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Photo: Jason DeRusha / Flickr

Caring for your children is not easy. It is more than a full-time job and requires as much assistance as you can get. If you go it ‘alone’, you should definitely be sure of your support network which may include your partner, your parents and other extended family. It really does take a community to raise a child. If you can afford it and choose to hire a nanny, there are a number of important things to keep in mind. After all, you are trusting a complete stranger, qualified though she may be, with the safety and well-being of your children. Mary Poppins is not easy to find. You might end up with someone resembling Fran Drescher’s character in The Nanny.

What are your options?

You may choose to go the agency route or find a nanny on your own. When considering the agency, you should find out the answers to some important questions. Firstly, how long has the agency been around? A brand new agency has not had the opportunity to really gain a reputation, either good or bad, and you may not be able to contact enough former clients for references.

Be very clear about the agency’s policies are when it comes to refunds and other fees. Make sure that all the information is in black and white, either on email or in a hard copy. Ask what the recruitment and screening process entails.

You should also make sure that the agency is affiliated with an organisation such as the International Nanny Association or the Alliance of Professional Nanny Agencies.

Do it yourself

You may also decide to place an advert in the classifieds and interview individual nannies on your own. The first thing you should to do is evaluate and assess what your needs and those of your family and children are. Decide how a nanny can best meet those needs.

Based on your needs, formulate a job description that indicates whether the nanny will have a live-in or a live-out position and what hours are expected of the nanny. State whether your children have special needs and/or extra-curricular requirements. Indicate also whether you require your nanny to be able to drive and whether there is a car provided for her. Will she be required to perform other tasks in addition to taking care of your child?

You need to be as clear and detailed as possible so that there is no misunderstanding at a later stage.

Word of mouth

You should pass on your future nanny’s job description to your friends and family members who have nannies. Their nannies will forward it to other nannies. You should get some great leads this way. Whoever comes knocking at your door should meet some basic standards as set out by the International Nanny Association.

When you have decided on a few potential candidates, set up some interviews, with your children present. Apart from the screening process and background check you will have completed, it is important that the nanny gets on well with you and your children. And you will also be able to observe the candidate when you state the conditions of employment.

When all is said and done, this person will become part of your family and you can never be too careful. Take your time and listen carefully to what your children tell you. When all is said and done, you must trust your instincts.

Tags: children, family