Be honest: having children can be difficult. As much as you love them, having kids can interfere with your social life, work life, and favorite activities. Going out to dinner or to a movie without them doesn’t just mean calling to make plans, it means having to find help to watch your children.

If you work full time and no one else can watch the children while they’re home for the holidays or summer vacation, you may need a nanny. Leaving kids alone without adult supervision is a no-no; it can get you into legal trouble, and your kids can get into things you don’t want them interfering with, such as the stovetop, oven, bathtub, or iron.

Depending on a nanny, though, means trusting the most important people in your life to a total stranger, and hoping that they’ll keep your kids safe from harm, leave a good impression on your children, and not undermine your authority as a parent. Not to mention, they should be the kind of people you’d trust to leave in your home unsupervised.

Interviews

Hiring a nanny is putting a great deal of trust in someone. But thankfully, you get to interview them before you hire them. This is extremely important. This gives you a chance to meet and get an impression of your nanny. Answers to interview questions help you determine if you can trust nanny services with your children, privacy, and property.

These are the most important interview questions to ask before you hire a nanny.

How Long Have You Been a Nanny?

This question gives you the chance to learn about a nanny’s work experience and expertise handling children. You can follow up by asking their reasons for leaving previous positions, why they’re interested in nannying, and how they can apply their work experience in your home. Then you can ask what else they do with the rest of their time, such as if they have other part-time jobs, hobbies, and/or schooling.

How Are You with Children?

A nanny should enjoy being with children, but not be too lenient. They should be able to handle a crying baby, a misbehaving child, a teenager who refuses to take their orders, and more. They should be compassionate and caring, but also know how to discipline. You can follow this up by asking about activities they use to entertain and/or teach children. Focus on the age groups of your children.

How Would You Handle an Emergency?

Caring for children means being able to act fast in the event of an emergency. Even responsible nannies caring for good children can’t prevent all accidents, illnesses, or injuries. If a child becomes very ill or an accident happens, they should know how to act. Ask every nanny you interview if they’ve ever had to handle an emergency and how they did so.

What Would a Typical Day Look Like?

This is your chance to listen to any prospective nannies you interview run through their skills and activities list. Can they cook? Can they accommodate your children’s food restrictions or sensitivities? What would they do at home to stay entertained? What are their favorite activities, and can they share these activities with your children? These questions can help you understand if a nanny is a good fit for your family’s lifestyle and personality. Finally, can they incorporate educational activities into the daily routine?

Where to Find Help

If you want the best nanny for your family, one who you can not only trust, but also can rely on, contact a nanny agency like OC Home & Family. You’ll find the most experienced, thoroughly vetted, and reliable nanny in Orange County.

If you’re struggling with raising children while doing justice to your work outside the home, it’s time to consider hiring a nanny. Either your job or your children will suffer from a job that’s not done to your best ability. If you never considered that raising children is a job, think again, and holding two full-time jobs at the same time rarely works.

The Job of Raising Children

Every mother or father knows how much time and effort goes into raising a child. It takes a lot of energy to make it through the sleepless nights of a new baby, a sick child, and changing many diapers. As the child grows there is potty training, dressing, nurturing, discipline, educating, and playtime. These necessities all take time as does cooking and feeding, laundry, bathing, bedtime—the list goes on.

When the child starts school, you need to drop them off, pick them up, and get them to other activities. If your job takes you outside the home, you need to get the kids up early to get them ready to go to day care or a babysitter. If your job lets you work at home, how do you give your children the attention they need while doing your work? A nanny provides childcare within the family setting, making sure they have the love and proper care they need.

A Loving Home

A child needs to know they are loved and safe. If you’re always short-tempered while trying to work, or just ignore your child while you work on a project, your child can grow up feeling like they are always in the way. If you want your child to grow into a loving person, they need a lot of attention during those tender years. Hiring a nanny is the solution more people are turning to. You and your child have a loving bond that won’t be affected by sharing responsibilities with a nanny to care for him or her. What will happen is that your child will develop with the guidance and nurturing they need while knowing you are still there for them and love them too.

Qualifications of a Nanny

Finding qualified public childcare is increasingly more difficult, and those facilities usually have waiting lists. Hiring a nanny takes a lot of serious thoughts about your budget, and your expectations of him or her. A nanny should pass a background check, and be trained in first aid, have CPR certification, a Social Security card, valid driver’s license, and their own insured automobile. They should be able to teach your children, supervise them at outdoor activities, prepare healthy meals, be able to drive older children to and from school, plan lessons, and supervise homework. More responsibilities might include running family errands and doing light housework and laundry for the family. Even though the nanny is a paid employee, they become a part of the family and demands respect as such. You need to be sure they are compatible with your family and all that entails.

Peace of Mind

Your child will be happier in familiar surroundings. Children aren’t exposed to so many germs as at a public day care, so they won’t get sick as often. Your family will be stronger if you’re not juggling parenting and your job. Your children will interact better with you if you’re not exhausted all the time.

Where to Find a Nanny

There are many businesses that can provide you with the name of a prospective nanny. You need to do the legwork to verify their qualifications. When you’re looking at nanny services in Orange County, save time and get it right the first time with OC Home and Family. They will get to know you and any special needs to match you up with the right nanny. The well-being of your family is their top priority. Visit https://ochomeandfamily.com today to learn more.

Whether you’re a busy single parent or a stay-at-home mom who needs an extra hand around the house, a nanny can help give you peace of mind concerning your children. How do you find the perfect nanny? There are several factors to consider, like qualifications, training, and background checks. But first, you need to think about what you’re looking for in a caretaker. At OC Home & Family you’ll find a wide selection of pre-screened candidates for childcare as well as elderly caretakers, pet sitters, chauffeurs, and personal assistants. Keep reading to learn more about OC Home & Family’s prescreening process and how to select the right nanny for your home.

To find the perfect nanny for your children, first, you need to determine what you’re looking for in a potential nanny. Do you need someone to watch the children for a few hours a week or will this be an daily need? Do you need a nanny who can pick up groceries or drop the kids off at school? If your children need help after school, can your nanny give them guidance on homework? Once you’ve determined your needs, look for nannies who meet those qualifications. Nannies with teaching experience will be able to help your kids with their homework while a nanny with medical knowledge will be able to care for children with special needs. For meal planning, look for nannies with cooking experience as well as nannies who will clean up after meal prep. Special certifications like CPR training and educational certificates are also a plus.

As you narrow down your list of potential nannies based on their qualifications, it’s time for a face-to-face interview. In-home interviews are the best because they give you the chance to observe the nanny with your children as well as learn why they want the job. Interview questions will help you determine if your nanny will be right for your home. Present specific “what if” scenarios and gauge how your nanny would handle those situations. What would you do if my child were choking? How do you handle tantrums or children that refuse to go to bed on time? Can you multitask between watching children and other household tasks like cooking or cleaning? It’s also important during the interview to outline your expectations for your nanny as well as informing them of any special needs your child may have.

Before you make your final decision, you need to verify your prospective nanny with a background check. Background checks will reveal a person’s past employment records, education, citizenship, and criminal history. Background checks will not only give you peace of mind, but they also protect your family. OC Home & Family goes beyond a standard background check as a part of the hiring process. Their screening includes tests for tuberculosis, immunization records, fingerprints, personal reference checks, and behavioral evaluations. Caretakers from OC Home & Family have a minimum of 3 to 4 years of stellar experience in the industry, so you can rest assured your little ones are in good hands.