk about this a lot because it does not necessarily mean that a nanny is good), her formal education is less, but she seems like a great fit for your baby and your family. You click with her, but the CV is less impressive at first glance. And the first nanny is so shiny and has things on her CV that you desire, even though deep down you know that the second one is going to work out better.   Why? She has done what you want her to do, she is experienced. Her requirements match yours. And she has worked with families for a long time on each job, which is a huge piece of information for you about how she will be to work with. Excellent nannies who do short term jobs usually stick to short term jobs and jump around. Excellent nannies who do longer term jobs, and apply for longer terms jobs tend to have stayed with families longer. Which one would you pick? I see all the time that families jump for the shiny one, they interview a few of them, sometimes they even hire them, and then it doesn't work out. The nanny sees another opportunity that fits her CV profile better and leaves, or you realize that all the certificates in the world do not give you experience with newborns, and the skills you need to figure out how yours works.   I think it's something to think about for both nannies and families, to not just sell yourselves to get a job or a nanny, but to really look for someone who is compatible with what you are looking for. That's what we do, and we often see both parties looking for things that are not in their interest.   Thank you for spending time with me today, I am really happy you chose to listen to our podcast.   If you aren't following us on social media, head over to IG and follow us for tips, tricks and shenanigans @rivieranannies   This episode is brought to you by Mamatoto, the online community that supports women from pregnancy, birth and into motherhood. Go to Mamatoto.info and join the tribe of supportive mothers and their babies.   See you next time when we will talk about cell phones. Bye :)

One time I had a prospective client tell me after we had done her intake interview, filled out all the forms and she had told me exactly what she wanted, which was an au pair, we will get to that in a minute, and I told her that we could find the staff she needed, it just wouldn't be one person, but two or three. We have talked about what au pairs are before, they are a cultural exchange program, not a professional doing a job, so while at first it seemed to this family that what they wanted and needed was an au pair, their kids were at school during the day and the parents travel a lot and work out of the area where they live, when the list of duties and the schedule arrived I wasn't sure what to answer except no, that's not an au pair, that's a part time nanny, a cook and a housekeeper. Without going into too much detail about what they wanted let's just say that the cleaning duties went far past the kid related clean up and meal prep. When the kids were in school all day they wanted the house deep cleaned, dinner prepared for the whole family, groceries shopped for, laundry done for the whole family, the husband's shirts ironed and before leaving in the evening, the lunches for the next day prepared for the parents. All these services are perfectly fine to outsource, in fact, we often encourage families who want to spend more time with their kids to hire a housekeeper and a chef a few hours per week to clean and prepare meals, but for an au pair, who would take care of the kids in the afternoon after they came home from school and do everything with them until their parents came home from work, the workload during the day was unacceptable. I think in their case, if it was just for the childcare, an au pair might have been fine because they were away a lot and needed the flexibility and the kids were old enough, it wouldn't be a client for us since we don't place au pairs. An au pair could do some of the kids' laundry and clean up, and feed them when the parents are not there, but not clean the house, cook for the whole family and do all their laundry. When I tried to politely explain the different roles she was looking for she got really upset and asked me why she should pay for a cleaner when she already paid for the au pair. By the way, she wanted to pay the au pair 100 euros per week, plus room and board. My question then is why should I pay for gas when I paid for groceries? Why should I pay for shoes when I paid for face cream? Why should I pay for a handbag when I paid for a hotel room? You get the gist. They are different things, that's why. I told them that I pay my nanny and my cleaner. They do different things and I can't do what they both do at the same time, so why should they? As you can imagine, she didn't like it and didn't end up hiring anyone with us. That's fine, I prefer to work with people who are respectful and not that entitled. The thing I wonder in situations like this is if the family thinks about how it would be if the situation was the opposite. Would they take the job they were offering? Why would they, or why not? What are you offering that benefits the other person, except money, in which case as soon as something with more money comes along they will take that? I think it's always important to try to see what you are offering from at least two perspectives, both as a nanny taking a new job and a family hiring someone to take care of your kids. Know what you offer and why that is valued by the other person. Thank you for spending time with me today, let us know what you would like us to talk about, email us at hello@rivieranannies.fr and put podcast in the subject line. See you next time :)

Theresa Destrebecq is back to talk to us about getting along. Theresa is a conflict resolution coach and will talk to us about how we can be more successful and get along better in professional relationships.

