A nanny’s primary responsibility is to provide safe and nurturing care for one or more children. Parents can hire a nanny to live-in or live-out with their children. Unlike babysitters, who usually look after the child on sporadic or ongoing evenings, nannies work full time during the day for about 8 to 10 hours. Patience and a responsible attitude are two essential characteristics of a good nanny.
Nannies typically begin their shifts early in the morning, as they must arrive at the family’s residence before the parents leave for work. Like any other job, live-in nannies have a set work schedule and must be prepared for the day on time. Cleaning and cooking duties may be assigned to a live-in nanny, but these must be paid for separately or compensated for with room and board. Being a nanny entails providing child care, with only minor cooking and cleaning responsibilities, such as preparing a child’s soup and sandwich for lunch and cleaning up afterward.
With patience, kindness, and genuine concern for the safety and well-being of the children, a nanny helps them get through the day. Nannies aren’t just babysitters; they also assist with potty training, table manners, and homework. Children may be driven or walked to and from school. The rules of the parents are followed the nannies.
When parents hire a nanny, they expect that person to provide their child or children with safe, personalized care. Instead of using television or computer games as a babysitter or engaging in those activities themselves, nannies are expected to interact with the children. After chores and homework are completed, nannies could teach the children a ball game in the backyard, play a board game to learn numbers, or work on an arts and crafts project together at the kitchen table.
Most parents, particularly those who opt for live-in child care, want nannies to be a part of their family and prefer to hire them for at least a year or two. Nannies and employers should agree on and sign a work schedule that includes the nanny’s responsibilities and expectations. It is much easier for nannies and employers to communicate if the expected tasks and house rules are written down. After all of the expectations and exact duties of the nanny position are written down, it’s also easier for both parties to negotiate a fair wage.