By Serra Deville
The holidays bring parties, travel, visiting relatives and school breaks that stretch for days. For many families, they also bring a childcare scramble. In more than twenty years of placing nannies, I’ve seen that the families with the calmest holidays decide early and put things in writing.
Start early. Holiday calendars fill quickly, both for families and for the nannies available to help. If you want extra help for the season, or a nanny starting in the new year, begin looking now rather than the week school lets out. A careful search takes time. Ask about holiday availability when you first talk with candidates, and be up front about dates.
Write it down. Before the first day, put the schedule and expectations on paper: hours, duties, pay and time off. Holiday weeks are where misunderstandings happen. Is the day after Thanksgiving a workday? Is a day you’re traveling paid? Who covers the week between Christmas and New Year’s? Put the answers in writing so everyone starts from the same page. Because you hire and employ your nanny directly, these terms are yours to set, and clear ones make for a better working relationship.
Build a backup plan. Sick days, delayed flights and storm closures don’t check your calendar. Anyone in the Lowcountry knows weather can close schools on short notice. Decide ahead of time what happens in each case, who you would call, and make sure your nanny knows the plan too.
Plan around your household. One real advantage of a nanny is that care is built around your family, not a one-size-fits-all routine. Your children stay at home, on their own schedule, with one consistent person who knows them well. That makes it easier to handle irregular hours, a sick child, more than one child, or a house full of visiting relatives. Tell your nanny who is coming, what routines will change and what the week looks like.
Choose carefully. Your nanny will be in your home with your children, so check references directly. Look for real experience with your children’s ages and current CPR and first-aid certification, and use a proper background screening.
Even a hire that feels certain can fall through. Recently, a family had a nanny set to start the following week. Days before the start date, the candidate accepted another job and canceled. The parents suddenly had a gap in care. They called us, we began searching right away, and a high-quality nanny was in place with the start date moving only a little. Their experience is a good reminder to have a backup plan, and someone to call.
A little planning now means more time to enjoy the season. Families can learn more at gadreamnannies.com/south-carolina.
Serra Deville is the Founder & Owner of Dream Nannies, a nanny and household placement agency founded in Georgia in 2003, with a team serving families across the Lowcountry.
