Hiring a nanny can be a frustrating and stressful process. After all, the caregiver who you select will play a major role in your child’s daily life, overall well-being, development, and other critical factors. You can avoid anxiety and find a great nanny by following these tips from experienced parents.
Check References
After conducting a brief phone interview and determining that you are interested in exploring an individual’s credentials in greater detail, ask him or her for a list of references. This should include previous families that the nanny has worked for as well as other employers from any other type of work. You should also check personal references, such as friends or family members. Prepare a list of questions to ask these individuals, and pay attention to how enthusiastic the person seems to be. If the individual seems to be holding back details, explain the importance of finding the right nanny for your child before thanking them for their cooperation. Remember that you can also use social media to check on the nanny. Social media can also be a great resource to use when confirming that references are legitimate.
Conduct a Thorough Background Check
In order to find a great nanny, you need to thoroughly explore all aspects of this individual’s background. Your prospective nanny should agree to a background check and should provide you with all essential personal details so that you can order this service from a trusted third party. This type of background check, included by many nanny-placement services and apps, may be similar to what any other employer would require or maybe comparable to the tenant screening process. In addition to checking criminal history, you may opt to look for stability in the person’s living situation and reasonable credit scores. Any areas of concern could indicate that the individual has stressors in his or her life that may impact the quality of care that your child will receive.
Identify Personality Traits
Some parents ask prospective nannies to complete a personality test so that they can determine if the individual is stable and dependable versus a careless risktaker. You may also glean details about personality traits in a less formal way through a series of in-person interviews. Observing how the individual interacts with your child can also be telling. When analyzing personality traits, consider the traits that may be best suited for your child and you. For example, if the nanny is an energetic extrovert and your child is very reserved, the two personalities may not interact well. If you are a type-A parent who likes everything just so, you probably want a detail-oriented nanny who sees eye to eye on your preferences.
In most cases, parents will interview numerous nannies before finding one who they feel comfortable leaving their child with. Be patient with the process, and avoid settling for an individual who you are not absolutely thrilled about. Regardless of how urgent your need for childcare is, this is a time to be thoughtful and thorough.
