Having a nanny to provide childcare for your little ones is an excellent solution in so many ways. But if you’re taking on a professional like this for the first time, you may not be quite sure what to expect. Here, we outline what you can anticipate so that you’re as prepared as possible:
1) The hiring process
If you’re hiring a nanny for the first time, there’ll obviously be a recruitment process involving interviews, background checks and writing a contract. Before then, you’ll need to define your own expectations and be clear on what you need from a childcare professional, the hours you want them to work and what they’ll be doing. (Duties typically include some meal prep and light housework but nannies are not employed to be family chef or housekeeper or to do any heavy-duty cleaning.)
What qualifications and experience do you expect your nanny to have?
Be clear on what your family needs and take into account any special requirements your children might have, including things like allergies or dietary issues, and communicate these well.
Clearly, a nanny agency can take care of much of the legwork of recruitment, including drawing up contracts and shortlists and vetting candidates. Obviously, you’ll want to meet them yourself as well.
Have a list of questions you want to ask and any points about your children you want to get across. Be ready to answer any questions yourself, and show them around your home. Explain your expectations from the outset and establish clear channels of communication from day one, along with appropriate boundaries and house rules.
2) Once your nanny has started work
Having a nanny starting work with your household for the first time can feel initially daunting. But there’s a lot you can do to help them settle in quickly and to make yourself feel comfortable, too. You’ll obviously have discussed the nanny’s arrival and what they’ll be doing with the children well in advance. Make sure the kids know to respect and listen to their carer so that they work together as a team.
You should have established good communication channels at interview stage. Keep these open and check in regularly with your nanny for two-way feedback on how things are going. Expect frank conversations as you and your nanny get to know each other, and understand that you may need to tweak the role and adjust expectations as you go. Especially in those early weeks, a daily check-in to see how things are going is a good idea. Encourage your nanny to share any questions, concerns or challenges.
You should also expect to spend some time settling the nanny in, to make the transition easier, especially if they’ll be living with you. Make sure your nanny understands how everything in the house works, and remember that, however experienced they are, they’re still new to your family and your home. This time will increase your chances of a successful, mutually beneficial working
relationship and make your nanny feel welcome.
Hire your first nanny from Fox & Cubs
At Fox & Cubs, we support London-based families as a boutique agency supplying nannies, newborn care and other private staff across the UK capital. We focus on finding our families the perfect nanny and also provide multilingual employees if that’s what you’re after. We promise a highly tailored match, personally know everyone we put forward for a role and come up with excellent solutions at speed, and we genuinely love the families we work with!
Get in touch today – we can start the hunt for your perfect nanny immediately.
