Should Nannies Send a Handwritten or E-mailed Thank You After an Interview?

Many times the need to make a hiring decision about a nanny candidate is one where time is of the essence. Parents need to find the right person for the very important task of taking care of their children, and oftentimes they need to make their hiring decision sooner rather than later so that they can return to work or secure a caregiver they know is in high demand. When there is pressure to make a quick hiring decision, sending an e-mailed thank you letter is appropriate, according to Monster.com.

According to interviewing etiquette, a thank you letter should be sent within 24 hours of the interview. In the digital age, having an email from a nanny candidate pop up in a parent’s inbox will keep the nanny’s name in the front of the parent’s mind and present the parent with an opportunity to quickly respond. In fact, in some cases, the thank you letter could make the difference between a nanny getting the job or not. A quickly sent thank you letter shows a family that a nanny is highly interested in the position and has a courteous, respectful nature.

When sending a thank you letter, nannies should be sure to thank the parents for the opportunity to interview for the position. Nannies should stress how interested they are in the position and include how their qualifications will complement the job’s requirements and the family’s expectations. If a nanny forgot to tell the family any of her qualifications, this is her last chance to do so before the parents make their decision. Nannies should recap any conversational highlights so that a positive impression stays fresh in the parent’s mind after reading the letter. Nannies may also wish to include something personal about the children in the letter to show their interest in them. The focus of the letter should be on the connection the nanny felt with the family.

If there’s time, nannies should follow up with a hand written letter. This is another opportunity to keep their name in front of the employer. A handwritten letter is better than a formal, typed letter because of the intimate nature of the position a nanny is applying for.

Lastly, nannies should read over the e-mail before it is sent off. They should make sure that there are no typos, misspellings, or grammatical errors. The tone should be friendly, but still businesslike. Nannies should not be presumptuous, but should make it known that they are interested in the job.

To make sure the e-mail is opened the subject line should be clear and read something like, “Thank you – Nanny Position”. The body of the e-mail will look much like a regular letter. Use Mr. or Mrs. and the last name in the salutation. Close the letter with a proper closing, using sincerely or kindest regards. The nanny should include her name, e-mail, and phone number on the bottom of the letter so that their contact information is readily available.

Remember that the thank you letter is not the place to ask questions about salary or benefits. Those details should be discussed during a second interview, once the nanny and parents have both expressed an interest in working together. Thank you letters should be brief and to the point.

Taken From Nanny Interview Questions

30 of the Best Blogs About Saving for Private School

Whether the appeal is based on smaller class sizes, higher educational standards, or spiritual instruction, some parents view a private education as a non-negotiable expense when it comes to the care of their children. Depending upon the area and the focus of the school, however, tuition can be quite pricey. Saving for private school isn’t always easy, but the global village created by the blogosphere allows other parents and financial experts to share their advice and opinions. If you’re looking for the best way to finance a private education for your child, these 30 blog entries are great places to start.

Coverdell Education Savings Accounts

Created as an incentive for parents to save money for contributions towards their children’s educational costs, Coverdell Education Savings Accounts are designed to allow parents to contribute up to $2,000 each year without being taxed for distribution. Any public, private, or religious school that provides either elementary or secondary education is considered an eligible expense, meaning that these accounts can be used for your child’s private elementary or high school education. These five blogs examine Coverdell Education Savings Accounts in greater depth.

• Coverdell Education Savings Accounts
• Coverdell ESA
• How to Save With Coverdell Education Savings Accounts
• Saving For A Child’s Education
• How to Use a Coverdell Education Savings Account

Mutual Funds

Though returns on investments in a mutual fund may not be exempt from taxes like contributions to a Coverdell ESA are, they can still be great ways to generate money for use towards your child’s educational expenses. Fees and limited predictability have been known to scare parents away from using mutual fund investments as a means of saving for an education fund, but the government oversight and professional management of investments is appealing to others.

