Posts Tagged ‘Nanny Background check’

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China’s “Octomom” spurs nanny hiring boom

Tuesday, January 24th, 2012

These Chinese octuplets, born with the help of in vitro fertilization and three different mothers, have raised ethical questions in a country known for its strict One Child policy for population control.

So you already know the challenges of hiring a nanny for your busy family.  Imagine all the background checks and job interviews you’d need to hire 11 perfect candidates!

In Guangzhou, China, an unidentified wealthy couple has just sent shockwaves throughout the country for engineering the birth of octuplets in a blatant defiance of the Chinese “One Child” policy. According to the Associated Press, the couple was discovered by the media after bringing their children to a local photo studio for a series of cutesy costumed poses.

From the AP report:

“… many Chinese were amazed to learn that a couple had spent nearly 1 million yuan ($160,000) and illegally enlisted two surrogate mothers to help have the four boys and four girls.

The incident has highlighted both the use of birth surrogates, a violation of Chinese law, and how wealthy Chinese do as they please, with scant regard for the rules that constrain others. The most-common reaction, though, has been simple disbelief.

… Chinese media are calling the mother babaotai muqin, or Octomom, a reference to the American woman who gave birth to octuplets using in vitro fertilization.”

The biological mother is believed to have given birth to two of her children, while two surrogate mothers gave birth to three children each.

The babies were born last October. The Guangzhou Daily, a government-run newspaper, reported that the mystery couple hired 11 nannies to handle the stress of being first-time parents with 8 newborns.  The paper also said that the couple and the babies are now “in hiding” to shield themselves from public resentment.

Hopefully, these babies won't be negatively impacted by the legal circumstances they obviously had nothing to do with.

The Chinese media’s “Octomom” reference, of course, is to tabloid darling Nadya Suleman, the single mom who notoriously had herself implanted with 12 embryos despite already having six children. It’s estimated that raising 14 kids at once costs $78,336, a figure that’s easy to understand once you’ve purchased your first case of diapers and baby formula.

Perhaps fueled by anger that her personal costs need to be subsidized by government assistance, Ms. Suleman recently had the dubious distinction of being voted near the top of America’s Most Hated List.  She recently told the TODAY Show that she feels like she is being scapegoated because she is an unemployed single mother.

“If I had a mate, that would have defused a lot of the animosity,” she told the NBC show.

Meanwhile, a recent survey of 1,200 mothers for TheBump.com and Forbes Woman concluded that 92 percent of working moms and 89 percent of stay-at-home moms feel overwhelmed by the stresses of everyday child care.

Sound like someone needs to search for a nanny ASAP.

And whether you need “only” one nanny or au pair to meet your family needs or 11 (!), check out our Safe Nanny Hiring Kit and our cost-effective monthly membership plans, which offer unlimited candidate searches and screenings!

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Posted in Child Safety, hiring a nanny, Nannies Around The World, Newborn Nanny Care | No Comments »

Camcorder Child Care: The perils of being a YouTube parent

Sunday, November 27th, 2011

Make no bones about it, nannying is parenting with all the same joys and pitfalls. When you are in the moment with children, they don’t focus on the fact that you are a paid employee and that you may eventually move on to another family or other career. They’re too busy focused on being kids.

I’m fascinated with the still evolving aftermath of this cute YouTube video posted by a British dad four years ago. Titled “Charlie bit my finger — again!”, the clip’s charm lies in the older brother Harry’s eloquent protests as his mischievous little brother Charlie plays the “baby card” and pretends as if biting is perfectly OK.

Harry is now 7 and Charlie is 5, placing them at ages 3 and 1 when this video was originally shot.  Brace yourself for these numbers:

  • The video has been watched 389.2 million times.
  • It has been “liked” 808,860 times.
  • There are now 626,683 comments from YouTube viewers.

Not surprisingly, those kind of numbers make advertisers salivate, which leads us to the most stunning statistic of all: The Dad, Howard Davies-Carr, is raking in more than $160,000 (100,000 British Pounds) a year in online ad revenues.

At his “Charlie Bit My Finger – Again” blog, Davies-Carr tries to keep his “aging” kids in the pop cultural spotlight by making more bite-themed videos recreating the moment. They have attracted a following, but naturally lack the same spontaneity as the original.

Jim White, a columnist for The Telegraph in London, laments that all the copycat parents out there will surely be missing out on some of the joys of family life due to the preoccupation of creating the next hit on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube etc.

