Hiring a Nanny

Choose Your Nanny Based On Your Family's Needs

by Carolyn Moir

In our demanding lives we all depend on a network of people to keep everything running smoothly. If you're about to add a baby to your family, it may be time to consider adding a nanny to your network.

A nanny is a lot more than just a babysitter. Often she works full time hours and performs all the tasks related to the care of the child, including the child's laundry and meals. Nannies today are not the same as in the past. They are not meant to be replacement mothers, nor do most perform domestic duties unrelated to the children.

There are many ways of adding a nanny to the family. You could hire a live-in, or hire someone to come to the house only while you are at work. You can look for a career nanny, or someone who loves children and needs a job while in school. You can hire someone to stay with the family for years, or just for the first year of your child's life.

If you are considering hiring a nanny, start thinking about what tasks you would need her to perform. Does she need to drive older children to and from school? Does she need to put the baby to bed? Knowing what your needs are will help you know what qualifications you want in a nanny, such as a driver's license or experience in infant care. Specify for yourself if you want a non-smoker or someone who is trained in CPR.

Once you know what you're looking for in a nanny, consider the money issue.

Being a nanny is a full time job and a highly demanding one. Learn about the wages and other compensation typical of nannies in your area (get a basic idea at www.noblenanny.com/selecting-nannies.html). When writing up a contract, remember to make a distinction between pay before and after taxes.

It's very important to have a contract that spells out the duties expected of the nanny, and what she will receive in return. Also, include times for performance reviews when the nanny could expect a raise if she is doing well. Outline procedures for emergencies, and what kind of payment the nanny can expect for days she was on-call, but not needed. Remember that taking care of your child or children is a very important job, and a good nanny deserves excellent compensation.

Maintain communication with your nanny. You should be able to discuss any issues involving your children.

Interviewing and checking references is the key to finding a reliable nanny. During the interview you will want to let the prospective nanny tell you about herself. Listen closely for any red flags. Also, ask her scenario questions, such as: My infant has been crying for four hours, what would you do?

If you can, observe her interacting with your child or with other's. Also, discuss your thoughts on child rearing and discipline, and listen to the prospective nanny's thoughts. It is important to see eye-to-eye here, because the nanny will be doing a lot of the disciplining, training, and teaching of skills.

Do ask for references, at least three professional and three personal. Then, follow through and call them. Be very cautious about getting a nanny who you are asked to "sponsor" in becoming a legal worker in the U.S. This process can take years, and it will be illegal for her to work until all the details are straightened out. By that time you might not need a nanny any longer. The Internet is a great tool for learning about nannies, such as what duties they perform, or what having a live-in is like.

Going through a good agency is the safest way to hire a nanny. They can run background checks, and they will have a well-developed system for matching a nanny and a family. They can also make sure that a foreign-born nanny is allowed to work in the U.S. Trust your instincts when it comes to agencies and nannies. Both should be focused on the children and how to give them the very best start in life.

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