Safety First for In-Home Hiring (Some things you may not know or have forgotten)

Some alarming news came to my attention in the past week which sparked this post. A babysitter was not who they said they were and two little babies unfortunately were at the forefront of this (thankfully, they are ok). As we are starting our very own way for parents, families, nannies, babysitters, tutors and more to connect I feel it only necessary that we address the issue at hand. 

Below are some helpful lists to help those on the ‘search’ - and we will have plenty more helpful tips coming to the blog, so stay tuned! 

(The website is getting closer everyday! If you haven’t yet signed up to be notified when we officially launch, you can do so here. We will have so many more handy resources and checklists there when we are done!) 

We provide you with a few helpful resources for all the information you didn't know. You are not expected to know what to do when hiring someone for your home or family however it is your responsibly to ensure you do the proper research before making any advancements.

Whether you are hiring someone to work as a nanny or a cleaner, you need to carry out the relevant checks. If you were going through an agency they would be doing the same so you need to be sure to protect yourself and your full house.

- - -

CVs and References

First things first, you must thoroughly check the CV of the person you want to hire and their references.

Check the following;

- How long have they stayed in previous positions

- Most relevant experience for your available position

- References, ensure you contact them. It would be unsafe to invite someone into your home before conducting your own background check.

When conducting checks on the candidate’s references, ensure you are speaking to the real person; make a phone call, it is much more reliable. Of course not all references are job related however the below questions are some of the most important in any regard. Keep in mind it is dependant on the job you are hiring for, if you are hiring a cleaner you want to ask about the quality of their work and if it is a live in nanny you want to know that they will be able to successfully live with you. Remembering also you will learn a lot from the interview process with the candidate yourself.

Reference check must asks;

- How long did they work for you for and in what capacity?

- How would you best describe him/her?

- Would you consider him/her punctual and reliable?

- Do you feel *JOB DESCRIPTION* would suit him/her, are they capable of this?

   

Official background check:

Next you want to check their criminal record status. All people working with children or in the presence of children at any time must hold a current and clear police check, blue card or working with children's check. Each state is different in this regard, simply ask the person for their card number or certificate/notice number and look it up online to ensure it is still valid. You should also keep a copy of this for your own records. If this expires while the person is still working with you, they must renew and provide you with the details again. Remind them if necessary, it is unsafe not to have this up to date. It costs anywhere between $30-$80 depending on state and checks required.

Take a look at www.nationalcrimecheck.com.au or www.afpcheck.com

Queensland go by the Blue card system and the remainder of our states follow the Working with children system (for easy googling of forms).

*Note if the person you are hiring has lived in another state for a long period of time ensure you see clearance in both states - a national police check can help clear this up. They will need a valid 'card' for the state they are not working in and a police check nationwide.

First Aid and CPR

This is a non negotiable when working with or in the presence of children. If the applicant has not completed their first aid and you want them to have this, suggest to them to use an ambulance service such as St John's, the Red Cross or Australia Wide First Aid for a range of course options. It is also helpful for parents to stay up to date with the latest in CPR in the case of an emergency. This usually costs $60-$190 for a full course and refreshers courses can be less. CPR should be renewed yearly and first aid every 3 years, ask the instructor for details as the regulations are subject to change.

Qualifications and other certificates

Some candidates will have qualifications and some may not, in that case they may have completed some short course or learnt from another platform so be aware to ask about this. Collect a copy of anything you wish to have on hand, for example if you have a child with anaphylaxis you may want to keep a copy of their certificate of training completed in relation to this.

Your children and their needs

Every child is different and every family has different rules. It is important to be as clear as possible to someone coming into your home whether it be to clean, to care for your children or to tutor them. Allergies and personal preferences are the first big items to disclose, specifically religious beliefs or practices that you would require the candidate to work with. Anything that may be detrimental to the partnership, or determine whether or not someone is comfortable working for you, needs to be discussed upfront. After this outline things such as safety, routine, do's and don’ts, discipline etc.

Work cover and public liability

Both parties need to look into insurance for in-home work. You need to be covered for anything that happens to them while in your home and if they are working with your children they need to be covered if anything was to happen to your children while in their care. There are multiple companies that provide nanny insurance such as Nanny Sure, an Australian based company - www.nannysure.com.au (for public liability)

See www.workcover.com.au for information on all states.

