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Ask the Nanny
Question 1
Live In Nanny or Live out?
I want to hire a live-in nanny. Since we are
providing living quarters, shouldn’t her pay be less
than a live out? What are the problems of a live-in
and how do we avoid them? We really like the idea of
a live-in, but we are concerned about losing our
family privacy. I know she has off time, but if
she’s at home anyway, is it all right to ask her to
watch the kids if they are asleep and we want to
catch a late movie?
Question 2
My
child was recently diagnosed with ADHD and put on
medication. I feel really torn about this but I have
to admit I have seen a big difference in his
behavior. However, he still seems to have a meltdown
over the simplest thing like getting ready for
school or bed. Sometimes he will even throw a
tantrum over getting ready for karate practice which
he loves! Any suggestions?
Question 3
We always seem to be rushing around and getting the
kids ready on time seems impossible and then we
always end up yelling at each other! Maybe it’s me,
I always seem to be 15 minutes late to everything…
Is there anything we can do to get more organized?
My child seems to have a really hard time staying
focused.
Question 4
Where Should I look to hire a nanny? Do I always
need professional agencies or can I use the
internet?
Hiring a nanny—Internet or Agency?
Who is right?
What are the three things parents need to know when
using the Internet as a source?
Live In Nanny or Live out?
Why do you think nannies like to advertise their
services on the Internet?
How does a family do a background check if they hire
from the internet?
Question 1:
I figure we might as well start
with the loaded gun
question! To begin, you are wise to think about
everyone’s needs before you hire. Best Advice?
Communicate! Communicate the tiny details before the
job starts.
There are advantages to the parents to have a
live-in nanny. She’s always on time, you get to
really bond as employer and nanny and if you travel
in your occupation, it is reassuring the nanny lives
there too.
By providing nice living quarters, you have a better
chance of choosing a nanny with high qualifications.
You may have a better chance of winning that much
sought after nanny than the parent who wants a live
out. Some nannies feel their pay is based on their
experience, not where they live. Others are willing
to take a little less in exchange for room and
board. By looking at both sides of the situation, a
parent can make a better decision on hiring the
right nanny for the job.
One parent had this down to earth advice to give:
I would say that it costs us about $150 a month
extra for food, electricity, water, etc. when a
nanny lives with us. There is an advantage and
disadvantage to having a live-in. There are no
worries being late and more convenient for a date
night every now and then when they live there. So I
would offer a little bit more pay for a live out,
maybe $100 more per month since they still eat some
meals at our house.
I feel that if a nanny wants to be treated like part
of the family she has to be part of the family which
means being flexible. The nanny takes the caregiver
lead during her hours and assists a little when we
are all out as a family. When we all go to the zoo
together on a weekend, our nanny helps with the
diaper bag or getting our child out of the car into
her stroller, but we do the main part of the care
giving.
Of course, we are careful never to abuse this help
and do favors in return for her like airport
shuttles and picking up her guests. We take her with
us to places and treat her like family.
There are times when I need to doctor a horse on the
weekend and need someone for 10 minutes to listen
for my child while I am outside and she is napping.
Our nanny helps in times like that and it is repaid
in other ways to her.
We are ok with friends and visitors coming over as
long as it does not interfere with her duties or our
family. We even let our current nanny have her
fiancé come stay with us for a week or so here and
there even when she is working. Weekend guests are
easier especially when they stay out and about. It
does not bother us as long as they chip in on the
groceries or take us out to dinner for letting them
stay for the week.
I probably would not like it if she tried to bring
home various boys all the time, but a steady
boyfriend, girlfriend, or a family member is fine.
We want the nanny to be happy and have a normal
life, which includes friends.
I think I would add that as parents, you’ll reap
more benefits of having a live-in nanny if you have
made sure in advance your family time is guarded.
One of the main problems that arise with a live-in
situation is making sure everyone respects family
time and the nanny’s private time. A nanny should be
able to “disappear” so the family has private time.
