Plan Ahead
On its face, finding a nanny does not seem like it would be a monumental endeavor.  And it isn’t, unless you wait until the last minute to secure a worthy care-giver for your kids.  Like so many of life’s big decisions, you don’t always have as much time as you’d like to land the best nanny.  Job changes, moves, and other life events crunch timetables beyond your control, but it is best to start your nanny search well ahead of time.
Start by crafting an ad aimed at exactly the nanny you require.  Your standards are high, so there is no need to mince words for applicants.  Include information about your family and your expectations regarding references and employment experience.  As applicants begin to respond; filter them according to the cream of the crop.  Isolate your strongest candidates for interviews, choosing a manageable number for further scrutiny – based on your availability and comfort level.

Define the Position
Before meeting with candidates to conduct personal interviews, share a detailed explanation of the job requirements with applicants.  Your family values, for example, may not align with every nanny applicant’s beliefs, so it is important to be honest about your needs up-front.
Expectations, in terms of what you need done, should be articulated very clearly, so there are no misunderstandings moving the work relationship forward.  Don’t be surprised if you lose a couple interested applicants by spelling out your requirements – better now than after you are counting on them.

Conduct Interviews
Primary interviews don’t generally include your children, unless circumstances make it unavoidable.  Instead, conduct personal interviews with you short-list of worthy candidates, focusing on getting to know their styles and philosophies.
Include open-ended questions in your interview; allowing candidates to open-up about important issues related to their nanny experience.  You are not trying to trick them, but one of your ulterior motives is determining whether applicants share your values.  Specific inquiries should also be levied; yielding genuine responses to questions about disciplinary actions, play philosophies and other child-rearing concerns.

Proper Vetting
In the end, you are looking for the truth about nanny applicants, so it is up to you to do due diligence vetting your pool of recruits.  Honesty is essential to the trusting relationships shared between nannies, children and parents; so inconsistencies in applications or interviews should be seen as deal breakers. Selecting an applicant with incomplete references or other shortcomings only opens the door to potential problems down the road.
Consider contracting for a more extensive background check than you can provide yourself.  Professionals furnish deeper resources for vetting nanny candidates; ultimately leaving you at-ease about your nanny selection.

Extend a Contract
Once you have settled on a nanny applicant, the relationship should be formalized with a contract.  Include the same language you used to outline your needs up-front, reinforcing what you and your nanny-to-be have covered during the interviewing process.  Specific duties, work hours, and even compensation levels should be clearly drawn-up, so everyone is on the same page.  Remedies and consequences should also be included in the contract; such as accommodations for sick time or extending care hours during certain periods of employment.
Clear communication and proper vetting are key approaches for landing a great nanny.  Whenever possible, allow plenty of time for the process to occur; enabling due diligence to unfold at your own pace and comfort level.

This guest post is contributed by Rebecca Gray, who writes for Backgroundchecks.org. She welcomes your comments at her email id: GrayRebecca14@gmail.com.

Summer is quickly approaching and for some families this means kids wanting several months of fun and activities. This means more driving, and more planning and coordinating. But with a busy career and not enough vacation days, sometimes it can be nearly impossible for parents to keep up with an action-packed summer that your kids really want. This is where a summer nanny would be incredibly beneficial.

I spent years as a nanny and being a nanny over the summer was especially rewarding. I loved it, the kids loved it, and I could tell the parents loved it as well. It is a win win situation where everyone had less stress and more fun!

Here are a few reasons why I loved being a summer nanny:

1. No school, no school work. I never like seeing how stressed children get over school work. In summer, they can be more relaxed. Without busy school schedules, you and the children can have carefree fun all day for months! It’s a great time for the children and the nanny to just sit back and enjoy hanging out together. And mom and dad know that the kids are safe, having fun but being supervised.

2. More time, more bonding. Of course, being with a family after school every day allows for plenty of time to get to know children, but in summer when you are with the kids all day, you can learn all sorts of things about them! You can find out their favorite activities, their best friends, what they want to be when they grow up and even what troubles them. A nanny can be a great sounding board for the things kids go through.

3. More free time, more crafts! Personally, I love doing arts and crafts and baking. Summer is the time where I can finally go through all those ideas I thought looked so cool on Pinterest and actually do them! This has always been a big hit with the girls I nannied. They loved helping pick out the craft or recipe and spending time working on it together.

Now for the reasons your family will love having a summer nanny:

1. Less school, more time (for nannies in college). Most summer nannies will be available to help you from the moment the kids wake up to the moment you are home from work. In the summer, you don’t need to work around the nanny’s class schedule. They can be flexible and totally available to you and your children.

2. Not the neighbor’s 15 year old, but a nanny with a license to drive. When you have the kind of children that need constant entertainment, it is great to have a nanny with a license and a (safe) car! This opens up a lot of possibilities. The kids would be able to go to the pool, the mall, the movie theater, sports practice, day camps, you name it. Nannies are used to driving children to activities, so this is something they would be completely fine with doing and will probably even expect.

3. Children gone, Laundry done. All of those household chores and groceries you needed to do, done. When your nanny isn’t entertaining your children during a playdate for instance, she could be helping out in other ways. Most nanny positions include these things already so it’s perfectly normal to ask your nanny to help out a little around the house.

These are just a few reasons why a summer nanny is a wonderful idea. If you need help finding one, let College Nannies & Tutors assist you!  We will do the searching for you, screen and approve the candidates and find the right fit for your family. That’s what we do, all day, every day.  Our nannies are experienced, professional, and most of all, fun!  As a nanny placement coordinator, I love helping families find the best nanny match while providing jobs to some really great role models! So visit our website, fill out a profile, and let us handle the rest!

Lynsey, Nanny Placement Coordinator

College Nannies and Tutors

This article is sponsored by College Nannies and Tutors