“But what exactly is Davies-Carr – and those seeking to emulate his financial good fortune – missing in the anxiety to record his children’s quirks for rewarding posterity? We used to mock the way Japanese tourists were apparently welded to their cameras, not seeing anything first hand, their experience of the world restricted to playback.

I remember once seeing a Japanese fan catching sight of himself on the big screen at a football match and immediately pointing his camera upwards to film the moment. When he played it back, however, with a view perhaps to posting it on YouTube, he will have discovered an awkward truth: his face was obscured by his camera. It could have been anyone up there.”

Very few of us will hit the YouTube lottery like this British dad and there certainly is nothing wrong with sharing some of life’s fun moments with friends and family.  But something does get lost when we constantly watch our kids play and interact through our camcorder viewfinder or cell phone camera.

The Harry and Charlie show also brings up the issue of child discipline and how parents and the family nanny, babysitter or au pair need to be on the same page for how to respond to behavioral problems. Personally, I have found it effective to show my four-year-old daughter the Yo Gabba Gabba music video “Don’t Bite Your Friends!” for messaging reinforcement.

We’d love to hear from parents and nannies about their favorite methods of discouraging human cannibalism in the playroom!

As the leading alternative to hiring a costly nanny agency, the eNannySource Learning Center is an invaluable resource to explore every aspect of your nanny search. It is especially vital that your views and parenting style are reinforced while your nanny or au pair is in charge. (Check out “Discipline and Boundaries for your Nanny” as a starting point).

On a more lighthearted note, there’s no harm in laughing at life’s sillier moments. If you’re not one of the 389 million clicks, judge for yourself if Harry should be upset at Charlie:

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Posted in Child Care Tips | No Comments »

Searching for a nanny like Mary Poppins?

Sunday, November 20th, 2011

Disney's Broadway tribute to "Mary Poppins" is fantastic PR for the nanny and au pair profession.

No matter how many applicants you screen with our Safe Nanny Hiring Kit — included with all levels of membership — chances are that you will not be hiring a magical nanny with a flying umbrella.

Not to say that a real-life Mary Poppins couldn’t exist, it’s just that in our experiences matching 450,000 nannies and families, we haven’t found one yet.

I’m much more familiar with Disney’s Academy Award-winning film with Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, in which Mary dances with chimney sweeps and makes her children’s toys come alive. The 1964 classic was named the #6 Greatest Movie Musical of All Time by the American Film Institute in the same tier as “Singing in the Rain” and “The Wizard of Oz.”

However, the new Broadway incarnation is bringing the world’s first supernanny to whole new audiences. Disney’s Mary Poppins is playing to sellout audiences as star Steffanie Leigh, who prepared for the role by first working as a real Manhattan nanny, flies above the crowd on a wire!

How important is a nanny's personality in your hiring decision? In this scene from Disney's "Mary Poppins" on Broadway, authoritarian nanny Miss Andrew tries to force feed medicine.

Mary’s nemesis, Miss Andrew, provides the perfect personality contrast to showcase the extremes of child discipline. In a new interview with Broadway.com, actress Ruth Gottschall muses how her character especially riles up the kiddies in the audience:

“I don’t think of Miss Andrew as being mean. She may be strict, but in her mind she’s doing what she thinks is right, and knows exactly how things should be run in the Banks household. If the audience falls in love with you, that’s terrific, but if they hate you that’s even better. Sometimes I even get booed! If I had a dollar for every time a child starts to scream or cry when I’m onstage…

At last Saturday’s matinee I finished my song and a little boy behind our conductor screamed, “Geez, someone should stab her through the chest with a pitchfork!” It helps me think, “OK, I earned my paycheck this week!”

In the Mary Poppins story, the father (Mr. Banks) and his children (Jane and Michael) have philosophical differences about how to write the job description when hiring a new nanny. Banks wants a strict disciplinarian, while the kids naturally prefer a fun, whimsical woman. Poppins, of course, manages to be a blend of the two, teaching character values and life lessons while still being the most entertaining lady on earth.

When it comes to searching for a nanny to meet your family’s unique needs, you’ll probably be grappling with similar questions. Yes, nanny background checks are extremely important. But that is only one piece of the puzzle. Finding the right personality cannot be rushed, unfortunately.

The good news is that you’re not alone. Our Nanny Success Kit has proven itself thousands of times over, taking you through each step of the search and hiring process. Determine what personality traits and qualifications are most important to you as a parent — and don’t settle for anything less.

Here are some essential Nanny Interview Questions to get you started.

Have you already found your Mary Poppins?  Tell us how you found your favorite nanny — and the impact she is having on your family life. Please drop us a line at eNannyTips@gmail.com and you might be featured in a future blog!

