How To Find A Nanny And What To Look For In One!

The child-care emergency Allyson faced a few weeks ago was a common one:

The mother of three children was desperate for child-care help after giving birth to number three. Allyson’s day was consumed of feeding the babies, changing diapers, changing baby outfits, cleaning up spills, folding laundry, running errands, returning phone calls, carrying the older two children to soccer and ballet practice, cooking meals and working on assignments from work while on maternity leave.

After an exhausting day, Allyson laid down to rest for a minute only to remember that she needed to start cleaning dinner dishes, start preparing lunches for the next school day and wash school uniforms. Does this scenario sound like your family? If you need an extra set of hands to help you, then a Nanny might be just what you are looking for to help your family. What is a Nanny? A professional caregiver that takes care of children, helps maintain the home and works part-time, full-time, or on a needed basis.

What to look for in a Nanny:
Passion for the Nanny Profession
Communication
Skills
Kind but firm temperament
Commitment Level to your family and the job.
Flexibility
Experience working with children
Creativity
Fun to be around
Emotional and Financial Stability
Great Attitude
Respectful to you and your family
Values
Morals
Great Character
Clean background check
Professionalism
Willingness to be trained

What to look for in a family:
Family with “realistic” expectations about your job duties
Treats you with respect
Reasonable with your hours and pay
Communicates well with you

How do I hire a Nanny?

I do not have time to advertise, pre-screen, check background checks, and interview candidates. The most efficient way to find a Nanny would be to hire a reputable Nanny agency with years of experience in placing Nannies. Nanny agencies know the pitfalls of the industry. In most cases, they are able to track a phony candidate through an application, phone interview or an in-person interview.

Families will pay a reasonable fee to use a Nanny Service, but you will have a better chance of a faster placement and successful placement.Why should I use a Nanny agency?Established reputation with long-term success based on previous Nanny/Family placements.No need to scroll through unqualified nanny classifiedsYears of experience finding out what works in advertising, recruiting, policies, trial-periods, guarantees, and placements.

Most Nanny Agencies will provide a thorough Nanny/Family Agreement that WORKS! Georgia’s Dream Nannies, Inc. offers its Nannies socials, Nanny Training Workshops, and orientations and even a Nanny Conference.

Most Nanny Agencies recognize a good match because they know the pitfalls of the business. All background checks completed by the agency.Please feel free to write in your questions. I will be more than happy to assist you and your family.

Article written by: Serra Deville, CEO of Georgia’s Dream Nannies, Inc.
Georgia’s Premier Domestic Placement Service.

http://www.gadreamnannies.com/
Office (770) 517 – 0443

Training Your Nanny - Nanny Review

Training Your Nanny successfully

It is an exciting and intense feeling all at the same time. Some parents feel the excitement fade as you become overwhelmed with handling a caregiver in your home. In some cases, it may feel like you have another child. The good news is the excitement can last if you can remember a few simple rules. All of our rules can apply to hiring a babysitter too!

Rule # 1 Outline your expectations
Do not leave anything for questioning, especially if you have a young or inexperienced caregiver. You need to make your expectations known upfront and repeat them several times until she clearly understands, especially if the caregiver is young.

Rule # 2 Spend a little extra time training your caregiver
TRAIN your caregiver! Remember if you fail to train your caregiver, then your caregiver will more than likely not to meet your expectations. In any job, an employer must always train a new employee, even if the employee has done a similar job for 10-years. Each job is unique and different, especially in the home.

TRAIN your caregiver for at least 2-weeks or longer. If you are hiring a babysitter or a caregiver on a short-term basis, then spend minimum 30-minutes of “prep” time with them. You will need to go over your household needs before you leave them alone with your children.

Rule # 3 Get your children involved in making a “mini” Caregiver manual
If you put a little time and effort into a “min” caregiver manual, then it can be a huge lifesaver for your family, especially if you change caregivers frequently. A “mini” caregiver manual can be made by your children or bought at your local store.

For example, you might have the children cut out a picture of macaroni and cheese, pizza, apples, etc and paste them on “Kid’s Favorite Foods” section of the manual. Have your children practice writing their address and phone number on the “Important Phone Numbers to call list”. Another example might be to write in there what to do if you are going to be late (call ahead), what to do if a stranger comes by the door looking for me or says they need to unclog the toilet, and how to answer the phone and so on. You can spend valuable time with your children while making a useful project that will help your caregiver understand your family a little better.Write out your expectations and keep them handy for her to refer to during the day.

