Does a Parent Make a Good Nanny?
When you’re looking to hire a nanny, you may have some candidates apply with pages of experience and references, and others who apply with only “mom” experience. Will a mom with zero outside childcare experience make a good nanny? She can, but it really depends on the person and their “other” life experiences. An example of a candidate you may come in contact with would be a stay at home mom of three whose children are older. Raising three kiddos sure sounds like experience, but caring for your own children and caring for other people’s children is like comparing night and day.
Questions you should ask:
- Are you CPR and first aid certified? If not, are you willing to get these certifications before starting?
- Do you have any volunteer experience?
- Have you ever tutored someone else’s children?
- What about babysitting? Have you every babysat for another family?
- Have you ever done any coaching?
Safety is #1
Safety should always come first. No matter is they are a professional nanny with twenty years’ experience or someone with zero experience, they need to be certified in both first aid and CPR. If you have a newborn or infant, you may also want to ask them to brush up on their skills with an infant care class. To make sure your candidate isn’t missing anything important when it comes to safety, check out our post 5 Classes Every Nanny and Parent Should Sign Up For NOW.
They May Have More Experience Then They Realize
Regarding experience, they may have more than they realize. If they have volunteered, ask them if they worked with children. If they have tutored someone else’s child, this could be a form of experience. If they babysat for other families, this can also be added as experience as long as you can verify the facts and she uses the family as a reference. Coaching children’s sports is another form of childcare experience that many candidates may overlook. If they were a coach, see if they can find a parent from the team to give them a recommendation.
When You’ve Found “The One”
Once you’ve decided on a candidate, run a thorough background check, verified their references and credentials, it’s time to move onto the next step: the nanny contract. Check out our post conveniently titled Your Nanny Contract for more info and some GREAT tips, like including a trial period.
When it comes to money, tax, and keeping it legal, our post How to Start On Nanny Payroll can come in handy! If you decide that math isn’t your thing, or you need help setting everything up, don’t hesitate to give us a call at 1.877.626.6982. We offer a free trial through our website, and there are no set up fees and no long-term commitments. We cover all your payroll, deductions, tax filing needs, and more!
