Building Trust With a Nanny

How does one go about building trust with a Nanny? This is a question I am asked all the time as it is so hard to let someone else care for your children. You have interviewed the nanny, checked her references and done all the right things to know that this is the right fit for your family but then it is time for you to leave the nanny with the children and that can be so hard….I know!

Trust is like anything and that come with time but if you have worked with your nanny for a while and have seen her with the children then I think you will have a good feeling. From checking her references you will get a feeling of trust from what the other families have to say. Good Nanny Agencies do the reference checks before the nanny is sent to you for an interview but I also advise parents to speak with an old employer for this exact reason.

One way to see how your nanny is doing with the children and with in the house is to go out leaving her with the children and DON’T say when you will be home, have a friend pop by at some point to "drop" something off to see how it is going. Then when you come home you will have seen what they have done, how the children are, what state the house is in etc. Ask the children about what they did when you were out, your older ones WILL tell you…good and bad. If you have young children have they been changed? Was their nose wiped? What kind of mood are they in?

I am a firm believer in trusting your "gut" feeling if you don’t think something is right then you need to act on that, never be frightened to ask a question about something you are not sure of. You know your children and you need to trust them with what they say and how they act when the nanny comes in. I love when parents tell me that their child loves the nanny they will stand at the window and wait for them to come and don’t really care when you leave, don’t be upset with this be happy that your children absolutely love and that they trust the person that is looking after them. On the other hand I had my daughter start to cry every time she saw the nanny in the morning as she knew that it was time for me to leave for work (I worked in the basement but still I went to work) I would have to peal her off of me to leave and that would break my heart but with in a few minutes of me leaving she would be happy and would get on with her day with the nanny and they would be laughing as if nothing had happened. Every child is different but if you have built that trust with your nanny you don’t have to worry.

The biggest complement I got as a nanny and I want to hear the same from the families is
"When we walk out the door as much as we worry as parents we don’t have to worry that our children are being loved and cared for as we trust you with them when we are not there"

About the Author:
Karen Hughes is the owner of Almost as Good as Mum Nanny Agency. With over 20 years experience as a professional in the childcare field, Karen Hughes has the expertise at her finger tips when it comes to finding the right childcare for families. Karen started her 8 year career as a Nanny in the UK, working for many different families. Now with her own Nanny Agency she has successfully placed over 175 nannies with happy families. Find out more at www.almostasgoodasmum.com.