How to Find the Perfect Before and After School Nanny

Its around about this time of year that we get a lot of calls from families looking for before and after school nannies. In most cases, the children have tried the service provided by the local school and it hasn't worked out for reasons such as the children's after school activity schedule and having to get up too early in the morning in order to leave at the same time as their parents.

Many parents often arrive at the conclusion that a nanny is the perfect solution; the children can stay in bed a little later in the mornings and the parents don't have to rush around before working getting them ready for school. A nanny normally arrives in the morning at approximately 30 minutes before the parents leave for work so that they can assist with the hectic morning schedule of breakfast, getting dressed, preparing school bags, seeing children to the bus etc.

Once the children go to school the nanny is free to leave and will not return until meeting the children off the bus when they finish school. Then its unpacking the school bag, preparing a snack and helping with homework. Its an ideal situation and normally cost effective if you have two or more children in school. It certainly makes life easier for the parents!

Finding the right nanny however can be challenging. In our agency, it's the most difficult position to place because most nannies don't want a job with split shifts, working for about two hours or less in the morning then two to  three hours at the end of the day. There is also the question on school breaks when you don't need the nanny to work. Therefore there are some important points to consider when searching for your nanny:

1 - Location
Find a nanny who lives within close proximity of your house. Ideally within a radius of five miles or a 10 minute commute. You want your nanny to be reliable and if a long commute is needed, traffic will become an issue. Also, who wants to get up in the morning and do a long commute only to work for less than two hours, return home and do the same later on in the day.

2- Nanny Qualities
Make sure the nanny is capable of being organized and staying on task. The busiest time in a household with children is the hour before they go to school and the time when they return home so you want to have a trial run first to see if your nanny can meet the hectic demands. She will need to demonstrate that she is able to stay calm.

3 - Homework
If you have children in third grade or higher they will have homework. The nanny will need to be able to assist and help review the lessons of the day.

4 - Driving
If the nanny is required to take your children to after school activities you will need to be sure that she is a safe driver, has a reliable form of transportation and is willing to sign an agreement with you that she/he will not text or talk on the phone while driving. Its really important to emphasize this and not assume that your nanny will know better. Its an epidemic problem.

5- Nanny pay
In order to attract the right candidates and make sure they stay with you, a higher hourly rate may be necessary. If you normally pay $12-$14 per hour in your area, you should consider paying in the region of $14 to $16 or more for this type of position.

6- Background checks
Make sure you run a thorough background check on your nanny before she/he starts and check that they have current CPR and First Aid so that they are ready to deal with emergencies.

Finding the right nanny can really help to improve a family's quality of life and avoid the organized chaos that so many of us find ourselves in.

7 Steps To Nailing The Perfect Nanny Job

Finding the perfect nanny job can seem to be a difficult task. However, having a perfect interview can help alleviate many of the hardships to landing the nanny job you most desire.  If you follow the tips we have listed below, nailing the interview will be no problem.

1. Preparation
Before you begin your nanny search spend some time preparing a professional nanny resume. Include all your experience with children and any relevant training. There are lots of examples of good nanny resumes online. Also, prepare a strong nanny specific cover letter and include a summary of why you want to be a nanny, the skills and qualities that make you a great nanny, what you are looking for in a job and why you are a good match for the job you are applying for.


2. Research

Before going to the interview, it is important to do your research.  Make sure you are aware of what the family expects from you. Find out what your duties and responsibilities will be and how much the position pays.  Doing your research is a great way to get a feel of whether this position is a good fit for you.  If after your research you decide this position will not work, it will save both you and the family time from meeting to have an interview.

3. References

Your references will always be checked when applying for a nanny job.  Therefore, it is very important that you have your references up to date prior to the interview.  You may want to contact your references and ask for the best way to reach them so you will have the most recent number.  Also, it is helpful to make sure they are aware they are being used as a reference so when they are called they will not be caught off guard.

4. Etiquette

"First impressions are lasting impressions".  From your initial contact up to your actual interview, it is important to always be professional.  When emailing a potential family, be sure you are using correct grammar and punctuation.  No one will take an email seriously that does not use capital letters, has poor spelling and grammar, and little punctuation.

Dress appropriately for the interview.  It shows you are taking the job seriously.  You do not want to arrive to an interview with jeans, t-shirts, flip flops, or any outfit that is inappropriate or suggesting.  It is also a great way to show your respect.

Always be punctual.  This is another way to show your respect.  It is important to show up to an interview on time or at least 15 minutes early.  One way to avoid arriving late to an interview or getting lost, is to go on a dry run before the date of your interview.  This will ensure you are certain where the location is and you will get a sense of how traffic is in that area. If you think you are going to be late, give the family a call to explain you are on your way.

5. Prepare a Folder of Your Past Work Experience
It is helpful to bring with you a portfolio of your work experience.  This can include pictures of you with kids you have worked with in the past.  Also include any certificates you have earned or any other child care related training.  This is a great way to show off your work and impress the families.

6. Questions to Ask
It is important for not only the families to ask you questions during the interview, but for you to ask questions to the family.  They will expect you to have questions.  Listed below are some sample questions you should ask during your interview.

• What are my duties as a nanny?
• What is your discipline philosophy?
• How long do you anticipate this nanny position lasting?
• What is your family's favorite ways to spend downtime?
• Do any of the children have allergies?

7. Post Interview

After the interview, it is always nice to send a follow up email to thank the family for the opportunity to interview with them.  It is polite and it shows your interest in working for them.  In this email you could also restate your interest in the position and that you look forward to hearing from them.

If you follow those tips, landing your perfect nanny job should be a breeze.  Good luck!

Going for a nanny interview? Be prepared!

Everyone should prepare for an interview but getting ready for a nanny interview is somewhat different. Here are some points to consider before going to your interview.

