Proper assessment is crucial
Here's Why:
1
Because the process you're using is inadequate
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Right now, you're forced to rely on interviews, which notoriously lead to bad hiring decisions in every field. All candidates naturally try to curate a favorable impression - they smile, act positively and tell you what they think you want to hear. This is particularly easy in the caregiving business.
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You're biased because you want to get this over with as quickly as possible! Hence, you're inclined to give a sweet girl the benefit of the doubt, and hire her without sufficient scrutiny.
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Even if your candidate were completely honest, she can't tell you what she doesn't know about herself, and it's these unconscious qualities that are most important (e.g.: What "triggers" her, and why).
2
Because your nanny can impact your child's attachment security
The fundamental goal of parenting is to raise a securely attached child. Secure attachment is correlated with all of the good things you wish your child to have:
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Good behavior
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High self-esteem
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Positive relationships
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Success at school and work
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Emotional resilience
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Physical health
Raising securely attached children requires that those who spend significant time with them, particularly in the early years, provide predictable, consistent, sensitive care.​
This includes:
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Taking a genuine interest in the child as a unique individual with his/her own thoughts and feelings
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Empathizing with the child's subjective experience
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Easily tolerating anger, fear, sadness and confusion in herself and the child
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Maintaining a sense of curiosity about the "why" underlying the child's behavior, rather than the right or wrong-ness of the behaviors themselves
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The more time your nanny spends with your child, the more important it is that she display these qualities.
3
Because you don't know enough about your hire
Most nannies and au pairs, although nice, DO NOT exhibit the above characteristics. And, you can't predict the extent to which a candidate embodies these traits without assessing for them.
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Even after you hire, if you aren't trained in this area, it is difficult to discern whether your nanny is exhibiting these important qualities with your child.
