6 Things To Consider When Hiring A Nanny.
it can be scary trusting someone to take care of your baby. Even if it’s a relative, every parent or more especially the mother feels wary about leaving their child alone to be cared for whilst they are away at work. I was pretty much nannied by one of my Aunties who was in her early twenties. My Mom recently told me how adept she was at seeing to my feeding, carrying and even midnight feeding.
I have personally never liked the thought of a stranger taking care of my baby even before I got pregnant.We have all heard the horror nanny stories of child abuse, theft, tardiness, witchcraft, dishonesty blah blah blah and so forth. The stories were enough to make me extremely hesitant in hiring a nanny.
I had my Mom help me when the baby arrived but after three months it was time for her to go. Trust me when I say my insides turned to jelly at the thought of being home alone with a 3mo baby. I could take care of her single-handedly for a some days but for how many months though? I needed help and it was time to think of hiring a Nanny. Yikes
Who could I trust? Will the nanny be who they claim to be? Will my child be safe? This and many other questions suddenly became relevant when I had my baby. How do I even find one?? But find one I did and I am happy to report that I am very satisfied with her services. So let me share with you some crucial tips on what to consider before hiring a nanny for your baby because the process alone can be stressful.
But wait. You need to think first of three things:
Do you want a Live-in Nanny or Live-out ? What are the pro’s and cons? Weigh the two first before conducting the search for a Nanny.
What's your budget? Nannies charge between GHC 500-2000 depending on the work conditions, schedule and benefits offered. Will you offer her NHIS or pay her SSNIT?
Do you prefer an older Nanny or a younger one? Older nannies are definitely more experienced as compared to a younger nanny. But do they have the physical strength to handle a toddler? 🤔
How To Find A Nanny
Conduct an online search first of all to get to know any available agencies with an online presence. Call them up, visit their office if any. Interview the agency as though you are hiring an employee. Ask them all the relevant questions on your mind. You can also post on Facebook if anyone has used such an agency before and what their review of their services is.
Find and join a new moms WhatsApp group and post your request there as someone would know someone with a nanny experience. I posted to several Whatsapp groups which led to several people sharing contact numbers of legible nannies.
Contacting The Nanny
3. It’s best to first contact the nanny by phone not WhatsApp . Ask for references from her previous employers to confirm that she actually worked where she claims she did. Questions you can clarify also is if she is a live-in or live-out nanny or what her preference is. Call up the references and ask them what they truthfully thought of her previous work with them. Did she deliver or was she a disappointment?
4. After the initial phone call, you can arrange to meet the nanny for a face-to-face interview. Here you can discuss her rates, ask her more questions regarding her experience in child-care, etc. When you meet her face-to-face you can listen to your gut instincts on whether you like her or not. It’s also an opportunity to watch her body language and facial expressions which actually can reveal a lot about her personality. You can choose to negotiate her rates also at this meeting. Will you include her transportation and food expenses in the rates or you will provide breakfast and lunch? Discuss into detail her roles and responsibilities before the meeting is offer.
Pre-employment medical check-up
5. Never skip this step. Inform your prospective nanny of the need for her to undergo a pre-employment medical assessment. Why is this being done? You need to ensure she's not going to be a potential health risk to your child and your family. Asking her to do this doesn't necessarily mean she's been hired. The check-up consists of the following lab tests; typhoid, Hepatitis B & C and HIV. These are highly infectious bacteria and viral diseases hence the need for you to do the needful.
Most clinics offer the Nanny Lab service for about GHC 30 so you don't need to go through a GP. Please accompany her to the lab or clinic for the testing to be done.
6. Training in First Aid : This is a prerequisite to hiring a nanny. However, if you really like her but she doesn't have this certification, enroll her in a training session. There's First Aid training and CPR for babies which she can get trained in. St. John Ambulance is a well-known institution for running First Aid training in Ghana. I personally trained as an advanced First Aider with them a few years back.
If the nanny checks all the boxes and you are completely satisfied, you can discuss when she should start work. Or you can place her on a three month probation to see how she interacts with your child(ren).
Do you already have a Nanny? Have you ever used a Nanny for your kids? What was your experience ? Do share in the comments section, I would love to know your experience.
