‘Nanny Whisperer’: Finding right caregiver
Hiring a nanny has come a long way since the days of Mary Poppins. According to Tammy Gold, a parenting coach, child and family therapist and mother of three, 1 in 4 children is taken care of by someone other than their parents on a regular basis.
Gold’s new book, “Secrets of a Nanny Whisperer: A Practical Guide for Achieving the Gold Standard of Care for Your Child” (Perigee), walks parents through the process of hiring and training a nanny, as well as troubleshooting everyday situations. She also includes issues related to other child care helpers, such as babysitters.
Most parents, Gold writes, “feel their way through this most important process without a plan, and with only their gut instincts to guide them.”
Because child care is a profession that can be pursued without training, supervision or retribution, Gold says that she felt it was her duty to educate parents on navigating this crucial relationship— that first phone conversation to a trial run (which she says is imperative). Here are more tips from Gold:
Do your homework. Gold recommends that before actively starting to look for a nanny, parents sit down and establish what they are looking for, what they need from a nanny, and what their child needs from a nanny.
Establish an agreement. Parents should provide a job description for a prospective nanny, who should agree to the terms. “Be honest and open about your likes and dislikes,” Gold says. “What you want and how you want it done. How the house is run. Everyone has their own unique rules and standards.”
Remember what’s at stake. “I tell people (employing a nanny) is one of the most important purchases they will ever make in (their lives),” Gold says. “And they laugh, but it’s true. It is more important than your car or your house. Essentially (the nanny is) a stranger that you are leaving to care for your children. It’s a child (who is affected) if you mess up.”