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Posted in hiring a nanny, Pop Culture Nannies | No Comments »

Part Two How to avoid hiring the wrong nanny

Saturday, August 13th, 2011

This nanny blog post is a continuation of the prior blog post with the same name. For those that didn’t read part one, it was based on a recent incident of a nanny caught on a nanny cam dropping, kicking and hitting a baby.  Fortunately the child wasn’t physically harmed, but you can imagine the emotional trauma to this baby.

In my prior post I mentioned that a well-respected full service nanny agency is your best defense against this type of horrible incident since they truly are professionals and have many built in safeguards to assure this won’t happen.

Since a high percentage of families won’t use a full-service nanny agency because of the cost and perceived idea that they don’t add value to their hiring, what can a family do to protect themselves? First of all, don’t take yourself off the hook by saying you did a nanny background check.  I sincerely believe the nanny involved in the incident in NJ didn’t have a criminal record. Very, very few nannies do. By all means do a nanny background check just to be sure and not sorry, but don’t rely on that for your screening.

Remember, first of all nannies found on Craigslist, online nanny sites are not vetted in any way, in spite of what some of these sites may lead you to believe.  We’re all DIY sites, so be prepared to do your homework!

What is the homework?
Use a real nanny application not just the information provided by the online site.  Look for inconsistencies such as when one job began and the other ended and the reason for the job ending.  Be on the lookout, many job hunters use their friends and relatives as references, but don’t say they’re related.  Use a nanny reference check form so that you ask the right questions. Listen to your instincts, does the person feel like a salesperson to you?  If, so it may be a phony reference.

Demand that the nanny explain gaps in employment and give you prior addresses where she lived and then compare them with the SSN address report from the background check.  Get a copy of her ID, driver’s license, SS card and immigration documents if they are not native born.

I’ve saved the most important part for last.  Interview her first in a neutral place and then if you like her have her come to your home.  Be sure if both spouses live together that both are at the interview, if not have a friend sit in on the interview.

Once she’s passed all these tests, have her come back to your house and spend some time with your children to see how they respond to her.  If you’re still comfortable with her at this point, I bet you’ve made a good decision, since you were thorough and NOT RUSHED.

Just to be on the safe side use a nanny cam and drop in on her once or twice a day at different times just to see how things are going.

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How to avoid hiring the wrong nanny

Sunday, August 7th, 2011

Recently a nanny was caught hitting and kicking a baby. It’s hard to understand how someone could do something like that to a child. Thank goodness the family had a nanny cam and caught it and fired her immediately.

I’m sure that many parents are thinking after reading about this incident, “Here we go again, another nanny hurting an innocent child. We can’t trust a nanny with our children.”  This event is alarming and disturbing to all of us and probably more so to those of us in the online nanny business.

Rather than going into a defense of online nanny services, I want to talk about what could be done to possibly prevent this from happening. I’m not going to address the particular circumstances of this sad event since I don’t know enough about the details to make a comment, and I certainly don’t want to say anything that could imply parents are at fault when something like this occurs, they most definitely were not.

I believe that hiring and vetting a nanny is complex, difficult tasks that whose difficulty is underestimated by many families who believe they can go by their “gut” when hiring a nanny. Of course our gut is the primary line of defense for all of us adults when making important decisions, but gut is built on experience which few families have in this arena. Are we all experts in human nature and do we all have great interviewing skills when hiring a potential caregiver to our child? Do things like time pressure to hire quickly so that mom and dad can get to work and money not impact our judgment? Of course they do. Have you have heard about Malcolm Gladwell’s rule of 10,000 hours to be an expert in an area?

It may sound strange coming from the owner of an online nanny service to say this, but the best line of defense for families hiring a nanny is using a full-service nanny agency. They have the skills and discipline to get it right. Nanny agencies have tough standards on experience and references that eliminate most candidates so families aren’t exposed to them. They know how to find phony references and they interview thousands of nannies-and as we know with experience comes expertise.

In the next installment I’ll discuss tools that families can use when hiring on their own without an agency.

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Should I tattle on a nanny?

Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011

I recently came across a post on Google News called “Should I tattle on a nanny?”  The story was about a woman who ran into a friend’s daughter in Starbucks and went over to talk to the girl while the nanny texted. The nanny never even looked up to see who her charge was talking to.

I found this interesting since it wasn’t black or white, but in a gray zone, at least for the writer of the article. It didn’t involve child neglect or anything like that, just a total indifference to the nanny’s charge.

