How to choose a helper when you have a baby and a toddler

By APEX Maids Agency Pte. Ltd. · MOM EA Licence 25C3180 · UEN 202547196H. Based in Jurong West and serving households across Singapore. Our website is apexmaids.sg and our phone is 8405 6661.

Write the brief in six parts

1. Both children: ages, ordinary routines and the tasks parents expect to handle themselves.
2. Overlapping attention: times when one child’s needs coincide with the other’s, including getting ready, meals and settling down.
3. Adult support: who is present, who can take over and who is contacted if the plan cannot be followed.
4. Other work: cooking, laundry and cleaning priorities, including tasks that can be postponed.
5. Communication: the household language, how updates are shared and how the helper can ask questions.
6. Working arrangements: any night duties, adequate rest, agreed responsibilities and a target start date.

The point is to show the whole role. Two children plus a full household workload should not be presented as separate easy jobs that never overlap.

An example of making an unclear request useful

Illustrative request: “We need someone good with kids who can also cook and clean.” That says little about the experience required or the support available.

A clearer brief: “We have a baby and a toddler. One parent is at home during the morning but has scheduled calls. We will agree who takes each child when routines overlap. We need help with the children’s daily routine and family meals; cleaning can move to another time. Please shortlist candidates whose previous duties match that arrangement and tell us what still needs checking.”

Replace the example with your real situation. If no adult can help at certain times, say so before shortlisting. Agree the responsibilities with the candidate; do not leave a difficult overlap to be discovered after she starts.

Distinguish four kinds of experience

• Care for one child: ask the age and the daily duties. This does not establish experience with two young children together.
• Two children in one household: ask whether another adult shared the work and which duties the helper handled.
• Relevant training: ask for the course, provider, date and certificate if training is claimed. Training and employment experience are different evidence.
• Willingness to learn: discuss it openly, but record it as willingness rather than completed experience.

For a candidate with Singapore employment, MOM employment history helps check placements and dates. It does not, on its own, prove the ages of children or every duty performed. Compare the record with biodata and the interview, and ask the agency to clarify discrepancies before making a decision.

Interview questions that expose the important differences

1. “What were the children’s ages in your previous home, and who else cared for them?”
2. “Describe a busy part of an ordinary day. Which tasks did you do, and which did the family do?”
3. “If the plan changes and both children need attention, how would you tell the parent you need support?”
4. “Which cooking and cleaning duties fitted around care, and which needed another time?”
5. “What would you want the family to explain or demonstrate before you start?”

Ask for examples, not simply “yes” to every duty. Parents should explain their own care instructions and any professional advice relevant to the children. This page does not teach feeding, sleep, medical or emergency techniques.

Agree the handover before the first day

Write down the routine, adult responsibilities, important contacts and how to raise a concern. Include a realistic plan for work and rest, and review it together when the household routine changes. If a duty requires training or professional support, arrange that rather than assuming an interview proves competence.

Use the child-care service page to request candidates, the general interview checklist for employment and expectations, and the cost guide to compare written quotations. This guide focuses on the two-child brief rather than repeating the full hiring process.