Things to Consider While Hiring A Nanny for Your Kids

With both parents working and thus outside of the house for most of the day, the demand for nannies or dedicated care takers for babies at home is increasing among the new crop of parents. While this makes the parents’ work and baby duty balancing job little easier simultaneously it comes with a lot of ifs and buts, anxiety and uncertainty.

PC: The Huffington Post

And in many cases, not only is the baby under the nanny’s care, but the whole household is too! With so much at stake, one must observe the due diligence while appointing a nanny, part-time or live-in, for the well being of the child. Thus, we bring to you the absolutely concise guide towards scouting and selecting a prospective nanny for the little one at home.

A nanny for your child

In order to find a good nanny for your child, you need patience, time and a good eye for judgement. Because this is the person you are going to trust your child and eventually, your lives and homes with.

1. Identity and age verification

It is a known fact that its illegal to have a minor as a helper at your home for any sort job. In order to make it certain that you are doing things right, insist on producing ID proof of the person applying for the job of nanny. If possible, enlist the services of a reputed maid-service bureau to hire a professional nanny, and it also would be a good idea if you could check the credentials of the bureau as well! There must be elaborate paperwork in case of both the agency and the applicant – and if not, then you can be sure that something must not be right in the mix and immediately dismiss the thought of taking their assistance. As far as possible, avoid seeking help from any agents. In fact, it is advised to have the prospective applicant to be verified by the police, in light of the various domestic crimes happening around the country, because it is always better to be safe than sorry.

2. Physical and mental health condition

The nanny  who is going health  be entrusted with your baby should be of sound mental health and you must verify that he or she is not suffering from any sort of ailments or diseases. Before hiring, you should arrange to meet the prospective applicant in person and personally ascertain her physical and mental condition. Also, it is advised to get the maid checked by a certified doctor for hidden ailments and mental stability, as this person is going to be spending a lot of time with your children, and in a way, his/her influence is going to rub off on the babies as well. The help must also have a high level of personal hygiene, as you would want your children to grow up in a healthy way – as babies are often susceptible to infections.

3. Soft skills and lifestyle

The nanny’s experience in handling babies speaks about her temperament and care-giving ability. There should be no previous bad-record in her ledger – for your own and your babies’ good. Ensure beforehand that the prospective nanny has no addictions or bad habits like smoking or chewing tobacco – as they are sure to cause damage to the baby. Also, it would be a big plus if the nanny is literate. Just give it a thought – handling medicines, putting your child in the kindergarten bus and telling bedtime stories, they all require a person to be adequately literate, and thus, it would be most advantageous if you hire a nanny who knows her alphabets well.

4. Background check and referrals

Try to find out the circumstances under which the nanny had to leave the last job for – did we quit out of her own volition? Or was she made to? Properly investigate and look into these reasons for they often offer valuable insights into the nature of the applicant in question. Get as many referrals as possible, as referrals from previous employers are absolutely necessary to ascertain how good the nanny would be for your baby – and in turn, the whole household as well.

5. Hiring the nanny

After you have wrapped up with the interrogation and the background check and it finally comes to hiring the said nanny, ensure that you have provided a clear job description in front of her to avoid hard-feelings and misunderstandings later on. If you and your partner are satisfied with the nanny’s credentials and the referrals that she came with, then be prepared to hire her at the price that she wants. However, try not to deviate much from the standard salaries. If you try to bargain at this point, you might end up losing a good caregiver altogether, and its not worth it. Remember, its your baby here in question – always ensure that he or she gets the best care in your stead. They deserve that.

Nannies are not parent-replacements

Once you get over that hiring part, it is important to add on a concluding note, that you should remember that the maid is only a helper, not a replacement in your position as a parent. Sure, once you staff up, they will divide a lot of duties for the baby with you, but that does not necessarily mean that they will somehow share the same sort of intimacy that you have with your child. Once you become a parent, your responsibilty increases tenfold. And sometimes, it would become imperative to take some time out from your busy schedule to take care of your growing baby – feed them, change them, go out on strolls, play the games they enjoy or just cozy up and watch their favorite movie as a family. Let it not happen that the child gets detached from you and finds themselves more attached to the nanny in your stead!

Hiring the perfect nanny could be a strenuous job, but it is one you cannot do without, especially if you are a working mother or a single parent. Parenthood is one of the toughest jobs one can ever have, we are supposed to be adept at I naturally, but at some point or other all of us need the help of a gentle hand to make our lives easier, and happier both the family as well as the child. Therefore, choose someone you can rely on when your sanity threatens to crumble down under the pressures of both the outside world and inside!