Find a Nanny and Streamline Your Family Life

Hiring a nanny ensures that you can customize daycare to your needs. When you find a nanny that works for you, they will come to your house and tend your kids in their own environment. You can also arrange the hours to fit your work schedule. This way, your toddler can nap in her own bed and play with her favorite toys. (Daycares usually won't let kids bring toys from home.) Your son can come home from school, play with the neighborhood kids, and go to karate. You also get to choose the nanny with the right personality for your kids.

A nanny arrangement isn't for everyone. It takes more careful planning and scrutiny to find a nanny than to arrange other daycare options. If you're thinking about hiring a nanny, here are some great reasons to go for it:

- Your child has a special diet.
- Your school-aged child needs transportation to and from after school activities.
- You have a child with special needs.
- Your work hours are tricky, and/or you travel for work.
- Your child would do better in their own comfort zone.
- You want your child to learn a second language.

When my kids started getting involved with after school activities, I knew I had to find a nanny to help me juggle it all. I had a most fabulous nanny who did an excellent job of staying on top of my kids' busy schedule. She made sure the kids' homework was done by the time I got home. She also cooked dinner most nights and did light housekeeping. She organized play dates with the girls' friends, planned the occasional field trip, and even did the grocery shopping on occasion. I knew I could count on her to pick up a sick kid from school. She was there when school let out for a holiday but my work didn't. She even provided my daughter much-needed support when she struggled over her relationship with her dad. She moved on when she decided to relocate, but to this day, we are still in contact with her. So where do I find a nanny like this, you may ask?

The easiest way to find a nanny is to use a reputable agency. A good local nanny agency will be able to match a nanny to your needs, check their background and references. However, if you'd like to save yourself the fee and take a more hands-on approach, there are websites such as Care.com which are exceptionally useful for finding a good nanny. You can also post ads in your local paper or Craig's List and do the background checks yourself. If you end up taking this route, make sure you do a little homework once you find a nanny you like. You should check your potential nanny's driving record if they will be driving your children. You should also check to see if they have a criminal record. Many states have websites that make these checks easy.

Finding Room in Your Budget

Sharing a nanny can provide benefits beyond the financial, too. My friend and I shared the task of screening and hiring nannies, and drawing up the contract, saving valuable time. When our nanny would call in sick, we would pool our resources to take care of all the kids, so no one missed too much work. My friend's only child also got to experience what it would be like to have two big sisters, and my kids learned to nurture a younger “sister” as well. When problems arose, we would bounce ideas off each other to come up with the best solutions.

If sharing a nanny isn't an option, there are other things you can try to hire a nanny without going broke. If you have an extra room in your house, you could consider a live-in nanny. This way, her room and board would be part of her pay, reducing the amount you'll have to pay her each week. If your kids go to school, you may be able to find a part-time nanny. Check with your local community colleges and/or universities to see if you can post your ad to a job board there. You may be able to find a nanny who is a student and wants to work after their classes. In the summer, you can negotiate a full-time rate with your nanny, or look into summer camp options.

Top of Find a Nanny Page

Back to Single Parenting Guide