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[quote=Anonymous]Nanny here.  This is totally reasonable, but like any specific requirement it may cost more because it narrows your search pool.  A few things I highly recommend:

1) Look for someone with lots of experience.  You may be tempted to go for the youthful and energetic former-preschool-teacher nanny thinking the older ladies may not be able to keep up the energy needed but I would be looking for someone who has proven they can handle long days with kids of multiple ages as a solo caregiver in the home.  The dynamic of a classroom vs siblings in their own home is massively different, especially with a bid age spread.

2) Specifically look for someone with experience with ALL of your kids’ ages.  Unless you feel very confident that the older two will be in full-day school or summer camp year-round, do NOT hire someone who is really just a toddler nanny.  You need someone with experience building a relationship and routine for the older kids.  Trust me, the older two are the challenge.  A 1yo will love anyone who loves them and feeds them.  The older two will be much more selective about who they bond with.

3) Make sure your home is set up for a single caregiver.  That means that she needs safe spaces to contain the toddler throughout the house, she needs to be able to set up the playroom in a way that works for her, including keeping choking hazards somewhere that kids need permission/help to access them.  She needs multiple rooms where play is permitted (e.g., she needs to be able to set 6yo up with legos in a bedroom while she does a toddler activity with the other two, then needs to be able to contain the 1 yo in a high chair while she works on a literacy project with the 6 and 3yo.

4) depending on the grade level for your 6yo, consider homeschooling or functionally homeschooling if in-person school isn’t available and flexible.  The vast majority of what they learn in K and first (Reading, vocab, writing, counting, addition and subtraction, number sense, patterns and shapes) can easily be taught by a nanny in short bursts that fit in around the edges of a well-rounded routine for the whole family.  If your 6yo is in the kind of DL setup where the entire day is dictated but inconvenient class times, it may make it impossible for all three kids to spend time being active outdoors and playing freely, both of which are critical for all three kids![/quote]

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