• Mutual Funds: What and Why?
• Bryan Binkholder Discusses Why You Should Ignore Mutual Fund Past Performance Returns
• The Truth About Mutual Funds: Fees: Vs. Returns
• Picking The Best Target-Date Mutual Fund
• Mutual Funds That Reduce Your Taxes

Financial Aid Programs

Many parents are surprised to learn that there are some financial aid programs in place for hopeful private school students, both through the school itself and private foundations. Finding these programs can be slightly tricky, but a visit to the financial aid officer at your chosen school can put you on the right track. These five blogs discuss various financial aid programs for private elementary and high schools, and can give you an idea of what’s available.

• Private School Financial Aid Help
• Financial Aid for Private K-12 Schools
• Financing a Private School Education
• Private Elementary School Loans
• How to Get Financial Assistance for Private School Tuition

Savings Bonds

Those paper bonds that your grandmother bought for every gift-giving occasion might have gone the way of the dinosaur, but I Bonds are still a low-risk method of saving money to put towards kids’ educational expenses. Purchasing I Bonds during your child’s infancy and early years can help you save a considerable nest egg that can offset tuition costs for quite some time. While this money isn’t exempt from taxes like some other education savings plans, it can still be an effective way of saving for anticipated private school expenses.

• Education Savings Plans
• Investing in I Savings Bonds: Basic Facts
• Help in Buying Digital Savings Bonds
• Income Tax Planning For Savings Bonds
• Investing With Savings Bonds

Private Education Tuition Versus College Funds

While the idea of forgoing a college fund is downright repellent to some parents, there are those who feel that providing a strong, private elementary and high school education for twelve years of their child’s life is a more important and more worthwhile investment than four years of college. Belief that private school students are more likely to receive college scholarships and that university expenses should be the responsibility of a then-adult spur this movement on, as discussed in these five blog entries.

• Investing In Your Child’s Future: Private School or College Savings?
• Should Parents Pay for College?
• Why I Don’t Worry About Paying for My Kids’ College Educations
• I Will Not Pay For My Children’s College Education, Part 2
• Private School Vs. College Savings: Which is the Better Investment For Your Kids?

Scholarships

Just as exceptional athletes and gifted scholars can be eligible for scholarships to offset the expense of their college education, there are various programs around the United States dedicated to providing outstanding students with scholarships for private elementary and high school educations. These five blogs touch upon this subject in greater depth, offering information about such programs and helping to connect hopeful parents with them.

• Scholarships
• Private School Scholarship Programs
• Colorado Non-Public School Scholarships
• Scholarship Information
• Financial Aid Information

Taken From Nanny Jobs

10 Ways Agencies Screen Nannies/

One of the most appealing aspects of utilizing a dedicated nanny agency to find and hire a nanny is that each candidate has been thoroughly screened and subjected to a series of tests and background checks prior to being hired, saving parents valuable time during the interview process. Though each agency has different standards and policies, there are a few criteria that are common among most of the more popular choices. Here are 10 of the ways that the agency you’ve chosen has probably screened your nanny before her resume ever made its way to you.