If your nanny can’t entertain herself or doesn't
have an outside life, it could intrude on yours. Ask
her in the interview if she is involved in outside
activities.
Your children need time alone with you and you need
to know there are times that belong completely to
you. Parents are often so eager to make sure nanny
feels like she belongs, they forfeit their own
private needs. Don’t! Make sure during job talks you
go over what is restricted family time. A good nanny
will applaud you for putting it on the table.
Children love the nanny and naturally think she is
as available as mom! One employer I had was really
concerned about this. So we made a deal with the
children if the door to my area was closed, I wanted
private time. If I didn’t mind company, it would be
open and they were
welcome to come in and chat.
But if you need your nanny for some evening work,
then talk to her about that in the interview. You
might be able to negotiate XX amount of
evening/weekend hours a month. Just don’t assume!
Talk about it. If that is really important to you,
then find a nanny who is agreeable in advance.
Personally, I think the smart parent has a weekend
baby sitter available so she is not always asking
the nanny for extra hours. Unless your nanny has
told you she would like extra money, let her have
her time off. She needs it just like you do.
Most families, as they get to know each other are a
little more comfortable about “can you watch the
kids tonight” and it is helpful to know your nanny
will be honest if she has plans. The nanny needs to
know you will not be upset if she says no. Do think
about compensating her for this either monetarily or
in compensation time.
When I worked long term I devised a way to give my
employer freedom to ask for extra time. We agreed I
would keep track of extra time and settled on an
hourly rate when their need for me would exceed 30
minutes. I didn’t mind donating those short times
they needed someone, as they were so considerate of
me. But when they needed an evening out or had a
business need, they felt free to ask me. I loved
saving up that hour here and there! I used to save
it for vacation money or to pay for an unexpected
expense. It worked great for us. They were more
relaxed about asking and I was motivated to accept!
In other words, get creative in looking for
solutions.
Just remember that a nanny who has an active outside
life is more likely to be happy and well adjusted.
She is less likely to get burnt out with the high
pressures that go with being a nanny.
Make sure everyone talks about the privacy issue. If
her bedroom is by the children’s, you will have to
work out what is an appropriate time to come home.
If she has a private entrance that doesn’t disturb
anyone, then she should have no restrictions. These
may seem like awkward questions to pose in an
interview. But if you are really interested in this
nanny, have a second interview when you have
narrowed down your choices. Go over these details
and get her feelings on it. Yes, she may decide you
have too many restrictions on her private time or it
may be just fine with her. Whatever her answer is,
you will both know in advance the ground rules.
All too often I hear nannies lament:
“I wish we had talked about this before I took the
job. I just never dreamed this would be a problem. I
really like this family, but I am feeling trapped
with all these restrictions on my private time! I’m
afraid to talk about it with them as I don’t want to
lose this job and I don’t know if they will
understand I am just trying to work out a
compromise.”
I advise parents to put in the contract a review
after 60-90 days. By that time you will both be more
aware of potential communication problems and can
deal with them before they happen.
While a nanny does save some money being a live-in
nanny, she is also going to sacrifice most of her
privacy if the room is not a private apartment away
from the family’s living quarters. This arrangement
calls for compromises on everyone’s part. I just
think it is important to understand that with all
the advantages of being a live in, there is a price
she often pays for this financial gain. Many times a
nanny room is down the hall from the kids and she
may even share the bath. If the bath is next to a
child’s room, a simple thing like wanting to take a
shower at midnight might be too noisy.
Nannies need a private life if they are to avoid
burn out. If she belongs to groups or church, has a
boyfriend, then her ability to entertain at home
could be very limited. On her off days she may wish
to visit friends and want to come home at 3:00 a.m.
If there is not a private entrance, many families
feel this noise in the middle of the night to be
intruding. Is she really going to be free to invite
a friend over to watch a movie? Invite her boyfriend
over to dinner in her apartment/room?
Yes, a live in can complicate your life or simplify
it. It all depends on how well you communicate in
the interview and how you have set up in advance how
you will communicate concerns in the future.
