How to Rope a Supernanny

One of the questions I am almost always asked when people hear what I do for a living is, “How do you find nannying positions? Do you go through a service or advertise?” The answer to both is no. I have met all of the families I have nannied through referrals, through friends and family, or through happenstance. In fact, I once met a future nannying client at the park when I saved her son from falling off a playscape. I know there are websites dedicated to helping place nannies with families (even nanny/mommy mixers!), and in my experience I would encourage meeting potential nannies through friends and family. The best way to snag a Supernanny is to, of course, be up front about hours you’re looking for, your expectations, and offer a competitive wage(Sad to say that in this article it seems Austin, Texas really skimps on its nannies-for shame, y’all!). Do your due diligence when researching appropriate pay for your nannies. Be sure to take education, years of experience, and cost of living in your specific city into account.
Be up front about your times of need. Let her know which days/hours you need and she can hopefully work you into her schedule. In my experience, with a little flexibility on the part of families and myself, the schedules will work themselves out. If your nanny is being hired on a full-time basis(more than 30 hours per week) make sure that you can guarantee those hours for at least the next 3-6 months, and should your hours/days of need change, let your nanny know as soon as possible so she can start figuring out her schedule. (As a Supernanny she should keep you abreast of any changes in her schedule as well.)
Be up front about your expectations. If you are hiring a nanny, that is her job. She is hired to take care of your children. She is not a housekeeper (besides, of course ,the cooking/cleaning while nannying), she is not a tutor, she is not a personal assistant, and she is not a therapist (ok maybe my Psychology degree was put to good use, voluntarily…). If you want your nanny to take on other duties, and she is willing, then this needs to be reflected in her wages. Aka if she is performing housekeeping, personal assistant duties on top of her childcare ones, such as grocery shopping or errand running for you with the kiddos in tow, she should be paid additionally and adequately. Because of a Supernanny’s love for the children and families, and her eagerness to help, she could be(and nannies often are) talked into responsibilities way above both her pay grade and what is appropriate. (I once had to draw the line when asked if I would “do the dog yard” responding, “I’m sorry, I went to college. No.”) You trust your nanny with your most precious people, in return do not betray her trust by taking advantage of her generosity.
Be excited! You’re getting a Supernanny! The pressure of juggling kiddos, work, keeping up your home, spending extra special time with each of your children, errands, some “you time”, some alone time with your partner, or your studies, is now alleviated, the yoke of childcare now shared by you and your Supernanny. Your kiddos will be in great hands with a person who really loves her job, and by extension your kiddos and you. You should be able to do it all, and with your Supernanny, you can, providing amazing childcare and fun for your kiddos along the way!