Did you ever go through the process of trying to find a good nanny match for your family? Maybe started to PANIC? I know- one hears about the nanny running anyway shortly after you went through the hassle of obtaining a Visa for her to move and work legally in your country …or the nanny that crashes your family car after her weekend night out with her friends… YouTube videos from hidden teddy bear cameras recording nannies being unkind and rough with the little angels entrusted to them in the hope and expectation they will take care of them as they were their own?
I know, it can seem so scary!
Your baby is the most precious thing in your life! That’s what we are talking about…
I often get asked if there are nannies I can personally recommend?
To be honest, I know a couple of great ones… But they are often busy or booked long in advance.
So here are some tips which come to mind:
1.- try to plan ahead and search early on.
If you have enough time, post an ad yourself with an in-depth job description, traits you require your nanny to have, as well as your family vibe description. (warn potential applicants that you will respond only to those which fit into these criteria- this helps to save your time and theirs)
2. – once you come across candidates which seem fine, but not necessarily 100 percent – keep their contact details for future reference, for times when your nanny may need to leave for holiday, pregnancy…
It’s better to have some backup contacts of people you already interviewed. Those that you feel good about.
3. -set up some trial period with the nanny you choose- It can just be a few hours, but I feel it can be helpful in your long-term decision-making to have them even for few days, or 1-2 weeks under your roof… A Paid trial… It’s a great chance to get to know each other before going ahead with a big commitment. This will also demonstrate how flexible the applicant can be in their decision-making…
4.- family and friends is a good place to search for tips and recommendations on great nannies
5.- ask trusted nannies of your friends if they have someone in mind they would recommend, as well teachers in childcare establishments in your area… Facebook groups for nannies are potentially good places to advertise or search as well. I joined a couple of them and sometimes post an ad in name of parents who are on a nanny hunt.
6.-as I am now in the UK – The place I recommend parents register is here https://www.nannyjob.co.uk/cvs/AnyPosition/AnyRegion/AnyArea
There are thousands of nannie’s profiles to view, most of them can be registered with reputable agencies at the same time. This means that you could find ‘gems’ yourself without paying a fee to an agent. More very helpful websites to have a look at with a big database of nannies are https://www.childcare.co.uk/
and
https://www.greataupair.com/ (apart of au pairs, many MN and nannies registered too)
All it takes from this point -is for you to TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS, and some well-planned phone calls to previous employers to see if the CV on paper corresponds. A heart-to-heart, mother to mother chat will reveal a lot about the childcare worker.
7..- If you want to search for a nanny with the help of agents- this list of UK agencies can be helpful…
https://www.nannyjob.co.uk/agencies
Here are some of my favorites, which really create a pleasant experience for searching parents and nannies too:
Starbright
Randolphs
Nannies of St. James
Little Ones Ltd
Snap Care
Royal nannies
Greycoat Lumleys
Silver and Bow…
I am sure there are many more great ones, these are just examples of some I’ve had the pleasure of dealing with.
7.- Recently I came across the app called “BUBBLE”:
It has 4 and a half stars on Trustpilot and seems that 100,000+ parents use Bubble to meet their nannies.
8.-For agencies around the world- I will update this blog post later in the future.
Once again, I will say this – TRUST YOUR FIRST INSTINCTS. Just like a first date, the first few moments will tell you a lot about your potential connection based on your gut reaction alone. Do not be afraid to trust this initial feeling.
Hope this helps a little. Have a lovely week ahead…
I will keep editing this post in case I come across more helpful tips.
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