Nursery World - One of the family

How much should you have to share with a family you live with? Helen Kewley follows up last month's look at happy home life When I ask nannies about their favourite job it is usually the one where they enjoyed a good relationship with the parents. It is essential to get on with people you live with. Although it is possible to negotiate to change working hours or conditions in a contract, you cannot change an employer's personality, so it is vital to choose a family that is right for you in the first place.

When I ask nannies about their favourite job it is usually the one where they enjoyed a good relationship with the parents. It is essential to get on with people you live with. Although it is possible to negotiate to change working hours or conditions in a contract, you cannot change an employer's personality, so it is vital to choose a family that is right for you in the first place.

As an agency I try to give nannies as much information as I can about a job -including what type of personality the parents are looking for in the nanny. Are they very tidy, well-organised people, or are they fairly laid back? As anyone who has been in a flat-sharing situation will know, it is often the small annoyances that can cause the most irritation.

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