11 Sep 7 Things To Keep In Mind When Hiring A Nanny (recommended read!)
You’ve decided to get professional help with the childcare duties in your home – that’s great!
Having a nanny makes everyone’s lives easier, but only if she is the right nanny for your family.
We’ve got some guidelines for you to help choose the best person for the job, the right person who will fit into your home like the proverbial hand in a velvet glove. We are the experts at selecting candidates for families of all kinds, so let us offer a little advice and you’ll avoid a whole lot of potential problems later!
1. Use an agency
We are devoted to pairing nannies with families. It’s what we do, what we live for; we are experienced and very good at it. That’s not boasting, that’s fact, and using an agency will screen out all the worries and vagueness of just finding someone through a friend, through the Internet or — heaven forbid — finding someone at the park because you’re desperate. That person may be just lovely, but them being the right nanny for you is a long shot if all the background work hasn’t been done. We do all the leg work for you, and only bring forth names we think would suit your family to a tee.
2. Once you settle on a candidate, look at their relevant childcare background
Again, they may be the nicest person in the world, but if they haven’t worked with children before, you’re taking your chances. Our nannies are experienced with diverse, multi-profile families, and we can choose just the right fit. And of course they offer references.
3. Ask yourself: does she fit our particular needs?
For example, you may want a nanny who speaks two languages, because you and your spouse want your children to. Be sure to ask, and if that’s a “must have,” don’t settle for a nanny who doesn’t.
4. We ensure all nannies are legal
This is delicate, but families sometimes find themselves employing someone whose paperwork is not in order. Don’t take that chance. We only offer choices who are fully documented or born in America.
5. Check their education
We do this for you, of course, but you may decide that you want a nanny with a degree or diploma in child development, nutrition, or the arts. If you put this on your list for us, you will meet only the nannies who qualify with that educational background.
6. When the time comes to interview, interview them thoroughly
We do the advance work, of course, but ultimately you will be interviewing the candidates we offer. Decide how, when and where you want to sit down with a potential nanny, and for how long. Prepare a list of relevant questions because — trust us on this — if you don’t, you’ll forget to ask something! Spending two, three or even four hours with the person you may be inviting to live in your home, and care for your children, is not at all unusual. After all, this is one of the single, biggest and most important decisions you will make about your family. Why would you rush?
And don’t let your “gut instinct” do all the talking. Keep the qualifications you asked for uppermost in mind, and try to make a logical decision as well as an emotional one. Balance the two; who you think your children will like and trust, and what you need your nanny to provide. The two demands can come in one candidate, if not the first one you meet, then soon. Never rush this choice, or you may regret it later.
7. Let us schedule an “interactive” day with your family
This is something we encourage, because it’s vital that your family “clicks” with the candidate you choose. Maybe an hour or two at home, so you can watch her meet and chat with your child, and see if and how they respond to her. Children have amazing instincts, as we all know, and you will be able to tell fairly quickly how your child feels and thinks about her. Of course you shouldn’t let your child meet any potential newcomer into your home until you do first, so be sure you spend time with her ahead of any meeting with them. We want parents to make the choice, then introduce the new nanny into the family, not the other way around!
These are some of the most relevant and important factors to keep in mind when you are interviewing a nanny. We do a lot of the legwork for you in advance, of course, such as her education and other details. How will she respond in an emergency? Does she have CPR and First Aid training? How is she at math homework? Will she foster your child’s love of horseback riding, or soccer? Is she good at crafts and science homework?
It’s these little things that mean so much, and will help make your nanny a wonderful fit, a marvelous member of your family for years to come. Someone you can count on to be there, when you’re not but when you are, too. Someone your child will love, trust, play with, share crucial moments with, and consider, ultimately, a friend and advocate. That’s what professional nannies do, and we have a wide selection of them waiting for you to meet.
No matter what you’re hoping for in the person you invite into your home, we will find the right nanny for you. It’s what we do, and if we may say, what we live for at Elite Nannies. Because bringing families together with the perfect nanny is our mission, and our joy.