Tips on hiring a babysitter or nanny while on holiday

Hiring the right babysitter or nanny whilst you're on holiday can sometimes be a hard decision to make.

Do you take a nanny with you on your trip or do you hire a babysitter when you get to your destination?

Take a look at these tips to help you choose the most suitable option for you and your family.
 

Tips on hiring a babysitter or nanny while on holiday

 

Taking a nanny on holiday

 

Benefits of taking a nanny on your trip

Taking a nanny along with you on holiday can often be well worth the extra investment.

Having an extra pair of hands on board a plane or boat or even in the car can be invaluable, especially with younger children.

At your destination, a nanny will allow you to have some alone time with your partner or friends, dinner out or even a stroll along the beach without the children.

It means travelling for events such as weddings or conferences can also become a family holiday.
 

Setting clear expectations with your nanny

 
When bringing a nanny along with you for your holiday, make sure there are clear expectations before you leave.

Remember this is your holiday not the nanny’s! You are bringing the nanny along to do a job.
 
This will reflect their salary as well. Flights accommodation, meals etc need to be covered by the family, plus an agreed salary for their day to day nanny services.

Normally a fixed day rate is the easiest option instead of an hourly rate, but these details should be all agreed on before departure.
 
As always, communication is the key to maintaining a clear and open relationship between you and the nanny whilst you're away.
 

Hiring a babysitter on holiday

 

Tips on hiring a babysitter when you're away

Hiring a babysitter while you're on holiday is another great option to help parents have some time out during the day or in the evenings.

1. Book a babysitter early & through an agency

It is best to book your babysitter early and through a reputable agency. This enables you to liaise directly with them before the time comes to leave your children with them, and perhaps even meet them beforehand to put your mind at ease.

You will often be emailed the sitter’s profile, which has their qualifications and a personal outline about them.

2. Be Cautious when hiring a babysitter

Be cautious when hiring a babysitter through hotels and motels that use their in-house staff, as you often don’t get any background information or access to their qualifications or personal details.

In-house babysitters might not have much experience with young children either.
 

3. What to look for in a babysitter

When choosing suitable babysitters whilst you’re away, there are a few things you may want to consider. These include:

• looking for people with experience in caring for children

 

• people trained in the education and health professions

 

• those who hold nanny qualifications

 

• mothers who have their own children, or even grandmothers

All of these life experiences and qualifications can help find a babysitter with the qualities a person should have when caring for your precious children.

4. Go out without worrying

The objective of hiring a babysitter is for you to go out without worrying. So choose wisely.

When you leave your children with a babysitter you want to be confident that they will provide a professional childcare service to meet your needs.

More kids articles to enjoy:

• Flying with small children
• Surviving family holidays
• The benefits of nanny sharing

Source: This article was written by RockMyBaby - one of the largest Nanny Agencies and leading childcare recruitment experts providing families with professional, high quality babysitters, nannies, Karitane nurses, infant maternity services and postnatal home help.