WHAT IS A NANNY?
A nanny is someone who is patient, hard working, flexible, qualified in childcare and has a genuine interest in the well being of children. They are employed by a private family on either a live-in, live-out, part time, full time, permanent or temporary basis.
They can be in sole charge of the children and they perform nursery duties i.e. doing the children's washing and ironing, keeping their rooms tidy, clearing away their toys, cooking for the children and clearing up in the kitchen afterwards The primary role is care of the children and therefore household cleaning is not normally included (see Nanny Housekeepers). Nannies participate in the child’s social, emotional, and intellectual development, and will work with the child(ren) on such areas as language development, potty training, social manners, homework and more.
Before you decide to become a nanny you should ask yourself the following questions to judge your suitability for the work:
· Are you patient? Can you handle 8-10 hours on a stretch with a small child, perhaps with no other adult companionship? Are you reliable and trustworthy?
· Are you flexible enough to perform your childcare responsibilities according to the family's rules?
· Are you a self-starter with initiative who can organize his/her day to accomplish all required tasks, while not neglecting your charge(s)?
· With children, things do not always go according to plan. Are you adaptable and flexible enough to change your routine to accommodate the sick child, for example or the lost sneakers when you are on a deadline, without becoming upset?
Being a nanny is hard work, but very rewarding!
DIFFERENT TYPES OF NANNIES
Live- in nannies – Can work an 11–12 hour day, Monday to Friday and up to 2 nights babysitting included. They need to be provided with appropriate accommodation either in the home or separate to it. On the weekends, she is allowed her own free time, while still being allowed to stay in the accommodation offered.
Live-out nannies – Can work a 10-11 hour day, Monday to Friday. Babysitting is agreed in advance and paid for separately.
Part time nannies – work any periods from a few hours a day to 4 days per week.
Temporary nannies – some families may need a nanny for anything from a week up to 6 months, to cover an existing nanny’s illness, holiday or maternity leave etc. Sometimes families need them to go abroad with them, as an extra pair of hands.
Proxy Parents – these are nannies who can take over from parents who have to go away from their children, for a long weekend or need to be away on business. The nanny/proxy parent lives in the house with the children 24 hours a day for as long as required.
Nanny share – this is when a nanny is employed by more than one family to care for each family’s children. This can work in the following different ways, the nanny works for both families at the same time or the nanny works for one family for part of the week and the other family for the other part of the week. You can either share with someone you know, or with someone you don’t. How this is best arranged will depend on how many children need looking after and each family’s requirements.
