How to Select A
Safe Nanny
For Your Child
A Step By Step Guide
Medicines
Be clear with your nanny if you do
not want her giving your child over the counter medicines when the child is
sick. Also be clear if it is okay if she gives the child medicine like Tylenol
or Advil or cough syrup, etc. Make sure that she understands how much of any
medicine to give and which medicines should not be mixed because they may cause
reactions.
Keep a medicine chart
If your child is sick or takes
chronic medication, whether for depression, attention deficit disorder or
allergies, keep a wire bound notebook or a list on the refrigerator with
columns for the date, time, medicine name, and amount given, as well as the
child’s name, if you have more than one child in your home.
This will help a
busy nanny remember when she last gave your child medicine. It will also help
you know what your child took during the time he or she was in the nanny’s
care, so that you can follow up on the same schedule.
If your child needs to
see a doctor, it is helpful for the doctor to know what the child took, and
when, as well.
Emergency List
Keep an emergency phone number and
address list by the telephone (s). Hopefully your nanny will never have to use
this, but if there is an emergency, this list may save a child’s life.
Here is
what should be on the list:
Your name and address and phone
number – if anyone has to call for an ambulance, and they are flustered, it is
easy to forget the address of where they are, especially if this is a new job,
or one of several.
Your child’s name, date of birth,
height, weight – this is important information if a child has ingested
poisonous cleaning fluids or other items not meant to be ingested.
Your pediatrician’s name, phone
number and office address
Your pediatric dentist’s name,
phone number and office address (if your child is old enough to have teeth and
a dentist)
Your child’s eye doctor, allergist,
or any other specialists your child sees regularly, and the phone numbers and
addresses.
The name and phone number of the
closest hospital.
The name and phone number of a
pharmacy that is close by and the name and number of a pharmacy that delivers if
the closest one does not.
A list of all medications your
child takes as well as the dosage.
