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How-To Hire a Nanny: Part Three

Hiring a nanny can be a daunting task, especially for the busy parent who needs help. While CanadianNanny.ca can provide you with many nannies in your area, it’s still up to you to decide who the best fit for your family is. To help you through that process, we’ve made up this “How-To” guide, outlining the steps from posting your job to choosing your nanny.

Continue with our four-part series on “How-To Hire a Nanny”; interviewing and checking references.

Step 5 – Face-to-Face Interviews

Schedule a time to meet with each potential nanny at a time that’s available for both of you. Either hold it in your home when there are no distractions to pull your attention away, i.e. kids, or meet in a neutral location like a coffee shop to chat with them. Be prepared for the meeting: create a rough agenda with questions specific to your needs and the nanny’s qualifications so you don’t miss anything. If you want to see how the nanny interacts with your child(ren), schedule a different time to do this. See “Step 8 - Do a Trial Run with the Nanny” next week, or refer to the “How to Hire and Keep a Good Nanny” guide you got with your membership.

Throughout the hiring process, remember that you are hiring an employee, not a new friend. Therefore, pick the best person for the job, not just the person you get along with the best.

Step 6 – Check References

After you’ve met with all the potential nannies, you probably already have an idea of who you want to hire. Check with them to see if you can contact their references, and then give the references a call. Warning! – if a nanny doesn’t want to provide you with references, you probably don’t want to hire them. You should check at least 2 references for each person. Be informal with the reference and ask for general information, like how many children they have and how long ago the nanny last cared for them. Then, ask more specific questions in relation to child care, such as whether the nanny followed house rules, and if the parent would hire them again. Use the information provided by the references to select your top 3 candidates.

Check back next week for part-four, the final steps to getting the right nanny for your family.

For tips on interviewing the nannies and checking references, refer to the “How to Hire and Keep a Good Nanny” guide you got with membership. Didn’t receive it when you registered, contact us!

Posted by Joni @ 4:32:35 PM

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Nanny T4's

Sharpen your pencils, get your calculators ready, BEGIN WORK!  Sound like you’re back in school and it’s exam time again?  Getting butterflies in your stomach?  Well, your marks aren’t at stake, but your money is; it is time to file your nanny’s 2009 T4!  The deadline is normally the last day of February but because it falls on a Sunday this year, the absolute last day to make sure the T4 summary and any accompanying T4s are in Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)’s hands is Monday March 1.  The penalty for late filing is $25 per day with a minimum penalty of $100, and a maximum penalty of $2500.  Not only is it important to file T4 information on time, but it should also be completed correctly.

A few things to keep in mind when completing the paperwork:

1 – Make sure you include T4s for all employees paid during 2009 in the 2009 T4 summary.  Even if you had an employee with only one pay period in 2009, they still need a T4 to file their taxes, and this needs to be included in the employer’s summary.

2 – Check that the appropriate boxes on the T4 are filled in.  In most cases, both EI insurable earnings and the CPP-QPP pensionable earnings (boxes 24 and 26) should remain blank.  Read up on whether either of these apply to your employee.

3 – Use the “Other Information” fields for taxable benefits such as Room & Board.  You will need to choose which box number to use and then fill in the appropriate amount next to it.

4 – When you and your spouse file your own income tax returns, use the amounts on the T4 summary for the child care expense deduction.  Boxes 14,  27, and 19 (Employment income, Employer’s CPP contributions, Employer’s EI contributions) can be added together to get the total expense.  Keep in mind that in most cases, child care expenses will need to be claimed against the lower income of the two spouses.  The maximum amount you can claim will be based on the number and ages of children you have.

How can the process be made simple?  Well, you may have slacked a bit in 2009, but make a New Year resolution (or rather, a new tax year resolution) to keep accurate records every time you pay your employee, and every time you make a tax payment to the CRA.

Happy T4 Filing!!

