
Summertime Child Care – Hiring a Nanny or Sitter
Depending on where you live, last week you may have summer weather or fall weather; it even snowed in some areas! Despite the weather though, summer is still JUST around the corner! Many families already have their summer plans in place, whether it’s enrolling the kids in summer camp, or taking it easy and keeping the kids at home.
Many families also choose to hire a nanny or a babysitter over the summer. This is either so that the parents can still work while the kids are home, or to give the children some structured fun in their home environment instead of going to daycare or day camps. A nanny or babysitter can create a semi-structured day for your children that includes going to the pool, playing in the sprinkler, going to the library, and doing crafts at home.
Back in April, we mentioned that you should look early, but you’re also not too late yet! We have new nannies and babysitters that register everyday across Canada, and many are out of university/college for the summer and looking for work!
If you’re thinking of hiring someone for the summer, consider a few things before getting started to make the process easier for yourself:
- Part-time, full-time, or somewhere in between?
- Need someone to drive the kids around or supervise swimming?
- What vacation time are you taking? Want to take the nanny/sitter to the cottage?
- Children enrolled in programs already, or thinking of scheduling some? How does the nanny/sitter fit into these plans?
As always, we recommend having the potential(s) come over for a trial day to test the waters; how does she interact with your children, how do your children like her? Pay her for a few hours to come spend time with your children, then talk to her about the time, then talk to your children about the time they had if they’re old enough.
For more tips on hiring a summer nanny or summer babysitter, check out our blog archive!
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