Before you hire the nanny make sure the kids are happy about her
Many parents prefer to choose a baby-sitter or nanny to care for their child if he or she is under age 3. This option can be the most convenient, because the caregiver comes to your home. Your child will also be in a familiar environment and will avoid exposure to colds and other infections from other children. Hiring a nanny is one of the most expensive child-care arrangements, but the biggest difficulty is finding a reliable, well-qualified person. Because in-home care is not regulated in any way, you are the sole judge of a caregiver’s character, knowledge, and skill.
The person should be responsible, likes kids, be able to have fun, and still know when it is time to be serious Like any other employer, the interview portion of the hiring process is very important. You can gauge the nanny’s personality and professionalism with a comprehensive interview, which will play a significant role in your final decision. With a little help from your hidden nanny cam, you can replay the interview to reinforce or reject your initial choice. Usually, a more experienced and educated nanny should be preferred especially when her work experience indicates that she stayed with one family for an extended period.
Check child-care ads and place your own help-wanted ad in your local newspaper, local college career services office, and community bulletin board or newsletter. Specify the hours and days you need child care, your child’s age, the general area in which you live (but don’t give your address), and whether or not you want the sitter to live in or have a driver’s license. If you require a nonsmoker, say so. Your child’s caregiver should have training in child development or have experience taking care of children. The caregiver should also appreciate the importance of stimulating your child’s intellectual, social, and emotional development.
You can give the prospective nanny the opportunity to back out of the hiring process without negative implications should she express hesitance with their presence. After the two personal interviews, you also need to conduct a working interview. You can observe how she interacts with the children (under your supervision) as well as study how the children take to her. Only after being satisfied with the above procedures should you consider hiring the nanny. Before actually employing the nanny, be sure to formulate a detailed work agreement signed by you and the nanny.
Listen to your gut feeling, even if you are under the gun because you need help immediately. Ask whether or not they’re available the hours you need them, their salary needs, how long they can commit to the job, what interests them about child care, what kind of work they have done in the past, and when they can start. Invite the best candidates to your home for an interview. Some parents develop a job application form to make the hiring process more formal and professional. Once you have a candidate in mind, contact at least three former employers and three personal references. Ask former employers about the candidate’s responsibilities, his or her strengths and weaknesses and the ages of the children that they have worked with.
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