Has the Traditional Handshake Become a Thing of the Past? Recently, I was talking with one of our nannies at Tried & True Nannies & Sitters about something surprisingly simple: handshakes. As nanny agency owners and mentors, we’ve always encouraged nannies to offer a confident handshake when meeting a family for the first time. A good handshake has long been considered a sign of professionalism, confidence, respect, and enthusiasm. But somewhere along the way, things changed.