After moving to Canberra the kids are just that further away from their own grandparents and they end up missing out on the unique and special moments that goes on when kids go to Nana’s in the afternoon to cook or look at old photos etc, parents realising this find that their children are being looked after by younger sitters therefore missing out on the Nana type attention only an older person can give their children.

Just because the sitter is a little older doesn’t mean that they are frail and can’t do the job your paying them to do!  Not at all infact the older sitter at the moment is in much demand and with the demand growing all the time the agencies are specially requesting mature aged people over 50 and more to keep up with all of the requests.

When next your looking for the Nana type of sitter make your request known, don’t let the kids miss out on that little bit more attention given by a more mature aged babysitter can give.

Best regards

Jen

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Teddy Bear Cam

There comes a time in parents life when they will need to leave their child with a Babysitter or a Nanny who will be a complete stranger to them.  As I had just moved into a new area  I knew no one well enough that I could ask a favour, so I let my fingers do the walking and I selected a Babysitter agency that I was happy with the resume and interviewed the sitter.

Although I thought that the sitter interviewed well I wanted the added protection of a “Teddy Bear Cam or Nanny Monitor” I thought at first glance reading through the add I was being silly but then I thought for peace of mind I would invest in my child’s protection and security and purchased the moniter on line.

Nanny cams are generally hidden cameras. Parents take great care in choosing the proper placement for these devices to ensure that they capture any incidence when either of the parents are not home. Nanny cam designs have also evolved to produce smaller versions that can be cleverly disguised or hidden so they stay out of sight and out of reach.

To prevent a nanny from taking offence for being taped or monitored in secret, many parents are opting to inform possible caregivers of their use of a nanny cam within the premises. Although some nanny’s view the use of a nanny cam as an indication that they are not being trusted majority can see that it is a tool used by the parents in order to build trust with the sitter.

Working Mums need reasurance

However, allowing potential nanny’s to know that there is a nanny cam installed while not necessarily telling them where exactly will help prevent any misuse of the trust that you have placed on them since they know that they are being watched, they will be less likely to neglect or ignore the child under their care.

The added security device helps improve the level of care expected from nanny’s  nanny’s don’t just watch over other people’s children, they also provide physical and emotional care and attention. Although incidences of abuse do not really reflect the overall conditions that children under the care of nannies experience, parents and authorities can all learn something from them and thus improve the quality of childcare.

When choosing a babysitter it is reassuring to know when you use a creditable service such as Canberra Babysitting that we have ensured applicants have been screened with Police checks, references have been substantiated, all sitters on the books have Certificate 3 in Childcare or at the very minimum a current first aid certificate.

Toddler at play

The next step would be to meet the sitter as you will want to see for yourself first hand does she or he have the click factor meaning will they blend in with your family and most importantly are compatible with your child/children.

When you are interviewing prospective sitter, conduct your interview in a nice part of your home that will make you and the sitter at ease. With making the effort to make her feel at home it is not just a form of courtesy, it is also an effective way of breaking down her guard, it is moments when the guard is down you get to know more about this person people and their backgrounds will surface.

Easy types of questions to get the applicant talking:

There are other ways to ask questions to the applicant which will have her feel more at ease and answer from experience rather than something she has memorised.  One way to get the conversation flowing is ask a little about her background, siblings etc and let her answer uninterrupted, these questions are to settle her in and to make her feel comfortable before you lead into the more serious questions that you have had in mind.

The following examples will give you a further idea on how the applicant will react under different situations, all you need to do is to change the example to questions you want answered.

Example:

• Can you tell me a time when you had an emergency while you were babysitting, what was the emergency, what steps did you take and share with me the outcome?
• In your babysitting history can you let me know when you had children that were misbehaving, share with me what was the incident and what action did you take to correct the behaviour?

Note that these are what they call behavioural questions where the applicant must draw from their own life experiences.  I am sure you will have other questions that you would like to ask the sitter before hiring her, especially if your child has a medical condition you would definitely want to know how the sitter behaves in an emergency and what steps she would take if the child has an allergic reaction.

Other signs to watch for during interview:

Other signs to watch for when interviewing is to is to observe body language. Especially if she is not able to give eye contact or becomes fidgety when you ask her supply examples where she had to act in an emergency or how she would handle a certain situation from past experiences.

The examples that have been supplied are not a complete list by far.  You may find that you are satisfied with a detailed report from Canberra Babysitting or similar agency and these are just added extra information for your reference.