Who needs a temporary nanny?
You might think you’ll never need a temp nanny but our records reveal some unexpected reasons that The Elite Nanny Company has supplied temporary nanny services to our clients:
- The Nanny broke her wrist teaching child to rock climb.
- Nanny had pre-booked holiday and the planned nanny cover fell through.
- Nanny had to go home to take care of her horse! (this Nanny worked for a family who ran a thoroughbred stud. The nanny needed to return home to look after her injured horse. The family was very understanding.)
- Nanny got pregnant and suffered extreme morning sickness.Which just goes to show how quickly things can change… And how we can supply a nanny for all needs!
How do you find the best temporary nanny for your family?
- Make a list of the things that really matter. Is your current nanny athletic, chatty, mature, able to cook from scratch, good with dogs etc? Supply that list to your nanny agency so they can screen temporary nanny candidates according to your needs.
- Ask everybody involved what the temp nanny needs to be up to speed straight away. Your children (and the nanny who’s being temped for) might have very different ideas about what the oncoming child-care provider needs to be on top of!
- Experienced temporary nannies are skilled at fitting into families. While you’re going to be tempted to issue loads of information and instructions, you’re probably better off noting down the basic needs. Dietary needs, health conditions, school run timings, bedtime routines etc. Then letting this experienced professional ask the questions she needs as she goes along. When interviewing your temporary nanny, it’s ideal to do this in person where possible. That gives you a chance to see how you’re likely to get on with your nanny. If you can have the children present for the interview that’s even better, as you’ll really see how she engages with the children as well as with you. Of course face-to-face interviews aren’t always possible when you need a nanny in a hurry so telephone interviewing is often necessary. Where you’re interviewing a temporary nanny, FaceTime or Skype can be an ideal first choice. Allow enough time to chat, as well as asking (and answering) questions. This gives you an opportunity to explore the nanny’s childcare style as well as getting a sense of her personality. In both cases it’s vital to ask open ended questions such as, Why did you become a nanny? What makes working as a temporary nanny so attractive to you? etc. Give your candidates time to reply. But allowing plenty of time for reasoned answers, and listening carefully to responses will ensure you get a temporary nanny who can get on with the job.