A nanny schedule needs to show the care hours, the person responsible at each handoff, and anything that changes the usual day. Start with this weekly template and remove columns your family does not use.
Weekly nanny schedule template
| Day | Care hours | Drop-off | Pickup | Place or event | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 08:30–17:30 | Dad, 08:30 | Mum, 17:30 | Home | Library bag by the door |
| Tuesday | 09:00–18:00 | Mum, 09:00 | Grandma, 18:00 | Home | Grandma brings the car seat |
| Wednesday | 08:30–12:30 | Dad, 08:30 | Dad, 12:30 | Paediatrician, 11:00 | Bring health record |
| Thursday | 08:30–17:30 | Mum, 08:30 | Mum, 17:30 | Home | — |
| Friday | 08:30–16:00 | Dad, 08:30 | Mum, 16:00 | Music group, 10:30 | Early finish |
If care always happens at home, omit the place on ordinary days. If pickup changes often, complete that column every day.
Add a separate row when responsibility changes during the day. Do not squeeze “nanny / Grandma / nanny” into one cell: separate periods make the handoffs and counted hours reviewable.
Record responsibility, not just work hours
The nanny’s shift may not match the parents’ working day. If a grandparent covers 08:00–08:30 before the nanny arrives, record the two periods separately.
Use one care slot for each continuous period with the same caregiver. This shows the handoff and keeps paid-care totals attached to the right person.
“Nanny 08:30–17:30” also leaves transport unclear. Add the person and time for drop-off and pickup whenever someone could reasonably be unsure.
Keep events and notes specific
Add appointments, activities, nursery closures, and unusual locations to the day they affect. Keep the care slot in place so the schedule still shows who is responsible around the event.
A note should help someone carry out that day’s plan:
- “Grandma brings the car seat at pickup.”
- “Lunch is already packed.”
- “Early finish agreed for 16:00.”
Sleep, feeding, medicine, and mood belong in the baby daily log, not in the reusable weekly schedule.
Put the template into a shared calendar
In MyBabyCal, create a care slot with the nanny’s start and finish, handoff people, place, and any day-specific note.
Add the other regular caregivers and choose whose time belongs in the hour totals.
The full care chain remains visible while the totals count only the selected caregivers.
Before sharing the first version, ask the nanny to check the names, times, locations, and fixed-duration arrangements. A template becomes the working schedule only after everyone reads the fields in the same way.
Decide which notes belong elsewhere. Permanent care instructions should live in the place agreed with the nanny; passwords and financial information should not be placed in a broadly shared calendar.
Mark exceptions on the actual day
Once the normal week is entered, check for:
- travel or late work;
- a public holiday or nursery closure;
- an early appointment;
- a different pickup person;
- a split day with another caregiver;
- a fixed-duration agreement;
- nanny leave or cancellation.
Replace the normal slot on the affected day. Do not leave the usual plan visible with the correction buried in a note.
For a split day, show the precise handoff. For a cancellation, update the affected slot according to the agreement rather than leaving a shift that will not happen. For a different location, change the event or place as well as the note so it is visible before the slot is opened.
Confirm the week at a fixed time
Choose a deadline, such as Friday afternoon, for confirming the following week. Check the nanny’s start and finish each day, every handoff exception, appointments, and any gaps between caregivers.
For a same-day change, update the calendar and alert the people affected directly.
If the times change every week, keep the same fields and review routine. Consistent structure matters more than repeating hours.
Families with variable work patterns can still use a template. Treat the table as a checklist of required information, not a repeating timetable. Fill in the next confirmed week from scratch and compare it with work rotas, appointments, and known leave before sharing it.
Show breaks when they change responsibility or counted time. Apply the agreement and local rules relevant to your arrangement. For the monthly review and payroll caveat, read how to track nanny hours without rebuilding the month.
If several people share the wider plan, see how to create a shared baby calendar.
At the end of the month, the schedule should explain the total without a second spreadsheet. If it does not, correct the individual days first. A final number with no clear source is difficult for both the family and the nanny to verify.