We are about to welcome our 4th child next month. Our new au pair (who arrived in November) has decided that taking care of children is not for her....we are not sure we want to continue with the program. We have been with them for 3.5 years but think all the transitions (even between years and now sooner) is taking a toll on our children (5.5 years old; 4 years old; and 20 months). We are looking for a domestic live-out nanny.... and honestly have no idea how to find a good reliable one. Suggestions? We live in the Des Plaines, Mount Prospect area of the NW Chicago burbs. We had the older ones with family, then daycare, then the au pairs so we never went the normal nanny route before. Thanks in advance for any suggestions!
Best wishes to all!
A.
Hi,
I am so sorry for your loss of the nanny. Care.com has a good program and you can find care easily there or go through a nanny service. I hope you find someone soon!
It's been a few years but I found mine through a local agency. Good reliable, prescreened nanny-housekeepers. If they didn't work out within a certain time period, the agency would find a replacement for no additional charge.
We found our nanny on Care.com. We could not be happier. Good luck!
I know it's probably not the most recommended way to do it, but if you had your older ones in day care, were there any teachers there that you (or they) really liked? You could always ask one of them if they would be willing to work specifically with you. Our old day cares lost a lot of teachers to families who hired them on directly. That way they already have a connection with you, and the kids were familiar with them. Of all the families I know who did this, not a single one of them has had any problems with their nanny. Plus they keep up with the age-appropriate activities in gross-motor, fine-motor, speech, etc... Just another option for you to consider.
Good luck!
