The First 30 Days · Playbook & Toolkit
Your helper starts Monday. Here’s exactly what to do for the next thirty days.
A week-by-week Playbook and 13 fill-in tools for working parents welcoming live-in help for the first time. Clear expectations from day one, feedback that doesn’t feel awkward, and a calm decision at the end of the month.
One-time purchase · Instant PDF download · Works however you found your helper
Sound familiar?
You run meetings, budgets and a family. Nobody taught you this part.
Hiring live-in help for the first time is its own skill. The first month is when habits form on both sides, and most of the questions arrive at 10pm, with no one to ask.
The Playbook answers them before they turn into second-guessing, quiet resentment, or starting the search all over again.
- Day 2“Is this normal, or is it a problem?”
- Day 6“Did I actually explain that, or did I just assume?”
- Day 12“How do I correct this without it getting awkward?”
- Day 24“It’s nearly a month. Are we keeping her?”
How the Playbook works
One month, mapped week by week.
It starts the moment your helper says yes, and walks you through each week so you always know what to do next.
Before day 1
Prepare
Get the room, the paperwork and your house rules ready before she arrives.
Days 1–7
Arrive
A warm welcome, a clear walk-through, and what to show now versus later.
Days 8–14
Settle
Daily routines and house rules, written down so nobody has to guess.
Days 15–21
Adjust
The first real check-in. What’s working, what isn’t, and how to say it.
Days 22–30
Decide
Score the month on facts and decide with confidence, whichever way it goes.
What’s inside
A Playbook to follow. Tools to fill in. The words for the hard bits.
The week-by-week Playbook
Exactly what to do from the day your helper arrives to the end of the first month, so you’re never guessing whether something is fine or a real problem.
Trial Agreement
The terms of the first month on paper, so you both know what “trial” actually means.
House Manual
How your home runs, written once, so you’re not repeating yourself every morning.
Feedback Scripts
Word-for-word language for giving direction, addressing mistakes and setting boundaries kindly.
Decision Scorecard
A clear way to judge the first month on what happened, not on how you feel at the end of a long day.
Nine more templates and checklists
Ready to print or fill in on screen. Thirteen tools in all, each one built for a specific moment in the month.
By day thirty
You’ll know where you stand.
It’s in writing
Hours, days off, house rules and expectations are written down and agreed, not just “talked about.”
Feedback feels normal
A short weekly check-in replaces the awkward conversation you keep putting off.
You decide calmly
Keep, adjust or part kindly. Whichever it is, you’ll have the facts to back it.
Is it right for you?
Written for first-time employers of live-in help.
It’s for you if
- This is your first time employing a live-in nanny or household helper
- You and your partner both work, and you need the house to run while you’re out
- You found your helper through an agency, a referral or on your own
- She starts soon, or has only just started
It’s not for you if
- You’re hiring an hourly or live-out babysitter
- You need legal, visa or contract advice for your country. The Playbook works anywhere, alongside your local rules.
Who wrote it
“It’s everything I wish first-time employers were handed on day one.”
I grew up in a home where household help was part of everyday life. My parents raised me, and the people who worked alongside them helped our home run. Today, as a working parent, I employ three household staff of my own.
Along the way I’ve learned what makes the relationship work, and what quietly breaks it. Most of it comes down to things nobody tells you: how to set expectations in the first week, how to give feedback without the awkwardness, and how to build routines that hold up when you’re both at work.
Alexandra
The First 30 Days
Playbook & Toolkit
- The week-by-week Playbook, from offer accepted to day thirty
- 13 fill-in tools, including the Trial Agreement, House Manual and Decision Scorecard
- Word-for-word Feedback Scripts for the hard conversations
- Instant PDF download, yours to keep
$127One time
Get the PlaybookPlacement agencies often charge 10–20% of a year’s salary. Getting the first month right is the simplest way to protect that investment, and your peace of mind.
Questions
Before you buy.
Is this a one-time purchase?
Yes. You pay once and keep the Playbook and all 13 tools for good. No subscription, no surprise charges.
What format is it in?
Downloadable PDFs, available straight after purchase. Print them or fill them in on screen, whichever suits your household.
My helper has already started. Is it too late?
Not at all. The Playbook is organised by week, so you can start from the week you’re in and use the tools you haven’t set up yet.
Does it work if my helper came through an agency?
Yes. The Playbook starts from the moment your helper accepts the offer, however you found them: an agency, a referral or on your own.
Is it specific to one country?
No. It covers how to run the first month well, wherever you live. It doesn’t replace local employment or visa advice, so check those rules where you are.
How is this different from the free Red-Flags Checklist?
The checklist helps you before you hire. The Playbook picks up once she’s said yes, and takes you through the first month.
Monday’s coming. You’ve got this.
Thirty days of clear next steps, the tools to write it all down, and the words for every conversation in between.
Get the Playbook $127One-time purchase · Instant PDF download
