As parents we’re often left in a difficult situation when it comes to work and childcare. As much as we want to stay at home and raise them ourselves, it might not be financially possible to do so. If you’ve worked hard on your career then chances are you always planned to go back to work after having children. There are positives and negatives to both staying at home and going back to work, neither is wrong it all just depends on your personal circumstances. On the plus side, returning to work means you may have more money making life easier financially for your family, and it also promotes a good work ethic setting an example to children. However it does mean that you’re away from your children for longer than you’d probably want, and can miss things like school plays, parents evenings and sports days depending on how inflexible your job is. Unless you have very helpful friends and family, it can mean that you have to trust your children to be looked after by a childminder, babysitter, nanny or au pair. It’s absolutely essential that you go about things in the right way. Let’s face it, we want to know exactly who’s going to be taking care of our precious child when we’re not around.
Use an Agency
If you use a verified childcare agency that has good reviews then this can put your mind at ease. Each of their childcare workers will have been thoroughly vetted, with things like references followed up on and background checks done. Background police checks can show if the candidate has been involved in any past crimes or incidents which of course you want to avoid. If you’re going to be hiring a childcare worker yourself who works independently or just not with an agency then you will need to do these kinds of checks yourself. Follow up references and make sure they’re legitimate, if you can speak to past families they have worked with and they give them a good reference this can put your mind at ease. You can run a background check on them, and either foot the cost yourself or specify this is a cost they will have to incur if they want the job.
Use a Nanny Cam
In most places in the US, according to the law you are allowed to use surveillance equipment in your home, with no need for the consent of the person you’re recording. The only places it’s not allowed is where people have an expectation of privacy, so bathrooms or an au-pairs bedroom for example would obviously be off limits. But if you’re having your child looked after by someone in your own home, using a discreet live video home security system or a nanny cam is something you could look into. Not only is this useful from a home security perspective, but it allows you to make sure that your child is being looked after to a proper standard.
Ask About Medical Training
Should an emergency crop up, you want your children to be left in capable hands. Does the person you’re hoping to employ have any first aid training, particularly first aid for children? Ask to see certificates or check up the qualifications to make sure it’s all legitimate. Another thing to consider is food safety, in order to avoid illnesses and food poisoning, people looking after children and preparing food for them should have a good knowledge of kitchen safety and hygiene.
Photo by Thiago Cerqueira
Mia Guerra
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