1. Exhaustive Interviews – Reputable nanny agencies begin the process of accepting a nanny into their job pool or database with an exhaustive interview, much like a standard job interview that parents will later conduct with candidates they’re interested in. These interviews include pertinent questions about their work and educational history, any special certifications they have obtained, and other areas of concern that will later be verified through further screening.
2. Drug Testing – Some established nanny agencies also include drug testing as part of their hiring process in order to ensure that childcare providers with substance abuse or addiction problems don’t obtain access to your home and children.
3. Criminal Background Checks – While parents who choose to hire a nanny without the services of an agency are beginning to take advantage of criminal background checks, nanny agencies have been conducting these checks for years. Most agencies perform a background check once a candidate has been extended an offer of employment.
4. Driving Record Checks – Verifying that nanny candidates have a clean driving record serves more than one purpose; in addition to screening out applicants that have an excessive number of accidents and moving violations, it can also return information regarding intoxicated driving or operating a vehicle while under the influence.
5. Education and Credentials Confirmation – Ensuring that each candidate has reached the level of education that they claim is another screening process that many nanny agencies employ, which can eliminate those applicants that claim to have more advanced degrees or a higher education level than they actually possess.
6. Resume Investigation – Employment history verification is a standard aspect of the screening process, and is done to ensure that all nanny applicants possess the level of experience that they state on their resume. Some agencies will contact each previous employer on a resume to show their diligence.
7. Verification of References – Even agencies that don’t conduct exhaustive resume checks consisting of all or most of a nanny’s previous employers will make an effort to contact each reference that an applicant lists on her resume. Though you’ll probably call or email those references yourself when a promising candidate presents herself, there’s a very good chance that the agency who referred her completed that step when she joined their pool of candidates.
8. CPR and First Aid Training Verification – Nannies without first aid and CPR training are often barred from submission to the job pool until they obtain those certifications and show evidence of completion to a placement agency, as the ability to effectively handle emergency care is one of the most important skills any nanny can have at her disposal.
9. Psychological Testing – Personality tests and psychological screening are becoming more frequently used by placement agencies as there’s a growing number of services that boast these intensive screenings.
10. Social Security Number Confirmation – Confirming that your nanny is legally eligible for employment in the United States or that an American-born citizen is who she claims to be is almost always accomplished through a Social Security Number-driven verification process. For workers that aren’t citizens but are eligible for employment, there are other steps that agencies can take to verify their identity; in the case of United States citizens, this screening process can also return address and employment history going back for several years, making it a valuable tool that nanny agencies seldom ignore.

Controversy surrounding online nanny services often stems from a misunderstanding of their role in the hiring and screening process. While Internet based referral sites like www.enannysource.com or www.nannypro.com give parents access the tools they need to do the same type of screenings that reputable agencies do, they also make it clear to parents that nannies in their pool are not prescreened and that screening potential nannies is the parent’s sole responsibility.

Taken From Nanny Background Check

10 Tips for Nannies Working for High Profile Families

For a professional nanny, securing a post with a high-profile family can be a major accomplishment. Working for a celebrity or public figure can have lots of attractive perks and benefits, but the job also comes with an increased amount of responsibility. If you’ve recently been hired by a political figure or paparazzi target, here are 10 of the things that you should keep in mind.

1. Be Prepared for an Erratic Schedule – Working for a celebrity, politician, or even a high-powered executive will almost certainly require you to work long and often erratic hours. Unlike typical posts that are usually more structured, you may very well be called in to work during the very early morning hours or in the middle of the afternoon, sometimes with little notice.
2. Avoid The Barest Hint of Scandal – Anyone who is routinely in the public eye must carefully guard their reputation. Keep in mind that your bad behavior could reflect poorly on your employers if it’s discovered, and that you might be under more scrutiny than you bargained for. Accepting high-profile posts will require you to comport yourself with dignity and avoid any hint of scandal that could reflect negatively upon your employers.
3. Discretion is Essential – Even if you haven’t signed a nondisclosure agreement, which is exceedingly rare for nannies employed by celebrities or public figures, it’s still important for you to respect your employers’ right to privacy. Spilling any information to tabloids or gossiping with other nannies are quick ways to lose your elite post and never obtain another of its caliber.
4. Your Reputation is Everything – Working for families that are under constant public scrutiny will require you to carefully guard your reputation, especially if you plan to move on to other exclusive celebrity posts later. Avoiding any problems that could affect your reputation is imperative.
5. Be Respectful of Boundaries – When your celebrity or public-figure employers return home after a challenging day, the last thing that they’ll want to deal with is a star-struck childcare provider. Never ask your employer for autographs or special favors, and respect their right to privacy and relaxation when they’re away from the scrutiny of the public eye.
6. Get Ready to Travel – Celebrities, politicians, and other high-profile figures must be ready to travel at the drop of a hat, and often want their children to accompany them. As such, you’ll have to be prepared to travel extensively as well. Make sure that your passport is in order, and that you’re able to accommodate a jet-setting lifestyle.
7. Be a Team Player – It’s not unheard of for the ultra-wealthy to employ more than one nanny, meaning that you may have to work with one, two, or even three other people to care for their brood. Nannies who are accustomed to working alone might find this difficult at first, but it is par for the course in high-profile assignments.
8. Keep Security in Mind at All Times – It’s an unfortunate fact that fascination with public figures, celebrities, and artists is so great that their children must be guarded more carefully than others. Persistent photographers are a common problem, but you may also have to be concerned with kidnapping threats or stalkers in some cases. Remember that your high-profile charges will require more attention to security than those you’ve worked for previously.
9. Don’t Expect Extravagant Perks – While your wealthy and prestigious employer may have the means of providing extravagant bonuses and perks, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they will. Rather than expecting these grand gestures, it’s best to approach the post from the financial standpoint that it’s no different from any other, and perhaps be pleasantly surprised.
10. Focus on Your Own Career – Working directly for a celebrity or public figure can cause you to feel as if you have a unique perspective on their problems and concerns. Even if you do have a better understanding of them, it’s important for you to focus solely on your own career, and to leave the management of your employers’ to themselves.

