All around the world, and in Britain also, governess jobs tend to be focused on the education, behavior, and general upbringing of children. However, a new governess job can come in many shapes and sizes. Here we will discuss a bit, what you should do when you start your job as a London governess.
As a governess, you will often be responsible for arranging the child’s leisure or sporting activities or taking them on educational visits to museums and galleries. In addition, when you are passionate about the sport, that is also a huge bonus for you, since all the parents yearn for their child to be fit and healthy.
Establish Ground Rules And Schedule
When coming into a new job, you will need to get familiar with how family functions in the first place. When you get to know their schedule, needs, and activities, it will be much easier for you to set rules of your own. Make sure to try and establish a set time when you will be able to sit down with the family, and have a good twenty-minute or so discussion about the kids’ schedule.
One of the greatest tips we can provide when you finally have “the talk” is that you focus that in order to do your job to the best of your ability you need to understand their timetable. They need to know that you will provide better care and services when you are well informed about when they have school, homework, extra-curricular activities, and similar.
Besides thorough planning of the activities, this is also a good opportunity to find out about any house rules, both for the parents and the kids, to make sure that everything goes smoothly and the way the parents expect.
Get Creative – Both Parents And Kids Will Love That
There are tons of ways how you can show your creativity. From multitasking to simply painting and drawing, parents will appreciate your effort and that will give them something tangible that they can see. Basically, of course, they want the best for their children, that is why they hired a governess agency after all. However, having fun is still very important, both for them and for the children.
You can:
Play sports outside of the house or in the park recreationally
Practice drawing and painting
Teaching any foreign language
If you are into tech teach them about creating videos, etc.
Playing sports is a huge plus, even if they are not professional practices. When kids are playing sports, they are keeping their physical and mental health stable and they are also developing a team spirit.
Practicing drawing and painting can boost their creativity level, and also it can help them in gaining confidence. For example, when they are finished creating a drawing or a painting, you can put their “ work of art” on display. They will feel appreciated, and the parents will be proud and satisfied.
As a governess, when you are applying to any of the UK governess agencies, they will often ask you if you know any other language besides English. Sure, it is not a must, but it is nice to know a language and that will definitely put you on the spot when parents are choosing a governess for their kid.
Speaking of activities that are not a must, but they are pretty awesome if you want to become a great British governess, if you are into tech you can teach them a bit about creating videos. Children will have fun and the parents will absolutely love it!
Write Reports For The Parents And Yourself
Ok, we are aware that this sounds a bit boring, but in order to become great at something, you will agree that you need to do a bit of the boring stuff too. Besides becoming great in the process, it is also another great way to show your organizational skills, professionalism, and seriousness about your job. Whether they are short daily reports or weekly summaries, doing this without the parents’ suggestion is one of the greatest ways to impress them.
A weekly report is much more challenging, so we will suggest a couple of tips here. For example, you can cover what you have worked on with the kids over the last week in different fields and what did you do in their free time. In addition, it is desirable for the parents also to check out the behavior notes or improvements. This is also one of the great ways to prevent any potential behavior issues that can make your life difficult later.
Be Cheerful And Positive
Last but not the list, do your best to be smiled and positive. It sounds like a cliche, and maybe a bit like toxic positivity, but no one likes a person who frowns a lot and has a low energy vibe all the time. Don’t get us wrong, that is not bad or anything, but for this job, you really need to be a people person in order to thrive in it.
This is indeed a simple tip, but it is really essential for you. No parent wants their child to be educated by somebody who is grumpy and miserable all the time. You need to make yourself a positive and active individual. Also, not to forget, you really need to be fun to be around for both the kids and other household staff.
If you convince the parents to understand that you will bring good energy to the house and keep their kids engaged and smiling, you will immediately take a huge leap in the right direction. Smile and the world will be indeed a more beautiful place for you and the kid you are looking after.
To Conclude
In the end, let’s not forget that promoting good manners and behavior is also essential. Your English needs to be almost perfect, as many international families like their children to learn the language free from any accent.
In the end, don’t forget that put all your qualities on display, when you are registering in some of the UK governess agencies. Make sure to register as someone who has a teaching background or higher childcare education and a minimum of three years’ professional childcare or teaching experience is also desirable. Sell yourself the best way possible, that is not a bad thing to say, we simply advise you to promote your values as we are 100% sure you will be a perfect London governess.
