Job ID: 5232
Location: Boulder, CO
Please describe your family:
We are a great family to work for. Why? Because we embrace our nanny as family and have many long-term friendships with our former nannies - feel free to ask for references! :-) Please read on for a full view by following each of our responses to these interview questions. I am a single mom with four fun children; each is such an interesting individual. They are in two schools now, but next year we will have Boulder High on our hands, too. We\\\\\\\'re in the same house that they were born in (not literally!) and they have many, many friends in the neighborhood. Our periwinkle house seems to be a magnet, and so we\\\\\\\'re the gathering place for their friends, swirling in and out in the afternoons and summers.
Please describe why you are looking for a nanny:
We are looking for a nanny because I work full-time+ and value the adult woman's presence in the house after school or when I cannot be there - to provide a warm welcome, stability, oversight, guidance and role modeling. As the children are with me on an every-other-week basis, there are a lot of flexible possibilities for this position. Ideally, we would have our nanny/household manager from 2-6 Monday-Friday for two weeks per month, plus full days (7:45-6) in the summer time, every other week. That said, for the right fit, I would look at a 15-20 hour average weekly salary, where you would work the after-school shift (2:45-6:00) on the "on" weeks, and fit the remainder of the time in at your convenience on the off weeks, performing household manager & housekeeping duties. There are some days when I may need you to work later than 6, perhaps until 6:30, 7 or 8 -- it depends upon my work commitments.
Describe the child(ren) you need a nanny for:
The eldest girl is 14 in 8th grade, then a boy (12) in 6th grade, and a younger sister (10.5) in fifth grade and then there's the youngest, a boy (6.5), in first grade.
Describe your home setting: My children and I live in a periwinkle house with a big yard on the end of a street in a "suburban" neighborhood in the north east end of Boulder. Their father moved out 5 years ago, and lives with the children's step mom and new baby about 5 blocks away. Lastly, it is important to mention that my 70 year-old mother moved in with us last summer. She is healthy, and involved in various volunteer projects, so she stays quite busy, yet somehow manages to to still be underfoot. Since she is unemployed and around the house a lot, we are all still learning a "new dance" due to the integration. It is absolutely a work-in-progress.
We are interested in the following:
Babysitter
Nanny, Permanent
Nanny, Summer
Full-Time/Part-Time?
Part-time
How long do you need a Nanny?
1 Year
Live-in/Live-out?
Nanny, live-out
What tasks/errands do you expect your nanny to perform?
Light housekeeping on the on-weeks (such as tidying up the house before the end of your day), housekeeping on the off-weeks (if this position is negotiated to be weekly). Household manager duties when not with the kids include things such as errand-running, making appointments with the doctor, selecting repairmen and supervising their visits, taking the car in for an oil change, assisting with data entry, ironing...what ever is needed to make the home run smoothly.
What activities do you want your nanny to do with your child?
I would like for you to fix afternoon snacks, supervise and assist with homework (hopefully you are better at 9th grade math than I am), supervise them in accomplishing their chores and similarly model good skills, read to them as much as you can, encourage them to play music, explore their world and be curious about everything. School years are pretty structured afternoons with an activity on someone's calendar nearly every day. Summertimes are more fluid with very little hard scheduled, and lots of free time for friends, pool time and bike time. The 6 year-old is still learning to ride a bike, and the 14 year-old enjoys photography. The other two have packs of friends that they roam around the neighborhood with.
What special certifications/requirements are you looking for?
At least some college.
Does this position require a valid driver's license?
Yes
Does this position require a car?
Yes
When will this position be available?
Immediately
How many hours do you need a nanny for?
20 per week, on an every other week basis. Depending on the candidates needs, we would consider adding Household Manager hours on the off weeks to give her more hours.
How much are you willing to pay? Do you offer benefits?
$20 for the right person, inclusive of gas. There is not much driving.
Do you have any pets or animals in your home?
One small schnauzer owned by my mom, an orange long-haired cat owned by me, and two hedgehogs owned by the eldest kids.
What else are you looking for in a nanny?
My wish list: We are looking for someone with the attributes listed here, because I have found that a candidate like this has been the most successful as a nanny: considerate, caring, conscientious about her personal grooming, as well as the appearance of her car and her own home, has a sense of faith, is emotionally and mentally stable, loves being around children, is reliable, has a reliable car that seats at least 5 with seat belts, has a good relationship with her own family, and has an additional means of support other than this job.
Additional comments: