Mom’s Helper: Training Guide

Mom's Helper is a service where you go to a customer's home and help a parent with their children and with chores. It is not a nanny job. The parent, or someone they choose, stays at home with you for the whole booking. Your job is to support them, not to look after the children on your own.

👩‍👩‍👦 What Mom's Helper is

A Mom's Helper booking is for a busy parent who is at home with the kids. They have more to do than they can manage alone. You go to their home and help with the children and around the house.

The parent is at home during the whole booking. This is a rule of the service, not a choice the customer makes. You are never left alone in charge of the children.

Example: Nomsa takes a Mom's Helper booking for 4 hours. The mother is working from home that morning. Nomsa plays with the 2-year-old and folds the children's laundry. The mother stays in the house the whole time.

📝 Who can get Mom's Helper bookings

Sweepstars are chosen for Mom's Helper on these things:

• A Trust Score of 80 points or higher
• A star rating of 4.8 stars or higher
• At least 1 year at SweepSouth
• At least 1 year of nanny experience
• Passed reference checks
• Relevant childcare certifications — for example: Chilton or Nanny & Me certificate

You can see your Trust Score and your star rating in your app.

Example: Nomsa has a Trust Score of 76 points. Her star rating is 4.9 stars. She cannot take Mom's Helper bookings. Her rating is high enough, but her Trust Score is not 80 points yet.

Indoor workers are invited to apply through their Worker App under New Service Applications.

✅ How do I know a booking is a Mom's Helper booking?

Every booking has a blue label that shows the type of service. If the label says Mom's Helper, it is a Mom's Helper booking.

The booking also shows you:

• The location
• The date and time
• The hours of work, between 1 and 10 hours
• Any extra tasks the customer asked for
• The number of children who will be at the booking

Read the number of children before you accept. It helps you know what the day will look like.

✨ What do I do on the day?

There is no fixed checklist. The point of the service is to help the parent with what they need that day.

The customer can choose these tasks, and they show up in your app:

• Supervising children and infants
• Playtime
• Preparing snacks
• Organising kids rooms
• Children's laundry
• Newborn support

The customer must supply all cleaning supplies and equipment you need.

Homes with children are busy. Plans change on the day. Keep to the children's routines for sleeping, eating and playing where you can. But be ready for the day to go differently.

Example: Precious arrives for a booking with 2 children. The plan is playtime outside. It starts raining. The mother asks her to organise the kids rooms instead. Precious changes the plan and helps inside.

👕 Dress for the job

• Looking after older kids, 2 years and older: wear clothes you can be active and play in, inside or outside.
• Looking after babies: wear clothes that are comfortable and can get messy.

Always dress appropriately and respectfully.

💬 Always talk to the parent

The parent is in the house. Ask them whenever you are not sure about something. Nobody expects you to guess.

Get to know the parents and the children. Good communication builds a relationship, and it leads to repeat bookings.

⚠️ Please read: this is a guide, not training

The safety tips below are here to help you. They are not a first aid course. They are not a certificate and they are not a qualification.

Reading this guide does not make you trained in first aid. It cannot replace real first aid training. It cannot replace advice from a doctor or a nurse.

In an emergency, always phone the parent. If the parent is not available, call 10111.

😴 Safe sleep for babies

These sleep rules are for babies under 1 year old. Older children sleep in a normal bed with normal bedding.

SIDS means Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. It is when a healthy baby dies suddenly in their sleep. There is no clear reason for it. Safe sleep lowers the risk of SIDS.

Where the baby sleeps

• Always put a baby to sleep on the back. Never on the tummy. Never on the side. Babies can die when they sleep on their tummy or side.
• Keep the sleep area empty. No pillows. No loose blankets. No toys in the cot.
• Use a firm, flat mattress. Soft surfaces are dangerous for a baby.
• Use light, fitted baby clothes. No hoodies. No loose fabric.
• Do not put a bottle in the bed. A bottle in bed can cause choking. It can also cause tooth problems.
• Do not let a baby sleep in a car seat or a pram for a long time. Flat sleeping is best.
• Do not let a baby nap on you while you sit in a chair. A baby is safest in the cot.

If the baby can roll over

Some babies can roll over on their own, both ways. If the baby rolls onto her tummy by herself, you do not have to turn her back.

Always put her down on her back to start. Every sleep, every time.

Keeping the baby the right temperature

• Keep the room at a cool to moderate temperature: between 16°C and 20°C.
• To check if a baby is too hot, feel her chest or the back of her neck. If it feels hot or sweaty, take off a layer.
• Cold hands and cold feet are normal. They do not mean the baby is cold.

Blankets wrapped tightly around a baby

Some parents wrap a baby tightly in a blanket for sleep. This is called swaddling.

• Ask the parent to show you how they do it.
• A wrapped baby must always sleep on her back. Never on her tummy.
• Stop wrapping the baby once she starts to roll over.

Carrying a baby on your back

Always ask the parent first. Some parents are happy for you to carry the baby on your back. Some parents want the baby to sleep in the cot instead.

Example: Lindiwe carries babies on her back at home. She starts a Mom's Helper booking with a new family. She asks the mother first. The mother says she wants the baby in the cot. Lindiwe puts the baby in the cot, on her back. She does not carry her on her back.

While the baby sleeps

• Check the sleep area often. Make sure the baby is breathing comfortably.
• Listen for strange sounds. If the baby is struggling, check straight away.

🍼 Safe feeding

Babies and young children choke easily. They also get sick easily from unsafe food.

