Do you currently have a Housekeeper? Or are you considering getting a Housekeeper? If you have children then you might be considering whether a Housekeeper should look after children. There can be many benefits to having your Housekeeper look after your children. But you need to get the balance right.
So should a Housekeeper look after children?
When Can A Housekeeper Look After Children
So firstly, it is important to realise when a Housekeeper can indeed look after your children. It might be the case that you love your current Housekeeper, and that it might seem handy for your Housekeeper to help out around the children too. Lots of Housekeepers, who work in households with children, will slip into this.
There doesn’t have to be a problem with your Housekeeper helping out with the kids. However, you need to have thought about what this actually means.
For example, in the UK it is a legal requirement for anyone who will be in sole charge of children, needs to have an enhanced DBS check. So if your Housekeeper is indeed ever alone with the children, you want to make sure to get that into place beforehand.
And although this is not a legal requirement, it really is highly advisable that your Housekeeper has at least a Paediatric First Aid qualification. When it comes to your children, you really shouldn’t be taking any risks. And although your Housekeeper might be a great Housekeeper and a lovely person. It does not mean they are qualified to look after children automatically. So make sure you have at least these basic things in place, should your Housekeeper look after your children.
Children Vs Househeekping – What Is More Important?
So knowing that your Housekeeper is (legally) qualified to look after your children. Does not automatically mean it is the right thing to do.
You hired your Housekeeper for a reason, to clean and keep up your house and all the tasks that come with it. So think about where your priority lies. Do you desperately need help with the children? And would you be happy for some of the housekeeping to take a bit of a back step?
Or, perhaps it is vital for you that all the housekeeping is done to the highest possible standard. More so than lots of time spent with the children.
Make a realistic schedule, perhaps together with your Housekeeper. To understand how long the most important tasks take per day, and where childcare could realistically fit in.
If you find that both need full-time attention, it might be better to look at hiring a full-time nanny or other specific childcare, instead of having your Housekeeper trying to balance it all.
A Nanny/Housekeeper – Best of Both Worlds?
If you feel that there is space in the housekeeping tasks list for lots of childcare too, you might want to consider hiring a specific Nanny-Housekeeper. A Nanny/Housekeeper is especially experienced in combining the two roles, knows what it takes to balance the tasks, and comes with the right qualifications.
Typically, the childcare duties are done when the children are at school or nursery or whilst with the children. But they would always ensure the children are suitably supervised and safe. Again, before you make this decision that no person can do everything all at once! So make sure you understand what tasks can realistically be done, and make sure this is enough for your household and set up.
How can Polo & Tweed help?
Would you like to hire a nanny-housekeeper, or would like to know more about what might work for you? Why not give our highly experienced recruitment consultants a call now! We know housekeepers. nannies, and nanny-housekeepers like no other, and can really help you find what works best for you and your family. We will help you with the full recruitment process, so contact us now to get a search started.