How to Write a Letter of Recommendation for a Nanny

Beginning Your Letter

Check who you're addressing. Before you begin your letter, know who you're addressing. Most of the time, your nanny will be using your letter of recommendation for many different jobs. Therefore, something like "Dear Sir or Madam" or "To Whom it May Concern" is usually appropriate. However, in certain situations you may be addressing someone specific. If your nanny is applying for a specific job that requires letters of recommendation, you should address whoever's in charge of hiring. If your nanny is applying to a job through an agency, it might be a good idea to address that agency in your letter. For example, "Dear Hiring Staff of Lancaster Nannying."

Brainstorm. Before you write the letter, do some basic brainstorming. This will help you sort through your thoughts before trying to write the letter. Pause and consider why you would recommend your nanny. You can start by jotting down a list of words. Write down your nanny's best attributes on a piece of paper. Challenge yourself to think of 5 or 10 words that best describe your nanny's best qualities. Then, write down your best memories of working with your nanny. The best letters of recommendation will include anecdotes and stories that speak to your nanny's talent. You may want to ask your nanny to e-mail you his or her resume. This can help jog your memory as it's a good idea to list your nanny's personal achievements and career success in a letter of recommendation.

State the basic facts in the introduction. Once you've brainstormed a little, you can start writing your letter. In your introduction, you'll begin by recommending your nanny and then proceed to state the basic facts. You'll usually start your letter with something like, "I am writing this letter to recommend Lacey Shepherd to your nanny agency." If you want to set your letter apart a little, you could give a slightly more glowing recommendation. For example, "I would highly recommend the services of the Lacey Shepherd for your agency. She has been an extraordinary asset to me as a working mother." From there, you should state the basic facts. List the dates of employment, whether your nanny was a live-in or live-out nanny, and her basic responsibilities. For example, "Lacey worked for me from March of 2014 to April of 2015. She lived in a small guest room in my basement Mondays through Fridays. She supervised my children, Charlie and Olivia, while I was at work. She was responsible for getting the kids ready for school in the morning, driving them home after school, preparing snacks and meals, and accompanying Olivia to her various extracurricular activities on the days I worked late."

Keep your letter one to two pages in length. One or two pages, single spaced, is usually adequate for a letter of recommendation. Any longer and an employer may get bored and stop reading. As you continue writing your letter, keep the length requirement in mind. If you're particularly enthusiastic about your nanny, you may accidentally go overboard. Try to keep things brief and to the point as you write your letter.

Including the Right Information

Focus on four of your nanny's most positive traits. As you continue the letter, focus on your nanny's positive traits. Focus on the characteristics that were most important and helpful to you as a parent. You do not want to come off as hyperbolic by listing too many traits. However, not enough can make it look like you don't have much to say. Four is a good middle ground. List traits in terms of features and benefits. What positive attributes did your nanny have and how did those attributes help you? A prospective employer is interested in how a job candidate could benefit him or her. For example, don't just say, "Lacey had a lot of patience." Instead, write something like, "Lacey is a tremendously patient person, which was helpful as Charlie has a learning disability. Lacey took the time needed to help Charlie with his homework each night and, as a result, he excelled in school. He earned a B+ in math the semester Lacey worked for us." The trait is Lacey's patience and the benefit is your son's academic success.

Be personal. Many letters of recommendation are somewhat impersonal and removed. However, as a nanny plays the role of a caregiver, your letter should be a little more personalized. Don't be afraid to be somewhat sentimental. Discuss how your nanny made a positive impact on your life. For example, write something like, "Lacey had an immeasurable positive impact on my family's life. During the time she was working with us, my grandmother passed away. Her positive attitude and understanding nature helped me and my family get through a very difficult time."

Include a story. People are naturally drawn to stories. After writing about your nanny's positive traits for a paragraph, it's a good idea to dedicate the next paragraph to a specific, memorable story. Read over the traits you listed above. Say you claimed your nanny was very hardworking. Can you think of a time she used this trait to help you as a parent? Is there a story you can tell to illustrate this strength? For example, say your daughter wanted to act in a pageant for school. You had volunteered to make costumes for some of the other children, but had an unexpected obligation come up at work. Your nanny stayed late on a Friday night to help you finish all the costumes you had put off, making jokes and maintaining a positive attitude to keep you calm. This would be a great anecdote to include in order to illustrate your nanny's work ethic.

Highlight special skills and achievements. Any special skills or impressive achievements should be listed here. This can help set your nanny apart from the bunch during the application process. Achievements should showcase how your nanny went above and beyond the call of duty. Focus on achievements relevant to the job. It may impress you to know your nanny was an honors student at Brown, but it may not be important to someone looking for someone to watch their kids. Talk about achievements that occurred while your nanny was working with you. For example, something like, "Lacey helped Olivia memorize a William Blake poem for a school contest. She stayed after hours each night to help. Due to Lacey's dedication, Olivia came in second place." Any special skills also warrant mentioning. Maybe your nanny is a highly skilled chef. Maybe she's good at arts and crafts. Any skills that would prove useful to a parent should be listed. Stay away from jargon, however. For example, if your kids have special dietary needs that your nanny had to keep track of, avoid listing any medications or medical terms. The person reading the letter does not need to know this. He or she only needs to know that your nanny was able to keep track of your kid's diet.

Explain why the employment ended. It's a good idea to explain why the employment ended. This can help show the potential employer things ended on good terms. It's also an opportunity to express regret at losing your beloved nanny. For example, try something like, "When Lacey moved out of the suburbs and into the city, the weekly commute became too difficult. She decided to seek work closer to her new apartment. While she is very much missed at our home, I am happy that she is moving forward with her life. She would be a valuable attribute to any family."

Closing Your Letter

Provide your contact information. At the end of the letter, you should provide your contact information. This can often just be included after your signature. Your first and last name, phone number, and e-mail address should be included. If a potential employer wants to talk to your more, they should know how to contact you. It can also be helpful to write something like, "Feel free to contact me at the following number if you have any further questions."

Reiterate what you have said. In the last paragraph of the letter, restate what you have said. This paragraph should not be particularly long as letters of recommendation are generally brief and to the point. Two or three sentences should be adequate. Try something like, "Once again, I would very much recommend Lacey's services to anyone looking for a quality nanny. She is a patient, hardworking, and caring individual whose presence had a tremendously positive impact on my family."

Make sure to sign and date. When you finish the letter, make sure to sign and date. This gives the reader a sense of when it was written. It also authenticates the fact you wrote it.