Responsibility
Show that you are a truly responsible, mature and professional assistant. Don't bring friends into someone else's house without permission, and be as brief as possible during personal phone conversations. Parents also value the punctuality and reliability of the nanny. So if you promise to look after your children, make every effort to keep your promise. And if some emergency circumstances prevent you from doing this, recommend another responsible person who can replace you.
- How to choose a nanny for a child?
How to choose a nanny for a baby?
When inviting a nanny for a child, it is important to collect as much information as possible about her, because the smallest details play an important role. For example, a nurse with bad habits (smoking, alcohol addiction, etc.) is automatically unsuitable for caring for a child of any age, no matter how old he is - 1 year or 7 years old. Behavior also plays an important role - if the nanny often watches TV or talks on the phone for a long time, most likely the child will not receive enough attention during your absence.
It’s not difficult to prevent possible problems later - conduct a thorough interview before hiring and immediately clarify all the questions that interest you.
There are several basic rules for choosing a nanny for a child:
- You are obliged to ask the nanny for identification documents in order to protect yourself from scammers, and you have an inviolable right to do this. Under no circumstances should you entrust your child to persons without official documents (this is especially true for infants under 1 year of age and children under school age), since cases of theft and export of children abroad are quite common.
- The second important point is the recommendations of former employers. If the nanny is an employee of the agency, then you can verify the veracity of the documents and reviews directly there, otherwise you will have to take her word for it. It is worth noting that receiving letters of recommendation is just a formality, because some nannies, having worked for more than one year, may not suit you according to any criteria, and on the contrary, an inexperienced young nanny who loves children immensely will satisfy all your wishes.
- Separate attention should be paid to the health status of the nurse; in this case, a medical certificate will be required. You can suggest that the nanny undergo additional medical examination if you doubt the veracity of her tests, but all procedures will be carried out at your expense. You should not be negligent about this point, because the most minor illness in an adult can cause irreparable harm to a baby, and in children under 1 year old, many illnesses generally occur in the most severe form.
- The nanny’s education is of no small importance, but if the baby is 1 year old or younger, then there is no need to set special requirements for the educational methods used and other nuances. Additional aspects will be required for the development of a child over 3-4 years old, when it is already possible to practice singing and dancing, begin to learn foreign languages, and attend sports clubs, so it would be nice if the nanny can help the baby improve new skills.
- When inviting a nanny for a baby aged 1 year or less, make sure that she knows how to properly dress the baby and knows how and what to feed him. The nanny of a child under one year old must have basic medical knowledge in order to effectively and timely provide him with assistance in a dangerous situation.
- Having an education and positive letters of recommendation are of no value if the nanny behaves ignorantly - she is rude, rude, uses obscene expressions in conversation, pronounces words incorrectly, and does not know basic things. Remember that a 1-year-old baby actively copies the behavior of the adults around him, so you risk soon encountering the problem of retraining the child. Even for a newborn baby, communication with such a nanny will not bring anything good, because from birth to 1 year, children simply absorb and remember everything that happens around them.
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Considering such simple recommendations, you can choose a really experienced and good nanny who will not only look after the child while you are away, but will also be able to play useful, exciting games with him, and will also prevent pampering and disobedience.
Safety
When young children are under your care, their safety becomes your main concern. Therefore, to become a good nanny, you need to take a first aid course, where, for example, you will be taught how to do artificial respiration, bandages and many other useful things that can come in handy at any time.
But safety concerns not only children's health. You should not tell anyone when and where you are alone with your children. You cannot turn on the TV or music loudly, or use a headset or headphones, since you should always be able to hear a child crying or a parent’s phone call.
Pay close attention to what your baby plays with and how safe these toys are. Small children have the ability to taste everything, so in order to avoid choking, they should not have any small objects or food such as popcorn, sucking candies and other tasty little things under their hands.
Even if the house is equipped with child safety systems, you should not relax. Be carefull! Stairs, open windows, a swimming pool, large unstable objects - all this poses a potential danger to the child.
Main selection criteria
Any recommendations?
