How a Live-In Nanny Can Facilitate a Child’s Development

February 9th, 2016 by

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If you keep yourself up-to-date in the world of parenting blogs and child development research, you’ve probably come across a great deal of articles that focus on the importance of the mother-child connection. Whether it’s through breastfeeding, parenting style, or the parade of crafts and developmental activities that moms share with each other across social media platforms, how to foster an intimate, nurturing mother-child relationship is a hot topic these days.

Child development is an ever-evolving field in which new information is being discovered daily. As recently as the 1950s, the prevailing theory in child development was the “maternal deprivation hypothesis,” which essentially blamed any child dysfunction on an unavailable or deficient mother. This was a controversial hypothesis from the outset because it presumed that neither fathers nor other caregivers or guardians had an effect on a child’s development. It was replaced by attachment theory, which remains a generally accepted theory of child development to this day.

Although originally attachment was thought to be most important between mother and child, there is now evidence all caregivers can form attached relationships and have an impact on a child’s life.

Simply put, attachment is the emotional bond to another person; obviously, a person can and will be attached to various people and relationships throughout his or her life. However, a person’s attachment style in his or her infancy and childhood can have an impact on all future relationships, so it is important for all caregivers to encourage children to form emotionally healthy and secure attachments. Training in such matters is an important consideration for parents who want to find a live-in nanny.

As social norms change and more parents work rather than stay at home with the kids, modern attachment research has focused on childcare and the importance of appropriate training for childcare professionals. It is the ultimate responsibility of a nanny to connect with his or her charges, but it is not as easy as one might think to form the perfect secure attachment between caregiver and child. Children who change caregivers frequently or who experience poor-quality or inconsistent care are more likely to develop anxiety, aggression, and other antisocial behaviors that can last a lifetime.

A live-in nanny affords the consistency of care that a child needs; because she resides in the home, the child knows she will be available should the need arise. In this way, she is better able to serve as a parental stand-in when the mother and father are away or otherwise engaged, which can help the child feel safe and form secure attachments to all his caregivers.

When the nanny lives in the home, the parents also never need worry that she will be late to work or miss a day unexpectedly. Likewise, she will naturally be more aware of the child’s specific needs because she will be privy to the goings-on of the home even after her official workday is over.

A child who knows their needs will be attended to is able to place more trust in all the adults in their life. Furthermore, by having a trusted nonparent caregiver living in the home, the child will be better equipped to transition to other arenas in which he will have a nonparent caregiver, such as in school or during extracurricular activities.

Find a Live-in Nanny to Aid Your Child’s Development 

Families who are hoping to find a live-in nanny to watch their children need look no further! The best way to find a live-in nanny who is both experienced and well-trained is to use a nanny agency. Nanny agencies prescreen all candidates and will only refer prospective nannies who have the educational and childcare background that your family requires. A reputable agency, such as the Nanny Authority, will only work with candidates who have verifiable references. Your placement counselor will also run a thorough background check on any live-in nanny you want to hire. To learn more, contact us today!