Queensland specific for cleaners and more - CANSTAR  OR  Worksafe

Car: Insurance and Licence

If you need the candidate to drive your children whether it be in their car or your car you need to ensure both cars are full comprehensively insured for the drivers, particularly if the new driver is under 25. Secondly you need to be aware of the driver’s licence status. Find out what type of licence they have and how many points they have accrued and take a copy of their licence for proof of identity. Thirdly check the car they have is safe for children (wheels, airbags etc) including having a road worthy and registration. If you are not comfortable with any of these circumstances I suggest providing a car to be used during work hours or find an alternative form of transport. If the candidate is using their own car they need to be compensated for this and keep a log book to record kms used during work hours.

Pay and benefits

Paying your employees can be tricky when it is an in home arrangement. The most common way for this to occur is that the candidate for whichever job in your home has an ABN (Australian Business Number) and you can pay them direct. They will then of course be responsible for taxes, holidays, sick days and super. Other options are to use a payroll agency which will run the show including tax and super. However if you choose to set this up just be aware that you need to discuss this in detail to ensure everyone is covered for all aspects of pay and benefits. Any allowances and benefits also need to be discussed in detail such as car, fuel and spending money.

*Note*: If you are going to pay them effectively as a contractor with an ABN the pay needs to reflect a casual hourly rate to ensure the candidate is still left with the award hourly rate at a minimum after covering super, tax etc. Super should always be paid separate and be stated in a pay slip regardless of the arrangement.

Check out www.domesticpayroll.com.au for tips, award rates and nanny tax services.

Contracts and confidentiality

A contract protects both parties so ensure you put one in place before the first day of official employment. Below is a list of some items that need to be covered in this process;

- Start date

- Length of contract

- Hours per week

- Rate of pay

- Pay period

- Method of pay

- Extra pay/over time and holiday entitlements (sick pay included)

- Allowances and benefit

- Spending money or kitty

- Car use

- Super (9.25% legally)

- Number of children if any, duties, requirements etc

- Confidentiality

- Notice period

- Ground for termination

- Trial period

- Location of workplace

- Social media policy/ images of children or home

- Contract and performance review schedule

We hope this helps you out in your search for suitable, and safe, help for your full house. If you have any queries or thoughts or stories to share, please leave us comment below, or send us an email. We love to hear from you!

C x

Board Game Chores (a DIY with a bit of bribery)

The kids start getting older, are more capable and can understand contributing to their home... but how can we convince them to help. First thing that comes to mind is to tell them to, just make them. We all know that ends in arguments and nagging, two things I'm sure you aren't a fan of.

A little while ago I decided to test out a new 'chore chart' idea that has been floating around the world of parental tips and tricks (of course we added our own flare). It went quite well, considering these bunnies hadn't really had to do much before this exercise, mainly because I was terrible on reminding them and following through myself. This can be tricky if your children are of different ages. Be aware that you will need to customise the chores and amount given to each child so that it is fair and age appropriate. I found this way of sorting out chores to be less effort for me. I don't have to chase up anything... they just know that if they do it, they get their reward/s.  

What you will need:

Paint or coloured pens (choose the amount of colours depending on number of children)

Large paddle pop sticks

2 jars to hold the sticks

Method:

Decide on the chores you want to give your children to do. How many for each child and then do the same for the rewards.

We did the following;

13 Year old 3 chores and 2 rewards

8 Year old - 2 chores and 1 reward

3 Year old - 1 chore and 1 reward

Note: The key is to make the rewards their own, let them decide what they want for a reward and give them a little bit of say over the chores in their pot to help push them along. Also make sure you have plenty of 'free for you' rewards. Make it as fun as possible! See below for some of our 'board game' rewards we came up with;

- Get out of one chore next week

- 30 mins extra TV

- 15 mins extra xbox

- Chore swap

- Double your rewards

Paint one end of the stick in the colour relating to that child and write the chore/reward on the other end. Make sure you don't write the chore/reward too far up the stick or you will find yourself in a pickle.

Place rewards in one pot/jar and the chores in another, with the coloured end of the stick sitting up so they know which one is theirs to pull out.

Before you return the sticks from the current week have them choose the new ones so that the chores and rewards aren't the same every week.

Each week sit down together talk about the week before, then pick out your chores and reward/s. Each child is to keep them in their rooms in their own pot or place in eye's view.

