And you do not want to make the wrong choice when it comes to the care of your child. The wrong choice could leave you feeling unsettled and anxious every time you leave your child. And you DO NOT want that at all.

Today I want to share with you six things that you DO NOT want to do, when hiring a nanny.

1. Do NOT hire an inexperienced nanny.

When you hire a nanny, you want her to have the experience caring for a similar aged child, and the same number of children. For instance, do you have twins? Its best in that type of situation that she has cared for twins and their special needs before.

• Do NOT neglect calling references.

�����鶹 performs lengthy phone interviews with each candidate’s references and provides a detailed report on each conversation, but we suggest you do additional reference calls to ask your own questions as well!

Calling a nanny’s references will quickly get you the facts on that nanny’s previous work experience.

Ask questions to get the facts. Such as …

“How did you come into contact with this nanny?”

“Would you hire this nanny again?”

“How many days did she call in sick, or report to work late?”

“What issues (minor ones included) came about with this nanny?”

• Do NOT be vague on your parenting methods and preferences in the interview process.

Your potential nanny needs to fully understand your preferences from the beginning.

During your interview discuss…

Housework- What do you expect your nanny to accomplish around the house. And when should she do them.

Media Usage- Are you comfortable with the nanny using the Television, computer, or phone during hours she is caring for your child? Or do you want her to only use those during specific hours during care.

Sleep training and routines- Do expect the nanny to rock or walk the baby to sleep? Or do you prefer your child to self soothe? Is there a specific way you want your children put to sleep? Do you want nanny to help with a new routine or work on sleep training or do things exactly as you already do?

Nanny’s meal arrangements- Do you provide meals for your nanny? Or will you expect her to bring her own food?

Play dates and activities- Is the nanny expected to arrange play dates? Do you want playdates in your home, or in a public setting? Do you want your child participating in story time at the library or visiting the zoo? Is the nanny okay with driving your children around? Are you okay with driving her around?

Discipline- What methods of discipline do you want implemented for your children?

• Do NOT be vague about pay.

Talk about how many days you expect of her to work a week. Talk about exactly what the schedule will be each day. How many days off she will have in a year, including sick days, and whether or not she will be paid those days.  Professional nannies will expect a standard package of benefits including paid vacation, paid sick days paid legal holidays and guaranteed hours.

Also discuss how she will be paid. Hourly? A flat rate? And how often will pay be received?

• Do NOT neglect to set up working interviews!

You should always ask the nanny to come do at least one working interview where candidates will come perform anywhere from 1-5 complete work days to watch how you take care of your children, what the normal schedule and routine will look like and how you want things done. Walk her through a typical day. Show her how you feed, change, and put the child down for naps. Then let her do those tasks the next day, with you following behind to make sure it is going well. This time will also help your baby adjust to the change and know that this person is someone they can trust.

• Do NOT interview only one person.

While it may be the right person right out the gate, don’t settle for the first person you interview. Make sure you interview multiple candidates. You want to make sure that you have candidates to compare to make the best decision! Make sure to ask the right questions of each person. We will provide you a detailed list of interview questions and what to look for in interviews! Here are some great suggestions to ask candidates:

“How long have you been a nanny?”

“How many children have you cared for at once?”

“How and why did you end your previous jobs?” 

“What activities will you do with my child during the day?”

“Do you have any certifications? CPR, childcare, etc.?”

“Is your schedule flexible?”

“How do you handle sick days?”

In conclusion, finding and deciding on a great nanny can be hard work, and it should be! This is a big decision. You are hiring someone to fill your shoes in your child’s world while you are gone, those are BIG shoes to fill!

Hire experience. Call references. Be clear on parenting methods. Be clear on pay. Do working interviews. Interview multiple candidates.

And before you know it, you will have your dream candidate. Someone matched to meet your needs, the needs of your child and who will become the newest member of your family!

If you need more tips on what not to do when hiring your perfect nanny, feel free to reach out to us here at �����鶹 and we’d be happy to assist! We specialize in long term, career nanny placements and have an amazing relationship with of some of the best nannies in the industry who have trusted us for many years. We can help you in finding placements that are the right fit, for all of your families unique needs. Click here for more information. We would love to help!

Want to keep up with us even more for family and nanny tips? Follow us on the following platforms:

The post What Not To Do When Hiring A Nanny appeared first on �����鶹.

Are you getting ready for your first interview as a potential nanny or even looking for a new position? Whether you decide to go the route of finding a position on your own, or with an agency; We can help you prepare for the big day! In this blog we will be sharing some interview etiquette and tips that are sure to help you nail the nanny position of your dreams.

Nanny Interview Etiquette and Tips To Land The Perfect Position

Interview Day Etiquette

An interview for a nanny position is no different from any other job interview. You need to be mindful of your appearance and your body language. You need to do the following:

– Do your research on the position you are interested in. Know the hours, know the area and things to do around that, have an estimate of what your commute time may be in heavy traffic, or no traffic. Take some time to think about the kids ages and what you might do with them each day, or what a typical day might look like if they hire you.

