Saturday, March 7, 2009

Weekly Trip to the Library

The Professional Nanny by Monica M. Bassett
Review by Maria Lopez, Nanny, Miami, Florida

The Professional Nanny by Monica M. Bassett is a bit tedious because it is a practical book discussing the business aspects of in-home childcare and is not intended to be a novel. But, it is a thorough text with topics discussed in a logical manner.

The text begins with the history of the nanny profession. It discusses a nanny’s role in a family, how childcare providers should prepare for employment, interview for job positions, start a new nanny job, and how to leave a nanny position in a professional manner. Ms. Bassett discusses important topics such as child advocacy and confidentiality of family issues, as well. The book also includes information about employer responsibilities, taxes, and insurance. I like the sample work agreement, daily log, and performance evaluation included in the book.

Terms that a nanny needs to know are in bold print and defined at the bottom of the pages, which I feel are distracting and unnecessary since there is a glossary at the back of the book. The book was published in 1997 so the list of resources for nannies and families are outdated, as are the photos included in the book. But I like the lists of children books, which are timeless.

Every professional nanny should probably glance through The Professional Nanny by Monica M. Bassett because it is very thorough, (although outdated at times). The suggestions about how to be a professional caregiver are important and something all nannies should take into consideration.

If you have a book you would like to share with other nannies please let us know by emailing Stephanie@BestNannyNewsletter.com. Stop by next Saturday for another book review.

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