How to Find the Best Nanny for You and Your Children
Entrusting the care of your children to someone else is difficult enough, and finding a worthy candidate is even more difficult. Here’s what you need to do to finally find a reliable nanny.
Write down your babysitting needs
You think your needs are simple, don’t you? You need someone to make sure your kids don’t die and / or write on the walls while you’re away. But there is one more thing – do they need a car? How often will you need them? Writing what you want from a nanny will help you figure out what you need in a nanny and narrow down your pool of candidates later. As you list, evaluate which qualities are critical and which ones can be dispensed with.
Here are a few things to consider when making your list:
- Costs. Childcare is expensive, so if the candidate is pushing your budget too much, move on to someone else. It’s not good – you don’t want to spare money when it comes to your kids – but with enough effort, you can find a quality caregiver in your price range.
- Availability. Think about how often you will need them (daily? Weekly?) And how many hours will you need them (only in the afternoon? At night?). You also need to know what their schedule is, in case you ever need them on a short notice.
- Possible responsibilities. Will they be transporting your children and therefore should they have a driver’s license and / or a car? Do they prepare dinner for your children? Their tutoring? Should they be okay with your pets? What skills would they like to have, and which ones do you absolutely need?
- Specialty. Know if you need a specialist in a specific area, such as caring for a toddler or child with a disability.
- Past work. You should ask them about their work experience and past clients. Ask them for recommendations and give them a call. You can also perform background checks by contacting the nearest police station or through a private company such as BeenVerified or US Search . If you go through a private company, you will usually spend between $ 20 and $ 50. Routine background checks include social security number checks, searches in the national criminal database and the National Sexual Offenders Registry. This is especially important if you did not know the person before you hired him (for example, a neighbor’s child whom you have known all your life).
- Safety. You probably need someone with certifications in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first aid, especially if they are going to be very active with your kids.
- Their ideas for engaging your kids. Ask them how they would spend their time with your children. Do they just spank them in front of the TV? Or do they have plans for entertainment or educational activities?
You can also create a list of interview questions based on these qualities. Cafe Mom has a few tips you can use to learn more about your potential sitter’s work style and personality:
- “Tell me about a time when personal circumstances or situations have influenced or could have influenced your work. What happened and how did you deal with it? »Use this question to determine who is taking responsibility for their situation or shifting the blame onto others. Studying your potential nanny’s personality will help you decide what kind of person will surround your children.
- “What does a family owe to their caregiver?” A direct way to find out what they expect of you and decide if you are comfortable meeting those expectations.
- “Tell me what you have achieved, what you are proud of.” You will learn more about what drives this person. Your kids may eventually learn important life lessons by talking to their caregiver – make sure they have a great role model.
- “What would you do if you were locked out of my house without your keys, your phone – and my children were inside?” These questions give you the opportunity to test their instinctive responses and their ability to keep your children safe, even in a hypothetical scenario.
Of course, you don’t have to use the above questions exactly. Use all of the above as a starting point to define your own criteria and questions for babysitting.
Find a sitter using trusted sources
Then it’s time to start searching. Obviously, you should choose your own circle to get referrals from friends, family, and other social groups such as your church or neighbors. You might also consider starting a parental co-op with friends.
If you don’t have anyone to turn to for recommendations (or don’t like the ones they recommended), check out sites that provide detailed information on sitters, such as Care.com or SitterCity . If you need someone to be your local guardian, try Au Pair in America .
You can also ask people who used to take care of your children – camp counselors or after-school program assistants – if they are available for private concerts. If you can find someone this way, you win. You know they can be trusted and they know your kids and what they like. However, remember that just because you know someone does not mean that you shouldn’t go through your quality checklist.
Once you have a list of potential sitters, you can begin the selection process. Don’t wait for one person to contact you before moving on to viewing the next, try to reach as many people as possible so that you have a complete list of acceptable helpers.
Check your candidates carefully
Trusting your kids in someone else is not an easy decision, so expect to devote many hours to the search. Before you begin interviewing candidates, estimate how long your interview will take. By standardizing the process, you will know how many steps you have for each person and how much time you will spend reviewing.
DudeMom has great tips for the various steps in the process:
- Interview each candidate. If you don’t have time for a few face-to-face interviews, try making phone screens first. You can do this during your lunch breaks at work, on the road, or during naps for your kids.
- Really name the links they provide you with. It’s worth the extra time.
- Hire a spare. Your thorough review process means you have a great second choice.
- Do a test run before committing. You will be able to see how they interact with your children before you choose a longer-term position.
After the test run, you should also talk to your kids about how they liked babysitting (assuming your kids are old enough to talk). You may need to be skeptical about their reviews, but they can also have valuable insight into how well a nanny is.
Develop a strong relationship with the caregiver
When your nanny starts, be sure to write down any rules or expectations you have for her. The clearer you can be, the better for everyone – you get the level of service you need, and the nanny knows exactly what they need to do for a flawless job.
You might be tempted to pay the nanny for his time and kick him out the door every night, but you should make an effort to get to know them. Chat with them for a few minutes when they arrive, and quickly check in with them before they leave. You will learn how your kids are in relationships with other people, and it will strengthen your relationship with the nanny (and hey, maybe the next time you get stuck, they will change their plans to help their beloved client).
Finding a caregiver is not a pleasant experience, and you probably don’t want to do it again anytime soon. But check once a year if your nanny is right for your family. If your or their circumstances have changed – for example, your children are older and need someone to help them with their homework, or your nanny moves too far to be easily accessible – they may no longer be suitable for the job.