Finding a Nanny

the Babble Staff

Those who hire a nanny for their children cite the advantages of personalized, individual child care in a familiar home environment. There are downsides, too — cost is chief among them. Other potential snags include loss of privacy and the solitary nature of nanny care, which makes trust an even bigger issue than it is in daycare. If you choose to hire a nanny, the process can be daunting. Articles such as the one below on iVillage provide step-by-step guides for the search. Others suggest using a nanny agency, which can weed out the least qualified candidates. The competition for great nannies can be cutthroat; one article even suggests poaching qualified-looking nannies in your local park. Just remember: parents may gripe about the difficulty of finding a nanny they like, but chemistry is often an issue for the nannies too. One article says most nannies say they love taking care of kids, but that they have a hard time stomaching the idiosyncrasies of the parents.

"A nanny provides basic care: watching, feeding, and bathing your child in your home. She provides one-on-one attention, calming your child's fears, soothing her hurts, and encouraging her mental and physical development. All this care and nurturing comes at a price, of course." ...read the full article

"Many families [...] choose to use the services of nanny agencies [that sort] through the less desirable candidates on their behalf — something that can be a tremendous time saver. You don't have to use the services of a nanny agency, of course — provided that you have the time and the expertise required to do the hiring yourself." ...read the full article

"If you want your children to stay in your home and receive consistent care from one person who will grow to know and love them, then you are likely looking for an in-home caregiver or nanny." ...read the full article

"An inexperienced mom is going to be a bit intimidated by a nanny who presumably has had years of experience caring for babies. [...] The right nanny does have a great deal of knowledge about newborn babies. [...] She can teach you a lot. But don't forget that you can claim the one thing that she, with all her years of experience, cannot. You are the mother of the child, and your own maternal wisdom and value system count for a lot." ...read the full article

"Of the many people interviewed for this book, nannies were probably the happiest with their jobs. The enthusiasm of Lisa B., quoted here, isn't unusual. It's typical of the women who choose this modestly paid but tremendously rewarding career. Odd, then, the horror stories you hear about neglectful and incompetent nannies, or the tales of households that go through nannies like so many disposable diapers." ...read the full article