Hiring A Nanny

So, you've come to decision the that you want to hire a nanny. If this is your very first time; hiring a nanny can seem like a daunting task. There are so many questions and concerns! Do you find her or him on the internet? Should you do a background check yourself or hire an agency instead? How do you truly know if this person can in fact take care of your children?

Let yourself breathe, hiring a nanny can be much easier than it seems. If you follow the following guideline you'll find yourself with a great nanny that is a perfect fit for your family.

This is one of the most important questions you have to ask yourself before you can even begin the process of finding a nanny.

Take a piece of paper and answer the following questions:

1. Would you like a live-in nanny (full time) or a part time nanny (non-live in)?

2. Would you like your nanny to have any special skills (be bilingual, have experience with disabled children, able to help with homework, etc)?

3. Are there any special circumstances you'd like your nanny to be comfortable with (including working at home parents, odd hours or weekends only)?

4. What expectations do you have of your nanny that pertain to the child/children(making meals for the children, helping with homework, etc)?

5. What kind of pay system would you like to use? Per hour? Per month? Per day? Please look up professional nanny ads and costs in order to get a valid estimate of what is being paid in average for a quality nanny in your area.

All of these questions are vital to you knowing just what kind of nanny you want. It is good to point out at this moment that a good nanny will focus on your children and your children's environment solely (their play area, meal time, potty training, etc). It is therefore recommend you do not expect your nanny to double as a maid. Most high quality nannies find it offensive to be asked to do the families laundry, scrub floors, wash more than the childrens dishes, etc.

You have several options when looking for a nanny. Since you now know just what type of nanny you would like and just how specific you want to be, the following suggestions will make the process a breeze:

1. Friends and Family

Friends and family can be a great resource because there is a security in knowing trustworthy people have already received services from the nanny you may possibly hire. Ask your network of friends and family if they know of a good nanny who is available. Just make sure that she/he can actually fill your expectations on what you specifically need. If not, don't feel bad that you can't hire them! Explore your options.

2. Online

There are so many excellent resources in finding a high quality experienced nanny online. In fact, I met an amazing family which I worked for through the internet. The following sites below are ones which I have used myself and know several families recommend as well:

2. A Nanny Agency

While some parents feel comfortable going through online websites and doing the interviewing and background checking themselves, others feel more secure going through a nanny agency. Nanny agencies typically require fees for joining and their workload (screening, interviewing, etc). Here are several options of nanny agencies that can be contacted online:

save

If you are doing what many parents do and hiring the nanny without the aid of an agency, the following will help you a lot:

1. The Interview

Interviewing your top ten candidates is a good place to start. Ten may seem like a large number but you will be surprised by the number of nanny candidates that you will find on your search for a great nanny.

Make a list of questions you want to ask your possible nanny to be. Some good starting points are:

Why did you decide to become a nanny?

How long have you been a nanny?

Do you have emergency training? CPR? Child CPR?

Why are you looking for a new nanny job?

How do you discipline children?

What would you do on a daily basis with my children?

Remember, these are essential questions but every families needs are different so please take the time to think of more questions pertaining to your particular situation and expectations.

2. References

Once you have found a nanny that fits well with your family and expectations, checking her/his references is the next step. It is essential that you not only check written references but phone references as well.

Ask for at least 3 phone references that are current. You can get as many written references as you'd like but remember, it is much more important to be able to speak to families/employers/agencies instead of simply relying on written references.

3. Background Checking

One of the most important parts of hiring a nanny is making sure that their background is clean! The safety of your children is in fact first. If you are going through an agency, they will take care of this.

If you are doing the hiring process yourself, it can actually be very reassuring to do the background check at your own home.  Here are several resources which are excellent and low cost.

4.. The Trial Run

It is recommended that you have a trial run in which both you and the nanny have agreed to see if it works out. A week is a good amount of time to know if your nanny and family are a match. Remember not too be too critical and look for absolute perfection but don't be too leaniant either!

Most importantly, is to see if your nanny and children get along. Take note of how they handle security issues, discipline issues and if they interact with your children.

4. The Written Contract

If your potential nanny's background has checked out and your trial run was smooth sailing, the next step is making sure to have a concrete written contract which you both will sign. This allows there to be a sense of employer and employee relationship to be established.

Now that you know your nanny is right and have checked her/his background; enjoy the benefits of having a nanny! Many families are happy to have hired a nanny and will find that it can make life much easier and relieve stress on the entire family.