On the plus side, every parent I know that has a
live in wouldn’t have it any other way. The nannies
I know who are live ins and have good communication
with their employer’s love being part of a family.
Return to Questions
Question 2:
First, if you feel he is truly ADHD and medication
has helped him focus, put the guilt away. It takes
up too much space, and you have better things to
focus on! Keep in mind that the medicine may help
him focus but it isn’t a magic cure for behavior.
ADHD need structure more than most children, and you
have to stay consistent. You do more harm than good
if you tolerate a behavior one day and the next give
consequences for it. Choose your battles carefully
and without emotion. Remind yourself that when you
choose NO as your answer, you have to be willing to
say it every time. I call it building the corral.
The first limit you give the child is the first
rail. They will bang away at it to make sure it’s
solid and doesn’t move. Once they’re convinced it is
there to stay, they get calm and for awhile things
are peaceful. Then the next barrier to over come is
upon you, and you put up another rail. They repeat
the banging their head into it step. Slowly you
build a square that they can rely on. Your
consistent instructions that don’t change build
security for the child. They don’t have to get
anxious any more because you have given them
guidelines they can depend on. Some kids just test
them more than others but all kids will respect them
in time. The problem is that changing behavior takes
time and a lot of it! Parents usually give up too
soon. Like their children, they feel if they don’t
see progress in the first 3 weeks it is not going to
work! Or it works for awhile, and they forget that
children are constantly evolving and they will
always have new behavior problems consistent with
aging. You’ll find that you’ll need to reaffirm your
guidelines from time to time as your child ages.
One
book that I really like is The Explosive Child by
Dr. Ross W. Green. One of the first things he tells
parents is that a child is as good as they can be at
that moment. No child wants their parent angry at
them, and he describes levels of prioritizing. It
helps you keep your perspective which is important
because these children will feed off your anxiety
too. He tells you how to build those walls of
security with consistent rules from you. You learn
when to stand up and when to back down.
Another one of my favorite books for helping to
instill self esteem is MaryAnn Brittingham’s
Shrinkin’ Stinkin’ Thinkin’. Her web site
http://www.reflectionsseminars.com
is filled with
ideas that really work. If you can ever get to one
of her workshops, it is well worth your time.
MaryAnn spent years as a teacher with special kids.
She worked with kids who had potential if they could
just stop the train wreck they were on. She talks
from experience, and her passion can make you
believe every child can be helped. If you are really
a parent in crisis, find a way to go to one of her
workshops.
Return to Questions
Question 3:
I
think we often have to change ourselves before we
can change a child and this system works as well for
adults as kids! Time management comes easy for some
people and for others it seems futile. Plus, moms
and dads are constantly juggling multi tasks and
that means you have more things that can go wrong!
Still, I can offer you some simple means of time
management that might work for you.
How
to organize a child into Success:
A
simple tool that I use is a dry eraser board. At the
top is a strip of poster board with pictures of
things they need to do. For example if it is a bed
time routine, you have everything they needs to do
before lights are out. They check them off one by
one. This teaches them how to organize their time. I
use an egg timer for those kids who take 20 minutes
to put their pjs on. I set it and they know they
have 5 minutes to do it. They will look at it to see
how close it gets. The secret is to give them 2 more
minutes than they need in the beginning so they
don’t panic about time. It helps to end bed time
battles or that constant going back into the room. I
remind them as I walk out that all the boxes are
checked and offer praise for a job well done. I
remind them that they only have one job left and
that is to put themselves to sleep. Often soothing
music helps them relax and the structure has given
them a sense of security. If they call out for
something you can just remind them everything on the
list is done and say “good night”. Bed time should
be the best part of the day instead of the worse. It
is a time you can sit down with a child, read a
book, listen to his telling you about his day, etc.
so try to allow 15-20 minutes for this interaction.
Tip: Juggling more than one child? Let story time be
a joint time with the kids together sitting on the
floor of one of the bedrooms. You can even use
different rooms each night so every child gets their
chance to “host”. The simple books may seem boring
to a 6 year old but often they enjoy revisiting old
book friends with their 3 year old sibling. The 3
year old will enjoy the older book more than you
think! You get all the book times done at once and
then you can spend 5 minutes with each child in
their bed.
