Do you trust your nanny? Mary Poppins 101

SHOP LE TOP’s FALL 2010 COLLECTION HERE
ENJOY FREE GROUND SHIPPING*

Whenever I think about hiring or trusting a nanny today, images flash to my mind of the funny nanny cam used in the movie “Meet the Parents” to spy on Ben Stiller. Never seen the movie? Not to worry, the point is – how do you trust your caregiver with your child and do you need to be watching them? Basically the majority of my childhood, I grew up with various nannies – some GOOD and some BAD. My first piece of advice as a person who grew up with caregivers…take your time finding one!

Finding the right nanny to care for your most prized little one is one of the first – and hardest – decisions you may make as a parent.  There are many things to consider, such as – Do you want a daycare environment or a private nanny at home? Do you have family member who can help part- or full-time?  How much can you afford? What kind of coverage will you need? Try to get a clear picture of what is most convenient and fits your family’s structure, and it will help you target your search and cause you less stress during the process.

In regards to the trust issue at hand – it may be that you’re going back to work after maternity leave, or you may be taking on part-time work and need to find someone to watch your children while you are not home. Whatever the case, you can’t just snap your fingers and Mary Poppins arrives. It’s not enough to just wish for Mary Poppins or Nanny 911— you need to do your research.

Unlike other professions, there are no national standards in the United States for nanny training, and there is no state or national group in charge of regulating job performance. Therefore, it is imperative that parents thoroughly interview and screen a potential nanny before she begins caring for their children. The easiest way to verify the background of a candidate is to hire a high-quality nanny agency.

If you can, find an agency that belongs to the Alliance of Professional Nanny Agencies, a professional group that requires members to conduct rigorous background checks. Agencies usually charge 10 percent of a nanny’s first-year salary, plus a $100 to $300 application fee. If you decide you are going to do your own background checks, it’s imperative that you know what to look for and what to ask about. And even if you do use a nanny agency, you should know what makes up a good background check.

When hiring a nanny or babysitter for your family, always check references and employment history. Additionally, always TRUST your instincts. Don’t worry if you’re alone in your hesitation; if you’re not feeling completely satisfied with any single aspect of your nanny’s application or it just doesn’t feel right, move on to another candidate.

Below are some good questions to ask or create a DIY application for nanny candidates:

Experience & Training Questions:

1. How long have you been a nanny
2. How old were the other children you cared for?
3. Do you have any formal early childhood development or childcare training?
4. Would you be willing to take classes to further your education in childcare?
5. Do you have emergency training?
   CPR: yes / no  First-aid: yes / no
   If not, would you be willing to take CPR classes and first-aid training? yes / no
6. What would you do if my child was sick or had an accident?
7. Would you mind if I ran a background check on you? yes / no

Philosophy Questions:

1. Why are you a nanny? Why are you looking for a new position?
2. What do you like about the job?
3. Describe your ideal family/employer.
4. What do you like least about being a nanny? Do you have any special peeves about parents/children/pets?
5. What are your beliefs about childrearing?
6. What do children like best about you?
7. How do you comfort children?
8. How do you deal with separation anxiety?
9. How do you discipline children? Give me an example of a previous discipline problem and how you handled it.
10. What are some of the rules you’ve followed in other households that you think worked well?
11. Which rules haven’t worked for you?
12. Would you be willing to follow my rules and disciplining/comforting strategies even if they’re different from yours?

Daily Routine Questions:

1. What will my child be doing on any given day? (Click here for our daily log sheet.)
2. What are your favorite activities to do with a child the age of mine?
3. If I’m working in the house, will you be able to keep my child happily occupied without involving me?

Logistics Questions:

1. Do you have future plans (school, job, marriage, etc.) that would put a limit on how long you expect to be a nanny?
2. Do you have a well-functioning car, with appropriate safety belts and room for car seats? yes / no
3. Do you want a live-in arrangement? yes / no
4. If it’s not a live-in arrangement, where do you live and how would you get to work?
5. If it were not a live-in arrangement, would you bring your own food or expect meals to be provided?
6. Do you smoke? yes / no
7. Are you willing to do light chores while our baby is sleeping? Which ones?


8. Do you have any personal responsibilities or health issues that could interfere with a regular work schedule?
9. When would you be able to start working?

10. Would you ever be available to work evenings or weekends?
11. Would you be available to travel with our family for weekends/vacations?


