Nanny Employer Blog

I am very excited that one of my employees, Laura Patterson, recently celebrated 10 years with Mom’s Best Friend! Years ago, I changed my benefits package to give a one-month sabbatical to employees who reach this mark. I am excited to share that Laura will be spending much of that time off visiting our giving partner, Africa New Life. This is such a delight to me because for years, we have dreamed of leveraging Mom’s Best Friend to make a large, tangible, positive impact in the world. Through the Read the rest of this entry »

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Mom’s Best Friend, along with many agencies across the country, held events for National Nanny Training Day. In Austin, for example, we brought in experts to discuss topics such as:

• Healthy Baby Food
• Home Organization
• How to Be a Valuable Household Employee
• Incorporating Music into Learning and Play
• Therapeutic skills
• Household Payroll Tax and Tips

Watch the Video: Nanny Training Day Highlights 2012

So, why did we put on this training? Shouldn’t a nanny already know what she’s doing? Read the rest of this entry »

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The 2012 International Nanny Association (INA) Salary and Benefits Survey results are in, and with nearly 700 nannies across the U.S. completing the survey, it’s a great tool to see how your position rates. Below are some highlights for full-time nannies: Read the rest of this entry »

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Change is a part of life. Families grow, children change schools, and parents start new jobs. Think back on your life and the changes that have taken place over the last five years. Maybe you moved, had a baby, or experienced other major life changes. Your nanny has probably experienced equally important life changes during this time, too!

Many nannies are in their twenties and early thirties, which is a very pivotal age. During these years, people often graduate from college, get engaged and married, and have children. My nanny experienced all of these events during her employment with our family! What makes these changes especially tricky is that they are often unexpected. Your nanny can’t predict the future, so she doesn’t necessarily foresee when she will meet her future husband, have to plan a move because of his job, or care for her parents if they become ill. We just experienced an unexpected situation like this when our nanny went on bed rest and delivered her baby early.

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Many families come to us hoping to find one person to provide exceptional childcare and also clean and maintain your home. However, today’s in-home professionals are specialized, and equipped with their own unique skill sets.

Professional, career nannies and babysitters have a gift with children, so this is where you want their focus to be. Their talents, expertise, and education are all related to children, and housekeeping duties are only out of their area of expertise, but can even become a distraction from the childcare they are providing. Read the rest of this entry »

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Below are the final questions most asked by our clients and potential nanny clients:

6. What happens if I hire and they aren’t a fit? What is your replacement policy? The majority of our placements are a long-term success, so this is typically not an issue. However, we know that from time to time, a match can be made that doesn’t quite work. Read the rest of this entry »

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After being in business for over 17 years, we find that many parents have the same questions about how a nanny search/placement works. We thought it would be a good idea to compile our top 10 questions and the answers that our placement team put together:

1. Do you do a background check? Yes, and this is SO important! The quality of background checks can differ so much, so we constantly make sure we are giving our clients the best service available. Our background check company provides us with a nationwide history of any felony and/or misdemeanor convictions based upon the candidate’s name and date of birth. Read the rest of this entry »

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We want you to feel comfortable with our agency before you even speak to us. One of the ways we do this is to open ourselves up to the scrutiny of the top household staffing industry associations. We feel confident in our integrity and business practices, and to demonstrate that credibility, we agree to meet the guidelines, standards, and code of ethics of the associations’ guidelines. Additionally, we love that we are able to share best customer service practices and with other high caliber agencies that are affliates of these associations. Read the rest of this entry »

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My kids are thrilled about our holiday traditions – decorating the tree, hot cocoa, putting up stockings, a nativity scene, etc. – but let’s face it, they can also tend to edge into greedy territory if I don’t make a constant effort to refocus them. The constant commercials, displays at the stores, and their peers don’t help either! Christmas is so important and special to me, and I want the kids to keep a giving, generous spirit during this time.

In order to do so, I have developed some “traditions” of my own to make sure my children don’t act spoiled around the holidays:

• Go easy Read the rest of this entry »

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