For many families a nanny for the summer is important. Between school finishing and part-time child-care, many parents need that help during the long summer days. The summer months are times when college students, teachers and teacher’s aides are available to help fill that time gap for parents. Here are some tips on finding a nanny for those summer months:
1. Have a Job Description before Hiring a Nanny for Summer
Taking the time to come up with what you are specifically looking for in a summer nanny is important. Come up with the hours and responsibilities you will require of the nanny. Decide if your looking for a professional nanny or a college student for the summer. You may want a CPR certified nanny or maybe one that is a non-smoker for your child. You will need to decide how long and how much responsibility your summer nanny will have. A written down job description for the summer nanny your looking for will help you stay focused during your search.
2. Look for Your Summer Nanny through Referrals
As with most employment opportunities, referrals are usually the best route. When looking for a summer nanny, ask around. Talk with our friends and everyone you meet about your search for a summer nanny. More times than not, you will run it someone who knows someone who is looking for summer employment.
3. Interviewing Your Summer Nanny Candidates
Your initial interviews should be done by phone, then after you have whittled down the list to a few summer nanny candidates, plan on a face-to-face interview. The first face to face should be done in a neutral setting, such as a coffee shop. Begin your interview some scenarios that may come up in a typical day. Ask them how they would deal with siblings fighting among themselves, or how they would deal with children snacking throughout the day. The summer nanny will be dealing with your precious children and you need to know that they can handle any situation if it arises.
4. Parenting Styles of Your Summer Nanny Candidate
Throughout the interviewing process, you need to establish with your summer nanny candidates what their childcare style is. It needs to be compatible with your own parenting style. If not, your child will be confused with two different adult supervisors. Your summer nanny needs to have the same philosophy as your own. If you want your child to have a healthy, active summer, the summer nanny needs to help you support that. Make sure that they keep your children active and will be serving them the healthy meals you expect.
5. Background Check Your Summer Nanny Candidate
While in the interview process, ask that your summer nanny give you at least three references. Follow up by calling those references and find out how the summer nanny candidate did with those other families. Ask about the best situation that the summer nanny candidate preformed at and of course their weaknesses. A summer nanny candidate should be open to you asking their permission to run a background check on them. Look into any possible criminal record. Check their driving record as well.
6. A Contract with Your Summer Nanny
Always have the details in writing when you have finally found your ideal summer nanny candidate. This contract will be a work agreement detailing what is involved in their responsibilities. Include a start and completion date, a rate of pay, the days and hours of work, any holiday or sick pay, how they will transport the children, and any household duties that you may want done. Having all of this in writing will make sure that everyone knows their responsibilities and there is no room for disagreement.
