Babysitting agencies

As far as the decisions any parent can make for the benefit of their family go, few come close to the importance of choosing the right nanny. Make the right choice and you bless the family with a wonderful human asset to become more a part of the family than an employee. By contrast, make the wrong decision and you find yourself with an additional liability that just so happens to cost you money.

Of course, choosing the best nanny out there is a job that’s often easier said than done – these days anyone that’s ever looked after a child for a single day can advertise online as a ‘professional’ nanny. Unsurprisingly however, things aren’t always as they appear to be, which is why it makes sense to go about the selection process proactively and cautiously in order to avoid bringing home the kind of nanny you’d have been better off without.

So with the best interests of the whole family in mind, here’s a quick overview of the most important tips of all for choosing the right nanny the first time around:

1 – Make a List

Before even getting started with the actual selection process, it’s a good idea to script out a comprehensive list of what you want, what you need and what you’re willing to accept. Think of everything that happens during the average week and come up with a blueprint of what would make the perfect nanny for your family.

The reason being that it’s only once you’ve established what you want that you can realistically set about finding it.

2 – Contact an Agency

Once you have your list of demands to refer to, the very best thing to do is get in touch with a nanny agency like RockMyBaby in London. The reason being that these kinds of services technically do most of the legwork on behalf of the families on the lookout for nannies. They scour the market, vet each applicant that comes their way and offer access to a rich and diverse pool of talent the likes of which would otherwise be wholly inaccessible. To sign up with a leading agency is a bit like taking on your own personal nanny recruitment service.

3 – Carry Out Your Own Interview

Regardless of the vetting processes the agency may have carried out, it’s still in your best interests to interview the prospective nanny yourself. This is pretty standard practice and gives you the opportunity to see how everything on paper maps out in real life, assuming of course it does. Prepare a long list of questions in advance and be sure to bring your list of demands along for the ride – leave no point unaddressed.

4 – Check References

It’s good practice to never take a nanny on without first checking out their references – as in actually getting in touch with their references, not simply trusting what’s written on their application form or CV. It’s hardly common for nannies to fake or in any way doctor their references, but it’s nonetheless a good idea to get in touch with a few questions, just to be sure.

5 – Arrange a Trial Period

Never forget that you are under no obligation at all to sign up for any kind of long-term contract without first seeing how they perform when put into action. The best way to go is to come up with a deal whereby they’ll work for you on something of a probationary basis, after which you’ll once again discuss a longer agreement. This is again standard practice and will not come as any real surprise to any working nanny.

6 – Monitor Interactions

During the trial period, pay very close attention to the way they interact with the children, the pets, the rest of the family and pretty much anyone else they come into contact. This is important for the simple reason that all the experience, qualifications and character traits in the world cannot rule out the chance of character clashes and personality differences the likes of which will make the whole deal unworkable. You might love the nanny and their values for example, but if your kids take an immediate and deep disliking to them, you’re headed for trouble.

7 – Never Feel Obliged

Last but not least, if after taking on a nanny for any given period you feel things just aren’t working out, never sacrifice the welfare of the family for the nanny’s sake. Remember that you are under no obligation and they are only there for your benefit, so if it’s abundantly clear there’s no real benefit to speak of, it may be time to rethink the arrangement.