What I found interesting about this blog post was that the writer was so conflicted about telling the girl’s mom. She even went so far as to say that she was upset about seeing this and has thought about it over and over. She seems to be concerned that her friend might not take the news well.

Personally if someone found my child in the same circumstances I’d want to know right away so that I could evaluate what to do. Was this nanny too engrossed in a text conversation and this only happened once, or was this a regular occurrence? In what other ways isn’t she attentive to my child? I bet the mom already has some doubts about this nanny and her friend telling her about this might cause her to take additional action. I see it as an obligation to a friend.

How do you see it?

 

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How to find a Professional Nanny

Monday, April 25th, 2011

Professional nannies can be a little hard to identify on an online nanny service since there are all levels of nannies available. So how does one go about locating a professional nanny on eNannySource.com? Our suggestions are to use the search criteria to narrow down the number of candidates by looking at the number of years experience. We feel that two to three or more years paid experience as a nanny is a good place to begin.

Other criteria that can help you identify professional nannies are whether they have CPR and a driving license. The number of families worked for isn’t a good criterion to look at because a nanny could have 10 years experience and only work for one family or two years experience and work for five families.

Once you’ve narrowed down the number of nanny candidates add them to your My Top Picks list and begin contacting them. A professional nanny will always get back to you promptly!

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How to Use an Online Nanny Referral Service

Wednesday, January 12th, 2011

by, Steve Lampert

Back in 2001 when we started eNannySource.com it was unusual to use an online nanny referral service, now the internet is used for almost everything, but there is still apprehension about hiring a nanny online.

A Brick and mortar nanny agency vets nannies thoroughly before referring a nanny candidate to your family, but what about an online nanny referral service? Safety is first in mind amongst families hiring a nanny, especially when a newborn or preschool age child is involved.

eNannySource.com provides the tools of a nanny agency in an online nanny referral service. Our Hiring Pro Toolkit contains everything necessary to pre-screen a nanny. Nanny interview questions, nanny salary guidelines, a complete nanny agency nanny application and the INA Family & Nanny employment agreement. All of these tools are provided free of charge to paid members. All that remains to be done is a nanny background check and this is included at no charge in our Platinum membership.

It’s safe and economical to hire a nanny online so long as you follow all the steps for safe nanny hiring.

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Nanny Taxes? What’s that about?

Wednesday, October 13th, 2010

Dr. Lindsay Heller, The Nanny Doctor

A household employer is defined as anyone who pays an individual to perform duties in or around their home. Once you have hired a nanny and agreed on a nanny salary it is important to realize that you are now an employer and, as a result, have duties and responsibilities to your employee. A household employer should expect to pay approximately 9-11% of their employee’s gross wages in payroll tax. These taxes include State Unemployment Insurance, Federal Unemployment Insurance; the employer’s half of Social Security and Medicare, and other taxes that vary by state. Additionally, employers are required to withhold taxes from their employee’s paycheck including State and Federal Income Tax, the employee’s half of Social Security & Medicare and other taxes that vary by state.

Because the logistics of employee payroll can be complicated, I recommend using a household payroll service. Breedlove and Associates, www.breedlove-online.com and GTM Payroll Services, www.gtm.com  both offer an easy-to-use service for nanny employers and are well regarded in the industry. Each service  can educate you on your employer responsibilities and handle your nanny payroll for a small monthly fee. These services are also knowledgeable about tax breaks available to employers and will assist you in finding the most affordable solution for your family!

We also highly recommend a nanny background check at the time of nanny hiring.

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To use a nanny cam or not to use a nanny cam…that is the question!

Monday, August 9th, 2010

By, Dr. Lindsay Heller  The Nanny Doctor

So, you are thinking about using a nanny cam…you probably have a lot of questions and concerns. Let’s talk about how to handle and manage these fears. This is a delicate and sensitive issue. There are not only legal issues to consider but also how it may impact the relationship you have with your nanny.

If you are thinking about using a nanny cam, you probably have a lot of fears related to leaving your child with a nanny. Some of these fears are natural, while others may be common but irrational. You may have heard about nannies abusing children in the news and now that you have your own little one, you are deathly afraid. First of all, you need to know that nannies rarely abuse children. Secondly, you need to know that it is natural to be a little afraid and cautious, however, your fear shouldn’t paralyze you, it should lead you to make good choices about who cares for your child and listening to your gut. Knowledge builds confidence, so please vet your nanny carefully using the eNannySource Nanny Success Kit and Nanny Background Check before hiring a nanny and using a nanny cam.

