may hang up the phone after a
thirty minute conversation, thinking you got the information you needed, when really;
all you did was have a nice, friendly connection with another mother.
Sit down with a stack of loose-leaf
paper and a pen and pencil and call the references that the nannies gave you.
Sometimes you will reach the husband instead of the wife. Ask to speak with
whoever did the hiring and firing (if there was firing), and the person who had
the most contact with the nanny while she was in the reference’s employ.
Sometimes you will reach a reference that has lots of time to talk with you and
wants to help you. Other times you will reach someone who is really too busy to
take the time to talk to you for more than a few minutes. If you sense that the
person is too busy to talk at that moment, ask if there is a better time to
reach them for a fifteen-minute chat.
Have your questions for the
reference ready in case you get someone who doesn’t have much time. If the reference
seems to be willing to help you, keep your prepared questions as a plan, but
feel free to veer off the plan.
