Hiring a Nanny

Hiring a Nanny

There are many different ways to go about choosing a nanny for your family. You can do much of the work in finding and screening candidates for the job or you can hire an agency to do the work for you. If you choose to find your own nanny, be sure to do a thorough background check including criminal and child-abuse clearance through your local police department. Ask for at least two references from previous employment and check them scrupulously. Interview each candidate thoroughly, spend time with the candidate and your children together before making your final decision, and include a trial period of a week to a month before making the arrangement permanent. To find candidates, you can advertise the position in your local papers or through your church. Word-of-mouth is also an excellent way to find candidates, so network with other working mothers whenever possible. If you decide to use an agency, be prepared to pay a large fee for the service. Choose the agency as carefully as you would choose a nanny. Find out how they screen applicants. Make sure they include a criminal and child-abuse background check in their screening. One of the benefits of using an agency is if one nanny does not work out, they can place another one in your home very quickly. Visit Nannies for Hire to find out more about hiring through an agency.

Live-in or Live-out

If your work schedule tends to be unpredictable or your hours are very long, a live-in nanny may work best for your family. You will need an extra bedroom and bath to accommodate live-in childcare. Live-in nannies usually receive free room and board as well as a weekly salary. Often, the use of the family car is a part of the arrangement. Choosing a live-in nanny is a major life decision for your family. It means you will be sharing your life with another person. A live-in nanny is more than just an employee, but becomes like another member of the family. She should be included in family outings and activities regularly. She should be made to feel welcome in your home even during the hours she is not on duty. If your work schedule is very predictable with hours rarely changing from week to week, a nanny who lives away from your home may work best for you.

Salary Considerations for Hiring a Nanny

Hiring a nanny to provide in-home child-care is an expensive endeavor. Nannies are usually paid a competitive weekly salary and receive health benefits. If you are hiring a nanny with educational or health credentials, you should be prepared to pay more. Live-in nannies receive room and board as part of their payment package. Feeding another adult full time can be quite expensive. If a nanny is included in family vacations or outings, all expenses should be paid for by her employer. Car priviledges may be another expense. Many nannies are given the use of a car during their employment and the employer is responsible for car insurance and upkeep. In order to determine salary ranges in your area, check to see what local agencies are paying. If you know a family who employs a nanny, ask them what they are paying. When it comes to the care of your children it is best to remember the adage: you get what you pay for.

Work Schedule

In order to have a successful relationship with your nanny, it is essential to have a very specific, agreed-upon work schedule. Nannies should have set hours each week so they can plan their free-time accordingly. There should be a predetermined number of hours that the nanny is expected to work each week. Any hours over that number should be negotiated with the nanny and should receive extra payment. Although some nannies do work evening hours, you should not expect your nanny to take over so you can go out at night unless previously arranged. If you have a live-in nanny, you should make your expectations clear from the beginning concerning household responsibilities beyond childcare. Can the nanny use the washer and dryer whenever she wants? Will she cook her own meals or will she be expected to help prepare the family meal? Make rules for the use of the car very clear as well. The more you communicate with your nanny and the more you put down on paper before making an arrangement long term, the more successful your experience will be.

Child-care Expectations

It is also essential that you communicate with your nanny about how you expect her to treat your children. Discipline procedures, rules, and family routines should be written down and reviewed with the nanny. If you don’t want your live-in nanny to discipline the children while you are home, make this clear from the beginning. If you expect your nanny to supervise play-dates or help with homework, make this clear from the beginning too. Once you have hired a nanny, make sure you find time for communication with her on a weekly basis. Don’t allow issues to build up for a long time. Discuss any concerns or problems that arise and encourage the nanny to do the same. If you find yourself upset or angry about something the nanny has done, allow yourself to calm down and even sleep on it before calmly discussing the situation. Following these simple guidelines will help assure a long and happy relationship with your nanny. If you are suspicious of problems with your nanny, consider using Nanny Cams.

Handling Your Own Feelings

It is difficult for any mother to turn the daily care of her children over to someone else. When your children spend many hours with another care-giver, they inevitably grow attached and develop deep feelings for that person. When you choose nanny-care for your family, you are doing so because you want that close bond for your child. Nonetheless, be prepared to feel jealous and resentful at times of those bonds. It is completely normal to feel these things when a nanny is caring for your beloved children. However, it is not in the best interest for your children for you to act upon these feelings. Don’t allow them to affect the way you treat your nanny at any time. Be careful not to set your expectations so high for the nanny that she can never make you happy. Often it is those jealous feelings that make you do so. Recognizing your feelings for normal and keeping them in check is the best way to build a happy and lasting relationship with your nanny.

Comment on Hiring a Nanny

(Displayed with your comment)                        (Will not be displayed)

Verification Code: