Hiring an in-home nanny may be one of the most rewarding decisions you make as a parent, as you’ll have peace of mind knowing that your children are being taken care of by someone trained and qualified to deal with childcare issues. However, it’s also one of the more complex decisions you’ll make, especially since you won’t be around on a day-to-day basis to supervise and manage the process. Here are some things you should know before hiring an in-home nanny for your children.
1. Do Your Research
Nannies are often hired to care for children, the elderly, and people with disabilities. This means they can be caring for children as young as 6 months old or take care of a loved one who is elderly or disabled. Before you hire someone to come into your home and care for your family, make sure that you have these five important questions answered:
a) What experience do they have in this field? If a nanny does not have experience working with children, the elderly, or people with disabilities it may be best to reconsider hiring them.
b) What is their philosophy about childcare? Every person has different ideas about what makes good childcare. Find out what the prospective care giver’s beliefs are so that there is no misunderstanding on either side.
c) What language skills do they have? Do they speak English fluently and understand cultural differences? A nanny needs to be able to communicate with your child in a way that will foster their development.
d) How much notice will you need if I want them to work fewer hours? Make sure that you discuss how flexible your potential caregiver is when it comes to schedule ahead of time. Some caregivers might only want certain shifts, while others might be available around the clock. Discuss this information early on so that everyone knows what they’re getting themselves into!
e) Will we need references from other families or employers from previous jobs?
2. Do Background Checks
When searching for the perfect care giver for your child, it’s important to do a background check. You’ll want to be sure that anyone who has access to your child is safe and trustworthy. To find out if they have any criminal history or anything else questionable on their resume, there are a few methods you can use. You can also run a Google search using their name and see what comes up. There might even be court records that pop up when running this type of search as well. The easiest way to find out about someone’s criminal history, though, is by contacting the police department where they lived previously and asking them about it.
3. Know What Questions to Ask
- What type of work experience do you have with children?
- What is your education or degree?
- Do you have any other certifications or special training for this role?
- How many years of experience do you have to work with children?
- What shifts would be available to the care giver if I were to hire them full-time?
- What days of the week and hours per day would they be available to work?
4. Stay Patient and Positive
You will want to stay patient and positive when interviewing potential candidates. Remember that there’s no perfect candidate, and it’s not easy for anyone to decide on this type of job. You may have the opportunity to meet with several people, so don’t settle for the first person who comes along. The most important thing is that your new nanny will be a good fit for your family and your children.
5. Ask for Recommendations
If you’re looking for recommendations of a qualified, reliable, and caring person, I can’t recommend enough my sister-in-law. She’s been a fantastic help to me and my family since she started working with us over ten years ago. The only one we trust to care for our children when they’re not at school or day care, and we have no intention of changing that anytime soon. She takes such good care of our little ones that they don’t mind when I need to go out of town.
6. Spend Time with Candidates
a) If you’re interviewing a potential nanny, spend time with them when they’re not working. You want to see what their interaction is like when they’re interacting with your child, not just doing their job.
b) Ask about their experience in childcare and/or as a housekeeper; these jobs have many of the same skill sets, so if someone has experience as a housekeeper, likely, they can also be a good nanny.
c) Ask for references from previous employers and talk to them about their experiences with the candidate; that way, you’ll have more insight into their personality and how much time they’ll need off (if any) on weekends or holidays.
d) Pay attention to their driving record. Many families use ride-sharing apps to get around, but if you drive all the time and there will be children in the car with this person regularly, then this may be something important to consider.
e) Talk to them about discipline techniques: do they believe in spanking? What are some of their pet peeves? Remember that this person will need to discipline your child sometimes, and you want someone who doesn’t have the same disciplinary methods as yourself because it might lead to confusion for your child.
f) Do not hire anyone without first meeting them!
