What to look for when you use a service to hire a nanny in Singapore

By: Jacy Tan

A good nanny helps you to mold your family. The nanny is more than a caretaker. She is an important part of your growing family. You definitely want to feel you’re your kids are being taken care of when the calamities of life keep you occupied. Many families here in Singapore have used the help of good nannies for many years.

Check out these guidelines for hiring a nanny for your children

How to select a nanny - Specifics of the service

The difference is in the details when it comes to hiring the service of a private nanny or of a nanny agency. There are pros and cons to every single one of these providers. While some nannies just come and go in agreement with the work schedule, there are still nannies that live with a family. Some nannies have set up a baby sit service at their own home and you can bring your children while you drive to work.

Evaluate what recipe is convenient to you and what your budget is when you select a child care service. Room and board are of course your responsibility when you go for the live-in child care formula. It is probably also desired that they have a phone available. Set up a dependable schedule when you work with a nanny who just comes to your house for certain hours. When you want to bring your children to a daycare than it is very important where that daycare is. Close to where you live or close to school are the preferred locations for the daycare.

Make sure your nanny understands upfront what you expect from her. Be clear when it comes to circumstances that you want to avoid. You have to realize that some nannies have more to offer than other nannies. Consider them to be specialists in childcare. Those child care specialists will help you evaluate your child and your child’s strengths. Some specialize in tutoring or teaching. Some are very experienced nutrition specialists. Some nannies will keep up your house work while they are taking care of your children.

How to select a nanny - Credibility

Find out what babysit agencies expect from the people they hire. Check out what they focus on in the hiring process. Some agencies will submit prospective nannies to training and questionnaires. Ask for specific information on how they check a candidate’s background, her health, and what her abilities are.

Some households benefit from a private duty caregiver. The procedure is less formal and becomes more personal and rates are open for negotiation. Make sure you hire a care giver who is well-trained and knows her job. Check out their references and validate their papers. Organize a trial day so you can see how she works with your children.

How to select a nanny - Setting

Consider a babysitter who lives in your neighborhood. That is an important factor in the selection procedure. If you have to bring your child to the house of the sitter, find one in the area of where you work or one close to your own house. You want somebody who is familiar with your neighborhood and does not get lost looking for a park, a store, a school, or a medical facility.

It is also to your convenience if the nanny lives close by. Situations that require sudden unexpected help from the nanny are handled so much easier if the nanny lives close by. Your boss needs you to stay longer than planned, you need some extra help, or you have to run an unexpected errand that makes you late, are just some examples of things that can happen and the perfect babysitter can deal with situations like this.

Pros and cons of nanny service in your house compared to at a daycare

Your child will get more me-time if the nanny works in your home. Individual needs of your child will be taken care of better. Enforcing homework and tutoring, after school activities, and visits to the park, are going to be taken care of much better. This option is usually more expensive, but your nanny will adjust better to the needs of your family.

A cheaper option is bringing your child to the house of a nanny who provides services at her house. You have to keep in mind though that your child is probably not the only one there and that individual attention is not as obvious. But your child will be able to socialize with small groups of peers. Usually these nannies do not take in more than 4 kids. That means that your child will learn how to socialize with others but will not be overwhelmed with having to function in a crowd.

How to select a nanny - Time

Evidently, the price tag goes up in agreement with the time that you need the nanny to be at your house. Evaluate carefully when you need the help of the nanny more and get the most out of your money.

When your children go to school you do not need fulltime help of a nanny. The babysitter can just pick your child up when school gets out and you will be comfortable to focus on the things you need to do. By the time you get home they will have done their homework and eaten dinner because they were taken care of.

Parents who are very busy starting in the morning and those with small children will benefit from a nanny who comes early and stays all day.

While nannies are usually hired for during the week, hiring them for some time during the weekend can also be a great idea. You need to take care of your personal needs to, and one afternoon every weekend or a child free day every other weekend will help you relax. Enjoying your children becomes more obvious if you make sure you have time for yourself too.

What you need to know before you hire a foreign nanny

There are a lot of foreign nannies in Singapore. If your nanny does not share a similar cultural and religious background, speaks another language, and has a different opinion on raising children, you can be headed for a situation you are not prepared for. Children are bound to be influenced by their caregiver and it is a good idea to talk to your nanny about your expectations. Read up on the culture of your nanny so you know what to expect.

There are nanny services that look for and hire prospective babysitters in other countries. You will be less involved in the selection process and you are very likely not going to be able to sit down with the candidate. Do not commit yourself to the services of any candidate without ensuring that your expectations are understood and you are well informed about what the candidate is looking for.

Make sure all expectations and obligations are clarified for both parties. Define who has to take care of the legal paperwork that allows the foreign help to work for you. Make sure you define how the work relationship can be terminated if one of the parties desires to do so. Set all these things straight beforehand and you will avoid a lot of problems that could show up otherwise.

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Looking for caring and professional babysitters in Singapore? Meet babysitters who love children, within your neighborhood. Call Jacy @ 6844 8985. Learn more at www.babysittersinsingapore.com, www.babysittersingapore.com

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