Posted by Joni @ 12:15:05 PM

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How-To Hire a Nanny: Part Two

Hiring a nanny can be a daunting task, especially for the busy parent who needs help. While CanadianNanny.ca can provide you with many nannies in your area, it’s still up to you to decide who the best fit for your family is. To help you through that process, we’ve made up this “How-To” guide, outlining the steps from posting your job to choosing your nanny.

Continue with our four-part series on “How-To Hire a Nanny”; checking for feedback and phone interviews to narrow down your selections from 10 to 5.

Step 3 – Check for Profile Feedback

Did you know that nannies might have feedback from other parents posted on their profile? If that nanny was a great help to a family, or maybe didn’t show up to the interview, it’s possible the parent posted that for you to see. Check through your favourite nannies to see if they have feedback posted to help you make your decision. Remember this feature if you want to leave feedback for other parents on a nanny’s profile.

Note: In your account, you can save nanny profiles as favourites to make them easy to find later. You can even post your own notes for yourself that can be edited or removed as needed.

Step 4 – Phone Interviews

We all have busy lives, and the chances are you don’t really have time to interview all of your favourites in person. Get a list of preliminary questions together – when can you start a new position, what days of the week are you available, etc. – and do phone interviews. This will give you an idea of their personality. As I always say, make decisions based on your gut, it won’t do you wrong. If something seems out of place, move on. Try to narrow down your list to your favourite 5 out of your initial 10 to interview in person.

Throughout the hiring process, remember that you are hiring an employee, not a new friend. Therefore, pick the best person for the job, not just the person you get along with the best.

Check back next week for part-three, getting from 5 to 3 with interviews and reference checks.

If you have any questions about the service or your nanny search, please contact us at  info@canadiannanny.ca or 1-866-221-7918

Posted by Joni @ 2:17:18 PM

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How-To Hire a Nanny: Part One

Hiring a nanny can be a daunting task, especially for the busy parent who needs help. While CanadianNanny.ca can provide you with many nannies in your area, it’s still up to you to decide who the best fit for your family is. To help you through that process, we’ve made up this “How-To” guide, outlining the steps from posting your job to choosing your nanny.

Follow along with our four-part series on “How-To Hire a Nanny”, starting with posting a job and sorting through the responses.

Step 1 - Post a Job

Post a job, outlining your requirements. While you’re completely welcome to search through the many profiles of nannies registered with CanadianNanny.ca, it’s easiest for you if you let the nannies come to you. This way, the nannies that are actively searching for work will be able to review your information, contacting you only if they’re qualified, available, and interested in your position. So post your needs and let the nannies come to you.

Be sure that your job is realistic, not ideal. We understand that when you’re home in the afternoon you take the dog for a walk and clean the house, but the nannies are primarily interested in making sure your child is well cared for. Be sure that your job posting reflects this and try to keep it in perspective; is a French-speaking nanny necessary; can the nanny do her best if she has to juggle housework and homework?

Step 2 - Pick Your Favourites

There’re many great nannies listed on the site, and you might find that you get a huge response when you first post. With this much response, you’ll likely find a handful that suit your needs. Narrow down the applications and pick your top 10. Once you’ve done this, you can look at them more thoroughly and determine who you favourites are from that.

Throughout the hiring process, remember that you are hiring an employee, not a new friend. Therefore, pick the best person for the job, not just the person you get along with the best.

Check back next week for part-two, narrowing down your search from 10 to 5.

If you have any questions about the service or your nanny search, please contact us at info@canadiannanny.ca or 1-866-221-7918.

Posted by Joni @ 4:45:47 PM

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Olympic Fever! 23 Days to Go!

With only 23 days left until the 2010 Winter Olympics begin in Vancouver, many families from outside of Vancouver are trying to arrange childcare for the little ones while they attend their sought-after Olympic events. CanadianNanny.ca has just the answer!

We have polled the nannies we have registered in the Vancouver area and have received a great response! Over 100 nannies have responded, showing their enthusiasm to help these families! In addition to this, we’ve got over 40 babysitters ready and waiting to care for your children. That’s close to 150 people that are specifically interested in providing short-term care during the Olympics.

