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!

Does your child have tech rage?

The official definition of 'tech rage' according to the urban slang dictionary is "an overwhelming emotion caused by frustration with one or more technological devices, (e.g., computers, wireless phones)". Can I add some more examples to that list including computer games, the Wii and DSi's?

My husband and I recently fell into the trap that many parents fall into of buying our children DSi's for their birthday. We have eight year old triplet boys and this meant buying three of them. In our ignorance we felt sure that having their own handheld devices would stop all the quarrelling we've experienced with the Wii. Wrong! Now, instead of quarrelling with each other they have moments of anger and frustration that are out of character for our children who, although very lively are generally even tempered.

I need to point out that we see this particular behaviour with the type of  games that require a lot of  concentration and focus such as Mario or any game that rewards the player with points or prizes. When they win, they have a feeling of joy, albeit temporary. When they loose, their frustration is visible and their whole mood changes for the worse. Its difficult to communicate with them because they are completely immersed 'in the game'. If you've ever seen an addicted gambler at a casino, you will know what I mean.

 The good news is that its not all bad. There are times when a DSi is an invaluable tool for keeping your children occupied, car rides being the best example. However, as a parent you need to be selective about the games they play. There is a program on the DSi called Footnotes - it allows the player to create cartoon-like movies adding pictures, artwork and sounds. I've noticed that my children are a lot calmer and more communicative when they are playing this. The DSi also has a camera and program that allows you to change the pictures, add sounds and funny faces. Again, they children are engaged in a positive way and not consumed.

The best approach is to limit the amount of time they spend on these devices and encourage them to balance their free time playing with other, non tech type toys. If you really want happy balanced children get them outside as much as possible in the fresh air. I'll take muddy jeans over moody kids any day!

Multiples SHOULD be treated as a unit.

I have read countless articles written by parenting experts and listened to advice from well-meaning acquaintances on the topic of multiples and how they need to be treated as individuals. The common theme suggests that parents give their twins/triplets or more one on one time regularly to establish their sense of individuality. I beg to differ.

As a mother of 8 year old triplet boys I made a decision to stop feeling guilty about giving them 'one on one' time with Mommy and Daddy. We barely have time alone with each other let alone have spend individual time with each child. That's not to say that we don't ever have one on one time but when we do its probably more of a treat for the parent than for the child. A few hours are okay but longer than that and they start to ask about their siblings.

Even if we did have time, we probably wouldn't on any type of regular basis. Unless you are a parent of multiples its very hard to understand. Siblings born at different times automatically get their alone time with parents but multiples do not know any different. They arrive in the World at almost the same moment and from the first breath have a constant companion (s).

I believe that even as young infants multiples are aware that they are part of a group, a unit that is very special. As they grow older it becomes apparent that they are more comfortable with each other than other children although they are still capable of making friends. This doesn't mean to say they don't squabble frequently!

If you are new parents of multiples I can garuntee you will feel a certain sense of missing out on that one on one time that other parents enjoy with individual siblings but at the same time being a part of the unit you have created is one of the most wonderful feelings in the World. Enjoy every crazy second!

The Food Dye Spies - a new fun game for kids!

I am always thinking of ways to encourage my children to make smart food choices and trying to keep them as informed as possible on why certain foods are good for you and not so good. They get it for the most part but are presented with so many temptations it must be difficult to say no.

For example, this morning following swim practice they were immediately presented with a Popsicle. After eating them, one of the boys looked at me and said "Mom, oh no! I just ate red 40!!". I had to laugh - its not something you hear many 7 year old boys say.

The reason he knows about red 40 is because of the new game I invented called "FADDS - The Food and Drink Dye Spies". My three boys love pretending to be spies and going on secret missions and so in this game, their task is to find hidden food dyes in food and report back to headquarters with their findings. They are allowed to go through cupboards and put foods into categories. Any foods containing dyes will be carefully investigated and banned if they are found to be particularly unhealthy - they will be labeled quite simply, 'the baddies'.

Before I go any further, let me just say that I am no expert on Food dyes but I do know that foods containing them are generally less healthy than their more natural counterparts. In 2006 Nestle, manufacturers of the popular candy called Smarties (I call them the UK equivalent to M&M's) removed all artificial colorings from this particular candy due to consumer concerns over the effects of food dyes on children's behavioral health.

Unfortunately, others have been slow to follow but I think, at least I hope that as more parents become aware of the connection between food color and their children's behaviour they will begin to put pressure on our food Manufacturers and just like trans fats, bad food dyes will become a thing of the past.

