Gone are the days when nannies were living at home and were part of the family to the point of raising successive generations of children. Today’s parents are much more hands on and involved in the education and day to day care of their children. It’s not to say that nannies are less important than they used to be; they still play a fundamental role to enable parents to go to work or simply have a personal life, while bringing to the family a unique experience in child care.
But with the new ever-changing pace of active working families, looking for a new nanny is now a common thing. There are different reasons to change sitter:
- your child has grown up and you need a babysitter experienced with older children
- your family situation has changed and your needs are different
- there may be financial reasons
- or unfortunately you might have had bad experiences with babysitters who did not meet your expectations
Whatever the motive behind your decision to change your nanny is, the important thing is not to feel guilty and to do it without emotion, in a professional manner. There can be no bad feelings or rancour between you and the person taking caring of your child.
Once you’ve made your decision, tell your nanny and follow the agreement that you negotiated when she started working for you. Explain clearly and honestly why you need to let her go and give her the appropriate notice. If you have to let her go because of inappropriate behaviour, end the contract immediately. The next thing you need to do is simply to start the selection process to find the new nanny who will answer your needs.