Hiring a nanny is tough enough. Evaluating each candidate is even harder. To help you with your search, here is a list of qualities a great nanny should have.

Genuine Interest In Children

A good nanny is warm and loving. She will show interest in getting to know her potential ward. She will be concerned about making sure that your toddler will be at ease with her. A good nanny is full of life and maintains fun and bubbly interaction with your little one to keep him in a good mood. Thus, both you and your toddler feel comfortable and happy in her company. A nanny can do everything well, but if she is truly interested in children, her love will shine through and your toddler will know it.

Punctual

A good nanny should arrive on time. She should inform you ahead of time if she is going to be late or is not able to look after your toddler on a particular day (with a valid reason for her absence) and even help you find a substitute caregiver. She should also be prompt in implementing the activities you set such as feeding time, naptime and other daily routines of your toddler.

Respectful

A good nanny respects your childcare philosophies. She will want to find out what your childcare beliefs are and even though you have different parenting views, she will still respect them. This is very important especially since your toddler will be with the nanny for long periods of time so you have to ensure that she will follow the rules even when you are not around.

Capable

When hiring a nanny, it is essential that she is competent enough to look after your precious one. A nanny with training or one who has attended seminars and other classes about childcare shows that she is skilled. She should also know how to perform CPR and basic first-aid and handle emergencies (e.g. injuries, fever, seizure, etc.) to ensure the safety of your toddler. Aside from that, a good nanny should know what to do when your toddler cries, throws a tantrum as well as give adequate disciplinary measures. She should also provide stimulation by preparing a list of fun activities your toddler can do that will benefit your toddler’s development and help him thrive.

Patient

A nanny should not lose her temper easily. Your toddler, being naturally hyper and curious will ask lots of questions so the nanny should be ready to deal with your toddler and answer his queries without getting annoyed. In addition, she should remain calm even when your toddler causes mischief instead of shouting, spanking and hitting your child.

Communicative

A great nanny will strive to maintain a good relationship with you. She will keep you up to date of the daily activities by writing a daily report or by talking to you at the end of the day so you know how your toddler is doing and if there are any problems. She should also be open to discuss to you certain matters and at the same time be willing to listen to your concerns so the two of you can resolve any issues right away in order to establish a strong caregiver-parent relationship.

Hygienic

A great nanny prioritizes your toddler’s health and hygiene. She should ensure that your toddler is clean as well as keep his area (especially his bedroom) tidy at all times to ensure germs, viruses and other elements that can risk your toddler’s well-being are at bay.

When looking for a nanny, make sure to keep these qualities in mind so you can hire your very own Mary Poppins.