Nanny 101

Lesson 1: Introduction - Nanny Basics

Do you enjoy working with children and think you have something positive to add to a child’s life? If so, a live-in nanny position might be what you are looking for. A live-in nanny serves as a companion for children in their home. The nanny is an extension of the parents, offering care, boundaries, and guidance in accordance with the parents' wishes.

A live-in nanny is a fulltime, live-in childcare giver. The nanny is expected to nurture the wellbeing of the children while providing the type of structure the parents have requested. A nanny works between 40 and 60 hours per week depending on the employer’s needs but can work overtime in some cases. The specific hours of employment should be detailed in the employment contract where the specific expectations should be outlined such as hours of work, compensation, and overtime pay.

Good Qualities a Nanny Should Have

It is hard to detail each and every quality that is important in childcare because each family is looking for something different. What is key to one family may not be necessary to another and that is okay because in the end, you are looking for a good match. Some excellent qualities a nanny should have are:

Love for children. Appreciating children on all levels is key, whether they are well behaved or acting out. To love children you need to be comfortable handling both smooth and rough situations. It is essential to your success as a nanny that you are able to feel the joy interacting with children can bring. Let’s be realistic, there are also extreme challenges. If you do not have the desire to deal with children, both the challenges and rewards, this is not the position for you.

Ability to multitask. In most cases you will have more then one child to care for and this means several things happening simultaneously. You may have to cook dinner for the older kids while feeding the baby and helping out with homework problems. The life of the nanny is often hectic and the ability to handle multiple things happening at once is crucial.

Ability to work independently. You will be isolated from adult companionship for long periods of time. You should be comfortable with making sound choices and executing them on your own since your day will often be spent alone with the children. As the nanny, you are the adult and it is up to you to offer the structure the parents have asked you to uphold.

Detail oriented. Since it is your job to deal with the children in the way the parents see as the best, you must be able to listen and follow directions. Parents will tell you things from the way they want the child to be rocked, to the way to fold laundry, and you must be able to do it the way it has been dictated to you. You will have to remember every important detail from what color tights the children wear to dance class to the peanut allergy one of the children’s playmates has. In the beginning remembering all of the details will seem overwhelming but keeping a pocket notebook handy so that you can write down the important details is essential.

Flexibility. This can mean being flexible about the hours you are available to being able to handle situations that can come up unexpectedly. If you are able to shift your time and energy from task to task with ease then you are prepared to handle any situation that may arise. Because unexpected things such as traffic jams and illness come up all of time, having skills in flexibility are always helpful.

Adaptability. You might encounter people who are very different from your own background and upbringing. Are you prepared to live and work in an environment that could be radically different from anything you have known? Chances are you will encounter people of different religions, ethnicities, values, and customs. Your ability to be comfortable with various types of people may be important. Also, since being a live-in nanny is not just your job but also your home, you should be able to adapt to a new environment that may seem very foreign to you.

Dedication. No job is without its ups and downs and being invested in making it work is paramount. As a nanny you will have great days where the kids offer endless laughter but you will also have hard days when they will not listen. Dedication to your job will help you get through the rough times and keep you looking towards the good ones.

A sense of humor. Sometimes you just need to laugh at yourself or and situation that you are facing. Taking yourself lightly and being able to be silly can really help you get through the difficult times. Sometimes when you are in a stressful mess and seeing the end is impossible, finding some humor can really help you look towards the end and not take things so seriously.

Good communication skills. Having good communication skills are crucial to your success as a nanny. You will need to offer clear direction to the children and relay complete details to the parents. Your ability to communicate well is what bridges the gap between parent and child when you are in charge. Being able to understand how people like to be communicated with is also something to keep in mind. Some parents may want a written note every day containing the days events while others may want to chat with you for a few minutes at the end of the day to go over key points. Whatever the communication method is, having good communication skills will allow you to accurately relay messages between all parties.

Organizational skills. Imagine caring for three active children of varying ages. Each has different needs, friends, and activities. Many families have a children’s calendar so that the nanny can schedule events and activities and keep them all straight in one place. You will need to coordinate it all to make sure things run smoothly.

Common sense. Because you are in charge, you will need to be able to make assertive decisions that are in line with the parent’s wishes. Being comfortable executing choices means having common sense. The parents may ask you how you will handle various situations to gage how well you can execute your common sense when it comes to their children.

You should sit down and make a list of all of the qualities you feel you possess and how they might help you in your role as a nanny. This is something you should hang on to for your interview process as you may be asked to highlight some of your strong points and if you have thought them through ahead of time, the more prepared you will be. Additionally, listing your qualifications such as special training and experience is also a good idea as a way to bring out your ability to be a good caregiver.

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