We Hired a Nanny and We Love It!

When I became pregnant with my second child, I decided that I wanted to be a stay at home mom. My oldest daughter was 4 years old and starting preschool, plus with a new baby in the house, I figured  it would be best for me to stay home. Fast forward 5 months later and I can tell you that I was losing my mind! I decided then that I wanted to go back to work. Staying home was not what I envisioned it would be, it was harder than I thought. I bow down to stay at home moms, you guys work so hard! Once I made the decision,  I knew that with our schedules and my 4 year old’s school schedule, a nanny would be the best choice for us.

I never considered hiring a nanny before, we all hear those horror stories about nightmare nannies that abuse the children they are entrusted with. But I have also heard wonderful stories about amazing nannies who take great care of the children and help the household run smoothly. We decided to reach out to people we know, post in our neighborhood FB page, and reach out to a nanny agency so that all our tracks were covered. Through the process we met our wonderful full time nanny who has been a great fit for us. The girls love her! She takes such great care of them. She makes sure the girls happy, healthy, and loved.

 

She loves to have Sofia help her bake yummy treats (all from scratch) with organic and healthy ingredients that tastes so good.

She likes to take the girls out for fresh air, whether to the play ground or to fun field trips that Sofia earns by staying on the good behavior portion of her discipline chart. Recently, Sofia earned a trip to the children’s museum for being such a good girl! Olivia enjoyed the fun trip too! 

 

One thing I also love about our nanny is that she sends me updates through out the day (with pictures as well) about how the girls are doing. I love this because it always makes me feel like I am a part of their day. She has a schedule for the girls and makes sure that she follows a great discipline chart she has set up for our oldest. She also documents every day what and when the girls eat, their mood, their activities for the day, and much more. 

She also takes beautiful pictures of our girls. This one picture here is one of my favorites. She took them to North Park to enjoy a beautiful day and got this great photo!

All in all, hiring a nanny was the best decision for us concerning childcare. She really does keep our household running smoothly by also taking care of other household tasks. My husband and I both work full time (although he works from home FT and I have a great job that provides me with an awesome work/life balance). It really is a great fit for all of us and we could not do this without her.

If you are considering hiring a nanny, here is my advice:

  • Make sure you thoroughly screen your applicants and conduct phone and in person interviews.
  • Run criminal background checks, FBI clearances, and child abuse clearances. You can also conduct drug and alcohol tests.
  • Check all references and make sure you do this thoroughly.
  • Have the nanny you are considering babysit before they start for you to get an idea of how the kids like them, and to get a vibe for how it will go.
  • Write up a contract with all the expectations from both sides so that everyone is on the same page.
  • Treat your nanny with love and respect, they are taking care of your house and your children. Our nanny is like our family, let them know how much you appreciate them!

Finding the right childcare for working parents is not always an easy process. Our children’s safety and happiness is our number one priority. Once you find that right fit, it is a wonderful feeling! 

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Anny Bezilla
Anny is a mommy to two beautiful girls. Sofia is 7 and Olivia is 3 years old. Anny was born in the Dominican Republic and moved to New Jersey with her family when she was 5. She is bilingual and is fluent in Spanish. She has been a Jersey girl most of her life until six years ago when she moved with her husband to Pittsburgh, where he’s originally from. Anny has a career in Recruiting/Human Resources and is currently working as a Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist. Anny strives to find a good work life balance while having two little ones. Anny loves living in Pittsburgh and exploring the city’s Latin culture. She also loves to write and blogging has always been something she has wanted to do! For good laughs, follow Anny’s funny FB page at hotmessmomanny and on Instagram at hotmessmom where she provides comic relief to us moms that are just trying to get through life.