12. When do you expect to take a vacation of your own?
13. What is your salary range?

Read Full Post »

The Diaper Dilemma

Parents face many dilemmas – picking a preschool, piano or violin lessons, soccer or baseball…but parents today are faced early on with a difficult choice – cloth or disposable? I have friends that made the decision to use cloth, but I just jumped in and without much thought started with disposables. I thought it might be interesting to do some research and share the options.

First priority: Baby’s Health

• One of the pluses of disposables is the ‘wicking’ properties that keep baby’s bottom drier and more comfortable – however any diaper you choose should be changed every 2-3 hours whether it seems wet or not since any wet diaper can cause diaper rash if left unattended.
• The absorbent filler in many disposables has been linked to health problems in mice when exposed at high levels and some children may have an allergic reaction to the filler in disposables.

Convenience

• No doubt disposables are easy to use – one use and you throw them away. They also generally provide better leak protection. One negative to disposables – Some say it’s harder to potty train since the kids don’t feel the moisture.
• There is an additional level of work with cloth diapers – they need to be washed and ‘handled.’  Some daycares and preschools do not allow the use of cloth diapers.

The Environment

• Disposable diapers are bad for the environment; it is estimated that around 5 million tons of untreated waste is deposited into landfills via disposables every year. For slightly less impact, dump the “organic waste” in the toilet before you throw them in the trash.
• Cloth diapers can lessen the impact on the environment – especially if you choose organic cotton (no chemical spraying.) Pre-rinse diapers, and then wash in warm, not hot water using non-toxic detergents.

Cost

• Cloth diapers can save you about $700 per child over 2½ years. (I know I spend about $100 a month in disposable diapers.)

Newer Options

• There are now disposables that are non-toxic, containing no dyes or fragrance.
• Some new disposables are corn-based, less harmful to the environment but not as effective for overnight (because they do biodegrade well) and some are made with wood-pulp and natural-blend cotton.
• Various new ‘hybrids’ have cute form fitted covers with Velcro or snap closures with snap in liners that can be washed. Also you can use absorbent biodegradable inserts that can be flushed – the result is minimal laundry and less going to a landfill. (One caution: some waste disposal plants say they do not degrade well, so check with your local waste management district for more information.)

I did find an enormous amount of information about the cloth versus disposable dilemma. In the end everyone needs to weigh out what works best for their baby, the environment, the associated costs and their personal lifestyle. I hope this information helps with your decision! Happy Diapering!

Read Full Post »

Our Winner of le•top’s Mother’s Day Presents Contest: Jen G.

This entry made us laugh and cry all at once. Thank you for submitting your wonderfully heartwarming and funny story! Look for an email in your inbox!

As told by our winner, Jen G.:

A hand-colored heart, to which the first pack of gum was taped...

A couple of years ago, my then-5-year-old daughter asked what I wanted for Mother’s Day.  Since money was tight, our house was a mess (in part because we had too many “things” already), and I honestly couldn’t think of anything I needed or wanted anyway, I just asked that she and her brothers make something for me.  Pre-school was always great about helping the Kids make gifts, and I treasure all of the holiday items they’ve made through the years.  Apparently my Kids were more observant than I gave them credit for because, when I arrived at daycare to pick them up one afternoon, I noticed a big poster board on which the teachers had written responses to “What does your Mommy want for Mother’s Day?”  There were nearly 20 responses, each one-upping the last:  “Dinner; Dinner in a restaurant; Dinner and a Show; Spa Day; Weekend in Tahoe; Earrings; Diamond Earrings; Hearts on Fire Diamonds; A Convertible.”  Then I saw my Kids’ entry:  “Gum”.  It was perfect, not only for the should’ve-been-embarrassed-but-was-actually-quite-proud grin I couldn’t get off my face the rest of the day, but because I really do love gum.  Flowers are temporary, fashion is fleeting, but gum has the shelf-life of Twinkies, which means it’ll be around forever.  When I no longer have the teeth to chew it, I’ll still have a big, silly grin on my face every time I find a pack of gum tucked away on a shelf in my closet, next to the half-painted jewelry box from 2008, the scented homemade bath salts from 2004, and the small, multi-colored, possibly ceramic blob from 2003.  Maybe this year I’ll get cinnamon.

...on the back side, Anna (5) signed her name and Freddy's (3), and my husband traced Jeffrey's (1) hand.

Read Full Post »