Creating a fun, engaging learning environment is part of a nanny’s daily job. However, you don’t have to turn your employer’s home into a mini preschool to create the kind of space that helps a child actively explore and learn about the world around him. The things you already do throughout the day offer lots of opportunities for teachable moments.

1. Get kids involved in cooking. Kids love being able to help out in the kitchen. It makes them feel grown up and they love being able to “play” with things that are normally reserved for the adults of the house. Toddlers can help level off measuring cups, pour, stir and kneed. Preschoolers can grease backing pans, measure out ingredients and wash fruits and vegetables. Older kids can do simple food prep and take on the responsibility of reading the recipe and pulling all the ingredients together. Cooking teaches all kinds of skills including math, science, reading, following multi-part directions and fine motor skills. It also allows children to contribute in a real way to the family, which builds the feeling of being capable, instills confidence, and feeds their love of learning new things. Make sure that while you’re having fun in the kitchen, you’re taking all the necessary safety precautions. It’s no fun when someone gets hurt.
2. Enlist help for everyday household chores. Although things like laundry, cleaning out the hall closet, and going through seasonal clothes may not be your favorite tasks, all of those things can be fun and educational for kids. Putting dirty laundry into piles by color or putting all the large building blocks into one bin are great sorting exercises. Putting socks in pairs and matching up clothes by size and season are great ways to practice color and size matching. Folding builds fine motor skills and spatial intelligence. Just about every task we do in our everyday lives can be a valuable learning opportunity for a child.
3. Encourage early reading through organization. Labels are a great way to keep toys, clothes, art supplies, and just about everything else organized. Adding labels to the outside of drawers, closet doors, boxes, bins, baskets, and shelves with the help of the kids helps make the connection between objects and the words that represent them. Adding an identifying picture will help younger children get in on the fun. To keep the labels looking like new, cover them with a laminating sheet, clear page protector or clear packing tape. This is also an easy way to encourage children to put their clothes away, pick up their toys, and even help with household chores like putting dishes away. Kids love being able to figure out where things go all by themselves.
4. Create a home library. Reading shouldn’t just happen at story time or as part of a bedtime routine. Encouraging kids to read at home during the day supports early literacy and fosters a love of learning.  One of the easiest ways to do this is by setting up a home library. Set up one or two shelves in an easily accessible location and designate it as the family library. Include favorite books from all family members. This is the perfect place for kids who need some quiet time, who need a way to transition out of a high energy activity, or who just want to be on their own for a while. Make sure you have a bean bag chair or floor pillows close by for snuggling up with a good book.
5. Provide supplies that encourage pretend play. Children don’t need elaborate toys to have fun. With just a few basic supplies they can go on a safari trip, travel to far away universes, sail the high seas or go on countless other adventures. Pretend play does more than just provide a fun afternoon. It helps children develop social, emotional, language and critical thinking skills. Foster a child’s creative play by devoting a toy box to props you find throughout the house. Scarves, wrapping paper rolls, empty boxes, old linens, laundry baskets, and dollar store treasures all make for great playthings. Add some markers, paint, and duct tape and you’re on your way to making hundreds of unique treasures.
6. Support child-directed play. It’s tempting as a nanny to fill the day with lots of planned outings, craft projects, science experiments and other things to foster learning. But one of the best things you can do is simply sit back and follow your charge’s lead. Children who are given the time and space to experiment with different things will automatically gravitate to things they enjoy and that fulfill their needs. Of course you want to be actively engaged with the children you care for, but also remember to give them lots of opportunities to show you what’s next on the daily schedule.

Creating a home learning environment is a fun and rewarding part of a nanny’s job. By providing the right opportunities, the children you care for will spend their days engaged in things they enjoy as they learn new and valuable skills.

For families who want all the benefits of a nanny at half the cost, a nanny share may be a good child care option.

When two families who live close to each other have similar parenting styles and philosophies and work similar schedules, hiring a nanny to share can be a viable childcare choice. But for this arrangement to succeed, the framework for success must be laid first.

If you’re considering a nanny share, be sure to follow these tips for success:

Tip 1: Find the family before the nanny.

While it may be tempting to find a nanny before finding a family to share her with, the best approach is to find the family first. When the nanny is found first, the second family often feels like they’re coming into an already established relationship with its own set of rules and dynamics. When the family is found first, both families can work together and play an active role in the advertising, interview and screening process, as well set the tone of the relationship from the start.

Tip 2: Create the nanny’s job description together.

When looking for a nanny share, it’s essential that both families work together to outline the nanny’s duties and responsibilities. Both families must have a clear understanding of what they expect from the nanny and must be able to articulate their expectations during the nanny search. If the nanny will be caring for the children at both homes, the schedule of where she’ll be working should be presented. If transportation of the children is required, it should be made clear whose vehicle will be used and who will be paying for additional automobile insurance, if required.

Tip 3: Define the logistics.

Will there be supplies kept at both houses or will the parents pack what they need each day? Will the nanny need a double stroller? What about car seats? Who does the nanny check-in with each day? What if a child is sick? What benefits will you offer your nanny? What if one family needs the nanny to work overtime? How the nanny’s vacation time will be coordinated and how sick time will be handled should also be hammered out.  Thinking through the logistics and possible complications upfront can help keep the nanny share arrangement on track should a bump in the road occur.

Tip 4: Outline the salary responsibilities.

In a nanny share arrangement, the Internal Revenue Service views both families as separate employers. This means that each family must secure state and federal employer identification numbers, file new hire reports, withhold the appropriate taxes, prepare and file the proper tax forms, file the necessary paperwork with the Social Security Administration and provide the nanny with a W-2. Clearly outlining the nanny’s hourly rate, overtime rate, method of pay and frequency of pay will help to clarify any concerns over payroll.

Tip 4: Develop the exit strategy.

Since the families depend on each other for the relationship to work as much as they do on the nanny, it’s imperative that the families develop a clear plan for exiting the arrangement. The plan should include how much notice they’re required to give, how much they’ll pay in lieu of notice and how long they agree to commit to the nanny share arrangement. Putting the plan into a written agreement can ensure both families understand what they are agreeing to.

Tip 5: Search for a nanny.

Once both families have a clear understanding of what they’re getting into, they can embark on their search. There are many ways to look for a nanny, including using a nanny placement agency, an online nanny site and by word of mouth. However you find your nanny candidates, both families should agree on the minimum requirements they must meet and the intensity of the background screening they’ll do. Be sure to clarify who will be doing what screening tasks so nothing gets overlooked. Once you’ve found a nanny candidate you’d both like to hire, present a written offer. Having a written offer will ensure that all three parties start out on the same page.

Tip 6: Draft a work agreement.

If your nanny has accepted the position, you’ll want to draft a detailed nanny/family agreement that outlines the role, duties and responsibilities of your nanny. It should also include your nanny’s schedule, where she’ll be working, salary and payment arrangements, tax responsibilities and anything else that can help to clarify the expectations you have for your nanny.

For families that want the personalized, customized and convenient care that a nanny offers but can’t really afford to swing a nanny’s salary on their own, sharing a nanny with a compatible family can be an ideal solution.