Anonymous wrote:
OP here. You're right, high IQ doesn't always equate to great skills related to kids. Neither does low to average IQ. Skills related to children are something we have to look for in any nanny candidate; but the ability to use intelligence and apply those skills is what I'm looking for.

As for refining our hiring process, you must not have read my original post very carefully. We've had a couple of truly excellent nannies, the best and smartest being a woman who had only completed high school. Here's our past nanny history - feel free to critique:
Nanny 1: 12 months, was wonderful, we moved.
Nanny 2: 9 months, was wonderful, my schedule changed; recommended her to a friend, she continued to sit for us.
Nanny 3(A): 4+ years, was wonderful, she got married and changed careers.
Nanny 4: 6 months; nice enough, turned out to have no common sense and made bad decisions.
Nanny 3(B): nanny 3 returned, stayed about 6 months until her new school classes started (related to her new career)
Nanny 5: 7+ months; absolutely wonderful, my dream nanny; she left when she and her boyfriend moved to a new city. We've visited them. It was a mutual sobfest when she left and we still keep in touch. My dream nanny.
Nanny 6: Current nanny; 6 months so far.

Nannies 1, 2, 3 and 5 were all great; of those, Nannies 2 and 5 were truly excellent (with Nanny 5 being the best of the bunch). Nanny 4 we let go, so obviously not great. Nanny 6 is...fine. Not great. Not awful. Just...fine.

You're also mistaken that we want zero interaction with nanny or want nanny to take charge without direction. Nope, not the case at all. I'm very involved in my kids' lives - details, schedules, rules, plans, you name it. I give a lot of information and a lot of initial direction; but from that framework (which is a lot more detailed than "keep them alive, please"), I need a nanny who can take this framework and apply it to whatever may come up that day. There is no lack of clarity about household rules. For example: rule is that daughter must complete homework. I get phone calls asking if she should do her reading packet first or her science worksheets. I don't have time to create some sort of complex "if/then" flowchart for homework direction: "if daughter comes home with math and science, do science first; but if daughter comes home with math and reading, do reading first; or if daughter comes home with math, reading, AND science, do math first." I need a nanny who can evaluate the homework load, figure out what makes the most sense, and direct accordingly. This is just an example; there are a lot more things like that, of both greater and lesser significance.

I stand by my original statement: it's so nice to have a smart nanny. There's a world of difference. I've employed nannies of average intelligence and nannies who are clearly above average, and I have seen that it does make a difference in decision making, critical thinking, and plain old "getting it".

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
OP here. You're right, high IQ doesn't always equate to great skills related to kids. Neither does low to average IQ. Skills related to children are something we have to look for in any nanny candidate; but the ability to use intelligence and apply those skills is what I'm looking for.

As for refining our hiring process, you must not have read my original post very carefully. We've had a couple of truly excellent nannies, the best and smartest being a woman who had only completed high school. Here's our past nanny history - feel free to critique:
Nanny 1: 12 months, was wonderful, we moved.
Nanny 2: 9 months, was wonderful, my schedule changed; recommended her to a friend, she continued to sit for us.
Nanny 3(A): 4+ years, was wonderful, she got married and changed careers.
Nanny 4: 6 months; nice enough, turned out to have no common sense and made bad decisions.
Nanny 3(B): nanny 3 returned, stayed about 6 months until her new school classes started (related to her new career)
Nanny 5: 7+ months; absolutely wonderful, my dream nanny; she left when she and her boyfriend moved to a new city. We've visited them. It was a mutual sobfest when she left and we still keep in touch. My dream nanny.
Nanny 6: Current nanny; 6 months so far.

Nannies 1, 2, 3 and 5 were all great; of those, Nannies 2 and 5 were truly excellent (with Nanny 5 being the best of the bunch). Nanny 4 we let go, so obviously not great. Nanny 6 is...fine. Not great. Not awful. Just...fine.

You're also mistaken that we want zero interaction with nanny or want nanny to take charge without direction. Nope, not the case at all. I'm very involved in my kids' lives - details, schedules, rules, plans, you name it. I give a lot of information and a lot of initial direction; but from that framework (which is a lot more detailed than "keep them alive, please"), I need a nanny who can take this framework and apply it to whatever may come up that day. There is no lack of clarity about household rules. For example: rule is that daughter must complete homework. I get phone calls asking if she should do her reading packet first or her science worksheets. I don't have time to create some sort of complex "if/then" flowchart for homework direction: "if daughter comes home with math and science, do science first; but if daughter comes home with math and reading, do reading first; or if daughter comes home with math, reading, AND science, do math first." I need a nanny who can evaluate the homework load, figure out what makes the most sense, and direct accordingly. This is just an example; there are a lot more things like that, of both greater and lesser significance.

I stand by my original statement: it's so nice to have a smart nanny. There's a world of difference. I've employed nannies of average intelligence and nannies who are clearly above average, and I have seen that it does make a difference in decision making, critical thinking, and plain old "getting it".

Six nannies?!? How old are your kids???

nannydebsays wrote:PP's, it would seem from the tenure of the nannies totaled up (in years and portions of years) that the 6 nannies have spanned 1 + .75 + 4 + (.5 x 4) = approximately 7.75 years or so, meaning her eldest child is at least...7.75 years old. More likely 8 years old since it's unlikely the parent gave birth and returned to work immediately.


"As for refining our hiring process, you must not have read my original post very carefully. We've had a couple of truly excellent nannies, the best and smartest being a woman who had only completed high school. Here's our past nanny history - feel free to critique:
Nanny 1: 12 months, was wonderful, we moved.
Nanny 2: 9 months, was wonderful, my schedule changed; recommended her to a friend, she continued to sit for us.
Nanny 3(A): 4+ years, was wonderful, she got married and changed careers.
Nanny 4: 6 months; nice enough, turned out to have no common sense and made bad decisions.
Nanny 3(B): nanny 3 returned, stayed about 6 months until her new school classes started (related to her new career)
Nanny 5: 7+ months; absolutely wonderful, my dream nanny; she left when she and her boyfriend moved to a new city. We've visited them. It was a mutual sobfest when she left and we still keep in touch. My dream nanny.
Nanny 6: Current nanny; 6 months so far."

Anonymous wrote:

nannydebsays wrote:PP's, it would seem from the tenure of the nannies totaled up (in years and portions of years) that the 6 nannies have spanned 1 + .75 + 4 + (.5 x 4) = approximately 7.75 years or so, meaning her eldest child is at least...7.75 years old. More likely 8 years old since it's unlikely the parent gave birth and returned to work immediately.


"As for refining our hiring process, you must not have read my original post very carefully. We've had a couple of truly excellent nannies, the best and smartest being a woman who had only completed high school. Here's our past nanny history - feel free to critique:
Nanny 1: 12 months, was wonderful, we moved.
Nanny 2: 9 months, was wonderful, my schedule changed; recommended her to a friend, she continued to sit for us.
Nanny 3(A): 4+ years, was wonderful, she got married and changed careers.
Nanny 4: 6 months; nice enough, turned out to have no common sense and made bad decisions.
Nanny 3(B): nanny 3 returned, stayed about 6 months until her new school classes started (related to her new career)
Nanny 5: 7+ months; absolutely wonderful, my dream nanny; she left when she and her boyfriend moved to a new city. We've visited them. It was a mutual sobfest when she left and we still keep in touch. My dream nanny.
Nanny 6: Current nanny; 6 months so far."

You have a horrible track record! Can you imagine if you had listed boyfriends instead of nannies? We would think you're as loose as a goose!