I want a french live out au pair Sometimes we get requests that are difficult, sometimes we get requests that are confusing and sometimes we get requests that are impossible and illegal. Even though we don't place au pairs, we still get a lot of questions about them. I think most people think an au pair is a cheap way to get childcare, it is not, and I will explain why in a minute, but most of all I think a lot of people don't know the difference between an au pair and a nanny so we will talk a little bit about that. An au pair is not a professional. Having an au pair is a cultural exchange program, and this is where a lot of misunderstandings happen. An au pair does not have any training or experience (babysitting is not experience) in general. Generally they do not know about childhood development or education, they are young people who want to experience another culture and learn a new language in a foreign country. The laws are different in different countries, but normally, an au pair can work up to 30 hours per week, have at least one or two days off per week and should be treated like a family member. He or she also needs language lessons, both time for them and have them organized and paid for, it is often needed to even get a visa. Then you have to pay for their insurance and social charges, and of course you have to house and feed them and pay a weekly stipend, usually about 60-90 euros per week depending on where you live, and you have to provide transportation for them (bus card, scooter, car). The cost is about the same as a part time nanny. A lot of families break several of the rules for keeping an au pair, many don't pay social charges or insurance or probably language courses, but that is not the legal way to work and it is definitely not the ethical way to work. So, when we get asked, in France, if we can help someone find a french live out au pair, the answer is no, because 1. they can't have a french au pair in France, and 2. you can never have a live out au pair because an au pair by default lives with you. When a family wants full time help that is of course possible and in a lot of cases a great idea, when they can and want to pay for it. When money is an issue, we always suggest instead of going the route of doing half the things necessary to get an au pair, to get a part time nanny. Figure out what you really want and need help with and get a professional that you don't have to worry about housing or having someone in your home all the time. There are so many stories about au pairs ending up not working out at all, I have one personally too and it is not to say that an au pair is never a good solution, but most of the time it is not the cheapest or easiest. With a nanny you don't have to worry about them getting drunk and crashing your car. With a nanny you don't have to worry about their boyfriend coming to visit, and then he doesn't leave. With a nanny you don't have to worry about them abusing your children, verbally, emotionally or physically. With a nanny you don't have to worry about them leaving in the middle of the night and stealing from you. With a good nanny you don't have to worry about any of those things, and the more things you have talked about before the start of the contract that we think you should always have, the less things you have to worry about in general.

One of our awesome nannies shares her thoughts on nannying, what motivates and inspires her and what she thinks is important in the nanny-family relationship.  

Welcome to the Nanny Podcast. My name is Hanna Schaer and I am the founder of Riviera Nannies, a nanny agency in the south of France. If this is the first time you are listening to our podcast, welcome :) this is where we talk about everything nanny, we talk about how to improve your career, things you love about nannying, how we as an agency work and so much more.   Today I am going to tell you about a kind of situation we run into here at the agency every once in a while. It happens more often than I think it should and I want to talk about why it is unreasonable and what we do when it happens. It is a little bit of a behind the scene of the nanny agency if you want :)   When clients contact us we ask them to fill out a questionnaire, telling us about the kind of nanny they are looking for and what the job they are offering looks like. We want to have a profile of the client, just like we do of the nanny so that we can make the best matches. This is a typical conversation in this kind of scenario:   Client: Hello, I need help finding a nanny for my two children age 18 months and 3 years. Can you help us?   Us: Hello, yes of course we can, can you please fill out the application form. (there is usually more of a conversation going on, but to simplify it a little, it's usually something like this)   They fill out the application form, often not with all the information we ask for, sometimes because they don't know, sometimes because they don't want to tell us right away. Typically, in this particular type of family, they leave out the hours they require and the salary. Our reaction, privately is “oh boy”.   What happens then is that they tell us how qualified they want the nanny to be, on top of the basic trainings and certifications they typically want at least two languages spoken fluently, a good presentation, a smart and sophisticated nanny (which makes us delighted since this fits the profile for most of our nannies) because, you know, they will be taking care of their children. You would think that the person who is going to help them raise their children would be someone they respect and pay fairly, right? This far it sounds good, right?   Ok, then we get to the hours. Many families ask for five or six days work. Often ten to twelve hour days. We often try to negotiate the hours to be more sustainable, explaining that when their nanny is rested and happy, she is a better nanny (it should go without saying, but it doesn't always) and then we try to explain the benefits of a nanny who is able to have a good balance in her life. That in a good relationship there is room for other things than work and a nanny who has no way of doing things she likes outside of work will not want to stay in the job. In general, there are probably exceptions but I can't think of any. Maybe there aren't. For most jobs like this the best solution would be two nannies in rotation.   So they say for example that they want six days per week, 7 to 7. That's a long day and a long week so for me, I am already thinking in my mind that it leaves me with fewer nannies to present to them and the salary requirement will go up. Remember they are looking for a high end nanny with long working days, and we haven't even gotten into the fact that they might want the nanny to do some light housekeeping when the kids are sleeping, which may or may not be appropriate or reasonable depending on the qualifications and experience of the nanny and of course, the salary.   What I try to explain to our client at this point is that you have quality, quantity and price. You can pick two. When working with us you always have good quality, so that one has much less flexibility than the others, it is more a question of wanting a junior or senior nanny. You can't have a senior nanny for many hours for a low price. Do you see what we do here? We are trying to set up the job to be successful for both the family and the nanny, making sure that the expectations are met on both sides and the relationship starts out in a professional manner with open communication. This is the point when we often don't hear from the client again, I don't know what their reaction is but I can imagine that they are upset because they can't have something that is not reasonable, and I told them that they couldn't, and what do I know, I'm just a nanny agent. Maybe it's less dramatic than that, and sometimes the clients get back to us a few months later, after they realize that they do in fact need our help finding a good fit for their family and our job wasn't as easy as they thought and they tried out a less qualified nanny who accepted the terms they offered because she just wanted a job, and now she left because she found something different or it just wasn't a good fit and now they are back to where they started. And then when they write us again and we ask them to give us the specifications of the job they look a little bit different.   Thank you so much for listening to the Nanny Podcast, please join us again next time.  

