From the magic of Mary Poppins and Nanny McPhee to the miracle interventions of Super Nanny and Nanny 911, we are enamored with the wisdom of the professional nanny. Someone with knowledge and experience who can step in and have the kids ship-shape in no time. But entrusting the care of your child to someone else is an extremely difficult decision. If you decide to hire a nanny, how do you make sure that person is right for your family and safe for your child? On this week’s show, I speak with real life super nanny, Michelle LaRowe, to get the inside scoop. Michelle was the 2004 International Nanny Association Nanny of the year, has been helping families and nannies find each other since 1994, and is the editor-in-chief of eNannySource.com. Listen in to our discussion to learn:

How to know if a nanny is the right choice for your family

What should a parent look for in a nanny

How to make sure your child is being safely cared for, especially if your child is a baby who doesn’t talk

Whether nanny cams are necessary and/or advisable

How much you should expect to pay a qualified nanny

Whether we should worry that our babies will bond more with the nanny than with us

Whether shows like Super Nanny are real

Whether difficult children and households really can make so much progress in such a short time with the right techniques

Why a nanny can sometimes succeed where a parent struggles

What top mistakes Michelle has seen parents make with their kids

What are Michelle’s hard-earned secret tips for effective discipline and parenting

As I have no experience being or using a nanny, I will not be blogging this week. I invite you instead to join me on Facebook or Twitter with your own parenting tips and/or your suggestions for topics for future shows.