Are your kids struggling to connect with your new nanny? Our little humans have some big emotions and may be dealing with separation anxiety when your new nanny starts caring for them.

What can you do to help your kids AND nanny bond?

Check out my five tips for how to go from “my kids don’t like our nanny” to “when is our nanny going to come and play with us again”!

Click the button below to watch and I hope it helps if you find yourself in this situation.

Click Here To Watch!

 

Hiring a new nanny? Don’t forget to conduct a working interview!

A working interview can give parents a better sense of the nanny’s work style and how they connect with your children before making a formal job offer. Remember to pay your nanny for the time they spend at your home during the interview.

Check out my latest video where I discuss all aspects of working interviews including:

– How to prepare for the working interview

– What to look for during the interview

– What to after the working interview if it goes well (or doesn’t go well)

Click the button below to watch the video and I hope you find it helpful!

Click Here To Watch!

 

Each week, my team and I review dozens of nanny resumes. Most of these resumes are well put together but we constantly see the same nanny resume mistakes being made.

Check out my latest video, “Nanny Resume Mistakes: 10 Things To Avoid” where I discuss the top common mistakes that we see on nanny resumes and how to fix them. Make sure to check out my pro tip at the end – it’s a game changer when applying for nanny jobs!

Some of the mistakes that I’m going to discuss in this video are: 

– Listing babysitting experience when it’s actually nanny experience

– Not listing special skill sets

– Not including child care experience on your resume

– Your resume is not up to date

Click the button below to watch the video and I hope you find it useful for touching up your own resume!

Click Here To Watch!

 

Hi everyone! It’s Laura from Nanny Parent Connection.

Considering having a nanny watch your children overnight? Or going on vacation and want to take your nanny with you?

How much do you pay for overnight or vacation child care? Do you pay a flat fee or per hour? Or both?

I’ve got you covered! Check out my recent video where I discuss all things overnight/vacation child care related. I hope you find it useful!

In today’s video, I discuss:

– What Is the Best Way to Pay My Nanny for Overnight Care?

– Rules of Thumb You Will Want to Follow

– What Job Duties Are Okay to Ask of Your Nanny During Your Time Away?

Click the button below to watch the video!

Click Here To Watch!

 

Hi everyone! It’s Laura from Nanny Parent Connection.

Happy September! The other night while struggling to fall asleep, I came across this hilarious website of the secret thoughts of nannies. I had to share some of my thoughts and reactions with you!

While all of these “things nannies don’t say out loud” are humorous, there are some important lessons to learn here such as why parents shouldn’t open the door for the nanny in their bathrobe (could make the nanny feel uncomfortable) or making sure that the Ipad or tablet your child has access to is not synced to your phone (your nanny doesn’t want to see your private text messages).

Click the button below to watch the video. I hope it gives you a good laugh and you learn something from it!

Click Here To Watch!

 

What happens if your nanny is injured while caring for your children? Are they covered through your homeowner’s insurance policy? Or your umbrella policy? Are you on the hook for medical bills? How much do you have to pay?

Check out my latest video where I share a real world story about a nanny falling down the stairs and breaking her leg while at work. I cover who is responsible for paying the nanny’s medical bills, how to protect yourself in case this happens in your home plus:

– Homeowner’s Insurance Policy Coverage

– Umbrella Policy Coverage

– Workers Compensation Insurance Policy

– How to setup Workers Compensation Insurance

– How much does Workers Compensation Insurance cost?

Click the button below to watch the video. I hope you find it useful!

Click Here To Watch!

 

Hi everyone! It’s Laura back with my next video. Today, I am going to share the top skills, attributes, and traits families are REALLY looking for in a nanny.

Looking to separate yourself from other nannies that might be applying for the same job?

Check out my top tips on what parents are looking for in a nanny. I developed these tips from over 5,000 family interviews!

In today’s video, I discuss:

– Skills And Qualifications

– Most Requested Attributes or Characteristic Traits for Nannies

– Top On-The-Job Interactions

Pro Tip: You don’t have to have a “perfect” driving record. A speeding ticket or accident is normally not a deal breaker for parents.

Click Here To Watch!

Hi everyone!

It’s very common for a nanny to transport your kids to and from school and as well as to activities like the park, movies, or sports practice.

If driving is one of your nanny’s job duties, make sure your kids… and nanny are safe!

