Transition to a new Nanny

Assuming you’ve found yourself in a situation where you’re switching from one caregiver to another, you likely want to minimize this major shift in the household as much as possible. But whether you’ve had a nanny for a short period of time or much longer, here are some tips for a smoother changeover:

The Selection Process

If your nanny hasn’t given you much notice or something has changed unexpectedly, it can seem like a daunting task to find a new caregiver quickly, even with the help of our agency. Although we’ll do our best to meet your time demands with our dedicated team of temporary and permanent staff ready to be placed, it’s also important that you still patiently select the right candidate. It may be tempting in the heat of the moment to efficiently insert a “good enough” match into the equation, but the end goal of finding the “perfect match” shouldn’t change.

If age appropriate, involve your child in the selection process. What do they like or not like about a candidate? Do they feel strongly about one in particular, why? Their input can not only be valuable, but will leave them feeling like an integral part and help them to embrace the adjustment.

Plan Accordingly

Allowing the new nanny to shadow your existing one will not only provide for a trial run but help everyone ease into the new transition by having the nannies overlap for at least a few days, and ideally a few weeks. On the job training about your child’s routines, likes and dislikes and personality with the current caretaker is invaluable.
Having one nanny train another isn’t possible sometimes and it can be tempting to not want to take time off while still having your new nanny seamlessly drop into the daily routine. However, this is an important transition and it deserves your full attention. In order to have the new nanny mesh into the household fully and accomplish your goals, it’s going to involve you taking the time off to help ease this changeover.

Time and Attention

The key to a great nanny-parent relationship is communication so be sure to set aside extra time the first few months to get to know the new nanny as well as for in person meetings to discuss all. Weekly meetings, treated the same way that you would any other scheduled business meeting, will keep the lines of communication open. Being able to resolve any questions quickly, before they become issues, will cement the relationship. Your nanny should have an early impression that she can come to you with any concerns.