I
put another strip underneath for say Karate time.
Once again a row is underneath the pics for him to
check off. Things like, home from school and eat a
snack, put backpack away, take out homework, change
clothes, collect your gear, get in the car.
Sometimes a child starts complaining they are “too
tired, my legs hurt, I forgot the moves, I don’t want
to go”, etc. I remind them they committed to this
and they never have to do it again, but they can’t
quit in the middle. But as you are talking softly,
you are reminding them to check off the boxes after
they eat their snack. You can acknowledge how they
feel, “I understand, sometimes I get so tired I
don’t think I can do one more thing like cook
supper!” It is amazing how sitting down with your
hands massaging their shoulder as you talk calms
them down.
Sometimes I will make a game of it with the egg
timer. Did you know yesterday you did the first
three things in 5 minutes? I wonder if you can beat
that record? Each day they may want to challenge
themselves again!
Sometimes you simply have to offer the consequence
of not living up to their commitment. If we don’t go
to practice, there is no TV. It’s homework, dinner
and if you have time left you can go to your room
and read or play quietly. There may be days the
child chooses this and you go into his room and he’s
sound asleep. He really was that tired!
Important Point: This not a reward board. There is
no prize for doing what they need to be doing except
the pride they will feel as they get better and
better at being more independent. It doesn’t mean
the child won’t ask “what do I get if I get 3
checks?” because we are in danger of rewarding too
many things with kids. You can tell the child,
“Sometimes the prize is what you feel in here, your
heart. You will know that you are a wonderful child
and working hard to master this. I know it’s hard
work but I believe in you!”
You
can expand this to include all activities. Sometimes
you can just organize it in your head when something
new comes up.
Example: You have to get everyone ready to leave in
30 min and everyone seems crabby! Think quickly what
has to be done before you get into the car. Grab the
egg timer and tell them Game Time! “Who can get
their shoes on before the egg timer goes off?! I
think I can do it in 3 minutes! Just keep calling
out items to be done and pretend to have trouble
getting your shoes on, act goofy! Soon work can be
fun and things get done.
Return to Questions
Question 4:
This year has taught me that many of you
have
questions about hiring a nanny and what to do after
the hire. In talking to nannies at the National
Association of Nannies Conference and at the
International Nanny Association Conference, I
realized they had frustrations too.
Since I often work with families as they search for
a nanny, I have come to some conclusions myself.
Before you start your search, itemize all the
responsibilities and duties you desire of the nanny.
Write out a basic schedule for hours so you can get
a clear picture of what you need. Ask yourself if
you can afford some help with benefits such as
medical insurance. Holiday Pay? Paid Holidays off?
If you know the answer to these questions, you can
advertise and when someone answers your ad or you
solicit a nanny and she is interested, you can email
her these requirements. That way you won’t waste
your time or hers if she does not feel that it is
acceptable. If you use an agency, you can email this
to them so they also can narrow their search.
I’ve asked nannies, parents and agencies to share
some questions and advice that would help educate
parents; hopefully this would enable them to keep
that wonderful person who supports their family.
I’ve talked to parents about the problems they have
in effectively communicating and concerns they have
about nannies. Parents are put to the limit trying
to hold down jobs and keep everyone happy at home
too. We don’t live in easy times.
Return to Questions
This is probably one of the most controversial
questions going on in the nanny world right now. I
have great friends who run Agencies that I have the
highest respect for that would say it is never best
to use the Internet over a reliable Agency. They
tell me of the great lengths they go to interview
both the nannies and the families, check out
references and make sure that a good fit is possible
before bringing people together. “The Internet can’t
do that”, they say.
I also have great friends who run online Nanny
Resume sites who would differ and talk about
families who live in areas where an agency doesn’t
exist! Or that many can’t afford the agency fees and
this is a reliable alternative.
Return to Questions
They both have legitimate points.