In today’s video, “Do You Need To Add Your Nanny To Your Car Insurance?”, I discuss my top tips including:

– Important tips to consider if your nanny is driving their own car

– Things to consider when the nanny is driving a family’s car

– The nanny’s responsibilities when driving children

– How to reimburse for mileage

– Worker’s Compensation Insurance

– Vehicle inspections and much more!

Click Here To Watch The Video

Nanny Driving

 

Hi everyone!

I’m back with my next video that focuses on nanny binders. Wait, what is a nanny binder?

A nanny binder is a collection of all important information that your nanny or sitter might need to ensure your kids are safe including topics such as:

– Food allergies

– Your emergency contact info and what to do if there is an emergency

– How to close and lock that sticky door or window

As well as other tidbits of information like your home’s wi-fi password, how to operate the heating/cooling system, and that little Johnny can’t get to sleep without his favorite blanket 🙂

Nanny binders are especially important (and helpful) if you have a new sitter watch your kids or routinely cycle through different care providers.

Pro Tip: Make sure that you leave the nanny binder on the kitchen counter, dining room table or another highly visible location. You don’t want your provider to be scrambling searching for the binder in case there is an emergency.

In today’s video, I focus on what a nanny binder is, why they are important and what to include. I hope you find it useful!

Click Here To Watch!

Thinking about turning your babysitting experience into a full-time nanny career? Making the jump from occasional sitter to professional nanny is very achievable — it mostly comes down to presenting your experience well and taking a few intentional steps to build credibility.

Below are nine practical tips to help you transition from babysitter (or mother’s helper, camp counselor, or daycare worker) into a nanny role.

1. Ask for letters of recommendation

Letters of recommendation are especially valuable when you’re landing your first nanny position. They give you credibility while your formal nanny experience is still on the lighter side, so ask the families you’ve babysat or worked for whether they’d be willing to write one.

2. Have a strong, childcare-focused resume

A well-written resume is essential. Make sure yours highlights your caregiving experience and your strengths as a candidate.

3. Summarize your babysitting experience on your resume

Include the number of children and their ages, along with the duties you were responsible for. If you babysat for several families, you can summarize that experience together — for example: “Cared for children ages six months to 13, up to three at a time, with responsibilities including…” and then list them out.

4. Give recurring roles their own entry

Any babysitting or mother’s helper role that was regular and recurring deserves its own separate entry on your resume. For example: “Smith Family After-School Babysitter, September 2020–present. Children ages five and seven. Provided regular after-school care including school pickups, snacks, homework help, and planned indoor/outdoor activities; provided full-day care Monday–Friday during the summer months.”

5. Play up your strengths

Highlight anything that sets you apart: volunteer experience, school clubs or activities, musical talents, or skills such as leadership, organization, and attention to detail, plus any relevant areas of study or interest.

6. Consider a mother’s helper role as a stepping stone

A mother’s helper position is a great transitional role between babysitting and nannying. In this role you provide care while a parent is home — giving them an extra set of hands, or freeing them up to work in another room or run a quick errand. You may take on more responsibility than a babysitter, sometimes including light household tasks like laundry or organization.

7. Advertise that you’re looking for a mother’s helper or nanny position

Let people know you’re available. Local childcare communities — like Nanny Parent Connection if you’re in the Seattle area — are a great place to start, along with social platforms such as Facebook or Nextdoor. Also reach out to families you’ve babysat for: they may need more help, or know a friend or neighbor who does. And don’t forget to add any mother’s helper experience to your resume — it absolutely counts.

8. Use your experience to apply for daycare or preschool assistant roles

Babysitting and mother’s helper experience can help you land a daycare or preschool assistant position, which looks great on a nanny resume. This type of work shows you can multitask and care for multiple children at once — valuable for nanny shares or families with several children — and it demonstrates reliability, follow-through, and teamwork. Note that some of these roles may require additional child-development training or a background check.

9. Take additional nanny or childcare training courses

Investing in training shows prospective employers you’re serious about becoming a nanny. Good options include the International Nanny Association and the U.S. Nanny Association, or simply search for “nanny classes” near you. Beyond nanny-specific courses, consider training in water safety, child development, positive discipline, special-needs care, child nutrition, or cooking.

Transitioning from babysitter to nanny is all about presenting your experience with confidence and continuing to build your skills. Follow these nine steps and you’ll be well on your way to landing a great nanny position.

If you’re not already part of our community, we’d love to have you. Nannies can join completely free, and Family/Parent memberships start at just $8.99/month.

Click Here To Join Today!