January 28th, 2019 at 10:07 pm

Nanny searches can be a very difficult process. Our colleagues over at my nanny circle can relate entirely to what parents & nannies go through in search of the right fit. Luckily for all of us their founding nanny Alene Mathurin wrote a tremendous piece on this subject. Give it a read!

Hiring the Perfect Nanny

I’m sure you have heard, or perhaps you believe, that there’s a secret to hiring the perfect nanny. Not so fast, potential employers! In reality, you have to take a commonsense approach that entails making the welfare, safety, and well-being of your children the priority. Just as you are meticulous about your choice of pediatricians, OB-GYNs, schools, and teachers, all of which will play a critical role in the lives of your kids at one stage or another, you must pay the same attention to detail when hiring a nanny.

So, your family needs to hire a nanny. I think it’s safe to assume that most of you moms and dads out there will be ensuring that any candidate is well vetted by former employers, that an extensive background check will be conducted, and that the person is experienced and educated in childcare. When it comes to the latter, this is not only from the perspective of executing the custodial aspect of care, but also from that of understanding overall child development. Undoubtedly, you’ll also want to make sure that your nanny’s childcare philosophy is in sync with your own and that they are extremely kind, as well as being able to think on their feet. Additionally, I am sure you grasp the importance of realistic expectations. That’s all well and good, but there’s lots more to think about. Let’s have a look at these other aspects.

Things for potential nanny hirers to consider:

If you want to retain the services of a good nanny, it’s imperative to avoid going the cheap route—as clichéd as it sounds, you really do get just what you pay for. It’s as simple as that, and because I know how busy families are, I’m not going to go any further on this as I’m sure you understand this concept very well.

Let’s face it, we all have our own inbuilt biases, so try and make an effort to dig deep, discover yours, and make changes where needed. How do you view nanny work and those who do it? Have you developed biases because of the preconditioned views you may have about nannies? These views may have been fueled by what you have read in the gossip column of a popular magazine, perhaps by what a dear friend may have told you, or even by a popular social media platform.

Remember, there’s no “one size fits all” approach when it comes to hiring a nanny. You need to have a complete idea of what you are looking for, which you will arrive at when you take the time to understand your own parenting philosophies and the values you hold dear as a family. When interviewing a potential candidate, it’s vital to ascertain that their childcare philosophy either matches yours or is, at the very least, compatible.

Understand that a nanny’s family background is not something that determines whether they are good or bad at their job. Their qualities are not decided by geography or race. The most important thing is that they are well-intentioned and understand that a family is taking a leap of faith by entrusting them with the care of their child. In return, this professional must honor that leap of faith by ensuring that, each and every day, the child concerned witnesses the very best of humanity in his or her actions.

I strongly believe that more parents should respect their intuition and gut feelings. If your internal alarm bells are ringing to warn you that something seems off, you would do well to heed them. By the same token, you must be able to recognize when you are being overly anxious, take the time to figure out the cause, and deal with it accordingly.

Meanwhile, something that’s often overlooked, but nevertheless uppermost in the subconscious minds of certain parents—especially moms—is the role played by their nanny in the lives of their children. Some working parents may feel guilty about being away from home and may, to some extent, worry about the nanny replacing them. If there’s any secret to hiring a nanny, it has to be that the parents know their child will never love the nanny more than them. Additionally, mom and dad must realize that a high-quality nanny in their children’s lives is a testament to their own good judgment.

Moreover, it’s important that parents see nannies for who they are: allo-parents, first teachers, role models, and so on. If a nanny is to be a child’s first teacher, they need to have a grasp of childcare that goes beyond a purely custodial approach and encompasses areas such as the psychological, cognitive, physical, and emotional development of children.

Lastly, you should resist hiring a nanny from any random web portal; rather, go through a reputable nanny agency or a good online nanny placement company such as Sittercity, which is one of the best in the industry, or simply hit the My Nanny Circle job board to find an individual who belongs to our community.

By bearing in mind the above pointers, while cultivating an optimistic yet realistic view of nanny work, you will be bound to land the most suitable and qualified person for your wonderful family. Now go out and find yourself the best nanny ever—it’s what your child deserves!

-Alene Mathurin

Reputable agencies are always the best way to go for situations like this. We at greenhouse know this because after 30 years in the business we’ve seen it all and are fully prepared to take on the task of finding the right fit for all parties involved.

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Glenn Greenhouse

President at Greenhouse Agcy, Ltd.

Glenn began in the “family business” more than 30 years ago, by coming to work for his Father, Martin Greenhouse. He often recounts how nervous he was, when at 19 years old his Father forced him to pick up the phone and speak with David Suskind. This was to be the first of dozens of phone calls and meetings to come for Glenn……with Celebrity Clientele. Glenn considers himself very fortunate to have spent his life working at a job he truly loves and as he puts it: “earn a comfortable living at the same time.”