Nanny Training Spices up the Far South and Atlantic Seaboard
Sugar and Spice Nanny Training are now offering domestic worker “nanny training” workshops on the Atlantic Seaboard and Noordhoek The nanny training workshops are designed for domestic workers and equip them with the essential knowledge they need to take care of and stimulate babies, toddlers and young children in a loving and safe environment.
“We have been running our nanny training course for more than 7 years. We initially trained in the client’s homes, but found that group training is far more effective as the delegates get to interact and support each other through the course. We set up a training centre at the Lady Buxton centre in Claremont in October 2004.
In the last couple of months, the demand from mothers in Camps Bay and Seapoint as well as the Noordhoek area has soared which encouraged me to set up nanny training workshops these areas, explains Kirsten McIntosh excitedly. Kirsten is the owner and trainer at Sugar and Spice, a mother of 3 and guardian to a fourth.
The nanny training courses are intended for domestic workers caring for young children, especially those that are employed by moms who are going back to work. “Most mothers find the transition of moving back to work challenging and daunting, especially with the thought of leaving their child at home to be reared by someone else other than them” explains Kirsten. The workshop is designed to give these mothers a certain peace of mind, knowing that their children are in capable and confident hands.
Our course is the only Nanny Training Course fully endorsed by Baby Sense in South Africa and the material is reviewed regularly by a range of experts and mothers. A fundamental element of the new programme is opening communication between the employer and the nanny and this has been incredibly well received both by the mothers and the nannies, with the baby being the person who benefits most.
Most of the nannies that attend our course are mothers themselves so they do have child rearing and nurturing skills. It’s more the cultural differences in child rearing and communication styles that pose a challenge at times. A common example is the importance of following a routine so the child has allocated play, sleep and feeding times. Another example is safety and childproofing the home, given that many domestic workers do not live in homes that have the same number of dangers as their employer’s homes.
The course is based on the principle of whole child development. This covers the intellectual, emotional, social and physical wellbeing of the young child.
The nanny training runs over 4 weeks (3 hours once a week) and the content includes the following: the importance of play and understanding routines; First Aid practise including mouth to mouth and CPR, both for infants and young children (taught by a registered First Aid trainer); nutrition, menu planning, hygiene, avoiding the transmission of HIV and TB; awareness of child safety, child proofing procedures and lastly age appropriate stimulation activities and games which includes the importance of Reading Books and Learning through Music.
The content was developed by a pre school teacher. “We have enhanced this with the input of mothers to make sure that everything we teach is practical and current - while keeping it fresh and simple so the domestic workers understand the content despite the language barrier,” assures Kirsten.
Sugar & Spice Nanny training offers courses in Claremont, Greenpoint and Noordhoek as well as in Gauteng. Dates and training schedules are available on the website - www.nannytraining.co.za. Moms can easily register their nannies online to secure a place immediately. Please call Kirsten on 083 4060028 or email kmcintosh@telkomsa.net if you wish to send your nanny to Sugar and Spice Nanny Training .
05 August 2009 | 