While 99% of my
business is from people finding me through the
Internet, I always enjoy working for a trusted
agency that needs my services for a special client.
When I go to the nanny conferences like
International Nanny Association or NANC where
agencies and nannies attend together, I am always
impressed with the dedication of these agencies.
When parents do not have a lot of personal time to
search for a nanny (it is very time consuming,
writing, waiting for replies, phone interviews,
resume reviews, background checks, etc) I always
suggest an agency with a great reputation. The one
thing I tell parents, a good agency will call you
back, is upfront in discussing their fees and
follows through with any questions you might have.
If you leave a message or send an email that is not
answered promptly, find another agency!
However, since I often do consulting with parents
which includes going over all the resumes from
Internet sites they have listed with AND helping
them find good agencies, I see firsthand that you
have to know what you are doing to use either.
Choosing a good agency is a little easier. You need
to check out how long they have been in business, if
there have been any complaints listed with the BBB,
ask for references of happy families who’ve worked
with them and when that is satisfactory, you can go
to the next step. How do they qualify nannies? If
you want a nanny that has at least 3 years
experience, make sure that Agency has nannies that
have that qualification. I advise parents to fill
out the application but before paying the
application fee, sit down and talk to them to make
sure they understand what you are looking for and if
they have at that moment, at least three nannies you
could interview.
For example, it is growing increasingly difficult to
find a live-in nanny and if this is important to
you, make sure they have nannies listed with them.
Listen to your gut! Did they really seem to hear
you? Most reputable agencies are very honest about
telling you up front if they can help you. Many will
take your application and tell you that they don’t
have anyone at that moment but if they can find
someone that fits your needs, they will call you and
THEN accept the application fee. They truly work
hard not to take advantage of your desperate
situation!
Because you work face to face with an agency, it is
much easier to check them out. Yes, there is that
large fee, but believe me, they work hard for it!
Before the nanny goes to work for you they even do
the background check (make sure you ask what types
of background checks they use) for you.
I have also had clients that found out it was better
to sign up with 2 agencies as they wanted a large
pool to choose from. Agencies charge an application
fee to make sure the client is serious about a
nanny. Just to get you the ones that match up with
you is a lot of work. Otherwise they do all that
work and the parent tells them, “oh, Aunt Nellie’s
second cousin twice removed is going to do it!" But
sometimes, you can negotiate on some things. But if
in two weeks the agency hasn’t been able to find
someone for you, or you were very disappointed in
the candidates they sent you, by all means, have a
back up agency in mind.
Is it worth it? Yes, sometimes it helps to simplify
your life and let them do the work for you. The
alternative is for you to do the search yourself
which is no small feat. But it can be done. What I
often do for clients that are using agencies is that
I go over the applications the agencies sent. I will
write out my comments for each candidate from a
nanny’s perspective. I make sure my clients’
understand this is just my first impression. Many
nannies do not realize that they need to make the
applications appear neat and as readable as possible
as they often have to fill them out right there in
the Agency with no time to really think of good
answers. But I can usually read between the lines,
look at their references, their experience and come
up with a very basic profile. Parents often find
these comments most helpful in deciding which ones
to interview.
I have even taken the applications, called each one
individually for the client, explained the basic job
to them, talked to them about their experiences and
let them ask me questions. Then if they really feel
the job I described might be a good fit for them, I
arrange for a phone interview. Many times despite
agency screening, a nanny tells me she is going to
school at night and really needs a job where she is
off no later than 6. If she finishing a trade or
college degree in the near future, I want to know
will she want a year contract? Nannies are usually
pretty honest when talking with other nannies. I’ve
had nannies tell me it was strange to talk to a
nanny first! I patiently explain that if after
talking to them about the job they realize it is not
a good fit for them, they have only used my time.
