Meet A Sitter Blog

Looking for help for the holidays or a start in Jan/Feb? When should you start looking?

What better time than now to write a little something about the best time to start looking for a candidate. Here are a few considerations to take note of during your search: 

1. Timing - When's early enough but not too early? It's a fine line - most of you obviously want to get your nanny/afterschool carer locked in for the start of next year - but when should you start looking? There isn't a formulaic time - but I would advise that you start no earlier than late October/early November and no later than early December for someone to start in January the next year. Why? Let the sleighbells ring and the auld lang syne tune in! It's the silly and festive season soon and many will be away back home for the holidays or planning on going away. So, this might be the sweet spot for securing someone early enough to lock it in for next year. The candidates would also love to know they have a job to start with before they leave on holidays.
2. University students - They generally commence between mid/end November to mid/end February the following year. So, many would be looking to get work over the holiday period (great for holiday help when the kids are off from school/daycare). Unfortunately, most don't receive their university schedules for the next year until February, so you might find a perfect person but won't know for sure if they are going to be able to help you until the next year! Nerve-wracking indeed! Probably a good idea to hedge your bets and meet a group of candidates before the year's end so you can spread your chances of finding someone if a student fits your preferred profile.
3. Professional nannies may also face diminishing hours from families whose children are going to start school or daycare the following year. In this circumstance, many end up looking for new families to either fill their hours or start afresh completely. So, it's a perfect time to start tapping into this scarce resource as you'll be sure, they'll be out looking! If this was your "rice-bowl" career (sorry, I cannot avoid the chinese bend in me!) - you'd be looking too. 
4. Contingencies - Surprise! We don't live in a perfect world (drats!). You may find someone perfect for you in November, but come January - they might have found a better offer or longer hours from another family. So, always make sure you check up with your candidate every 3-4 weeks during the holiday period to make sure nothing has changed. Until they start with you - anything can happen! Crazy...but true! It's better that you're realistic about it than caught with your pants down when it counts. So - my advice would be to keep in touch with them and be open to having a backup (or two) in your pocket. They might not have the perfect schedule - but they could tide you over until you find another perfect fit if you're caught in a bind at the last minute. 

So there's my two cents worth of advice just before the frenzy begins! Reading between the many lines above: a) Know when to start your search, (b) Understand the motivations of your candidate profile, (c) Make sure you have a contingency plan and backup options. 

Hopefully you'll crack this nut and be whizzing through your holidays without a care in the world....except how much sugar your kids might be ingesting. Oh let the countdown begin. ;)

For further information about Meet A Sitter and how we can help you find a babysitter or nanny through our boutique service, visit: http://www.meetasitter.com.au 

A Nanny’s Perspective - 5 Steps to Making Your Relationship Work

I know – you may be thinking, we’ve read all this before. And sure, there’ve been articles galore about hiring and managing the relationship you’re your nanny. Heck, I’ve written a few of them myself! But, it’s always been from the perspective of the parent. If we’re really keen on making things work mutually – wouldn’t you like to know the nanny’s perspective?

I hope that’s what we’ve done here. Sharon – a wonderful career nanny who’s been caring for children (including three of her own) for a few decades – graciously agreed to share her point of view in the article below.

Here’s a nanny’s perspective on how to make the relationship work to complement that. Enjoy the read and give us some feedback!

In the grand scheme of things, hiring a nanny is probably the most important hire you’ll ever make. We put so much effort in HR policies and nurturing relationships with employees at work – wouldn’t you like to make sure you’re doing the best you can for the employee who means the most to your family?

Here are some things I’d recommend parents consider in the process of hiring and managing the relationship with your nanny:

Find the right person and cherish them.

When going through your search process, think carefully about the qualities and skillset most important to you.  Some nannies are career-qualified professionals and others are seeking a part-time job outside of their day job or study commitments.  Both could be the right person for you - it all depends on whether you have a good fit or not.  Once the choice has been made, your nanny needs to feel appreciated and respected in the relationship. It can be as simple as asking for an opinion on how they’d handle a certain situation vs. laying down the law on all and sundry. A happy nanny equals a happy child.

     Trust that you have chosen well.

Having someone in your home can feel pretty uncomfortable at first.  Let’s face it, there are all sorts of personal and precious things that you may feel vulnerable about, and it’s not only your beautiful children. You should try to focus on the bigger picture. If you have a nanny with the right experience and certification, and they are someone that you have a good feeling about, then relax and trust that all will be well. Leaving someone in your home then worrying about it creates negative energy that is transferred , it will affect everyone − including your little ones.

     Communication is key to working as a team.

As busy as life gets, a daily discussion should be slotted into your day for a variety of reasons - most important of which is to get to know one another as individuals. When you take the time to connect on a deeper level, lots of positive things can happen. First, the nanny will start to see you as a person not just as a paycheck.  You, on the other hand, may begin to value her abilities. This opens up our hearts and minds to working together as a team towards the same goal – raising your child as best you can. Your nanny comes to appreciate your parenting style and begin adapting that into her own, and vice versa.  The openness also enables you both to start having frank and honest discussions about things that might impact your child or your working relationship. An easy way to do this is with a daily communication book with notes from mum or dad on baby’s mood, food and activities, continued during the day by nanny on the same topics, keeps everyone up to speed.

     Try not to your nanny into a cleaner.

I know it’s tempting to get things done at home; there is always something to do and the list never ends. Assuming that your nanny can start doing the cleaning as well as caring for your child may be presumptuous and counter-productive.  Certainly, in the beginning you are entitled to request the things that you want done and it’s up to the nanny to let you know if she feels comfortable performing those tasks.  If she doesn’t, then you may not have a fit or may just need to find a cleaner who can do it in a focused way. Taking care of your child is always the first priority for your nanny. And, if you create a relationship with her, she will want to help you whenever you can – whether you’ve asked her to or not.

      When things go wrong

Sometimes, life gets in the way of smooth sailing - accidents happen, things get turned upside down and people get upset. What’s important is how we deal with each other so that there is an avenue to move forward. Even parents have accidents or make mistakes, so trying not to blame or judge is a good start.

The issue may also be one of trust. Should that be the case, then that might be a deal breaker. It’s important to put yourself in your nanny’s shoes and ask yourself if this can be resolved with more communication and understanding to get to root of things amicably.

If your nanny feels as though they are being attacked − even subtly - it’s rarely a point to start successful honest or reflective discussions. You may find that a situation that could have been handled better leaves you all mad and upset instead of feeling closer to a resolution between the both of you.

If your children are happy and the relationship was strong before the incident, it’s a good thing to look at how you can work together on moving forward before throwing the baby out with the bath water – so to speak.

This is by no means the golden rule book for nanny relationship management – but perhaps, a different perspective. But, I do hope that my experience has provided me a depth of knowledge that you’d benefit from.  And I sincerely hope you do.

An article on hiring a nanny from a parent’s perspective: http://meetasitter.posterous.com/top-5-steps-to-best-prepare-for-hiring-a-nann. 

For further information about Meet A Sitter and how we can help you find a babysitter or nanny through our boutique service, visit: http://www.meetasitter.com.au 

Guest writer - Sharon Cullington is a professional nanny and a life coach. She has a blog for Nicer Nannies and Intuitive Childcare, raised three great children and facilitates women’s workshops through her business, SCOPE Coaching. Please visit www.sharoncullington.com.au to find out more.