Getting Social in Making the Right Nanny Call

Finding a nanny for your precious children can be a tough task.

Where do you look, how deep do you delve and how much do you trust once you find the right one? How much of a part should social media play in the search and even in the day to day goings-on of childcare?

Here are a few tips in searching out the perfect nanny and what to do once you find her….

Finding the right nanny

Wouldn’t it be perfect if you knew just the right person to be your nanny?

Maybe your best friend’s daughter that you’ve known since she was born or the neighbor down the street who is home from college over the summer is the right call? But if you don’t have these contacts, or need someone for the long-term, you may want to seek the professional nanny agency route.

Nanny agencies offer some benefits like prescreening and background checks. You can find references and other reassuring information.

With social media, you can gain a lot of information, not just on the nanny, but on the agency, including:

• Look for a vibe from the agency’s website and blog. Do you agree with the philosophies they are touting? Is there anything that makes you pause and question?

• Follow their social media pages for a bit and watch their posts. Are they relevant to you? Look for posts that add to credibility and trust.

• Agencies can post jobs and profiles of their nannies on social media. It’s a great first step to take as a pre-screen before you even meet the potential nannies.

• Take a look at what the agency is posting. Are there pictures of kids that nannies are posting? Are nannies tweeting throughout the day when they shouldn’t be? Is any information that could jeopardize client security out there, even names of playgrounds or favorite playgroup time and locations?

Once you find her

Social media may still play a part once you find the perfect nanny. Whether it’s you or the agency that sets them, some social media ground rules need to be set and enforced throughout the time the nanny is with your family, perhaps even after:

• Are you okay with pictures and information of your kids on social media? If not (and you need to think about this one because even a little information can be too much), make sure your nanny knows and doesn’t post anything you don’t want out there.

• What are the agencies guidelines? Do they support or dissuade their nannies posting of the families the work with? Also, should you “friend” your nanny? If she’s saying anything about your children or family, you probably should. But be careful, as this a professional relationship and both of you need to respect boundaries.

• If you have a nanny cam, do you need to let the agency know? Many families choose to use a nanny cam, like the Atlas ATL2jNAN1CM Wireless Nanny Cam, for reassurance when the nanny and kids are at home. Nanny cams are fairly easy to find; most major retailers like Walmart carry them. Check the agency’s policy on this.

• What about when your nanny leaves, whatever the reason? Can she keep the pictures she’s taken? Do you want them off of her phone?

It’s tough to trust someone else with your kids.

But if you need a nanny, you need to trust. Trust the agencies and the nanny, but just as importantly, trust your instincts. If you get a weird vibe, respect it and try to figure out why.

And if your instinct says this is the nanny, go with it!

Photo credit: Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

[image error]