But my parents are often very busy people who don’t
have time to be wasted. It is still the parents that
make the callbacks to nannies interested in the job,
still the parent who decides who to do a face to
face interview. I simply might point out a few
important questions they might want to ask. They
like to hear my opinion but I also like to hear
their impressions too. Almost always, we agree. Of
course, there is always the chance a nanny might
feel if the parent is too busy to talk to them now,
how will it be once employed? However, for the most
part, I find the nannies pretty enthusiastic about
being able to ask questions of another nanny.
So even when you use an agency, you have to do your
homework and following up quickly on agency leads is
very important!
How hard is it to use the Internet Nanny services
like
www.4everythingnanny.com or
www.Gonannies.com
and
www.4nannies.com to name just a few? How do you
screen these types of services? I went and asked
Deborah of 4Everything Nanny some questions and this
is what she said:
Like Agencies, there are many Internet nanny sites;
is there any guideline a parent could use for
separating them?
I think a parent should look at how long the service
has been online, how well the service ranks in the
search engines, are they members of the major
professional organizations (i.e., INA, APNA and
NAN). They should see if the site is advertised well
and where. And of course, run a search and see how
many ads/nannies are currently listed. Also, how
easy is the site to navigate? When we launched
NannyClassifieds.com there was one other
nanny-recruiting site online. They charged over 10
times what we did to use their service. Now, 4 years
later, there are many, many copy cat sites out
there. It's best to do your homework. I know many of
our users come to us through word of mouth, which is
the best way in my book.
Return to Questions
I think the following holds true whether you are
searching online, in the papers or with an agency.
1. Be Cautious. Do not divulge your home address,
home phone number (if your number is listed) or any
other personal information too soon. Use the
Internet to start the interviewing process. Review
her resume. Then, call her to talk further. It is
okay to ask for a picture to be sent. Try to conduct
a very thorough interview on the phone before
setting up an in person interview. I suggest
checking references before you even meet in person.
2. Be Patient: Check at least 3 References
thoroughly. Our website 4nanny.com offers some tips
on reference checking. This is imperative. Check at
least three and check them well.
3. Be Smart: Conduct a Criminal Background check on
anyone you are considering bringing to your home.
And, schedule a trial period where you will be home
with the nanny before returning to work. There are
reliable agencies that do that and are listed on
most Internet Nanny Resume sites.
When you hear a "horror" story about a nanny hired
from the net, is there a common thread where the
parents failed that could be corrected?
Truly, I have not heard any more horror stories that
were "net" produced than any other form of nanny
hiring. I did have one woman contact me who said she
brought a nanny in from another state that she found
online who took off after just one week with her.
She wasn't sure if anything was stolen or not. I
found out during our conversation that this woman
never even spoke to the nanny before hiring her. All
of their contact was via email. Now that's just
plain crazy. She ran no criminal history check,
nothing. I thought this woman is from outer space.
So, other than that, I really have heard just as
many if not more horror stories from parents who
have hired a bad nanny through a referral agency.
Return to Questions
I think nannies like that fact that there is no
middleman to confuse the message. Many times any
agency will tell a family, "Oh sure, she's willing
to do this or that" only to find out during the
interview that "No, nanny is not willing to do this
or that" or "No, nanny is not willing to work for
that salary." On the Internet, the nanny has more
control over the situation. They can market
themselves, answer ads that interest them, and
screen families on their own. They are not relying
on an out side source to hand deliver jobs.
Of course, nannies need to be just as cautious as
parents do when searching for a job online. And,
that's another article in itself.
Now don’t go running to the Internet just yet! The
problems I have encountered as I have searched
resumes and responded to appropriate ones are
numerous. I find nannies are still new to this
forum. Many have had Agencies do this work for them
and do not understand the first thing about looking
for work on their own. For example, for one client,
I wrote at least 20 nannies after reading their
resumes on line and probably only 8 bothered to even
respond. I had to learn to be very specific that a
reply was truly needed even if the answer was “have
a job”. I have put resumes on all the nanny sites
and I always respond as soon as humanly possible.