Take the time to spend one evening chatting with your potential nanny's previous clients. It is especially important to clarify how she treated the children and how they, in turn, reacted to her. And also the opinion of the adults themselves.
Do you have any experience?
It is worth asking her carefully about all her capabilities, and if she has professional certificates or diplomas, study them.
What developmental techniques can she offer?
Of course, care, lunch and walks are a prerequisite for a nanny. But no less important is her knowledge and willingness to use various teaching methods for the development of the baby. Look for a nanny who will care about your child, not the TV remote control.
Terms of payment
This point also needs to be carefully discussed and the best option for both parties selected.
Points worth clarifying:
- How do you pay.
- Is there payment for holidays and weekends?
- Will paid leave be provided?
Don’t be surprised, there are nannies who demand payment, for example, for the May holidays.
Is it mobile?
If it is assumed that the nanny will travel by personal transport, be sure to discuss whether compensation for fuel consumption is necessary. There are times when a nanny “suddenly” begins to believe that she needs to be compensated for the gasoline consumed, although this condition was not put forward when hiring.
With or without accommodation?
Sometimes a nanny is invited to live, permanently or for several days. Discuss whether the proposed work schedule and living conditions will suit her. You can also choose the condition that the nanny will be visiting, but you need to clarify whether she is ready to be at the appointed time without delay. It is important to immediately make it clear to her that the service she provides is work. And the work follows a schedule. Remember that your work day will depend on whether she was able to arrive on time.
Is there a vaccination certificate and a health book and is she ready to provide them?
Today there are many different diseases. Don't risk your child. Be sure to ask for her medical information.
How to choose the right nanny through an agency
Nowadays, many agencies provide services for the selection of various household staff, including nanny services. Self-respecting agencies will definitely provide you with recommendations and medical documents of their employee. It would be better if, when choosing an agency, parents visit it to make sure that it is a professional company with a certain amount of experience, and not a “fly-by-night company.” Clarify how the agency takes care of its subordinates and how it controls the performance of their work.
What should an ideal nanny be like?
Look at yourself from your parents' perspective. What qualities do you need to have to become an ideal nanny? Let's take it in order. The first impression is always very important. If your child trusts you at the first meeting, this will be an excellent result. Having a medical record is not even an advantage, but a responsibility of any nanny. It is also desirable to have a pedagogical education. Parents often pay attention to this. They want to see that the nanny understands how to behave with children.
Of course, age and appearance are important. The nanny should not dress vulgarly or unkemptly. Bright makeup and manicure are also not encouraged. The image of the same Mary Poppins fits well. You have children, be sure to mention this. If you figure out what an ideal nanny should be, this is a woman aged 35-50 years. It is assumed that the older the nanny is, the more experience she has. But if you are not that old, try to highlight some of your other qualities.
Since we are talking about a nanny with no work experience, you are unlikely to have letters of recommendation. But maybe you remember that you were babysitting the children of your relatives or friends? Ask them to write a letter of recommendation with contact details. This will be a great advantage.
Tips for a new nanny
You must understand that you are only replacing the child’s parents for a short time. Therefore, there is no need to get too involved in the role. But you shouldn’t treat it carelessly either. I want to write some tips to help a new nanny.
Do not lie. Tell only the truth about yourself. There is no need to pretend that you have 20 years of experience if you don’t. Maintain confidentiality. You should not talk about the families you work for to strangers. You are not friends. Some nannies become so accustomed to informal communication that they begin to see their employers as friends. This cannot be done.
Be direct. State prices, work schedule and your responsibilities right away. There is no need to hide anything or be cunning. Value yourself. Some employers believe that a nanny should do all the housework. This especially applies to those who get a job as a nanny without work experience. Immediately ask what is more important for parents: raising a child or cleaning.
Don't do what you don't know how to do. If you are used to working with school-age children, but have never worked with kids, then don’t take it on.
Attention! Black list. If you are negligent in your duties and do not listen to your parents, you may be complained about. There are special sites for this. It will be almost impossible to leave there later.