Obtaining a post with a prestigious family means that you have the experience and great reputation necessary to land a coveted post. It’s important that you remember the professionalism that helped you land the job after you begin working for them, and do your best not to get carried away with the excitement of working for a high-profile family.

Taken From Become a Nanny

How to Know if Your Toddler Likes Her Nanny

One of the scariest things about hiring a nanny is the thought that your child will not like her and will be miserable under her care while you’re away. When your child is still a toddler there’s a good chance that she won’t have a strong enough grasp of language skills to give you a detailed account of the time that she spends with her nanny, leaving you on your own to determine much of how she feels. If your nanny arrives just before you leave the house and is out the door as soon as you walk in, evaluating the relationship she’s formed with your child can be even more difficult.

• Read Behavioral Cues – Observing how your child behaves when her nanny arrives or leaves is an effective method of gauging her feelings about the situation. Refusing to engage with her nanny when she arrives, fleeing from her when you return home, and showing little interest in any sort of goodbye at the end of the day might be an indicator that she’s not warming to the nanny. If your child is particularly prone to separation anxiety and has trouble when you leave the room, however, this method of evaluating the situation might not be as effective for you.
• Watch Them Interact With One Another – Ideally, your nanny will report to work early enough that you can observe how she interacts with your child before you leave and will remain in your home after you return to give you a summary of the day. It’s natural for your child to be more interested in your presence than that of a new nanny, but if she seems standoffish or hesitant to engage with the nanny, it could be an indicator that their relationship isn’t developing well.
• Ask Verbal Toddlers Questions About Nanny – While even verbally gifted toddlers aren’t likely to be advanced enough to offer you a discourse on the nanny’s methods and temperament, a few pointed questions posed to a toddler with some verbal acuity should give you a basic idea of her feelings regarding her nanny. Keep in mind, however, that a toddler isn’t always able to distinguish fantasy from reality and may inadvertently tell some tall tales along the way. Keeping your questions direct and to the point is the best way to make an attempt at uncovering your child’s feelings toward her nanny.
• Talk With the Nanny – Setting aside a bit of time each evening to ask your nanny for the highlights and big events of the day will allow you to get an idea of how they spend their time together, and how the relationship between them is progressing. An experienced professional will almost certainly address any issues regarding trouble they may be having in terms of establishing a bond, and may offer her own suggestions for ways that the situation might be remedied. A nanny that seems disinterested in your child’s opinion of her, however, simply may not be making any effort toward establishing a connection with her charges.
• Follow Your Instincts – Ultimately, no one knows your child as well as you do, even if she’s not able to verbally express herself very clearly. Following your own instincts regarding the nanny and any relationship that they may or may not be forming is one of the best ways to establish your own peace of mind in regard to the situation. If you don’t feel right about your nanny and suspect that your child doesn’t either, it may be best to end the relationship at the end of her trial period.

