Not every nanny you hire will turn out to be a great fit for you. You may realize soon their weaknesses or bad character through red flags. Some major reflags in a nanny that you need to cautious of include lack of integrity, lying and lack of boundaries among others.
Some of the red flags and signs such as theft, rude attitude or harming your child are some of the reasons that warrant firing the nanny on the spot. The early that you can identify these red-flags, the sooner the better so that you can replace the baby sitter.
Major Red Flags/Signs of a Bad Nanny/Bab Sitter
1. Being Overly Nice To the Baby in your Presence
Being too nice unnecessary is one of the biggest nanny red-flags. If your nanny seems to be unrealistically too nice to the baby, be wary. Its normal that your nanny and the baby get along well. However, you do not expect an over-the-top niceness from the nanny, especially too soon.
If the nanny is being too nice to be true, chances are they are trying to put up a show. Genuine love and care for kids come naturally and need no show. Avoid a nanny who is only trying to put up a show of how they love your child.
They are probably trying to impress you or trick you into thinking they are good at their job which they may not be. It is appropriate and safer to fire such a baby sitter before the issue grows into a bigger problem later.
Read: What to do when Baby is too Attached to Nanny
2. Their Information Does Not Add Up
Nannies will provide you with a resume and other necessary documents during the interview. It is up to you to check and verify the documents are true and credible. You should not take the nanny’s word for it and hire them without checking.
While doing so and you find some information that does not add, it is a red flag, that demands your attention and one you should not ignore. The information may be about their qualifications, referees, certifications, and skills among others. You will know a certain nanny is wrong for you if their integrity is questionable.
If you find that a nanny has compromised or forge about their educational background, the families they have worked for before or they skills they have among others they are a con and you should fire them immediately for lack of integrity. Do not keep or hire such a nanny.
3. Petty Lying During Interview
Lying is unprofessional in any career and one of the biggest red flag of a nanny you should avoid hiring. When your nanny lies to you or is dishonest, they are being unprofessional and do not respect you and their job. Treat even the pettiest of lies as a red flag because it means they will or probably are lying to you about everything else. Fire or disqualify immediately if you discover this.
Honesty is very crucial from a nanny as it’s the basis that forms a trustworthy relationship between you and the nanny. If not, the care giver becomes unreliable and untrustworthy. In an interview you can tell a bad nanny from a good nanny through how they answer their questions versus trying to evade them or lying about them.
You will not be able to trust your nanny if their are lying just about everything. It means they are also lying about the care they are offering your child as well. They may be lying about feeding, diaper changes, playing, and activities they had among others.
Read: Common Reasons to Fire your Newly Hired Nanny
4. Unnecessary Gifts for Baby
All parents need to know unnecessary gifting by a nanny is a bad thing and should be taken as caution. Some nannies are genuine and have pure intention in their hearts when they buy gifts for your baby. But you should be worried about when these gifts come out of nowhere and there are no reason for them.
You can use your instincts to tell when the gifts have crossed the line and consider it a reason to fire the caregiver. Basically, gifting is done around holidays such as Christmas or during special occasions such as birthdays. If the nanny buys your baby a gift out of now where, away from these days, be cautious. The nanny or babysitter may be trying to cover up on her weaknesses by winning you and the baby over with gifts.
Secondly, be worried if the gifts are too expensive. The nanny may be trying to instill responsibility in you to gift her back or compensate her for the money. Some gifts can be too expensive for a nanny to buy your child and you should not ignore this and it is best that your replace this nanny immediately.
Read: How to Set Boundaries between you and your Nanny
5. Nanny who Detests Correction
No one is perfect and your nanny should be willing to be corrected. It is okay to make a mistake but one is expected to rectify them immediately upon correction. However, if your nanny appears to be hurt when you genuinely correct her, it is one of the major red-flags that you as a parent should never ignore.
Detesting correction is a sign of challenges ahead. It is best you replace this nanny early now before it becomes a problem later. You will probably have lots of problems with such as a nanny later about performance and professionalism with their work.
The care they deliver is also affected as they are not willing to improve and meet your requirements. You can tell a good nanny from a bad nanny from their willingness to be corrected. Bad nannies rarely takes criticism positively or improves on their work after being corrected. A good nanny or babysitter will take correction in a good heart and improve on what is desired.
