HappyLifestyleJournal
If you want to have a successful career and a family, you’ll probably need some help when it comes to children. A nanny is essential if you want to achieve some sort of balance between family and work obligations, and you can pay her to live with your full time or just work while you’re working and then go home. As it can be terrifying to leave your child with someone who’s not a trusted friend or part of your family, you’re probably trying to convince yourself that you can do it all and skip hiring someone. But the truth is that you probably need some help, unless you want to work all day and not be able to sleep at night due to the many obligations you have. When choosing a nanny, it’s absolutely necessary that you chose someone who is good enough to live your child with. So, here are some tips to consider before letting a stranger be around your child or entering your home.
First, determine your criteria. It is important to think about whether you want your future nanny to live in your house, or work during the day but go home once you arrive and are ready to take care of your child. The job interview will go a lot faster and easier if you know what you’re looking for and you approach the potential nanny directly with your needs and conditions.
Before agreeing to anything, you first need to estimate how much you can and are willing to pay your nanny. Do a little research on how much nannies usually charge and see if you can make an arrangement that is good for both of you. If you’re hiring a nanny who will live with you, you’ll have to pay her less as she will be provided with food and accommodation, but you need to consider whether you’re ready to live with someone besides your family.
Before you hire someone to take care of your child, it is advisable to do a background check. You’re letting someone into your life and it wouldn’t be good if that person was a criminal, a person with mental illness, or would do something that could harm you or your child. It would be good to check where that person has worked before, and see if you can speak with her previous employers to check how good she is. It is important to know as much as possible about a person who’s going to spend a lot of time with your child. It is also always good to speak with other people who have hired nannies and see if they have someone to recommend – people won’t recommend someone they weren’t satisfied with. This way, you’ll have to spend less time doing a background check, as you’ll know that you’re hiring a person people trust.
Of course, it isn’t enough if only you like the nanny you chose. You should sit down with your family and discuss the choices you have in order to hire a person who will be a good fit for everyone. Making a list of pros and cons with your family about potential nannies can help you decide and make the best choice.
Once you’ve made your choice, before you let your nanny start working, you should make a contract which will specify what her responsibilities and rights are, and your obligations towards her are. That contract should encompass the price of her work, information about what she’s allowed and instructed to do with your child, whether she can use appliances, and if she will be a live-in nanny it is important to determine whether she is allowed to have guests and how the household will be led while she’s working there. Make sure the contract you make is clear and to the point, as having everything on paper will help you and your nanny to stick to your agreement.
There should always be a trial period, during which you will see how good the nanny is with your child and how she behaves. Of course, during that period you will be observing her and if there is something you dislike you can ask her to change that (or if it’s something significant which is difficult to change, simply don’t hire her). Trial period is good for the nanny, your child and you as well, because during that time you and the nanny can get to know each other a little better and become more comfortable around each other, while your child will get used to the new person. It is necessary that your child gets to know a new nanny at least a little bit before you leave him or her with a person they don’t really know. If you leave your child with a complete stranger, it could traumatize or at least make him or her uncomfortable.
Yes, there are many things to think about and do before hiring a nanny, but these are all necessary steps if you want no complications when you hire someone and that person starts taking care of your child. Your child is your biggest treasure, and you simply must be careful about the people you’re letting into his or her life (as well as yours).
