There’s nothing quite as nerve-racking as choosing a person to leave your children with for extended periods of time. Here are some of the most important things that you should be thinking about as you go about your nanny search.
Knowledge
Once upon a time, the nanny-hiring process boiled down to answers to basic questions like, “Can you feed and dress a child?” and “Can you put a kid to bed?”
When it comes to hiring a good nanny in the digital age, you’re going to want to make sure she has a good grasp on modern child-rearing knowledge in general.
Your nanny should be well-versed in things like food allergies and baby development exercises. A nanny must be able to identify that an itchy throat is an allergic reaction to a pineapple from a mile away. He needs to know your 18-month-old is more “toddler” than “baby” and has officially entered full-blown exploration mode.
Communication Skills
You'll want to find a person who you can trust will relay important information to you regarding your children and how things go throughout each day. It’s also important to gauge how well a potential nanny can handle explaining complex subjects in the event that challenging conversations come up between her and your children.
Experience
While letting your 15-year-old niece babysit your kids for the first time is cute, if you’re looking for a dependable nanny you can trust, you’re going to want to look for someone with a solid recommendation.
If you find yourself running out of options, consider reaching out to a local church, synagogue, pediatrician, or the Mommybites Nanny Board!
Whatever direction you choose for child care, make sure to go into the process with a plan in place, parameters set, and questions ready to ask.