6. Not Offering All-Round Care
You can identify a good nanny from the variety of activities they have for your child. Babies need an all-around growth and development, which can’t be achieved by the nanny only staying indoors with the baby. Avoid nannies who are not willing to offer growth and development simulated care.
If your nanny lacks this it is a major red flag and your need to replace her because your baby needs the outdoor environment to thrive. They need the sun, the air, and the change of environment. The older kids will love outdoor activities too.
As such your nanny should be okay with all these and her intention to only stay indoors is a red flag as the nanny may be sitting on the couch all day and watching TV. If you nanny does not like outdoors, it warrants you firing her. It is unhealthy for your child as he/she is not being engaged or stimulated for growth and development.
7. Requesting for Advance Payment Too Soon
It can indeed be really hard to get by financially but a professional nanny would understand the need to remain professional with their employer. Asking for advance payment when they are too new with a family speaks ill of them and you should treat it as such.
It is a sign of a bad nanny and can be an indication of poor money management and a lack of respecting work boundaries. Look out for such behaviors and treat it with caution. Fire the nanny or babysitter when necessary.
8. Getting Too Personal/Invading Privacy
Immediately fire a nanny who is trying to get too personal with you. No one wants a nanny who blurs the lines between work and personal life. The nanny is there to care for the baby and everything else besides this is none of her business.
The nanny should only be concerned about and ask questions related to the childcare she is providing and leave everything else. Hence the nanny getting too personal shows that she does not respect boundaries and you will have difficulties in maintaining a professional relationship with them.
It can get awkward and create unnecessary tension that will affect the childcare that they are providing. If this is happening, you may have to decide to let the nanny go.
Read: Should you Allow your Nanny to Bring her Child to Work
9. Becoming Too Attached To Baby
It is easy for your nanny or baby-sitter to develop an attachment with your baby. After all, they spend most of the time with the baby. However, it is odd if this attachment is becoming too much.
If you are having worries that your nanny is trying to compete in affection from the baby it is a very big red flag. You may notice your baby is necessarily fussy without the nanny.
All parents need to know that too much baby attached is a red flag and you may to set new boundaries or fire the nanny. You can tell when the bonding is too much or has crossed the line and from there you need to act fast and replace your baby sitter.
Read: How to tell your baby is too Attached to the Nanny
10. Under-Selling/Charging
Depending on your area and your nanny qualification, there is a range you would consider to be a reasonable pay for your nanny to ask. The fee that your potential nanny or babysitter is charging can be used to check irregularities with the nanny. Avoid nannies who could possibly earn better but are willing to settle for much much less.
When your nanny undersells herself by asking too little yet she can get more, it is a red flag you should treat with caution. Nannies know what the normal rate is and they often charge even higher until you negotiate. So if a nanny charges too low, it could be that she is not qualified as she claims to be or she has other hidden intentions.
11. Being Too Available Too Soon
Even after a successful interview, there is a lots of things you need to do and process before you decide to bring the nanny or baby-sitter onboard. You do not expect a potential nanny to be too available and pressure you into having her start early than you have planned.
Look out for overly excitement and too many calls that indicates your nanny is way too available. It is quite odd and may signify other intentions for the nanny to work for you. Probably she is trying to manipulate you into taking her without taking your time to consider others’ options and make a decision.
12. Stealing from you/Theft Cases
Nannies should be professional when at your home had and keep their hands off your possessions. However some bad nannies are involved in petty stealing including money, jewelry, clothes, luxury items, electronics etc.
Your nanny should never steal from you. The first time you catch your nanny stealing from you , it warrants that you fire hire immediately. You should totally avoid a thieving nanny at all cost.
13. Harming your Child
Be on the look out for the methods the nanny uses to discipline the baby when the need arises. You can tell a bad nanny from a good one from how they address indiscipline in the kids they are caring for.
Your nanny should never hit your child. Immediately fire any care giver who hurts or physically harms your baby. You should not keep nanny whom you find using threats and other types of harm on your child.
14. Coming in Late
Coming to work late without any good reasonable cause, warrants immediate dismissal. Keeping time is very crucial in ever profession even for care givers. If your nanny can not seem to keep time when reporting to work let them go.
Nannies should always report on time. Avoid a nanny who is wasting your time because it will add more inconveniences to you. Many bad nannies lack regard for time, which comes across as being disrespectful and negligent.