– Don’t forget your paperwork, i.e. job description, resume, specifications, and references, letters of recommendations, degrees or certifications or documents from extra training you have done.

– Dress for success. Make sure you are comfortable, professional, and feeling confident. I’d highly recommend business professional wear, or at very least business casual.

– Be punctual. You can bet that an agency is taking notes on when you arrive and if you were punctual or not. If you know you are going to be running late, send a message or a take a few minutes to call and give a heads up to the agency or the family. Something as small as being 10-15 mins late unannounced can easily lead to someone choosing another candidate over you.

– Make eye contact with each interviewer. This shows that you are engaged with the interview, confident and present with what they are asking you and in what you can bring to the table!

– Don’t give one-word answers. Let them know what you have achieved, be confident and clear. You want to be detailed in your answers without rambling on or giving just a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer.

– Ask questions of the interviewer. You need to make sure the job is the right fit for you too. You are interviewing the family or agency as much as they are interviewing you. If its a family interview make sure to ask exactly what they are looking for, what they would like a typical day to look like, any extra tasks they are looking to be done and exactly what their compensation package is. If it is with an agency find out what the process is like, what to expect next, what they do to represent you and how hands on they are with the interviewing/hiring process and beyond. Agencies vary in this aspect, so make sure to ask! You want to make sure you are with an agency that will provide you as much or little support as you are looking for!

– Don’t stress and be CONFIDENT.

Interview Tips: Be Prepared for Questions

A job interview as a nanny will be filled with questions specific to that job. Some questions you can expect to hear are:

-Tell me about yourself. Focus on experience, skills, interests, and strengths related to the job.

– Why did you choose to become a nanny?

– What childcare qualifications do you have?

– What do you think is the most important aspect of a nanny job?

– What do you consider to be the qualities that children like in you?

– What did you like/ dislike in previous nanny jobs?

– What sort of activities, daily routines, foods did you prepare, etc. , with the children in your care?

– Why do you think you are well suited for this nanny position?

– What are your child rearing philosophies?

Interview Tips: Be Prepared to Ask Questions

You need to make sure this position fits well for you! So make sure you ask questions as it helps you get the answer you need and also comes across as you interested in the position as well! Some questions to ask are:

– Is there housework involved or will you only be looking after the children?

– Who is responsible for disciplining the children? What method will be used?

– What specific things should you do with the children. i.e. art projects, helping with homework, transportation, etc.

– How many hours would be required weekly?

– What would the salary be weekly? Bi-weekly?

– Will there be date night sitting on top of the weekly work hours on occasion?

– What are your holiday and vacation expectations?

-Will you be offering guaranteed hours?

-Will you be providing a car or reimbursing for gas and mileage?

If you are working with an agency, such as �����鶹, make sure you give feedback after your family interview. We are here to help and give advice. We hope this has been an encouragement to you with the proper nanny etiquette and tips to land the nanny position of your dreams!

Ready to become a nanny or find the perfect position to end your search? Check out our new openings and apply here!

Also, something exciting for you! We are doing nanny profile headshots with Nicole of on February 1st in Scottsdale, Arizona for only $20! This is a must-have for your nanny profile and portfolio! If you need more info on this or want to sign up, please email Kayla at info@allaboutnanniesaz.com.

The post Nanny Interview Etiquette and Tips to Land the Perfect Position appeared first on �����鶹.

Do you desire to make a difference in a child’s life? To partner with someone in providing basic needs, discipline, nurturing and structure in their daily life? And to get paid to do just that? Then consider becoming a nanny.

Becoming a nanny is to forever change your life. You partner with a family, to help raise their child. And you do so in the closeness and familiarity of home, to provide comfort and love to the child.

So, what are some of the benefits of becoming a nanny?

-It’s FUN! – Being a nanny can be just plain fun. Part of what you are getting paid to do is play. Whether you are running with the child outdoors, or building block towers, it can be great fun to join in on the active imagination’s children have.

-Getting to help a tiny human grow- In partnering with parents, you not only provide for the child’s basic day to day physical needs, you have the opportunity to teach them. Whether that is social skills, or their ABC’s. You get the opportunity to set the stage for their future life. 

-You are able to see your work in action- As a nanny, you have the opportunity to witness the fruit of your labor in the most unexpected moments. Like when they share a toy, or a piece of food with peers. You are keenly aware of the impact you have on their life.

-You grow with them- Being a nanny is not only about teaching the child and watching them grow. It’s about growing yourself. You learn how to communicate on all levels. With parents as your boss/employee relationship. And in verbal and non-verbal methods in day to day interactions with the child. And you learn patience, just through the nature of repetitively having to teach a child. 

– You become part of a family- And what a beautiful feeling that is. You become an integral part of that family’s life. And even after the children grow, and need you less and less, you are remembered as vital part in that chapter of their life.

Being a nanny is a great work with lots of amazing rewards. And a job that you can look forward to going to every day. And who doesn’t want that?

If you are wanting to find out more, click here to go to our Nanny Section of our site. You can view the current openings for nannies, the steps of becoming a nanny with �����鶹, and what other nannies say about the agency.

The post Benefits of Being a Nanny appeared first on �����鶹.