For a start, you don't really want to be in a suit because you more often than not, children will be present and parents are interested in seeing how you interact. This might mean getting on the floor and playing with them so make sure you wear something smart but comfortable. The most common compliant is that nanny candidates don't do this and in many cases its lost them the job.

Unlike other interviews, you most likely won't be in a business environment but the family home. Some parents may opt to meet you in a public location for the first interview but at some point they will need to show you where they live and more importantly, where you will be working. This will give you an opportunity to see if you feel comfortable in their environment. If you are a neat and tidy person who likes everything in its place, you probably won't be comfortable in a home with lots of clutter for example.

You must ask questions! Parents are not necessarily used to interviewing people and they may not give you all the information you need. There is nothing more disappointing for an interviewer than hearing that a candidate doesn't have any questions. It sends out a message that the job isn't important to them. Putting some time and preparation into your list of questions is essential.

One way to help with this is to imagine yourself already in the job. Left on your own with however many children the job requires, what sort of questions are you going to need answers to? Some examples are:

- What do you expect from a nanny?

- What are the job responsibilities? If the job description mentions 'light housework' ask them to be more specific.

- What is a typical day's schedule for the children?

- How do you sooth them when they are upset?

- What is your discipline philosophy?

- What activities do the children like?

- What do they like to eat?

- How do you prepare them for nap time?

- Do you want the nanny to take the children out of the house on excursion or stay around the home/neighborhood. If so, does the nanny use her own car? Who pays for the gas?

- How long do you think the job will last? Will the children be attending pre-school?

- Will the family be deducting taxes and paying legally?

Make sure the family are willing to provide a work agreement. This agreement will outline all aspects of the job, list responsibilities, pay, house rules etc. If everyone is on the same page from the start a strong working relationship will build and develop.

Finally, as with any job, be sure to write and thank you letter to the family following the interview and make sure you spell the children's names correctly.

Good luck!

Nanny Sharing - a more cost effective way to keep your child at home

If you are considering hiring a nanny but have concerns about the costs involved you might want to consider a 'nanny share' situation when two families agree to hire one nanny to care for both children and by doing so significantly reduce the costs involved with hiring a private nanny.

Generally this works well if each family has one child requiring care and the children are approximately the same age, give or take a year. There are many things to consider before making this decision in order to ensure the arrangement works well. Here is a useful list of talking points:

1. Parenting Style

First, both families must discuss their philosophy on raising children including discipline style, schedules, appropriate activities and generally, how they want the nanny to spend their time with the children.

2. Location

Next, both parties must firmly agree where the child care will take place i.e. at whose home. Families might decide that the children will stay at one location at all times or switch off on a schedule. Also, bear in mind how long it will take to reach each other's houses during rush hour.

3. Safety

Once a location(s) has been agreed both parties need to be sure that the home is childproofed to their standard.

4. Compensation

Obviously you are going to agree on an hourly rate to pay the nanny but you will also need to discuss holiday pay, overtime, vacation, expenses if the nanny is taking the children out of the house and finally what happens is one party decides to leave the arrangement and how this will affect the nanny's pay.

5. Responsibilities

In addition to general child care what other responsibilities are you giving the nanny? e.g. laundry, meal preparation, emptying dishwasher etc. If you agree to use two locations will the nanny be doing the same tasks in each home?

6. Hiring the Nanny

How are you going to find the nanny? Decide if you are going to use a nanny agency or do the search on your own. If you do the search on your own be sure to conduct thorough background checks and drug screens and check that they have excellent references and training in CPR and First Aid. A good agency will do this for you.

7. Communication

Going forward how are you going to communicate with each other and the nanny? You should agree to meet on a regular basis and encourage open communication all round. The best tool to help ensure a smooth long-term relationship between nanny and both families is a work agreement prepared in advance. This document clearly lists every aspect of the job and is signed by all parties prior to work commencing.

Nanny share can be a wonderful option for your child. They really do get the best of both worlds - the care, nurturing and attention that a professional nanny can provide and the social aspect of daycare without all the germs! For more advice contact the Williamsburg Nanny Agency 757-645-3898 or visit our website www.williamsburgnannyagency.com

My thoughts about nanny wages

I recently worked with a family who used the Williamsburg Nanny Agency on a previous occasion. They had been delighted with the nanny who unfortunately had to leave to move to a different state. During our first meeting I explained that the hourly nanny rate they could expect to pay for a professional nanny was a minimum of $12 to $14. Experience has taught me that its better to manage a client's expectations by being upfront and telling the truth.

I could tell they weren't keen on the idea of paying more than $10 per hour but I explained that in the case of hiring a nanny the old adage of 'you get what you pay for' could never be more true. Anyway, to cut a long story short I sent them eight strong candidates with excellent nanny experience and they ended up hiring a nanny they found on their own through a nanny website.

Naturally, I blamed myself for doing a poor job and not finding the right nanny (rare for me) only to find out from the ex-nanny that they hired an inexperienced illegal immigrant and paid her $9/hr which in some ways, was a relief to hear because I realized that despite the fact they were prepared to pay my fee they didn't want to pay the nanny anything above $10.

I truly hope it all works out for them for the children's sake if nothing else but why do we pay so little for childcare? I can understand if parent's are struggling to support a family and money is an issue but in the case of a professional couple, living in an upmarket neighborhood and driving nice cars why do they turn into Scrooge when it comes to their own children?

A good nanny works hard and earns every penny. So why is nanny work so underpaid? I like to see myself as an advocate for helping to increase nanny wages. Last week, two nannies sent me emails telling me their hourly rate had been increased. They were so excited! Just think how much happier they will be around the children they care for and how much more likely they are to stay with the family. We all know that children need consistency in order to thrive and taking care of a nanny can be the best way to provide it.