If you’re feeling a little swamped by childcare duties, a nanny can ease the burden. After all, most of us have seen the film, “Mary Poppins” or read the book and noticed how that famous nanny enriched the life of her charges.
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This allowed the children’s biological parents to have more freedom to carry on with other duties in their lives without feeling like they had neglected the youngsters. In some cases, it may be clear that your career does not allow you to spend as much time with your children as you’d like.
A nanny can fill the void, but only if you take time to find one that everyone adores. Keep reading to learn how.
Figure Out Your Ideals
The first step in your nanny search should involve making a very detailed list of the qualities you’d most like the nanny to have. For example, do you want the person to have the flexibility to live in your home, or should that individual just visit on a periodic basis?
Also, how much experience should the person have? Are you prepared to welcome someone who hails from another country and possibly pay the associated expenses of traveling here? Furthermore, decide how long you intend to use the nanny’s services.
Do you just want some help with a newborn baby through its first year of life, or are you keen to hire a nanny who works in your home for several years?
As you come up with this list of ideal characteristics, make sure to get input from other involved parties, such as your spouse, and of course, the kids. It’s better to have a very detailed list rather than one that’s lacking in many areas. With that in mind, give yourself permission to spend several weeks just creating a vivid description of your perfect nanny.
After you’ve done that, pick out priorities. Perhaps you’d really like a nanny who’s fluent in French, because you have French heritage and would love for your kids to be able to speak the language someday.
However, if you’ve found a French-speaking nanny who doesn’t have a driver’s license, is it more important for the nanny to be able to transport the children or speak your preferred language well?
Write An Advertisement
Although it’s important to look through the “Situation Wanted” section of classified advertisements to see if a potential nanny is already promoting their services, you’ll probably get better results if you turn your list of ideal characteristics into an advertisement that specifically spells out what you want and need.
You may get some results just by placing that advertisement in your local newspaper. However, consider also going to some more specialized outlets, such as websites that specifically cater to nannies and the people who want to hire them.
Check References
Once you have heard from some people who are interested in being a nanny for your family, it’s crucial to check the references of those individuals. If they are unable to provide references, you should be very hesitant to let them go through the next phase of your hiring process.
Also, pay attention to the tone of people who give references, as well as what they actually say. In most cases, a nanny is looked at as a lifesaver and someone who is certainly an asset to the family.
If the person who is giving a reference has only a lukewarm response, be wary. Good nannies can be hard to find, but when families have worked with standout caregivers, they tend to speak in glowing ways about the experience.
Schedule An Interview And Trial Period
If you’re at the point where you have a shortlist of candidates, it’s now time to schedule in-person interviews. When someone gives you a very good impression during an interview and your kids like him or her as well, you can feel confident about moving onto extending an offer to start a trial period.
It can last for a week or even longer. There is no set length of time that a trial period should be, as long as it’s lengthy enough for you and your family to make a very informed decision about 
whether it’s right to welcome that person into your home.
At every stage of the process, it’s crucial to listen to feedback from your kids. They will likely be the ones who will spend the most time with the nanny, so any opinions they have should be taken seriously.
Finding a nanny is not something you can rush. However, when you take your time to make smart choices, that increases the likelihood you’ll have landed the opportunity to have a truly lovely nanny.
