How to Find the Right Nanny for Your Children
Times are hard nowadays, and not all parents can afford to stay at home and just take care of their children. Hiring a nanny is an option for most parents who want their children to get personalized care.
But as with any decision, this is something that must be thought through, especially if you’re a first-time or a solo parent. You don’t want to entrust your children to just anyone. Here are several ways to screen your prospective nanny to make sure you’re getting the best one for your kids.
1. Do a background check. No matter how reputable the agency you got your nanny from, it’s always best to perform your own background check. Use a credible people search site like MyLife to catch a glimpse of your potential babysitter’s character. His or her pictures and whereabouts in social media can be telling of what they are like.
Upon the initial interview, ask the prospective nanny to submit the following:
- Birth certificate and passport
- Home address
- Contact number
- References (including contact numbers and home address for each reference)
- Aliases or other names the applicant goes by or have used before
Once you have all the essential information, make some calls and home visits to verify the accuracy of details supplied to you and to check his or her performance in previous jobs. It may seem like you’re pulling a Sherlock Holmes by doing all these things, but for the safety of your children, the efforts will all be worth it.
2. Set your expectations clear. This must be done from the get go. Most nanny-employer relationships fail because the expected role of the care provider was not expressly defined from the start. So as early as the interview stage, make sure the applicant understands what his or her tasks and responsibilities are, and how much time he or she is expected to devote to this job before diving into it.
For example, if you have a younger child, you might want someone who is certified to do child CPR. Or if you’ve got no time to cook, the nanny's responsibilities might include cooking and making sure your kids are well-fed aside from looking after them. Also, discuss whether they’ll be required to stay in or live out. If they’ll be living out, decide whether you will you cover their transportation expense.
These are only a few of the things that you have to discuss clearly (along with the terms of employment and salary) to make sure you’re getting someone who is fit for the job and avoid problems in the future.
3. Cite specific scenarios and see how the prospective nanny will react. The key to effective screening is asking the right questions such as how the applicant will react to a specific situation e.g. if my child happened to get into an accident, what steps would you take?
You can also ask questions to find out his or her internal motivation like, “Why did you become a nanny?” You might also gauge how patient he or she is by asking, “How do you handle a child throwing tantrums?” Also, ask if he or she ever had a disagreement with an employer before and how it was handled. All these will give you a picture of what to expect from this person should you hire them.
4. See if the nanny will get along with your family. Now here comes the litmus test of the screening process. Observe how the nanny actually interacts with your child and other family members. Your intuitive nature as a parent will alert you whether his or her actions are sincere or not. Ask feedback from your family members as well. Whether coming from a child or an adult in the household, every opinion counts. Make sure to consider their comments during the decision-making process.
Now that you know how to screen your prospects to get the best nanny for your children, you can be at peace knowing that your little tykes will be taken care of by a person you can trust and not just a random stranger.
Other Considerations
Before totally investing in this kind of child care service, you might be wondering about the pros and cons of getting a nanny versus personally taking care of your children. While hiring a nanny is a convenience that allows you more time to handle your other responsibilities and also gives your kids a chance to bond with another adult who can have a positive include on them, it can be expensive. There is also a risk factor in making sure that you can fully trust this individual, plus the issue of what to do if your nanny calls in sick some day. On the flip side, choosing to provide full-time care for your children on your own will give you lots of time to spend with your children and help to ensure that they are receiving the care you would expect. The issue here is that many individuals simply don't have the time or the financial means to be the sole care provider for their children, especially in a single parenting situation. In this case, hiring the occasional babysitter or considering day care options could be a big help if hiring a full-time nanny is not an option.
For divorced or separated parents, the decision to hire a nanny or other care provider for your children may be more complex than just selecting the right candidate. Check in with your parenting plan and with your attorney to see if there are any special considerations in regards to child care that must be acknowledged. Also, share your plans to hire a nanny with your co-parent. Even if the nanny is only being hired to help in your home, your co-parent should still be aware of who will be caring for your children when you are not there. Finally, consider using a communication tool that gives you, your co-parent, and your nanny access to communicate and share information like your parenting schedule. This will help to assure that everyone is on the same page. Check out this article for other considerations for co-parents about hiring child care.
In many situations, hiring a nanny can be a big help, such as for parents who can't give up their careers just yet. There’s really nothing wrong with this, as long as you supervise your nanny’s moves when you can and check up on how your kid is doing. Don’t forget to follow these tips above to ensure that you’re getting a nanny who’s the best fit for your family.
Article submitted by: Tamara Elise Gordon