We talk about when we get requests for placements that are inappropriate and illegal (and outside of the types of placements we do at all). I get to hear a lot of personal requests and quite often it comes from a place where a family wants something that either does not exist of is not legal (or moral).  Let us know what you want to hear about, email me at hello@rivieranannies.fr and put podcast in the subject line to get in touch :)

We talk to Theresa Destrebecq from Thrive Within. We talk about setting boundaries and how you can support yourself and be a better nanny with your boundaries clearly set and maintained. We also talk about how your boundaries gives you limits and how you want to set them consciously.  For any questions or requests, reach out to us at hello@rivieranannies.fr and put podcast in the subject line, we love hearing from you :)  

I want to talk about something that might make some of you nod in agreement, some of you irritated and some of you not know about. The celebrity nanny, or rather the person who has been a nanny to a celebrity family. There are so many famous people in the world, and many of them have kids and I would guess that the vast majority of them have nannies. It's actors, singers, artists, athletes, politicians, royals, people that are famous because they are famous and so on. So many nannies have worked for someone famous as some point and are not affected by it at all, and don't feel the need to brag about it, after all, they are just people and it is just another job, perhaps demanding in an unusual way, but still, it is taking care of and educating children whether they have famous parents or not. In my experience these families value discretion and professionalism even more than us mere mortals and would rather hire a nanny who is less star struck and more focused on the job.

Welcome to the Nanny Podcast. I want to tell you about a kind of situation that surprises me every time and I want to share how we handle and advise in a possibly tricky situation. There have been times when clients ask for “exotic” nannies and it doesn't necessarily mean what you might think, we have had families say to us that they just want something different from everyone else. Here the nanny becomes a commodity, it is not longer about getting the best care for the child but rather about the image you project. A keeping up with the Jones' if you want. Hiring a nanny is a really great thing for your family, you have another adult who is professionally trained to raise babies and children. When picking the perfect person for your family there are many things to consider. What language the nanny speaks is of course important. If you want your kid to speak a foreign language fluently and understand a foreign culture, hiring a nanny who can give you that is a great idea, but realistically he or she would have to spend years with you for it to have a benefit.

Why is women acting confident sometimes frowned on? Do you sometimes think or hear that a woman is described as cocky, aggressive or other negative words describing her behavior? Are we participating in the image by judging ourselves? To me, a really confident person, regardless of gender, that I tend to admire and look up to has a calm about them that tells me that they are comfortable with themselves and what they know and also with what they don't know. Being assertive is not necessarily being confident, I think it also relates very closely to charisma which is very often described as being fully present and attentive to a person. Do you think that maybe when we pay attention, really pay attention, look people in the eye when talking and listening, showing our ability to be present, that we are able to show our confidence without being aggressive? I think so.   What is the difference between being confident and over confident and what does it have to do with nannying? Confidence is being comfortable in your own skin and expressing yourself without feeling insecure or nervous. It comes when one knows one's strengths as well as faults, and accepts them to improve oneself.

The nanny podcast is brought to you by Riviera Nannies. It gives us a platform to talk about everything nanny, governess, tutor, maternity nurse and childcare. This first episode is just to tell you a little bit about who we are and why we wanted to start the podcast.