Don’t necessarily judge the nanny’s performance on the first day. Try to let the week play out before you make a decision.

Parental separation issues

Sometimes it is hard to tell who is being left – your child or you! So much time is spent making sure that the child is okay about being left with a nanny that often times; parents are the ones who have unresolved feelings when they finally leave their child with a nanny. These feelings can come as a surprise because hiring a nanny is so consuming that it is easy to go on “automatic pilot” and not “check in with yourself,” to see how you feel about this process.

It is normal for parents to feel sad about leaving their child with a nanny – even if the nanny is superlative and the best thing for the child. Any separation can be painful, and the parent’s separation from the child can be just as painful for the adult.

There is nothing wrong with your child seeing you shed a few tears, or getting choked up as long as you explain to the child, “I’m so happy to see you so grown up, that sometimes I get emotional and instead of laughing, I cry!” The child who sees a parent tear up or cry wants to make sure that the parent is not hurt. If you are an emotional person it is okay for your child to see you be emotional, as long as he or she knows that this is just a normal part of who you are.