Hiring a nanny can be one of the most nerve-wrecking decisions to make. It’s not surprising that many parents are fearful of whether to take the plunge or not bother at all.
When hiring a nanny, there are a number of things to look out for.
How much real, practical experience do they have?
There are hundreds, if not thousands of nannies advertising their services on websites such as childcare.co.uk and many will claim to be experienced. However, before hiring a nanny, it’s important to ask them key questions such as:
What kind of experience do you have?
Have you worked with a broad range of children?
How many years have you worked with children?
Do they have experience with looking after a child over night/during the day?
2. Are they introverted or extroverted?
This might seem like a random question or topic to think about. However, one of the key areas that parents deal with when hiring nannies is their temperament or character.
If your child’s nanny is extroverted they might want to engage in a range of social activities and this could potentially impact their routine and how they interact with your child.
If they’re introverted, they might shy away from engaging in family activities or might need time to unwind and disengage with the family at certain points in the day.
It’s therefore to think about the personality traits of your desired nanny before hiring one.
3. Does the nanny enjoy playing with children.
Some nannies are great at simply monitoring a child and think that this makes up the bulk of their job. Their focus is therefore purely on keeping a child safe. However, a great nanny will prioritise playing, interacting and engaging with your child rather than simply lumping them in front of the TV or throwing a digital device in their face.
It’s therefore important to have conversations around how best to interact and engage with your child. For example, do you want a nanny who can come up with fun game ideas, engage in pretend play and make bath time incredibly fun?
If your child is athletic, you might want to opt for a nanny who is sporty and enjoys playing sports with your child. In essence, try to select a nanny whose interests align with your child’s so that they’re more likely to bond with them and partake in key activities.
4. What Is their approach to discipline?
This is an issue that’s often missed. Some nannies are super strict and have old-fashioned views on discipline. Such nannies believe children should be seen and not heard and will keep your child on a tight leash. Others take a far more relaxed approach and are more carefree when it comes to discipline. Before hiring a nanny, it’s crucial that you ask them about their approach to discipline and ask them to elaborate by providing examples of how they might discipline a child.
5. Are they comfortable with a trial run?
No matter how much money you spend on nanny agencies, nannies and support for your family, things can go wrong. It’s therefore advisable to avoid making long-term commitments with a nanny unless you’ve already worked with them before or have had a paid trial run with them. The trial run should last at least a week so you get a feel for how they work and their approach to child-rearing. A longer trial run of around 1 month is preferable, if possible. Ultimately, it gives you the chance to gauge how suitable the nanny is.
6. Is the nanny first aid trained?
This is incredibly important. Ask for proof of their certification(s) and ask questions about how they’d handle situations such as choking, drowning, injuries etc.
Have you ever hired a nanny for your child?
What did you learn from the experience?
Share by leaving a comment below.