Products Nannies Like Sunday Who hasn't made a New Year's Resolution to be more organized? Nannies wear many hats, essentially responsible for running a household, scheduling playdates, taking kids to activities. So for those of you who are determined to get more organized we have some products to use to help you succeed at organizing your nanny life.
Google Calendar
The first product we recommend is Google Calendar. Although you cannot go to a store to purchase Google Calendar, it's available for free online. We use Google Calender at my nanny job.
Google Calendar allows the parents, nanny, and kids to access the family calendar from any computer. My Mom Boss and Dad Boss can check the schedule from work.
I type in activities, times, and dates then Google Calendar allows me to send the parents an invitation, which is an email, to update them on activities I feel they need to know about. For example, I can easily send an invitation (email) to the parents about an upcoming band concert, sports game, or teacher's conference. But, for everyday activities that they don't need to know about, like who we are having a playdate with on Monday, I add to the calendar but don't need to send an invitation to the parents.
But, the beauty of Google Calendar is if the parents make playdates or appointments too, they just open Google Calendar from their i-phone or computer at work and we don't double schedule playdates or activities. Plus, if the nanny is sick and must miss a day of work, all the parents need to do is look at Google Calendar and all the plans for the day are easily accessible.
There are several other features you might like such as, the pop-up feature that reminds you of what is scheduled on your calendar, email reminders to send to yourself or others at a time you determine, tracking RSVP's online, and you can access your calendar however and whenever you want by syncing events with Microsoft Outlook, Apple iCal, and Mozilla Sunbird.
Plus, you can know where you're supposed to be even when you don't have Internet access. With offline access, you can view a read-only version of your calendar no matter where you are.
And again, this is all free!
Mead OrganizHER Mead, the stationary company that is known for their notebooks, has come out with a whole new line of products for the OrganizHER of the house, including the following:
* Month-to-Month Family Wall Calendar
* On-the-Go Memo Book
* Family Organizer
* Expense Tracker
* Write-n-Wipe Meal Center
* Shopping Companion
These products are extremely flexible, so you can use them in the best way possible for your job, and make running and organizing a household so much easier. The prices are also unbeatable (products are available at Target), and they are fun and stylish. I think it’s important to have products that you love looking at, because you are more likely to use them.
The Mead web site also offers some tips and videos on how to best use the products and keep organized. To learn more, visit Mead Online. Click here for a list of products. You can also easily purchase a product from Amazon below.
Stop by next Sunday for another Products Nannies Like Sunday.
I use Google calendar as well, and with my former charge used the Organizher as well. In fact they are the two things I suggest to moms of babies now all the time.
ReplyDeleteI also do find with kids to get one of those big cheap plan desk calendars at Home Depot or Staples, it's a great teaching tool for days of week, months, numbers, etc. and it's an easier to follow visual for little kids. I have decorated with stickers, markers, etc. to highlight our days together. (This matters in particular with children of divorce who need processing on what they are doing when and where to maintain a stronger sense of stability.
This is one of my biggest pet peeves when the mother schedules playdates without asking me first. It drives me crazy and then we have to call and reschedule playdates. Hopefully if I suggest google calendar and if I do the work she might want to do this. Can't hurt to ask. But will she look at it before scheduling without talking to me or looking at google calendar?
ReplyDelete