It’s peak nanny hiring season for the next number of months. There have been several recent blogs and articles which have laid out some important information for parents in the search process. Here are some highlights of helpful tips I’ve read (including some of my own) for parents new to this process and for others who consider themselves veterans:

1. Choosing to hire in home childcare –a nanny- is expensive.  For your money, you are getting one-on–one care for your child or children in the comfort of your home. No frantic rushing to daycare in the morning or lack of flexibility on the home stretch.

2. Nannies do not like negotiating their salaries or even talking about them, but they do like getting paid a living wage. Agencies are helpful in salary talks – a reason a nanny may want to have representation.

3. Paying legally is the right thing to do in addition to being federal law. When you pay legally you are also able to take advantage of the childcare tax break.

4. Overtime is not an optional concept. You have choices: pay a blended rate or straight time and a half for all work over 40 hours in a seven day period.

5.  Nannies need to eat lunch and catch their breaths during the day. Taking care of children is exhausting work as most parents will acknowledge Sunday nights.

6.  That laundry list of’ to dos’ for nanny downtime will probably not be well received. However, anything to do with the children (laundry, rooms, toys, food prep) goes with the job.

7.  Nannies are not paid to sleep on the job.

8.  Parents DO need to pay nannies while THEIR kids are sleeping.

9. 10 hours a day of developmentally appropriate play is not a realistic expectation.

10. Parents need to state the hours for the job as they are not as they wish they were. Coming home late every day will insure a short-term, unhappy employee.