How to find and keep a good nanny? If you're ready to go, here are the basics. Meanwhile, keep an open mind, get your feet wet, do your homework, and trust yourself. You'll find the solution you need.

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Kinds of Nannies
There are live-in and live-out or "come-and-go" nannies and some nannies who care for children in their own homes instead of yours. There are full time and part time nannies, certified and self-taught nannies, younger and older nannies, experienced nannies and talented newcomers. There are shared nannies and even male nannies, and there's lots of overlapping between categories. These are covered in our article, Definitions.

What Nannies Do
The basic job is to protect, love, play with, and teach the children in her care, and then to share her insights with you. As for specific activities, depending on how many hours/week a nanny is to work, most parents will want her to engage their children in activities that they'd like to do themselves, if only they could, some of that being a matter of time, some of it a matter of skills.

The other basic of the nanny's duties is child-related housekeeping: care for children's meals, laundry, rooms and personal belongings.

Don't expect her to become the housekeeper, the maid, the family chauffeur & pet sitter, your personal assistant, or your best friend and confidant. Let her focus on your child.

When to start looking? When to hire? What time of year? How long before returning to work? How about overlapping and an orientation period?

Where to find your nanny

• You can hire with the help of a good agency (the International Nanny Association and the Alliance of Professional Nanny Agencies offer standards for nannies and for agencies)
• or on your own,
• or through a nanny training program (the American Council of Nanny Schools sets valuabe standards here).
• You can hire via the Internet
• or via a local ad
• or by word-of-mouth.

In any and all cases, we urge you to request and check references, to interview thoroughly, and to have a trial run.

Compensation
You need to know how to pay and manage your employee:

• Will she work by the hour, day or week?
• Nanny taxes, benefits, raises, incentives, and perks.
• Contracts and how they work.

Finally, we wish you luck and urge you not to trust solely to it. Be patient,

Definitions
While we use the general term "nanny" to refer to a person who cares for children in the children's own home, there are subdivisions in the broad group of "nannies" that you will need to know. They depend on the caregiver's level of training, her duties, the length of her work week, and whether or not ...more

Recruiting Nanny Candidates
Luck and homework are the major factors in screening. Some families will screen dozens and dozens of applicants, hiring none; others will luck out with the first candidate. How you screen your candidates is part of creating your own luck ...more

Pay
Bargains work in some areas of life, but not for long in this one. If you want to find and keep a good nanny, pay her accordingly ...more

Contracts and Agreements
Here are tools to help both the savvy and the novice think through the working arrangement. A written contract helps all concerned, not because it is set in stone but because it is the baseline from which a good working relationship slowly grows ...more

On the Job
Working with others is hard enough; it's harder when that person works in your home caring for your children, whether you are there or not. Understanding where the nanny fits into the family is critical, and making a habit of clear, considerate communication will take you far ...more

Child Development
You will learn from your nanny, and she will learn from you. Understanding some of the magic of child development will help you complement each other's roles in working with your children ...more

A Final Note
If you are searching for a nanny, or think you might be soon, we wish success in every way. It's fantastic to find a wonderful person to care for children, to keep them safe and loved and growing while you yourself must be elsewhere. Alas, it does take some work. We hope that the information provided on Nanny.com will speed you on your way.