Before you feed a child

• Ask the parent about food allergies before you give any food. Some children are allergic to peanut butter and other foods.
• Ask about allergies before you eat your own lunch near the children too.
• Wash your hands before you make food or a bottle.
• Check the temperature of milk or food every time. Test it on the inside of your wrist first.
• Never warm a bottle in a microwave. A microwave heats milk unevenly. Parts of it stay very hot and can burn the baby's mouth, even when the wrist test feels fine. Warm the bottle in a jug of warm water instead.
• Throw away milk the baby did not finish. Do not keep it for the next feed.

While the child eats

• Sit the baby upright when feeding. This helps prevent choking.
• Cut or mash food into small, soft pieces.
• Cut round foods lengthways, not across. Grapes, cherry tomatoes, blueberries and peas must be cut into long thin pieces. A round piece is the same shape as a child's throat and can block it completely.
• Do not give nuts. Do not give hard sweets. Do not give popcorn.
• Do not give honey to a child under 1 year old. Honey is not safe for them.
• Never leave a baby or child alone while they are eating. Stay close and watch carefully.

Example: Zanele brings a peanut butter sandwich for her own lunch. She asks the mother about allergies first. The mother says the 3-year-old is allergic to peanuts. Zanele eats her sandwich outside, away from the child.

Example: Thabo is 2 years old. Precious gives him grapes. She cuts each grape the long way, into four thin pieces. A whole grape is round and can block his throat.

Signs of a bad reaction to food

Sometimes a child reacts badly to food, even when you asked about allergies. Watch for:

• Swelling of the lips, face or tongue
• A rash or red bumps spreading on the skin
• Vomiting soon after eating
• Coughing, wheezing, or trouble breathing

Stop the feeding. Call the parent immediately. If the child has trouble breathing, or the face or throat is swelling, call 10111 at the same time.

If a child has a known bad allergy, ask the parent on your first day where they keep the medicine pen for it.

🛁 Bath and water safety

Small children can drown in a very small amount of water. It happens quickly and it happens quietly.

• Never leave a baby or child alone in the bath. Not for a second. Not to answer the door. Not to fetch a towel.
• Do not leave an older child to watch a younger child in the bath.
• Take everything you need to the bathroom before the child gets in.
• Check the water with your elbow or your wrist first. It must feel warm, not hot.
• Empty the bath as soon as the child is out.
• If the home has a pool, never let a child go near it alone.

Example: Lindiwe is bathing a 1-year-old. The doorbell rings. She lifts the baby out of the bath, wraps her in a towel, and takes her along to the door. She does not leave her in the water.

🚨 Emergencies

Accidents happen quickly. Knowing what to do keeps a child safe.

The steps below are a guide, not first aid training. In a serious emergency, call 10111.

What to do in any emergency

1. Stay with the child.
2. Shout for the parent. The parent is in the house during the booking.
3. If the parent is not available, call 10111 from your cellphone and ask for help.

Do not stop helping the child to make a phone call. Shout for the parents and keep helping. If you are alone with the child, call 10111 on speakerphone so your hands are free.

Choking

A baby or child who is choking cannot cry, make a noise, cough, or breathe. You need to act fast.

If the child is coughing loudly, they are not choking. Let them cough. Stay with them and watch.

For a baby under 1 year old:

1. Hold the baby face down along your forearm. Support her head with your hand.
2. Give up to 5 firm back blows between the shoulder blades.
3. If the object does not come out, turn her face up along your other arm.
4. Put 2 fingers on the middle of her chest, just below the nipple line.
5. Push down sharply, up to 5 times.
6. Keep going. 5 back blows, then 5 chest pushes. Check her mouth each time.

Never pull on a baby's stomach. Stomach pulls are only for children over 1 year old. They can injure a baby inside.

For a child, 1 to 10 years old:

1. Give up to five back blows. Hit them firmly on the back, between the shoulder blades.
2. If the object does not come out, stand behind the child.
3. Wrap your arms around their waist.
4. Make a fist. Place it between their belly button and their chest.
5. Hold your fist with your other hand.
6. Pull inwards and upwards strongly, up to five times.
7. Check their mouth after each pull, to see if the object has come out.
8. If the object still does not come out, start again at step 1. Keep going.

If the child stops moving, or stops answering you: call 10111 immediately.

Burns

Use cool running water, not ice. Hold the burn under running water for 20 minutes.

• Take off clothing or jewellery near the burn, unless it is stuck to the skin.
• Do not put butter, oil, toothpaste or ice on a burn.
• After the 20 minutes, cover the burn loosely with cling film or a clean cloth.
• Call the parents.

If a child hits their head

• Check if the child is crying and awake. This is a good sign.
• Put a cold cloth or an ice pack on the bump. Wrap the ice pack in a cloth first.
• Tell the parent what happened, even if the child seems fine.

Call 10111 straight away if any of these happen:

• The child passes out, even for a moment
• The child vomits more than once
• The child has a fit or shakes
• Clear fluid or blood comes from the nose or ears
• The child is hard to wake up, or does not know where they are

Example: Sipho is watching 3-year-old Amahle. She falls and bumps her head. She cries straight away and stays awake. Sipho puts a cold cloth on the bump. He tells the mother what happened. He watches Amahle for the rest of the booking.

Remember

• Mom's Helper is not a nanny job. The parent stays at home during the whole booking.
• You need a Trust Score of 80 points or higher and a star rating of 4.8 stars or higher.
• Babies under 1 sleep on their back, in an empty cot, on a firm mattress.
• Ask the parent about food allergies before any food, and stay with children while they eat.
• Never leave a child alone in the bath, not even for a second.
• In an emergency, shout for the parent. If they are not available, call 10111.
• If you are not sure about anything, ask the parent.