For example, keep a list of things to do if she has downtime during the day. It is always a good idea to have a back-up plan for your caregiver if she runs out of things to do with your children or around your house.Have your caregiver keep a notebook and a pen handy. When your caregiver walks in, you should immediately take her around the house and show her things that need to be done while you are gone. Have the caregiver take down notes.

For example, walk her into the pantry and tell her to jot down a list of any items that need to be purchased at the grocery store and so on or what medicines the children need to take. Remember to lay out your expectations, train your caregiver and provide a “mini” training manual for the caregiver to refer back to if needed. You will enjoy your night out or workday better if you know that the caregiver understands your family’s needs and expectations and your children will be thankful.

Q I hired a nanny a few weeks ago for the first time. I gave our nanny a daily list of “To Do’s”. I told her that she could watch t.v. if she wanted to do so if the list was completed. My nanny seems to be watching more t.v. and slacking on her everyday job duties and talking on her cell phone. We had an agreement that she could do these things only if she finished other tasks. I told her as she was leaving work that she needed to remember not to watch so much t.v. and talk on the phone. Am I being to harsh? How can I get her to change?

A Great Question! Many parents run into problems during the first few weeks after hiring a Nanny because they never clearly laid down rules or expectations or they had too many relaxed rules. As an agency, we encourage the parents as well as the nannies to reframe from any personal use of cell phones, t.v. time, etc. while working in the home.

Many parents give the nanny freedom during the first few weeks of work and then wonder why things are not working out down the road. In order to fix your problem, you will need to sit down once a month for 10-15 minutes and have a “Nanny Review”. Try to have a Nanny Review before the workday begins if possible.

This way you can both be refreshed and not feel rushed. Go over what is working in the home and what is not working. Allow her to express her feeling to you as well. If things do not change over time, then it may be time to look for someone new.

For more information, please contact http://www.gadreamnannies.com/

Pointers For Hiring A Nanny

Pointers For Hiring A NannyMany parents have an initial guilty feeling of hiring a Nanny in the home because it involves finding the right person with morals, great character and skills needed to help run the home smoothly. The issue of hiring a Nanny can be done smoothly if the parent researches and plans for the change.Research the profession. Many parents forget this important step in hiring a Nanny.

Make sure that you understand what a Nanny can do for your family.Please visit my website for more information to help you www.GaDreamNannies.com

Plan What does your family need?
Do both parents in the home work?
Do you need an extra pair of hands around the house?
Do you need a full, part-time, temporary or as needed Nanny?

Many parents fail to plan. They do not fully experience the benefits of hiring a Nanny because of poor planning. Make sure that you understand your own expectations and what is needed in your home. What can your family financially afford to pay on a weekly basis?

Make sure that you know what the going rates are for a Nanny in your area. The going rate for most nannies ranges from $12 – 15 + per hour. In some areas, you may be able to pay $10 - $15 an hour. Many full-time nannies also receive benefits or extra money towards benefits. Benefits are completely optional but may help fill your position faster if you need someone quickly.

If parents spend a little time researching and planning, hiring a Nanny can be a very positive and rewarding experience for both parents and children.

Questions from parents:
Q When should I start looking for a Nanny?
A If you are using an agency, then you should start a minimum of 1-month prior to your needed hire date. Agencies have an advantage of finding you someone quickly because they advertise and interview on a weekly basis. Remember you do not want to rush the hiring process.If you are searching on your own, then you want to give yourself at least 1-3-months to find someone. Always have a back-up plan.
Always remember to PLAN ahead your needs!

Q Why do agencies cost a lot? Is it cheaper to go on my own?

Hiring a qualified agency is a small price to pay for the safety, wellbeing, and happiness for your children. With most Nanny Agencies, you are paying for the legwork involved in hiring someone, ongoing advertisement, employees, nanny training, and other costs involved in running an agency. An agency can help alleviate a lot of your precious time. If you decide to go on your own, then you need to weigh out the cost of your time that you will spend interviewing, reviewing applications (if possible), placing expensive ads (usually costs $300 + to advertise 1-time in local newspaper), answering phone calls from your ad and the list goes on. Sometimes a family may hire a family friend and therefore it would be cheaper and possibly benefit the family.

For more information, please contactwww.GaDreamNannies.com