While it’s certainly disheartening to think that your child is being cared for by a nanny that she doesn’t like, it’s not necessarily cause for immediate concern or alarmist behavior. A personality clash is rarely indicative of abuse, and may resolve itself as your child becomes more accustomed to her nanny. This especially holds true if your child has never been cared for by anyone outside of her family or is mourning the loss of a beloved former nanny. Assuming that there are no signs of abuse and your nanny seems to be genuinely trying to win your child over, it might be best to take a wait-and-see approach before making any rash decisions. Some children are simply wary of new caregivers and require more time to adjust to a new situation than others.

Taken From GoNannies

10 Tips for Organizing the Kids Closets

It’s amazing how much space kids can manage to take up with all of their belongings, despite their small size. Closet space, especially, always seems to be at a premium in the bedrooms of children. Managing the never-ending cycle of new clothes versus the newly outgrown, and organizing them so that they’re easily accessible, can feel like a full-time job after a while. These 10 organizational tips for kids’ closets can help you turn that insurmountable project into one that’s completed over the weekend and easy to maintain.

1. Discard Outgrown Clothing – Kids seem to outgrow clothing at a staggering pace, making it easy for them to acquire a lot of clothes in no time at all. Sentimental parents, or those who are considering more additions to the family, may be reluctant to donate those items, despite how much space they’re taking up. If you fall into one of those camps, it’s okay to hold on to kids’ outgrown clothes, but you may want to move them into storage in another part of the house, rather than letting them continue to take up space in their closets.
2. Use Bins, Cubbies, and Drawers – One long rod across a closet will only hold so many items, making shelving with bins, cubbies, and drawers a perfect way to maximize on space. Thinking vertically will allow you to store more folded clothing, shoes, and accessories than sticking with the traditional, single rod.
3. Rotate Seasonal Clothes – Your little one isn’t likely to need a heavy coat in June or a pair of capris in January. Rotating allows more space for seasonally-appropriate clothing, making it easier for you and your child to see what’s in the closet. Cramming everything into the space will only make it difficult to sort through and manage.
4. Label Everything – Those cubbies, bins, baskets, and drawer systems that you installed should be labeled clearly so that both you and your child are able to identify the contents without rifling through them. Unlabeled bins are just asking to be hastily scrambled through and emptied. Kids will rarely replace the contents with the same care that they were originally organized, leaving them a cluttered mess in no time.
5. Pair Matching Outfits on One Hanger – Putting matching outfits on a single hanger will allow your child to confidently choose her own clothes, and will reduce clutter within the closet. Reducing the number of hangers will maximize the available space, allowing you more to work with than if each item were hung individually.
6. Days-of-the-Week Hanging Shelves – Hanging shelving units with at least seven shelves is a great way to organize kids’ outfits throughout the week. Label each shelf accordingly, and make a habit of choosing an entire week’s worth of clothing at a time. This will simplify your kids’ morning routine, and keep them from rifling through the closet in a frenzy and disturbing your organizational system.
7. Opt for Specially-Designed Kids’ Hangers – Because kids’ clothing is so much smaller than that of their adult counterparts, smaller hangers designed especially for their clothes are a better choice. Their more compact shape and design allows you to comfortably hang more clothing than you could with larger, clunkier hangers meant for adults’ clothes.
8. Consider Adjustable Systems – Installing adjustable shelving and a closet organizational system will allow your child’s closet to grow with her, potentially eliminating the need for an expensive overhaul when she gets older.
9. Utilize Over-the-Door Storage – Closets with traditional doors offer a great opportunity for additional storage through the use of hooks, hanging shoe bags, or additional shelving. Taking advantage of every available inch of space is the most effective way of maximizing a closet’s storage potential.
10. Remember That Organization is an Ongoing Project – Maintaining an organized and efficient kids’ closet is an ongoing project that requires periodic culling of outgrown clothes, integration of new items, and adjustments for changing sizes and styles. Making a habit of immediately pulling outgrown items will reduce the frequency with which you’ll have to maintain the project, but will not eliminate that need altogether.

