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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]We've had four nannies over the years, and two have left quickly (one after 5 months, one after a week).  The 6-month one had been applying to graduate programs and didn't tell us, and departed when she was ready to begin school.  The one-weeker was, we learned later, secretly applying to other non-nanny jobs even after accepting an offer from us.  She ignored our request to please return our keys after she quit with less than 12 hours notice and we had to change our locks.  In both cases we paid the hourly rate the nanny asked for.

I think this sort of thing can be difficult to screen for.  I would rely heavily on references--we had only one reference for our one-weeker and that should have been a red flag.  I would also try to really talk to the nanny during the interview about her priorities, what kind of job she envisions, her longer term goals, her pet peeves about parents, etc.

I certainly agree that it's important to not be a micromanager and give the nanny authority, and of course to pay fairly.

Nannies on this board like to blame parents for everything.  There are certainly crappy bosses, but there are crappy employees too.[/quote]

The OP asked about good nannies. The two you hired were not good nannies. All the nannies who have responded gave valid reasons for why a good nanny would leave a position early.  Nannies have the right to change careers without your permission. Something tells  me we would get a very different story if we heard from your nannies especially the one that left after a week.[/quote]

You're contradicting yourself.  If you say these nannies were not good nannies, why do you believe they would offer a different story (suggesting they are in fact good nannies and we the parents are the problem)?

You make a fair point that OP asked about good nannies, I'd missed that.  I guess it depends how you define "good."  Our 5-month nanny was a lovely young woman, she just had other long-term goals but declined to share them with us and lied about how long she could commit to being with us.  (Nanny candidates always ask us how long we can commit, we share that, and we ask them the same question.)  I can understand why she did what she did, she had a months-long gap in employment and needed a job.  But OP wanted to know why nannies leave after not a lot of time and I felt our experience might be helpful to her.

OP, I would also strongly urge you to google the names of all references.  We have also interviewed two nannies who had faked references, which was unnerving.  [/quote]

Maybe at the time she was asked she did believe she could fulfill the time frame she gave. Nannies have lives that change as well. I'm sure you would be raising hell if a nanny poster called her employers liars for deciding to switch to daycare or assume the nanny did something wrong.

I agree with you that there are bad nannies and bad employers, you are one of the bad.[/quote]

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