Hiring A Nanny

Word of mouth is one great way to find someone to work as a nanny. The problem for new mothers is that if they’re one of the first in their group of same age family and friends to have kids, they don’t have a lot of references or friends who already have nannies. The trick to overcoming isolation is to be pro-active. Talk and ask about nannies to everyone who looks like they have one. Great people to ask are the nurses in the hospital maternity ward where you had your child. Your obstetrician’s office staff and nurses may be able to recommend someone. Questions to ask when looking for a nanny: 1.I’m looking for a nanny. Can you recommend anyone? 2.Do you know any nannies that are looking for work? 3.How did you find your nanny? 4.Do you know of any nannies that are great with girls (boys/special needs children)? 5.Boy, your nanny seems terrific – how did you find her? Learn how to find, interview and hire a nanny.

When deciding if your nanny should do house work, you have to consider what kind of child – or children – you have. Are these the kind of children who need a lot of attention, and will be upset if the nanny is doing laundry or dishes – or are they the kind of children who will want to pitch in and help? And if they are, are you okay if your child is helping the nanny with domestic chores? Some parents only want their children doing creative or academic things rather than household chores. Is your child the kind who can amuse him or herself with an art project, a book or a toy while the nanny picks up the house? How to find, select and hire a nanny

Most nannies want to be paid in cash for a number of reasons. One of the reasons is that they don’t have to go to a bank to cash a check, which saves them a trip. There is also the question of taxes, which they can fudge on if they are paid in cash. The other reason that many employers prefer to pay nannies in cash is that it is easier for them when it comes to taxes. But the truth is you should follow the law when paying your nanny. A simple way to do this is to meet with your accountant before you begin your nanny interviewing process, and ask what the best way to legally pay a nanny is. You will have to tell the accountant how many hours the nanny is working, if she is a live in or live out, and what her salary will be. If he is not familiar with your tax bracket, and you have never met with him before, a phone call will not be adequate to get good answers to your questions. Make a meeting so he can go over your income, your expenses and deductions and your nanny needs, costs and salary paid. Learn how to find, select and hire a nanny

A good way to eliminate scheduling interview dates with nanny candidates that don’t meet your needs is to ask the nanny what kind of job she is looking for, and what kind of children she prefers caring for. If you have more than one child that the nanny will be taking care of, see if she’s ever taken care of more than one child at a time. Some nannies specialize in taking care of babies, and prefer this kind of work. Others don’t have experience with babies, and if you have one, you should hire a nanny who has baby experience because their needs are so much different than older children’s.

Many parents have special dietary restrictions for their children, whether it’s a sugar-free diet for general health purposes, or a lactose free diet for allergy purposes. Keep a list of all rules about food on the refrigerator, and go over them with your nanny and child, if your child is old enough to understand. This helps the child self-regulate, and also doesn’t make the nanny the bad-guy in what could become food wars. If you want your child to eat a certain number of fresh vegetables and fruits, either make sure that you have the foods ready for the nanny to prepare, or make sure that you allow enough time for the nanny to purchase these items, with your child in tow, on work time. Another option is sending the nanny to the store on her regular hours while you watch the child for that time. If you want the nanny to cook for the child, you should cover this in the nanny's interview.