Nannies as Role Models of Good Health

The Best Role Models Bring Out the Best in Children

Undoubtedly nannies have a huge influence in children's lives. Nannies are role models for the kids in their care and the best role models are a great source of guidance and bring out the best in children.

Good health doesn't only include eating right, exercising, and having good hygiene. How role models communicate with others and cope with changes and stressors in life all affect overall health of adults and children.

The easiest way to encourage good habits in children is to lead by example. It is difficult to teach kids to adopt good table manners if their caregivers don't use good table manners. It's easier to get the kids to turn off the TV and go outside to play if their caregivers go outside to play with them. The best way to teach kids how to make friends, share toys, eat healthy, and speak to others with respect is for their role models to do the same. To ensure kids use proper hygiene, like washing hands before eating and after using the potty, their caregivers use those habits as well.

The Nemours Foundation warns that children who display aggressive behavior often learn to do so from a role model at home. That is why it is essential that nannies model being assertive and deal with stress calmly. Aggressive people blame others for their problems, speak in anger, may yell at people, and not treat others with respect. But, assertive people say what they mean and mean what they say. They speak to others (including kids) with kindness and respect while protecting themselves and their own boundaries. Assertive people don't make threats or minimize the importance of an issue to the other person.

Following through on commitments is an important lesson nannies teach the children in their care. Being committed means being on time, finishing what you begin, not quitting, staying true to your spoken promises, and persevering in the face of obstacles. Following through on achieving your own goals demonstrates to children that it is possible for them to achieve goals, providing them the inspiration to persist in order to do so themselves.

Being a great role model doesn't require adults be perfect. In fact, a great lesson for kids is seeing that their role models are human and make mistakes. Nannies who can admit their mistakes, learn from them, and strive to better themselves can serve as powerful influences for children's emotional growth. By addressing problems and conflicts in their own lives (such as trying to lose weight or handle demands with their job in a kind and respectful way) and sharing the process in an age-appropriate manner, nannies can encourage the children in their care to address their own concerns.