Reply to Nannies, need help on how to select a nanny who won't be constantly on her cell phone

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[quote=Anonymous]OP, you make it sound like you have multiple children - presumably old enough (3+?) to entertain themselves at the park - so I'm not sure exactly what you'd want your nanny to do while they ran up the stairs and went down the slide over and over again. I think we can comfortably assume that the majority of the nannies you see are engaged in constant play and supervision when they're at home with their charges. This kind of outing to a stimulating, self-entertaining location is typically the time that nannies (and parents) can disengage to a certain degree. Point is, I wouldn't assume that because a nanny is on her phone at the park that she's ignoring the kids all day long; this might be her only chance to encourage independent play and I'd think that was very healthy for all involved.

The best way to find a nanny who meets your expectations is to have CLEAR expectations. If your kids are building a block tower and she is sitting with them and playing, and then they turn around and start pushing their trucks instead, do you want her to sit there and stare at the floor until they want her involved again? Is it okay if she flips through a magazine or looks at her phone? Could she get up and go into the kitchen to prep snack? Think very realistically about what an entire day with your kids would look like for someone who doesn't have all the household obligations you have (i.e. she'll have a lot of downtime when she's with the kids but they don't particularly need or want her involved). Once you have a sense of what you'd be comfortable with, look for experienced and older nannies (30+) and be very explicit in your interview process about what you're searching for in a caregiver. This will allow them to determine whether or not they fit your standards and just in speaking to them about it you should get a primary sense of how on board they are.

On your end, you want someone who presents themselves articulately, who emphasizes communication with the parents as one of her priorities in a position, and of course someone who comes with stellar references. Ask any references if cell phone use was ever a problem or something they noticed, but press more in regards to how attached the kids were to her. A nanny who is legitimately on her phone throughout the day will not connect well with her charges because she isn't giving them the time and attention that sort of bond requires. A nanny who is on her phone when she can be but keeps the child(ren) as her primary focus will have wonderful bonds with them, even if she surfs the internet while they play at the park.[/quote]

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