Kate Halim
Hiring a nanny for your child is one of the most important decisions you will ever make. Your children are precious and it’s important that you leave them in the care of a loving and highly qualified professional who will make the physical, mental, and emotional well being of your child her number one priority when they are under her watch.
But how does one go about finding the right nanny? While no one will ever be perfect because that’s just not realistic, you can find someone who is an ideal fit for your family by asking some questions during the interview.
What would a daily routine look like when working with an infant or toddler?
Since your child will likely be spending a substantial amount of time with their nanny, it is important to know how they will be spending their days. The first five years of a child’s life are when the foundational building blocks for education are established. It’s important that your child is spending their time with someone who will not only take care of their physical needs but also engage them intellectually.
How do they handle emergencies?
Life happens and emergencies occur without warning, which is why they are called emergencies. You will want a caregiver who thinks fast and is quick on her feet. In the event of a medical emergency, seconds lost can mean the difference between life and death.
How do you respond to feedback?
Every family is different and every child is different. Just because someone has years of experience doesn’t mean that they know how your family operates or what’s best for your child. Your feedback will be important, so it’s important to hire someone who knows how to receive it and implement it accordingly.
How do you handle a crying baby/toddler or child?
Babies cry; it’s how they communicate. Sometimes it’s evident what the issue is, other times, caregivers are left perplexed. It’s important to know how your prospective nanny will handle those inevitable moments when your little one turns up the waterworks.
Are you willing to undergo a background check?
Deciding to leave your child in the care of someone you just met is a big deal, so you have to conduct a thorough check into the person that you are hiring. If your prospective hire appears reluctant or refuses to undergo a check, it’s a red flag and you should consider other caregivers.
What led you to become a nanny?
While people enter the childcare industry for a variety of reasons, it’s important to avoid caregivers who were forced into the childcare industry due to life circumstances and harbor negative feelings about it. You don’t want to hire someone who hates their job.
What are your expectations of families?
Interviews are a two-way street. In addition to finding out whether a caregiver is a good family, you should also be interested in finding out whether or not your family is right for her as well. Ultimately, you want the person who is taking care of your child to happy with their job, so find out what she expects from you as a family and whether or not you will be able to meet her needs as well.
Being a dad: The importance of being a good dad
According to a recent research, children whose fathers are highly involved in their lives in a positive way do better in school.
They demonstrate better psychological well being and lower levels of delinquency and ultimately attain higher levels of education and economic self-sufficiency.
Given the importance of fathers spending time with their children, why is it that while teenagers watch many hours of television per week, they spend only minutes per week talking with their fathers?
Unfortunately, many fathers either don’t spend one-on-one time with their children. They believe that providing money for their children’s needs is all it takes to be good fathers.
Besides missing out on fun relating with their children, these fathers miss out on bonding time and a chance to establish emotional intimacy\with their children. And years later, they will start blaming the mothers of their children if the children become cold towards them.
But being a good father means that you need to be able to put your children before yourself, be a positive role model and protect them from harm. But at the same time, you have to allow them to make their own mistakes, and learn from them.
The key word here is nurture. Children learn through a variety of ways, however observing the behaviour of others is probably the most influential.
As a role model, children learn from their fathers and their actions. They emulate the desirable behaviour and then discard the undesirable.
Therefore knowing yourself, and how others perceive you, is essential when your children are learning from you both directly and indirectly. Your children need to be taught right from wrong and see it demonstrated on a daily basis by you.
When considering the responsibilities of fathers, it is important to remember that no father is perfect. Fathers are humans who make mistakes. But the important thing to teach is that they can learn from their mistakes and avoid making the same mistakes over-and-over again.
As a good father, help your children understand their desires and assess their capabilities and set achievable goals.
Encourage them to meet their full potential but avoid living vicariously through them by expecting them to achieve what you had achieved or hoped to have achieved. Don’t force your expectations on them. They have different talents from you.
A good father’s role includes providing financially and emotionally for their children. Good fathers also care for their children.
Good fathers discipline their children along with their mother. They make parenting a partnership, and are on the same page about how to discipline their children and be consistent.
A good father should give his children affection and warmth. They shouldn’t be afraid to tell their child “I love you, I’m proud of you.” They support and love through actions as well as words.
Being a good father is one of the most important and challenging things you can do but your children will turn out better. Spend time listening and talking with your children everyday.