There is a common perception about people who have a nanny or employ a maternity nurse for their children that they are automatically ‘rich’, can afford it so do so or somehow don’t care enough to look after their own children. This is so far from the truth and naturally a difficult dilemma for many parents, especially if you love your job and it feeds your mind and sense of self or purpose.
Having previously worked as a nanny and a maternity nurse, I have had the privilege to look after some amazing babies and children. I have been fortunate to travel around the world with wealthy families and live with entrepreneurs who lead busy lives and I admire these parents. You see looking after a baby is not something that comes easily to everyone, no matter how intelligent you are. It is true of course that ‘anyone can look after a baby’, offer food and change a child but it is how well you do this, that determines how good you are as a parent and how your child eventually ‘turns out’. The notion that you will automatically be a ‘great parent’ and fall in love your child the minute they arrive, is a myth.
Employing a maternity nurse or nanny who you like and trust, is something that will help you to fondly remember those early weeks and months, as you will certainly enjoy more sleep than the average parent. They have so much experience and childcare ‘know how’ to pass on to nervous new parents. I imagine it is a fatigued parents’ dream to have someone to show you the ropes and expertly guide you. In fact, it is probably the best investment you can make in those precious early years.
Over the years I have seen so many capable career women and entrepreneurial Dads, who are experts in their own field, fully love their new role as a parent yet crumble and panic, when their baby cries for hours on end. Others start to crack up at the realization and sheer responsibility involved in infancy and childcare.
Early parenthood is simply a minefield for a new parent. It is full of excitement one minute then dread and fear the next, especially after weeks of sleepless nights. This can weaken your focus and cause you to question your own abilities and readiness to be a parent. You start to think when is the right time, should we have waited longer, when will things change for us?
What price do you place on sleep and your own sanity?
Having a maternity nurse on hand to show you the ropes is a godsend and will give you enormous peace of mind. Within a short space of time, you’ll feel like your ‘old self’ again. Your confidence will grow, your baby will sleep better, you will set up good habits early on and actually feel in control of your life. In business, you seek a mentor or have training to expand or grow your business and you see results much faster.
Things that appear hard at first, become easy when you have the right knowledge and systems in place. This is what my ‘Chaos to Calm System’ offers clients to help simplify their home lives. Most of all, having a helping hand is a wise decision. Being coached specifically about your new baby, will keep your nerves and fears at bay. It will also allow you to return to work without feeling burnt out or needing a break from an exhausting family life.
Speed of Success
High achieving parents are smart, they look at their needs and what they want for their family and how they can achieve their desires. They also see how quickly an investment of professional childcare, pays for itself over and over again. As in business, you set out to achieve a goal and recognize you cannot do everything on your own, so you employ someone to help you or get trained in different areas that are new to you.
The cost?
You may of course feel that you want to look after your new born baby yourself especially as the cost of a U.K. trained nanny is around £30k p/year, an experienced maternity nurse commands £800-1000 per week and is typically employed for 6-12 weeks. If this is beyond your budget, you may want to consider a fantastic family solution available for a fraction of this. By spending time to consider your long term parenting aspirations, your childcare options and own needs even before your baby arrives, Sanity Nanny mentoring could be the perfect answer for you and your family, guaranteeing to keep you all healthy, wealthy and happy.
Feel free to contact juliet@sanitynanny.com to discuss your dilemmas or arrange a no obligation family life ‘wake up’ call, ideally before your baby arrives!