How you know you've found the perfect nanny

Today was a great day for me because one of my clients found their perfect nanny. I received a phone call from the candidate excited about the family she interviewed with, saying how much she loved the children, the parents, the house, the deck, the walk to the beach and so on and expressed her sincere hope that the family hired her. Two minutes later, I received a phone call from the client saying how much they loved the nanny, how the children warmed to her, how she fed the baby and was just right and they wanted to hire her immediately.

Of course, by the time they met hours of preparation, research, phone calls and emails had passed to ensure a good match but you can never be 100% certain that a family and nanny will hit it off. When it does happen, its a wonderful feeling, for them and me!

Searching for the right nanny for a family is a lengthy and exhausting process....if you do it properly. There are so many factors to consider to ensure the right match. Sometimes the nanny will have exactly the skills, qualifications, even personality traits that a family is looking for but they meet for an interview and somethings just not right.

My advice to families looking for a nanny is to do your homework of course, and then be aware of your feelings when you meet them. Trust your first instincts - they are just as important as background checks and drug screens. You will know when you find the right person but don't rush in to making hasty decisions because the nanny meets all the points on your checklist.

How to get children to do what you ask

Being the mother of seven year old triplet boys, I've learnt a few things about getting children to cooperate. Before I start, let me be clear that my children are not angels, far from it! When I need them to follow the rules however, they are generally very good.

I don't pride myself on being an exemplary mother, don't have any special discipline styles and I'm not Super Nanny but I do apply a skill I learned in my business days when I managed teams of sales people. I'd never heard the expression used in England but its regularly thrown around here.

Its quite simply "Managing expectations".

Children crave a certain amount of structure in their lives. Knowing what's coming next makes them feel secure and better prepared to practice the appropriate behavior required for any situation. As a parent, or caregiver we have a mental picture of the day ahead but unless we communicate that to our charges, they are running in the dark.

Take today for example. Over breakfast, the boys, my mother and I had a chat about the day to come. We took into consideration tasks that had to be performed (tidying the playroom), walking the dog, the fact that I had to work in my office for several hours (free playtime for them) and fun time this afternoon. We discussed the possibility of rain which would mean indoor activities and a small reward for good behavior (a rare trip to the candy shop in this case).

Including them in the conversation helps them to feel in control of their time and paints an overall picture of the day ahead. Knowing we are doing something fun this afternoon ensures some quiet time for me to work.

This simple method of setting expectations can be used with all ages of children and for all occasions. Next time you go shopping with your child, give it a try. a simple "please don't ask me to buy anything for you because we are only getting items from the shopping list" surprisingly works!

As children get older and they understand how they are expected to behave, it won't be necessary to keep telling them, although a quiet reminder every now and then can go a long way towards a peaceful day!

The best kids parties are the homemade ones!

I spent a large part of today researching locations for my triplet's upcoming 8th birthday, trying to find an original way for them to celebrate their special day. In the past year they have collectively attended fifteen bouncy inflatable parties and I'm not planning to subject parents to another two hour stand-around listening to loud music and screaming children.

I considered hiring ponies for our backyard and inviting some children to ride them but my husband is rather attached to his lawn and didn't like that idea. Then I pondered taking twelve boys to the movies followed by a visit to our favorite ice-cream shop. I pictured myself herding said boys through the popcorn line and caved immediately.

Thinking back to my childhood in England I remembered a very different kind of party. For a start, it would always be at the birthday girl or boy's home. We would start with party games including 'pass the parcel', 'musical chairs' and 'pin the tail on the donkey' followed by the sumptuous birthday tea. Tiny crust-less ham sandwiches, cheese and pineapple squares on a stick, cocktail sausages, chocolate rice crispy cakes and the best part of all - jelly (jello for my American friends) and ice cream!

All this, followed by a loud chorus of 'Happy Birthday' (without the cha-cha-cha) and time to go home with a slice of home made novelty, sometimes unusual birthday cake wrapped in paper and a balloon.

They were so much fun and always slightly different. Much more enjoyable and interesting than today's $275 one hour and forty five minutes affair, so rigid and structured that by the time the children are starting to relax and have fun, its time to go home. A slice of pizza and grocery store cake. So predictable. Dare I say it, boring.

So this year, my children are going to have their birthday party at home. We are having a water party in the backyard (good for the grass), with lots of fun games and activities for the twelve boys. I am making a 'swimming pool' cake in honor of all the hard work they've put into swim team this year and we are NOT having pizza! Still debating with my husband over the pony but either way we are, at home.