Where to look?
There are several options. If among your acquaintances someone already used the services of a nanny, then he can recommend a person whom, in their opinion, perfectly coped with his duties.
Now there are many agencies that are engaged in the selection of personnel for the house. Choose such an agency you need carefully - pay attention to where the office is located, how long the agency works, as far as we know what kind of reviews it has. It does not have to be an elite one, but the "sharashka office", about which no one knows anything and which opened a month ago is not the best option.
Many parents resort to the services of relatives. On the one hand, it's good. Most often, payment is not required, or it is significantly lower than that requested by a professional nanny. On the other hand, relatives often allow themselves more than people who come from outside. For example, your views on feeding and raising a child will not always be taken into account, and you must be ready for it. Simply because the grandmother or aunt has already raised the number of children and knows better what's what. This state of affairs suits far from all. On the other hand, with this option, you can be sure that your baby is really loved and will not be left unattended.
In order to make the right choice, compare all the possible options, discuss your decision with your husband and relatives, and weigh all the pros and cons.
What nanny to choose?
Nannies are different. For young children, whose age does not exceed a year, do not fit too young nannies. It is better if this woman already has her children and a serious experience of working with other people's children of this age. Medical education plays a much greater role here than pedagogical education, since young children need competent care, rather than comprehensive development. Most likely, it will be more important for you that the baby eat properly, sleep well, do not get sick, and you will leave the development of languages and music for later.
Preschool children need a nanny who can prepare them for school. You will approach a person who has an education and work experience in a kindergarten or in an elementary school. The child 3 - 6 years already is interested in the surrounding world, ready to learn new information that such a nanny will provide him.
For children of school age need a nanny - a teacher or, if the child is coping well with his studies, just a good person with experience. The main thing is that the baby copes with the school load, not bored and not mischievous, while eating right and was in the fresh air. In the tasks of such a nanny often includes checking homework, accompanying the child in the circles and sections, the organization of leisure.
Older children are usually not needed. If you still do not dare to leave your child alone for a whole day, look for a person who is much older than your child, whose authority will be significant so that the teenager listens to the nanny, and does not perceive her as a toy that can be rotated at her own discretion.
Perhaps, one of the most important moments is that the nanny has found a common language primarily with the child. Neither the availability of prestigious education and solid work experience will not help if the baby did not like the nanny, if you can not establish contact. The child, maybe, will be well-groomed and trained, but he will be unhappy with a man who does not like or is afraid. Therefore, take into account not only your emotions, but also the feelings of the child.
Control.
The nurse needs to be supervised. So you will feel calmer, at any rate, this is important until your confidence is justified big. You can spend the first days together with a new nanny to visually demonstrate to her what and how you are doing at this or that time of the day.
Be sure to call up with a nanny during the day, be interested in what happens in your absence. Sometimes come home before the time you were expected. So you can see if it's really like the nanny tells you. Some parents set up hidden cameras in apartments specifically to keep the nanny under control. This is a justifiable measure if you do not trust a person if you are worried about a child if the baby is too young to tell you about what happens to him in your absence. To put or not to put the nurse in the notice of the presence of such a device in the house - it's up to you.
Choosing a nanny, do not look for an ideal, the prototype of Mary Poppins. An alien person will have his shortcomings, someone more, someone less. Many families abandon their careers until the baby grows up, because they can not find a person who could be trusted with their child. If you are from such parents, do not blame yourself, just enjoy the time spent with the child, because it will fly very quickly.