Good organization becomes even more important when more than one child shares a single closet, and can also become more of a difficult task. Working out a system of division and storage is the best way to prevent arguments and excessive clutter, along with labeling each child’s personal areas of the space. Designating a bin at the top of the closet or a hamper as a “donation” box is also an effective way of ensuring that outgrown clothes are taken out of rotation.

Taken From Housekeeping

Discussing Safety Concerns with Your Nanny Employer

No nanny enjoys having to discuss tough topics with her employer. However, whether it’s discussing the dangers of their toddler riding in a booster seat (even if it’s “just on the weekends”) to reminding them of the inherent risk that comes along with learning to ride a bicycle (never mind without wearing a helmet), nannies are often forced to confront their bosses with safety concerns.

For nannies there is a fine line between being a child’s advocate and being subordinate to her employers. Every nanny has a personal safety line that she simply isn’t willing to cross, regardless of who instructs her to do so. When something her employer does approaches that line, intentionally or not, it’s enough to send a shudder down any nanny’s spine.

While addressing the issue directly in a professional manner is typically the most clear cut way to bring up an issue, for some nannies that type of voluntary confrontation is just too much. For others, they’re well aware that their employer best receives and processes information when seeing it, so they know that sending an email or leaving out literature is the most effective way to bring up tough topics.

So besides simply putting her concerns out there, how can a nanny respectfully broach safety concerns with her boss without coming across as judgmental or insulting?

1. Ask a question. “Oh, does that harness look right to you?” “Have you heard that they recently changed the recommendations on rear-facing seats?” “Did the pediatrician mention anything about giving cough medication to children under two?” “Do you think we should ask the doctor about that?” Asking a question opens the door to discussion. “You know, now that I’ve asked you that I recall reading that the harness should be at or below a child’s shoulders when rear-facing. Let me check the seat manual.”

2. Make a mention. Casually bringing up a topic in discussion is another way to open the door to conversation and request that action be taken. “I saw on the news this morning that a child fell out of a second story window and died. Now is probably a good time to add window guards upstairs.” “I got an alert that drop-side cribs were recalled. I’ll check to see if ours was part of the recall.” “A nanny friend mentioned that her charge was injured when riding her bike barefoot. We should definitely make sure Susie always has her sneakers on when riding.”

3. Send an email link. For employers who are used to receiving important messages digitally, sending an email may be an effective way to bring up a safety concern. “Hey, I came across this video that showed how infants should look when fastened into the car seats properly. Check out the chest clips.” “Did you see the new recommendations by the American Academy of Pediatrics on treating fevers? See attached.” “Wow, one child dies every week during the summer months in a kiddie pool. Don’t we have that one in the video? We should be extra cautious, for sure.”

4. Leave out literature. Leave a copy of your favorite magazine article or medical study that addresses the topic you want to bring up out and open to the page. Write on a sticky note, “Interesting read” and place it on the page. Follow up the next day by asking if she had a chance to read it.

5. Be a role model. Let the parents see you taking proper safety precautions and hear you talking through why you have specific rules or do things a specific way. Upholding the highest safety standards naturally lends itself to employers comparing the way you both do certain things. While nannies should never put the children in a position to communicate safety messages to their parents, they should be prepared for that to happen. If you have an outspoken youngster, chances are she’s going to tell her parents her car seat buckle isn’t tight enough or that her nanny says, “We always have to wear our helmets when riding our bicycle.”

In an ideal world, nannies and parents would feel comfortable freely offering constructive criticism to each other, but in reality that’s simply not the case. Parents and nannies should strive to have open and honest communication and to discuss any issues or concerns as they come up. For those who get weak in the knees at the thought of having to confront an employer, utilizing a communication technique to bring up the topic allows them to get the job done in a non confrontational way.

Taken From 4Nannies