Olympic visitors! – Now is the time to secure child care using the company you trust, CanadianNanny.ca!

To find your care, simply register on CanadianSitter.ca for a 3-month membership for $41.95. When you’re registering, be sure to list this important information:

• List where you’re staying in Vancouver, not your home location
• In your description, describe that you’re from out-of-town looking for care while you’re at Olympic events visiting Vancouver
• In your job posting, list the specific dates/times you need care for with the title “Olympic Child Care Needed”

Once you’re registered, send us an email at admin@canadiansitter.ca. We’ll email those 150 people with your specific needs, and they’ll contact you directly by email. We anticipate rates between $15-18 per hour, and strongly recommend that you do a phone interview prior to your trip.

For more information or if you have any questions on this special Olympic offer, please email us at admin@canadiansitter.ca.

Olympic visitors! – Now is the time to secure child care using the company you trust, CanadianNanny.ca!

Posted by Joni @ 1:10:41 PM

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Keeping Kids Entertained in the Winter Months

Although the holidays have come and gone, the crisp winter air is here to stay… for a little while anyway!  I am thankful for the quality time I’ve spent with my children this winter, but I’m running out of ideas to keep my girls busy.  I decided to pull out some of my old Early Childhood Education books to give me some ideas.  Just thought I would share them with you!

Indoor Activities:

·        Winter crafts – colouring, painting, sketching

·        Prepare a play or puppet show – set up a ‘stage’ and ‘stage curtain’ where your children can perform this for family members or friends

·        Play board games – winter provides a great opportunity to pull out some of the classics and revisit your youth!

·        Dance – our daughters love to dance to any kind of music.  Last night we set up a runway and my daughters did different poses and dances.

·        Bake goodies – I myself am not much of a “baker” so this is a wonderful challenge for me.  My children love to make cookies, cupcakes, and other goodies.  

·        Work on a jigsaw puzzle – I remember doing this as a child and actually liking it.  The cost of puzzles are so reasonable and they are hours of entertainment.

·        Have a tea party – put on your finest attire and serve tea and biscuits. Always a hit at any age.

Outdoor Activities:

·        Play in the snow – build a snow fort or snowman, make a snow angel, go sledding

·        Go for a walk and observe wildlife – visit a local park and explore the differences between winter and summer.

·        Organize a scavenger hunt – make a list of items to collect and set a time limit

·        Ice skate – indoor or outdoor, but there’s nothing like skating outdoors!

·        Make and put up a bird feeder – simple but exciting when you get your first visitor

·        Pretend – explore Antarctica or visit the North Pole!

·        Have a winter picnic – bring warm sandwiches, hot chocolate in a thermos, soup, cookies, and a blanket

Remember that both children and caregivers need to bundle up before going outside; dress in layers and keep your head and ears covered at all times to maintain body heat.  Never leave a child playing outside alone and make sure that the play area is close to a warm shelter.

Posted by Benson @ 3:42:51 PM

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Celebrating the New Year

With 2010 just around the corner, families are busy making preparations for New Year's celebrations.  Many nannies are looking for ideas on how to ring in the New Year with the children they care for.  Canadian Nanny has brainstormed some ideas for how you can make this night extra special for the kids!

• For younger children, have the New Year start at 9:00PM and watch a New Year’s television show from a different time zone
• Make a special New Year’s dessert that the kids can help with, such as cupcakes that the kids can ice
• Spend an hour making decorations and decorating the “celebration room” for the New Year
• Check with the community for local celebrations for families

In addition to looking forward to things to come, remember to take the time to reflect on the year past.  Have the children share their favourite memories from 2009 and why these were special.  This will also give you the opportunity to share your favourite memories about times you spent with the children and why they are special to you!

Have other ideas for celebrating the New Year?  Post a comment and let us know how you’ll be celebrating!

Posted by Benson @ 4:55:08 PM

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