Help! The Guide to Finding Childcare

Need a little pampering or some extra time to yourself? Treat yourself by finding the perfect caregiver for your little angel(s) while you indulge in some much needed “mummy time”. Read below for CanadianNanny.ca’s Top 5 Tips for finding your family’s ideal caregivers!

Locating your Caregiver

Ok, so you’ve decided to find a nanny, or a babysitter. Now what? Well, you first need to determine how many hours of “mummy time” you want over a week, and of course how much time you want to spend away from your little ones. Once you’ve determined this, you can decide if you’re looking for a full-time nanny, or a part-time babysitter; a nanny can be available for you on a regular full-time basis while a babysitter can come over a few afternoons or evenings a week, or even occasionally to give you a break – some much needed “momtime”.

Once you have decided what type of caregiver you need, you need to figure out which option to use to find it, and there are many resources available. You can always try asking your friends if their caregiver can help you out, ask friends and family near-by, or hire the 16-year old from down the street. But how do you know that this individual fits in with your family, is available when you need them, or has enough experience and responsibility to care for your most prized possession? Martha Scully, Founder of CanadianNanny.ca and CanadianSitter.ca, has created the perfect place to find someone you can rely on that won’t scare your chequebook off.

CanadianNanny.ca is a database full of qualified, experienced nannies from all walks of life that are looking to care for your children as their career. These individuals are all qualified and you will have a wide range of selection of nannies from across Canada to choose from, being able to view a 3-page profile on each nanny. CanadianSitter.ca is a database full of qualified, experienced babysitters that are university and college students looking to help you out by giving you some “mummy time”. These individuals are highly qualified as some of them are nursing or early childhood education students. By using CanadianNanny.ca or CanadianSitter.ca, you can screen, interview and hire your nanny or babysitter whichever way you want, giving you a first-hand look at your caregiver and his or her background, enabling you to decide if this individual is a good fit for your family.

Scully recommends to all parents interested in the service to give about 6-8 weeks to find a caregiver – longer if are considering an international nanny, also available on CanadianNanny.ca. You want to give yourself plenty of time to thoroughly interview individuals and check references so you are sure that the nanny or babysitter is checked out and approved by the #1 Mummy – You!

What to Look for

Whether you are hiring a nanny for your home and family, or a new worker for your company, you want to hire an individual that reflects the experience and skills needed and desired for the position, as well as someone who has an obvious and genuine interest in the position offered.

In the book written by Scully, “How to Hire and Keep a Good Nanny”, she lists a number of traits of a ‘perfect nanny’:

· Likes children,

· Understands and respects your child-rearing beliefs and values

· Calm and patient

· Good decision-making ability – can handle an emergency.

You may also consider making a list on your own, so that you can determine which traits you would personally like to see in an applicant. Keep in mind that not everyone is perfect, but you can use these traits as a guideline to find someone that is “practically perfect in every way!”

It takes a very special person to spend the day in junior-land, so not everyone is cut-out to be a nanny. The individual that you hire should really enjoy children and their childhood, so that nanny can help to make the most of your little one’s best years in life.

What to Watch Out for

Hiring a nanny or a babysitter can be a long, overwhelming experience, but don’t let it get that way! Stay organized and level-headed throughout the process and you won’t be caught unaware. By giving yourself adequate time to look at your different options, to look at the applicants, to interview and decide on a caregiver, you are able to compare each individual equally to determine if they will be a good fit for your family.

While you are interviewing candidates, there are many things that may trigger you to think that they won’t work; whether you think they will take your place in the home, whether your children will think of the new caregiver as a replacement to you, or whether they won’t do the job right. But don’t fret! There are a handful of things that play real importance in hiring someone as your caregiver.

Scully has listed some “warning” signs to watch out for listed in her book, “How to Hire and Keep a Good Babysitter”:

· Lack of professionalism

· Questionable trustworthiness/honesty/integrity

· Doubtful interest in children

· Indications of poor emotional stability or self-worth

After your nanny has started working with your children, don’t be afraid to talk to him or her, or your children! After some time has gone by, have coffee with your nanny, sans enfants, and discuss how he or she is finding the position and check in. Not only will they appreciate it, but it will open the lines of communication – a great way to start a healthy and successful relationship with your child’s nanny. Talk with your children – they have great opinions and would love to express them to you in this all-important decision.

Lastly, but most certainly not least, trust your instincts Mummy! If you don’t feel a real connection with your nanny, try someone else or figure out why that connection is lacking. If you do feel that connection, honour it. During your nanny’s time with you, if you feel that something is off or askew, discuss it with him or her. Not only will they appreciate it, but you will be able to clear the air.

Who to Hire

Hiring a nanny or babysitter is very important to you and your family. To ensure that you select the right person for the job, be sure to interview a number of candidates for the positions giving you something to compare each individual to. The nanny that you hire should be comfortable with you, your family, and your home. In addition to this, you and your family should be comfortable with the nanny.

When you have narrowed your search down to a few candidates, consider having the short-listed individuals over for a “trial day” with your children – at different times of course. This situation allows your children to interact with the nanny or babysitter without the fear that you are not around. You are then able to observe the interaction and see how the nanny or babysitter treats your children, your home, and you.

When it comes down to it, out of the qualified nannies you have narrowed the decision down to, you should select the nanny that you have the best connection with. Again, listen to your Mummy gut – it knows what it’s talking about! Your nanny or babysitter should respect you and your children, as well as your home. In addition to this, he or she should be responsible and creative so that you know that your children are safe with their caregiver and will all the time be having fun!

How to Keep your Perfect Caregiver

Wow! Now you that you have taken the necessary steps and precautions to hiring your nanny or babysitter, what can you do to keep that individual so that you can have worry-free, long-lasting “mummy time”? In each of Scully’s books, she has a section devoted to keeping your nanny of babysitter. Keep in mind that your nanny or babysitter is a person too, and he or she needs to be respected.

Firstly, be sure to keep the lines of communication open between you and the caregiver; also your children. If there is something that you are not satisfied with about your caregiver, talk about it with them. In turn, he or she will come to you when there is an issue, rather than bottling it up. In addition to this, address complaints and concerns in a constructive manner. Talk about them together as soon as they arise before the problem expands into unmanageable territory. Be sure that you keep the discussions based around the problem at hand and do not attack him or her personally.

Thirdly, back your nanny up. If he or she is following your guidelines and respecting your form of parenting, work as a team in setting rules for the children. This will show your children that they are to listen to the nanny or babysitter, and treat him or her just as they would you. Lastly, show your nanny or babysitter how much you appreciate their hard work and effort. As you know first hand, sometimes your precious little ones can be a handful – show him or her that you respect and appreciate their work for you by giving verbal praise for actions and initiatives taken by the caregiver that has impressed you.

So Mummy, are you ready for your much deserved Mummy Time? Grab a gal pal and go shopping! After all this hard work, you deserve a break!

P.S. If you want to find out more about CanadianNanny.ca or CanadianSitter.ca, please visit www.canadiannanny.ca or www.canadiansitter.ca. You can also give them a call at 1-866-221-7918.