It happens that you need to leave home for a few hours once or twice a week – to the theater, for example, or finish driving courses – the question arises with whom to leave the child?
In such cases, it is easier to negotiate with relatives, friends or acquaintances whom the child knows, and you are sure that he will stay with them with pleasure.
If the closest relatives, for various reasons, cannot replace you in this field, and there were no acquaintances and trusted persons either, there is an option for selecting a nanny who will professionally take care of your child.
The main quality of a good nanny is the desire to adopt your style of childcare
Your child is just under or over a year old and you are looking for a nanny? Of course, you have compiled a list of the necessary qualities of a good nanny for yourself and thought-out interview questions, but think about this: how much of the child care style adopted in your family can the nanny support?
Will it be possible to teach her to communicate with the baby the way you do? It is also important to have enough time for the child to adapt to the nanny – we will tell you how best to do this.
Quality of Nanny
But all people understand such qualities in different ways. Someone thinks that a “calm” nanny does not show emotions, does not rejoice with the child, and does not have fun.
For some, this means that she will not panic in a stressful situation and will quickly find a solution to the problem.
And a “good” nanny is a nanny who doesn’t forbid anything? Or who is attentive to the experiences of the child? I recommend deciphering the characteristics through actions in the declaration so that there are no ambiguous interpretations.
What are the duties of a nanny?
One of the most important issues is the duties of a nanny. Depending on what you want to entrust to her, you should choose a nanny or a governess. Typically, the listed duties of a nanny include:
- Walk with a child
- play with the child
- Maintain a daily routine
- Feed the baby
- Read books
- Drive to classes
- Engage (Learn letters and numbers or, at an older age, control the lessons)
- Wash up
- Cooking for the baby
- Wash for baby
- Clean up the apartment
As for the first six points, these may be the responsibility of any nanny. That is, if she refuses, it is hardly worth hiring her. The rest of the items need to be specified.
But there is another duty, which, as a rule, is characterized by the capacious word “sit” with the child. This is what you should pay special attention to, since the nanny can really “sit”, and can (and should!) deal with the child.
Depending on age, there are various special games and activities, and physical exercises. And it would be right if you at least asked what methods and techniques of these classes are known to a potential nanny (if you hire a nanny through an agency, you will probably be told about how they train their employees).
Check Documents and References of Nanny
The nanny must have a passport or ID, recommendations from previous jobs, a medical book (if necessary), a certificate of no criminal record.
But vocational education for a nanny is not necessary, although it’s great when it is. If you are looking for a nanny for a baby, look for candidates with medical education, for older children – with a pedagogical one.
Find out the nationality of the nanny: if she is not from South Africa, you need to check if she needs a visa and work permit. The main thing is the possible length of stay in South Africa: it will be very unpleasant if the nanny gets a job with you, and in three months, when the child gets used to her, she will be forced to leave.