I have always found that following through can be hard, this exercise took the hard work out of the chore debate in our house. They believe I will follow through on the reward and I knew they wanted it. Was almost a board game for chores! Anything that works I say!

Enjoy! And if you do create your own version or have any great ideas of your own, be sure to let us know below! (or you can always join the conversation on Instagram or Facebook!).

C x

Hoarding and Sorting

Image by Bartholomew Cooke

Somewhere in that strange period between Christmas and New Year, where I lose track of days - because surely it's still Christmas but we are wishing each other ‘Happy New Year’ instead now? Righto! - where my body is still in food coma mode but my mind is buzzing with “crapsicles, its nearly NEXT YEAR already?!” - I got a chance to do a little spring (summer?!) cleaning of my office. You really can’t tell. It still kind of looks like the long forgotten storage room at the back of the house that SHALL NOT BE ENTERED. But I promise I got some stuff sorted, however much mess is still waiting to be dealt with. 

Like many people, the new year for me brings on an urge to get organised. Or at least a little bit of breathing space after all the rush of last minute present wrapping and baking of the week before. Or a good dose of guilt.  Probably a healthy combination of all. So I satisfied that urge just a little by tackling the disfunction in my work space. 

And boy were there some goodies to be found, it’s no wonder I’m out of room. The list of ridiculous things I’ve been stashing away to sort out ‘some day’ goes on and on. There were piles of blank CDs that I really would never use - with cd folders (really?). CASSETTES!! Old oil paints with their lids dried shut. Boxes from items that will never go back to their boxes (that was a big aha moment for me). There was a spring from a broken pen chucked in there for goodness sake!! And I finally went through that embarrassing bag of paperwork from I won’t say how many years ago… but it included some bank statements of my husband's, back from when he was still my boyfriend if that gives you any clue.

After making many valuable discoveries like these, I had to face the truth, and I’ll level with you guys so you can keep me honest with myself ok? ….. I have hoarding tendencies. Now, It’s not that bad. I’m not fearful I will end up on next seasons “Hoarder next door” * Because balancing out my collecting habits is my love of a good purge - I can regularly swing strongly between “KEEP ALL THE THINGS!!!!”  and  “GET RID OF ALL THE THINGS!!!!”. I don’t know what you call a half hoarder, half minimalist - but that’s me.

It’s clear though, looking at this list I found, that I certainly have some habits to break: the first eight I am guilty of. EIGHT!  (Though I’m not convinced how accurate this list is. I’m quite sure those are just completely regular things that all regular, perhaps slightly disorganised, people do. Right?! )

I like to think that a lot of the (other) things I own are very useful, so I am aiming to cull the unnecessary (see-ya, old packaging) and the ridiculous (the pen springs and such….) and then organise it all so that it’s easy to access and actually USE. Enter the pinterest organisation tips stalking. Here are some of the things I’ve found that I may or may not put to good use this year. I’ve listed them in case anybody else is after some handy tips to get their New Years organising resolution under way (and good luck to you!!). We have also been collecting ideas on our Pinterest board if you’re interested in any more ideas!

....

Camille Styles' Gorgeous Office

- Now I fully intend to get on this “Marie Kondo” band wagon the whole world is excited about - but deadlines and, you know, LIFE are keeping that well at bay for the foreseeable future - so intention is what I’ll hold onto for now. Perhaps you can give it a go first and let me know how it goes?

- Start small

- THIS is something I need to tackle, my photos are a mess, and I know I’m not alone. Maybe next year? ;) 

- Oh THAT’s why…. 

- The Organised Housewife - That sounds nothing like me. But there so many ideas here I don't know where to start.

- And for the craft stash

 - I am a massive Kikki K fan. And happily they have a pile of gorgeousness on sale right now to get you sorted.

Happy resolutioning!

H x

* not to make light of the genuine struggle that those with a serious hoarding disorder or their families face. That’s no joke.

The Lunch Box Curse

Packing lunches would have to be high on my "really do I have to this" list! The yogurts that come home hot and I throw away, the squashed fruit! The never ending change in what they 'like', drive me totally crazy. Sometimes I think I will spice it up, add something new, be creative, surely they will eat it today... NOPE, into the bin it goes.

Tuckshop is my hero! When I really need them to eat for brain power in an exam or a sports carnival it always saves the day, I choose the semi healthy option for the 9 year old and just pray the 12 year old makes the right choice while in line.