One online nanny source,
www.4nannies.com does tell
their nannies when they send them a name that they
are expected to reply one way or the other. They
can’t make you, but they at least tell you it is
expected! It is very time consuming to go through
100’s of resumes trying to find one that meets at
least your basic requirements. Then be prepared that
you will be spending even more time writing and
often sending second and third requests for
information. I haven’t quite decided if these
nannies are just not business savvy or are just not
quality nannies! So I give them the benefit of the
doubt and email twice for information before I give
up on them. There are those exceptions of course
where the nanny actually responds, has a resume to
email to you and looks promising. But you had better
move fast as she will probably have about 3 people
talking to her and often before you can even arrange
for her to fly in, she has taken another job. The
one thing you have to remember about the Internet is
how far reaching it is. You are not competing for a
nanny in your hometown where everyone is paid a
certain average; you are now competing with parents
everywhere. The nannies with the most solid and
professional background get chosen very quickly.
Regardless of which method you use, Agency or
Internet, be prepared for not finding the right
person in your immediate area, especially if you
want that hard to find “live-in” nanny. You will
probably find some good candidates if you are
willing to fly them in or decide you can use a nanny
with good references but maybe just starting out as
a nanny. The only question you need to ask on that
one is, “have you ever lived away from home?” So
many times, I’ve heard parents find someone and hire
them only to find the poor nanny was too homesick!
This must all sound very overwhelming to you! For
parents that have demanding careers, choose a good
agency and remember that the higher fees agency also
seems to attract the higher quality nannies. The
time you save may be worth it.
But for those that do not have an Agency they can go
to or just don’t have that kind of money, the
Internet is still a good source of nannies—you just
have to be patient and willing to put in the time.
Remember, she may be an excellent nanny but new to
advocating for herself and takes a little longer to
respond to your emails. If you find someone you like
that seems interested, move fast! I have talked to
many nannies that have found their perfect job on
the Internet. Many found the Agencies didn’t think
they could get the salary they wanted and found by
advocating for themselves, they could find the right
family for the right salary. Or the really liked the
idea they could talk to the families up front and
had more control over the areas they lived in. Many
nannies advertise on the web and sign up with
agencies. Just like parents, they are trying to
cover all the bases to insure a good fit with the
right family.
Hopefully, organizations like the
National
Association of Nannies and International Nanny
Association and NANC will help educate nannies on
how to effectively use the Internet and we will work
through some of the basic problems.
Some of the internet sites I have found quality
nannies and parent advertisements are
www.nannies4hire.com (be prepared to search through
a lot of “babysitters” for the real nannies
there—doesn’t have a great way to narrow choices but
if you are patient, they do have some good nannies
there),
www.gonannies.com
has some solid nannies and
easier to screen their credentials,
www.4everythingnanny.com offers a nanny classified
section and a free period to advertise,
www.4nannies.com is more expensive to advertise and
search on but they offer free background check if
you find a nanny on their site and they have one of
the most thorough easy to use screening to browse
for nannies. I am not advocating for any of these
sites, just letting you know of some I have used
myself.
You are going to find your share of candidates who
don’t work out whether you use an Agency or the
Internet. Finding the right nanny for your family
that you can afford is not easy. As women find more
careers outside of childcare, it will increase in
difficulty. So when you find that great nanny,
treasure her!
Return to Questions
Mary Cagnetta of Mind Your Business, Inc.
(732-302-9102) gives this advice: A family can
conduct a background investigation on anyone they
are hiring by using a background investigation
company, such as Mind Your Business, Inc. The
services we conduct are:
Criminal History
Credit History
Social Security Trace - provides an address history
so a criminal search can be conducted in additional
jurisdictions, if requested
Driving Records
Education Verification
Reference Checks
The cost of all above is $200, however, if the
family performs the reference checks themselves, the
cost is reduced to $175. The process typically takes
2 to 3 business days and then we send a written
report to the hiring family, with the backup
documentation.
The applicant does have to consent to a background
check by signing a "Release Form".
There are no secrets, nor should there be any.
If you have a particular question about nannies or
how to use the Internet as a source, please feel
free to email me at
travelingnanny4you@gmail.com.
Return to Questions |
