You deserve a break… and to find someone you can trust to watch over your children. You want to ensure you leave our infant in good hands, and that means finding the best nanny for the job. Knowing how to select one involves more in-depth research than simply hiring a local high schooler. Here are some of the most important dos and don’ts of the process that ensures you can rest easy knowing your child is safe.
Do Know What You Need Beforehand
Your nanny search will be more fruitful if you know precisely what you need out of a nanny ahead of time. Do you just need someone to look after your child once a night every couple of weeks? Do you need a nanny who can be around eight hours at a time with possible night and weekend work? You also want to make sure your nanny is fully vaccinated, especially against the flu, and is certified to perform CPR. When you keep all of this in mind, you know what kinds of questions to ask later.
Don’t Make It a Standard Job Interview
You need to meet with all the applicants face-to-face first. You may look up interview questions online, but the truth is that a lot of these questions will not help you ascertain the best fit for the job. For example, asking your nanny, “Where do you see yourself in five years?” tells you nothing. Instead, you should present your nanny with certain scenarios that may pop up over the course of work. You would be better off asking, “What would you do if you made lunch for my child and she refused to eat it?” This gives you a much clearer picture of the nanny.
Do Check References
After reviewing the applicants’ resumes, you should have a good feel for where they have worked in the past. It is recommended to also ask for a list of references. This should be a list of two or three people who can attest to the nanny’s skills and experiences. You can call or email these people. You want to go over what you learned in the interview to ensure everything mentioned is accurate. It is also vital to try to learn whether the people had any issues with the nanny. These people will more likely to be honest with you.
Don’t Overlook the Cost
Hiring a nanny will not be free. You need to be ready to provide a good hourly wage to your nanny, so you need to budget all of your expenses accordingly. You also need to offer to pay for transportation costs in case the nanny needs to drive anywhere. You can attract great nannies in your area by offering healthcare insurance, too. If you are able to do so, then you may want to consider having a live-in nanny. You can pay the nanny slightly less due to the free room and board. Ultimately, you just need to make sure you can afford a nanny in the first place.
Do Go Through a Trial Run
Before you officially hire the nanny, you should put him or her through a trial run first. You can schedule a day when the nanny will look over your child, and you will supervise. You should pay attention to how the nanny reacts when the child wants a diaper change or food. Some parents take this a step further. You can set up a few cameras around your house to monitor the nanny while you are away. Without your presence, the nanny may behave differently around the child. This can last for one day or several weeks. It ultimately depends on how long you need to feel comfortably with the nanny alone with your child. Eventually, you will want to tell the nanny about the cameras to help build trust.
Hiring a nanny can be a long, arduous process. However, when it comes to the well-being of your child, you want to make sure you have the best person possible in your home. Now that you know how to select a nanny, you are ready to post that job listing.
