Structure day with Nanny - social distancing

[Anonymous]

We are new to having a nanny. Can you recommend a structured schedule for a 4 yr old with nanny while social distancing?

Pre-covid there were plenty of activities to do outside the house to break it up. Now, especially on cold/rainy days, we are struggling and it’s a free for all.

[Anonymous]

Your nanny should have one in place already. Have you asked her?

[Anonymous]

It shouldn’t be cold and rainy again at the same time I wouldn’t think. Having said that I think twice outside each day is good. One walk and then either another walk or play basketball, drive to an empty lot to ride bikes, scooters whatever. Depending on how many hours she is working: activity indoors, walk, lunch, activity indoors, walk, screen time if you are ok with that. Activities can be imaginative play, puzzles, building, magnatiles, making cookies, independent play, reading books. I don’t think he should be entertained all day long so at least 30 mins in there somewhere of him amusing himself.

[Anonymous]

Above PP again. I said screen time if she is working all day 5 days a week. Gives everyone a break. If she’s only working PT I don’t think she should do screen time.

[Anonymous]

8:30 - Arrive - free play for an hour
9:30 - Go for a walk and do an errand or two. Include a playground if possible
11 - 12 - Science time! Talk about weather, nature, flowers, etc.
12 - free play while lunch is prepped
12:15 Lunch and cleanup
1pm - reading and nap time/quiet time
2:30 - free play or art project time
3pm - Outdoor time. Bubbles, sidewalk chalk, whatever
4pm - Reading
4:30 - Cleanup anything still messy, then play

[Anonymous]

My 4 year olds are doing a lot of free play (they rotate through various play spaces in the house) and they go out for long walks whenever the weather allows. Playing outside in the backyard too. They have a couple of 20 min Zoom playdates per week (church, preschool) and could be doing more free FB activities, etc., but our nanny's not super tech savvy. We also print out some worksheets for letter tracing, etc. as they like to do "homework" in the afternoons. There isn't a ton of structure or variety, but they seem to be doing pretty well with it, all things considered.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
8:30 - Arrive - free play for an hour
9:30 - Go for a walk and do an errand or two. Include a playground if possible
11 - 12 - Science time! Talk about weather, nature, flowers, etc.
12 - free play while lunch is prepped
12:15 Lunch and cleanup
1pm - reading and nap time/quiet time
2:30 - free play or art project time
3pm - Outdoor time. Bubbles, sidewalk chalk, whatever
4pm - Reading
4:30 - Cleanup anything still messy, then play

Playgrounds are closed and do you really want to take a 4yo into a store right now on an errand?

[Anonymous]

Isn’t it the nanny’s job to structure the day?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Isn’t it the nanny’s job to structure the day?

Yes. Our nanny has our DS on a great schedule. He’s younger than OP’s child but she has his day broken into loose segments. Morning play outside where she rotated days of water play, playdough and painting, “sensory trucks” (nanny’s term - it just means playing trucks in a bin of flour mixed with baby oil or a bin of dried beans), gardening day, kinetic sand play, coloring murals, making percussion instruments, etc. Then his lunch. Reading for about a half hour before nap. Inside play after nap. Music and dancing before she goes home at 4:30.

It’s really great. He loves knowing what he’s going to be doing next and learns so much from his nanny. And he sleeps so much better during the week than on weekends with us!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
8:30 - Arrive - free play for an hour
9:30 - Go for a walk and do an errand or two. Include a playground if possible
11 - 12 - Science time! Talk about weather, nature, flowers, etc.
12 - free play while lunch is prepped
12:15 Lunch and cleanup
1pm - reading and nap time/quiet time
2:30 - free play or art project time
3pm - Outdoor time. Bubbles, sidewalk chalk, whatever
4pm - Reading
4:30 - Cleanup anything still messy, then play

Playgrounds are closed and do you really want to take a 4yo into a store right now on an errand?

+1
My thoughts exactly.

The Nanny should not be visiting playgrounds during this pandemic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are new to having a nanny. Can you recommend a structured schedule for a 4 yr old with nanny while social distancing?

Pre-covid there were plenty of activities to do outside the house to break it up. Now, especially on cold/rainy days, we are struggling and it’s a free for all.

If you want to keep this nanny the you will ASK HER what she plans to do. Otherwise, she is not going to put up with your control issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Isn’t it the nanny’s job to structure the day?

Yes. Our nanny has our DS on a great schedule. He’s younger than OP’s child but she has his day broken into loose segments. Morning play outside where she rotated days of water play, playdough and painting, “sensory trucks” (nanny’s term - it just means playing trucks in a bin of flour mixed with baby oil or a bin of dried beans), gardening day, kinetic sand play, coloring murals, making percussion instruments, etc. Then his lunch. Reading for about a half hour before nap. Inside play after nap. Music and dancing before she goes home at 4:30.

It’s really great. He loves knowing what he’s going to be doing next and learns so much from his nanny. And he sleeps so much better during the week than on weekends with us!

This kind of schedule is what you need to ask your nanny to create. It’s better for the child to have a loose structure. If your nanny doesn’t have one, absolutely suggest she adopt one.