As a working parent, there's one thing that gives me the most peace of mind: working with an excellent nanny.
I've hired 10 nannies for part-time to full-time care and met most of them on Care.com. Each nanny I met on Care was thoughtful and took good care of our kids, but none of them were a particularly strong long-term fit.
The strongest fit nannies for our family didn't come from a formal search. They're all people I met by chance out in the wild. I've learned that for someone to be a strong long-term fit, we often start by having something in common.
Unexpected Connections
Here's how I met three of the strongest fit nannies we've worked with:
- One was a barista at our regular coffee shop who became fast friends with my son. He now watches our kids on Saturdays and has traveled with us on work trips.
- Another was my son's swim instructor. I had already seen how thoughtfully she communicated and how naturally she worked with him.
- The nanny we work with full-time I met at the same coffee shop. I overheard her telling a friend she was looking for another family, so I introduced myself. She started part time, and our life circumstances aligned for us to move into a full-time and long-term arrangement.
Key Takeaways
After hiring 10 nannies, here are my takeaways:
- Platforms are useful for finding people who are actively looking. You can meet someone who will do a good job of watching your kids without much effort or luck.
- See and take opportunities in everyday interactions. They can reveal a good fit through communication, judgment, and rapport.
- Starting part time can give both the family and nanny time to feel out fit. Life circumstances can often find ways to align if there's a good fit.
The Payoff
Working with an excellent nanny gives me the opportunity to focus deeply on my business, take care of my health, and be more present with my children.
The right nanny isn't always found through formal searches. Sometimes the best fits come from paying attention to the people already around you.
Stay open to those unexpected connections in your everyday life.