Now, I hate wastage, not just of the food but of the money.... mention to them that "there are children who don't even have food" and the normal response I get is "Well it is sad but, that isn't me". I used to give that response to my Mum and I always got the 'I'm not angry I'm disappointed face' starring back at me. We are lucky we have chickens to give the food to which makes it feel slightly better but seriously! How much perfectly good food that the kids could have eaten do the chickens need? They are the best fed chickens around. All I can say is at least the chickens are eating all their food groups right?!

I love the "I did eat something"... to which I respond, Eating the treat i put in there doesn't count! I tried the you don't get any treats until you eat your 'real' food thing. I tried the you only get half your lunch until you show me you even eat that thing! I tired the 'you have to eat it for afternoon tea then' thing. All of it worked... or so I thought, until I put the treat back and they are back to old tricks and the chickens are well fed once again! I don't think I am bad lunch packer but apparently others do. I think it is officially time to admit that I have the dreaded 'Lunch Box Curse'.  Now I will also admit my mum (love you mum) always packed my lunch, I'm not sure I had ever packed a lunch until I made them for other people, maybe that is the stem of my curse... thanks but no thanks mum (love you). I definitely understand why they don't want to make their own but it doesn't make them want to eat it any more if I make it and take away the hard work involved. In Fact they sneakily use their birthday money to buy tuckshop they hate what I pack so much, maybe simply because I pack it?!

As I said I hate wastage so one day when I found another lunch box full of food to throw away once again I asked very kindly... "Please go and get $10 from your room" sure enough he returned with the $10 and held his hand out to give it to me. "No, I said, you can do the honours". I opened the bin and pointed "There you go, put it in". He literally jumped "There is no way I am putting my money in the bin" ... "Go on I said"  He put it in with a look of total life destroying pain. "Does it hurt" I said. He just looked at me... "Well that is how Mum and Dad feel when we throw food away, its the same as throwing money away. "Yeh I get it" he mumbled as he dragged his feet all the way back to his room. As he walked away I felt rather chuffed and accomplished, like the lunches I pack from tomorrow onwards would be eaten. When I go and pick up the youngest school goer I mentioned this to her... she turned and looked at me with an are you serious face... so of course I start to explain as she obviously doesn't understand the concept. She talked over me and said "um no are you serious... that's just silly, now we have wasted $20! Give them money to mum and dad" and with that she turned to look back out the front windscreen and said "so how was your day? by the way I didn't eat all of my lunch either".

Ok I get the point the lunch box curse has me and it isn't letting go! The 9 year old has out smarted me and I'm not sure the 12 year old has learnt his lesson. The chickens are back to being well fed and I am left scratching my head!

Sorry to admit it but there is no advice in this post, in fact... can anyone help me cure the curse! Help! Maybe I need to hire someone to make the lunches for me or buy shares in the school tuckshop!


Chantelle x



And now for H's weigh in...

Argh I hate waste of any kind with a passion. Happily though the lunch boxes returning here are often all emptied. Maybe you need to take lessons from me lil’ sis! Tehehe kidding!! There are plenty of unfinished containers that come home here too. Though I think what helps a lot is that there is no other options for him - there is no tuckshop at daycare! Also, the staff are the ones throwing away the leftovers so I don’t feel the pain…  I’m sure once school starts things will be very different.

Browsing La Internet, I have found a few helpful tips, some genius lunch packing hacks. See the links below for some great ideas, and make sure you follow our Pinterest board “Full of Food - Kids” for plenty inspiration! 

  -  A FULL YEAR!!! worth of lunchbox ideas.

  -  Would you consider creating a lunch packing station at your place? or do you already? 

      Seems to me like it would make life a bit easier… Another set up here, and more school organising tips

  -  The lunch cooler bag we use is by SoYoung - its gorgeous, well designed and not at all tacky, if that’s important to you ;). The design we have doesn’t seem to be available, but this red scooter one looks fun. 

  -  Also just spotted these sweat free ice packs by SoYoung - how cool do they look! (Pun not intended. But I’ll take it!)

  -  And lastly, Did you know you have been cutting Apples all wrong?! 

Morning You, will thank you for it tomorrow!

