Parenting: Finding Appropriate Childcare

HIRING A NANNY — TIPS AND ADVICE

* Decide what your needs are. Do you need part time help? Live in help? Monday through Friday help?

* Decide the best combo for your employee. Is hiring one person the best thing to do? Hiring someone for a five or 6 or 7 day a week job may burn them out. You may be better off hiring one person for 3 days and one for 4 days — or some other combination. This way you also have options if one of them calls in sick.

* Never ever hire a babysitter without checking references. Many people do. You’d be surprised. They think, oh, she looks nice. Wrong. This is your child. Check the references.

* Don’t be afraid to ask if your potential employee has any health problems. Babies can catch Herpes from another person if the lesions are active. So can children.

* Run a background check on your potential nanny. It’s some of the best money you’ll spend. There are also free databases to check for convicted sexual predators.

* Make your needs very clear. Don’t rely on the nanny to remember what you say. Write them down and tell her. This goes for diet, naps, who you want the child to play with and who you don’t what the child to play with, TV time, etc. Don’t assume anything. If you don’t want the nanny driving your child, write it down and tell her.

* Make yourself available to the nanny by leaving her all your numbers and your pediatrician and neighbor numbers. Better safe than sorry.

* Make sure your nanny has a cell phone. If she doesn’t consider getting her one to use just for work so you can reach her.

* Ask if the potential nanny has a husband, boyfriend, children, etc. You want to know what her obligations will be. If she has children, who will take care of them if they get sick, and she’s scheduled to work for you? The best way to make sure you have backup child care is to plan ahead — make this a New Year’s Resolution!

1. Collect a pool of babysitters. Keep a file somewhere in your kitchen with this list of babysitters, their names, multiple phone numbers and e-mail addresses, and references.

2. Share your babysitter pool with your friends and neighbors, and collect from them, too.

3. Consider a babysitting agency for emergencies. Ask around in advance for what agencies your friends and  neighbors like. Ask your child’s pediatrician and your child’s school teachers.

4. Keep a group of friends and neighbors who will care for your child in emergencies — and pay it forward with them. Be pro-active about taking care of their kids BEFORE you need help, so you can call in a favor with less guilt.