First Things First
When it comes to using a nanny cam, I recommend that you let the nanny know in the interview that you are planning to use one. Now, for some this may seem contradictory, however, it is not! I’d rather that an incident is completely prevented rather than “caught” and being up front about your use of a nanny cam can raise awareness for the nanny and help to prevent any issues.

Trust
In addition to the laws, you may want to think about how this may affect your relationship with your nanny. Trust is very important in this unique relationship and needs to be nurtured. If you are to go with a nanny cam, you should discuss this with your interview candidates prior to hiring (in the interview) and once hired, have the nanny sign a document stating that they are aware of the “hidden camera.” This way you are hiring someone who you know is comfortable with this practice.  A nanny who finds out after some time working for your family that there is a nanny cam may feel insulted and any trust you may have built will be ruined. 

Is it legal?
The short answer is it is legal to use a hidden camera in all 50 states, however it is illegal to record someone’s speech in 15 states without their consent. California Video recording of “confidential communications” is prohibited without consent.

The laws of 13 states expressly prohibit the unauthorized installation or use of cameras in private places. In some states, installation or use of any device for photographing, observing or overhearing events or sounds in a private place without the permission of the people photographed or observed is against the law. A private place is one where a person may reasonably expect to be safe from unauthorized surveillance.

Consider that studies and polls show that many care providers are not necessarily against video taping of child-provider interaction, it’s just that they want to know about it. It seems to be a matter of trust and feeling of deception. Some parents handle the situation by telling a potential care provider upfront that a nanny cam will be used so that they can feel comfortable and confident about their child’s care. It’s then up to the nanny to accept or decline the position with a family who uses a nanny cam. 

A final note
If you feel so concerned about someone caring for your children, you shuld listen to that gut instinct and not hire them to care for your children. If you think you are feeling a little anxious as a new parent and need the nanny cam toget through 

By, Dr. Lindsay Heller  The Nanny Doctor

So, you are thinking about using a nanny cam…you probably have a lot of questions and concerns. Let’s talk about how to handle and manage these fears. This is a delicate and sensitive issue. There are not only legal issues to consider but also how it may impact the relationship you have with your nanny.

If you are thinking about using a nanny cam, you probably have a lot of fears related to leaving your child with a nanny. Some of these fears are natural, while others may be common but irrational. You may have heard about nannies abusing children in the news and now that you have your own little one, you are deathly afraid. First of all, you need to know that nannies rarely abuse children. Secondly, you need to know that it is natural to be a little afraid and cautious, however, your fear shouldn’t paralyze you, it should lead you to make good choices about who cares for your child and listening to your gut. Knowledge builds confidence, so please vet your nanny carefully using the eNannySource Nanny Success Kit and Nanny Background Check before hiring a nanny and using a nanny cam.

First Things First
When it comes to using a nanny cam, I recommend that you let the nanny know in the interview that you are planning to use one. Now, for some this may seem contradictory, however, it is not! I’d rather that an incident is completely prevented rather than “caught” and being up front about your use of a nanny cam can raise awareness for the nanny and help to prevent any issues.

Trust
In addition to the laws, you may want to think about how this may affect your relationship with your nanny. Trust is very important in this unique relationship and needs to be nurtured. If you are to go with a nanny cam, you should discuss this with your interview candidates prior to hiring (in the interview) and once hired, have the nanny sign a document stating that they are aware of the “hidden camera.” This way you are hiring someone who you know is comfortable with this practice.  A nanny who finds out after some time working for your family that there is a nanny cam may feel insulted and any trust you may have built will be ruined. 

Is it legal?
The short answer is it is legal to use a hidden camera in all 50 states, however it is illegal to record someone’s speech in 15 states without their consent. California Video recording of “confidential communications” is prohibited without consent.

The laws of 13 states expressly prohibit the unauthorized installation or use of cameras in private places. In some states, installation or use of any device for photographing, observing or overhearing events or sounds in a private place without the permission of the people photographed or observed is against the law. A private place is one where a person may reasonably expect to be safe from unauthorized surveillance.

Consider that studies and polls show that many care providers are not necessarily against video taping of child-provider interaction, it’s just that they want to know about it. It seems to be a matter of trust and feeling of deception. Some parents handle the situation by telling a potential care provider upfront that a nanny cam will be used so that they can feel comfortable and confident about their child’s care. It’s then up to the nanny to accept or decline the position with a family who uses a nanny cam. 

A final note
If you feel so concerned about someone caring for your children, you shuld listen to that gut instinct and not hire them to care for your children. If you think you are feeling a little anxious as a new parent and need the nanny cam toget through

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Posted in hiring a nanny, Nanny Background Check, Newborn Nanny Care | 2 Comments »

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