There is nothing more frustrating than waking up feeling angry with past you. I don't know about you but Morning Me is the hardest one to please! Maybe you woke up feeling great until your brain kicked in and you realised all the things you need to do not to mention the mess that is waiting for you once you open your eyes and sit up. Things that you could have possibly avoided with 5 minutes (I wish haha) of shuffling before bed. Days are often hard to start, prying your eyes open most of the time I'm sure, I certainly do! I can speak from experience that sometimes at night we just want to crawl into bed and forget the day that turned to rubbish after 4pm. However, I also know that doing a couple of simple things that can make it even one dribble easier are totally worth it!

So here goes... time to be kind to Morning Me!

1 -  Choose your space -For me I spend most of my time in the kitchen so this is a very important spot to have right before I go to bed. It can be as simple as stacking the dishwasher or even placing the dishes in the sink so you can't directly see them when you walk into the kitchen in the morning. Clear benches and no random piles make a big difference to my mood in the morning. Decluttering spaces, declutters my mind. It might not be the kitchen for you but choose a place in your house that you know affects your overall mood and then focus on that. Just give yourself a time limit... spent 2 minutes clearing the bench, trust me it will help you get started in the morning.

2 - Choose another space  - If you have children the hardest thing to keep in order is their toys! The best thing I ever did was put a nice but practical large box/basket in the lounge room to throw all of the toys in when I'm on the run! You don't need to spend hours organising just for them to rip it apart before you wake up. The less time you spent tidying up the mess the less you will get frustrated when they make it. If this space doesn't suit you choose another that you know will effect morning you. 

3 - Style - I love waking up and loving the space I am in so try fluffing the pillows on the couch, straightening the rug and even putting the remote away. The lounge is another space that can create clutter. It is usually a dumping ground or an everything area for EVERYONE and I imagine you see it when you wake up! So don't let it build up, simply move the 'dumped' items to a space that you dont stare at when relaxing with your coffee and whatever else pleases morning you.

4 - Mind and Body - Yoga does wonders, if you already practice it you will know what I am talking about but if you don't.... give it a go. It really is wonderful for your body and your mind. Many people preach the benefits and they are right! Now I have to admit I am the person who says "I don't have time to excersise" ... of course I do, I just choose to eat pasta and have a wine to please whichever me is most frustrated with the day. I do however enjoy practicing some minor poses at home to help my mind and body relax when I need it.  Check out more on the benefits of the shoulder stand (my go to) at http://www.elephantjournal.com/2012/08/ten-reasons-to-do-a-shoulder-stand-every-day-marcus-julian-felicetti/

5 - Past and Future you - Be kind to yourself, sometimes we don't achieve everything, sometimes we dont achieve anything but.. hey, don't worry you are not the only one! Get a piece of paper or just the paper you wrote your to do list on (dont use your phone to do this before bed http://ikeepsafe.org/be-a-pro/balance/no-screen-time-before-bed/) . If you don't have a to do list ... make one. Put everything in your head down on paper before you want to go to sleep. Leave it beside your bed so you can add to it when you remember something new. Don't leave your mind thinking and telling yourself to remember something in the morning or you will never get a good sleep. If you didn't achieve something today put it on the list for tomorrow. If you really want to achieve it tomorrow put the words "I will" before it, the power of those two words will astound you. This to me is the most important, be ready to tackle your day tomorrow, be kind to yourself and assess your day to get the most out of the next one.

Its not hard to do and I know it works for me. I am a very organised person and find it hard to wind down if I didn't achieve my goals for the day, so these little tricks have become my best friend. It may not bring Morning you joy to fluff your pillows, maybe sleep does that .. in that case do that and forget what I said!!! But if you wake up in the morning angry at past you for not making Morning you happy then you know where to turn! 

And now for H's weigh in....

As much as my night time, already-half-asleep Me hates to say it, the lady is right! A little bit of something - for me usually tidying the lounge room - before bed helps Me feel a lot better not just in the morning; as its the first thing I see outside my bedroom door, but even the night of, helping me to relax a whole lot more with a little less clutter. A little habit I try to practice (though trust me, I regularly find excuses not to) is something a wise woman once told me (ok, it was my Mum. Thank heavens for mums right?) was the 15 minute tidy - for just 15 minutes at the end of the day tidy up as much as you can - its super duper effective. Oh and Yoga? Yes. A billion times yes. I don't know how I live without it, but sometimes I do and it is a silly, silly move, let me tell you! 

Love Chantelle and Hayley xx