Nanny 101

Lesson 1: Introduction - Nanny Basics

Education, Training, and Skills a Nanny Needs

Education

Most nannies have varying degrees of education. The minimum is usually a high school diploma or the equivalent. In some cases experience is more valuable then a college degree but some families like the idea of hiring a caregiver who has a college degree in early childhood education. Additionally, nannies with bachelors degrees and masters degrees can be paid more than people who have the equivalent in experience. This is totally subjective and depends on the family’s expectations. A family might like the idea of training you from scratch while others expect you to be the expert in the field of childcare. The bottom line is the more knowledge you have on the subject of children the more marketable you are. Successful nannies not only have the ability to demonstrate skills and experience they also must illustrate the aptitude to acquire new knowledge when needed.

If you are interested in exploring higher education opportunities, there are hundreds of colleges that offer associates and bachelors degrees in early childhood education and there are even a few offering certificates for nannies and childcare. The best place for you to research the programs available is to do a web search and find programs in your area or the area you are thinking about moving to.

Additionally, there are training opportunities not tied to colleges such as certification classes offered through nanny agencies, community education courses, and seminars taught by independent contractors. If you feel like additional training and education is something you want to pursue, you should take the time to research the possibilities in terms of time commitment and long term rewards. You can do this by speaking with nanny agencies and asking them how beneficial the different types of training are. In the end you have to do what is going to be the best fit for you.

Training and Certifications

Apart from education there is a need for nannies to meet certain training requirements before they are employed in a household. In rare cases, families may let training overlap with employment but usually necessary certifications in emergency rescue are required before working alone with the children. In fact, most nanny agencies will require you to have proof of certification before completing an application with them and some of them will train you on site in order to prepare you for employment.

There are two musts when it comes to certifications: American Red Cross certification in CPR and first aide. Both of these certifications will help prepare you for emergency situations that may arise. YMCA’s, community health organizations, and community education programs offer courses throughout the year that fulfill the certification process. Generally the cost of each course is about $30 to $50. CPR training will prepare you for rescue breathing, choking victims, and reducing injury to infants and children when performing rescue techniques. First aide training will help you to recognize and deal with emergencies, injuries, and sudden illness. The more prepared you are for emergency situations will help to put yourself and families at ease. Both CPR and first aide knowledge is useful, practical, and timely. No one wants to face a worst case scenario but with proper training, you can be more equipped to effectively offer solutions if something should arise.

Water safety certification is something that can be very helpful but is not always required. When thinking about being employed by a family who might have a pool, enjoy the water, or vacation at the beach, you should feel very comfortable both supervising and interacting with children in or near water. Many families will ask if you have training in water safety or if you are comfortable around the water. If you are not completely comfortable handling children around water, you should be up front because you could be creating a potentially dangerous situation. Water safety courses are also offered at YMCA’s and through community education. In some cases CPR and water safety are taught in the same class.

Good Mental and Physical Health

Because it takes a good deal of energy and alertness to care for children fulltime, you will have to pass a recent physical exam that certifies you are in good health. You will also need to be up to date on all immunizations and vaccines and will have to provide this information to your future employers. Because of the contagious nature of some infections, some additional tests that may be required by the agency or your family are tuberculosis (TB), HIV, and hepatitis. You should agree to additional testing outside the realm of the physical, only if you feel comfortable doing so.

Taking care of children can be fairly physically and mentally demanding. Having the capacity to not only deal with the physical demands such as carrying a baby but also the mental strength to handle stress and potential behavioral issues is essential. There is no special training in either area but knowing your physical and mental strengths and limitations is key. In some cases you may have to take a special test that evaluates your metal health as a way for the agency or families to enhance the screening process.

Smoking, Drinking, and Drugs

While using substances might be something you enjoy, in most cases families will lay out when and what is acceptable to them. Because you will be living in their home and interacting with their children, they have every right to dictate approved behaviors for you as their employee. In some ways, you are a personification of their ideals and to employ someone who does not respect their rules is a violation of their expectations.

Most nannies are required to be non-smokers. In rare cases families will be open to a nanny who does not smoke in front of the children or only in off time. I have not met or heard of a nanny who is allowed to smoke in front of the children so if you are a smoker, you should quit or be resigned to only smoke in your off time.

As for drinking, clearly it is not acceptable during work hours. If you are under 21 I would say going out drinking may not sit very well with your employers, but in some cases they are okay with it as long as it does not interfere with your ability to do your job. This can be a tricky situation since you will be living with the people who employ you and to some degree, they can see how you spend your free time. If you are over 21 and enjoy drinking, you should definitely talk to your potential employers about what is reasonable to them. Keep in mind, you are expected to be the responsible, mature adult when they are not around and if you are irresponsible with drinking, it can negatively effect their opinion of your ability to do a good job. Also, keep in mind that workdays frequently start at 7 in the morning so a raging night of partying will definitely impair your ability to function that early in the morning.

Drug use is a big NO. As a role model for someone’s children, you should not engage in illegal activities. Some would argue that what you do in your free time is up to you but as stated before, you need to set up the boundaries prior to employment so you can decide if you can follow the rules or not. Also, having a history of drug or alcohol abuse may hinder your ability to find a job.

Good Driver

How is your driving record? As the nanny you will do a lot of driving – everything from carpools to taxiing children to and from play engagements. If you have received speeding tickets or have been in an accident, this can effect your future employer’s opinion of you. And, if you think you can get away without disclosing how good of a driver you are, think again because if you are added onto their auto insurance or if they pay for a separate policy, your driving history will be out in the open. If you have demonstrated that you are not a good driver a family may not feel comfortable with you behind the wheel of their car with their children. If your driving history is less then desirable you should consider outlining the causes or reasons for your reckless driving and how you have fixed the situation since.

Cooking

Meal preparation is a component of the duties you will perform as a nanny. Usually, the nanny feeds the children all of their meals while she is on duty. The nanny may also be required to assist or fully prepare meals for the parents too. Some people enjoy eating dinner with their children while others like the kids to be fed by the time they get home from work. In any case, you need to have basic kitchen know how. It is good to know how most kitchen appliances work but if you do not know, taking a walk through the kitchen where you live now with someone who uses the appliances, is a good idea. Your employers will show you how to use elaborate appliances like bread makers but you definitely have to be able to boil water. The good news is that most kids have simple diets that do not require lots of food preparation. If you are concerned about the types of food you might have to make you should ask during the interview what things the kids like to eat and how much you are required prepare.

Laundry and Cleaning

The nanny is not a housekeeper. However, there will be cleaning and laundry responsibilities that go along with childcare. You should be familiar with both laundry and basic cleaning skills. An ideal situation would limit the laundry and cleaning duties to the children but sometimes this expands into caring for the whole family. This is something you should definitely cover in the interview and should be in your contract. You want to have clear direction when it comes to how much non-childcare work you will do. You do not want to end up in a situation where you are caring for the kids 40 hours a week and must keep a spotless house unless this is something you are comfortable doing. Sometimes families will pay the nanny extra to help out with additional cleaning duties, which works out great if you are willing to do it.

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