Family

How To Get A Job As A Nanny – At Home Or Abroad

A good Nanny is invaluable to parents.  A Nanny never takes the place of a parent.  She, or he, carries out the functions of a parent, when the parent is occupied elsewhere.  Nannies are not merely baby sitters, that come for a few hours or even a day or so when they are needed.  A good Nanny takes on total responsibility for a child’s social, emotional, and physical development, growth, and health.  They care for the physical needs of their charges and help, guide, teach, entertain, and discipline with total commitment, always catering to the parents wishes and concerns for the safety and welfare of their children.

Nannies are employed by parents.  They may work independently or be hired from an agency.  Nannies work full time.  They usually, but do not always, live in their clients home.  Working as a Nanny is demanding, challenging, tiring, and often but not always rewarding.  Many think the job is easy, it is not, not if you want to be successful, well-paid, and in-demand.

If you want to get a job as a Nanny and be sure of success, you must be hard-working, honest, knowledgeable, conscientious, thoughtful, considerate, cheerful, organized, patient, loving, firm, vigilant, even-tempered, selfless, articulate, willing and able to follow directions, and loyal to both parents and children.  You must be able to work without supervision.

Wise parents always check the references of potential Nannies.  They will check for any criminal history or any sign of drug or alcohol addiction.  It is the wise parent and the wise Nanny who set out their needs and expectations ahead of time and make clear what each expects.  As a Nanny you will be clear on what you want and need.  The parent should make clear their expectations.  A contract should be drawn up and signed.  First you want a clear understanding of salary and any other benefits.  What are the hours, days off, vacation time, sick leave etc.  If the Nanny is to live in, what privacy can she expect.  Will she eat with the family always, sometimes, or never?  When one or both parents are in the home, is the Nanny off duty or does this depend on the hour.

Both Nanny and parents must be considerate, each of the other.  Parents cannot expect a Nanny to be on call 24/7.  A Nanny will understand that emergencies arise and will be willing to step in if this occurs.  For this, the Nanny should receive additional time off or a bonus.  Both Nanny and parents should discuss any potential problems, hopefully before they occur.  Boiling over resentments, on either side, will interfere with the peace of the household and the welfare of the child/children.   A time should be set up daily or weekly to discuss real or potential problems and grievances.

As a Nanny you will have a variety of duties.  These may include getting the children up and dressed, providing meals, feeding them, taking them for outings, playing with them, reading to them, playing games with them, entertaining them, and teaching them simple skills.  You may supervise older children as they do chores, take them to school, and help them with their homework.  You may take children on field trips, to doctors, and to play dates.  You may do housework.  During the day, you will be responsible for the behavior of the children, their health, and their safety. All these things you will discuss with the parents ahead of time or as situations arise.  Make sure to discuss and understand thoroughly any special needs or problems a child may have.

Education

To be a good Nanny, you need a good education as well as experience.  Parents want their children to be well-educated, which means that, if you get a job as a Nanny, you should also be well-educated.  First, get your high school diploma.  Take a variety of courses, including English, computer technology, history, geography, and some science and math.  Take all courses in child care that are available.  Learn to swim well.

Get trained in first aid and C.P.R.  Keep this training up to date.

Have a valid driver’s license and a clean driving record.

It may be an asset to have a second language.

Get all the experience you can in working with children, paid or not.  Volunteer in a daycare center, hospital or school.

Get a college education with an emphasis on child care, and child psychology.  It is important to have both training and experience with infants and children of all ages.  There are training programs, of varying lengths, specifically for those who wish to become Nannies.  Browse the internet to see if there is one near you.

Get some letters of reference from schools and places of employment.  Make up a resume, stressing all the qualities and experience you have, which relate to your abilities as a Nanny.

Decide what you expect from an employer and what you have to offer.  Keep all this in mind when you go for an interview.

If you want to work as a Nanny abroad, carefully investigate all the possibilities.  Before you make a commitment, understand fully what is expected of you.  Have a signed contract.  Many young people have wonderful experiences working as Nannies in foreign countries.  Others are not so lucky.  If you go abroad, always go with a return ticket, just in case.  Keep in touch with those at home and check with them on a regular basis.