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Nanny Guide > What
is a Nanny?
by Ruth Riley
Looking for a nanny position? Heard
conflicting stories about what a nanny is? Want to learn how to
improve your chances for success? Then read on.
Nannies must have the child or children
in their care and their welfare as their unqualified primary concern.
Any task which is directly related to childcare can be within the
realm of a nanny's job description; however, the circumstances of
the family - i.e., number of children, ages of children and hours
of the job are all factors which also need to be taken into consideration
when determining if the job requirements are reasonable. While you
should look forward to "fun" time with your charges during
each day; you should generally expect to also perform various daily
tasks (straightening up after the meals you cook, doing the children's
laundry, making the children's beds, helping them pick-up at the
end of the day etc.) which, while not the most enjoyable part of
each day, are reasonable expectations and a practical need for busy
parents.
It is also true that many nanny
job descriptions also include tasks not related to the child or
children. When reviewing the job descriptions written by 4Nannies.com
families, don't automatically exclude every family who has included
non-child related tasks, simply because you are not interested in
performing any non-child related tasks. You should know that few
families are experienced at hiring nannies - or at creating job
descriptions. This means that while they will probably agree with
you that your primary focus must be their children, they may not
have always taken the time to think about how that translates into
what should be expected from you. Discussing with prospective employers
that performing non-childcare related tasks will take you away from
what you feel must be your primary focus - the care and nurturing
of their child/ren is not inappropriate and may cause them to reconsider
the job description.
The bottom line is this: It is to
everyone's mutual benefit that you and your prospective family develop
a set of job responsibilities (whatever they end up including) which
are clear and which you are comfortable with. Never agree to take
on tasks which you are either unqualified to perform or which you
know you will relegate to the bottom of the list, never to get done
or done properly. It is much better to simply state that you can
not manage to get the hang of laundry, than to agree to perform
the task and repeatedly do a miserable job. You may eliminate some
or many positions by not agreeing to perform tasks which are commonly
considered "typical" within the profession, but that is
still preferable to accepting a job with a weekly ironing requirement,
only to find out too late that no matter how awesome you are with
your charges, the parents can't escape the fact that you can get
the clothes ironed satisfactorily and the position ends on a bad
note, with everyone disappointed.
Nannies are not "one size fits
all". There are many different nanny styles, just as there
are many different family styles. Look for the family that fits
your style and happy shopping!
TIP: If the family you are considering
working for has hired a nanny or nannies before, consider asking
to speak with the individual or individuals in order to gain a clearer
picture about what a typical day or week is like. Think about how
you feel about performing the tasks he or she describes and ask
questions about the family's willingness to be flexible if there
appears to be fairly tight or rigid schedule to adhere to. Try to
get a feel for what the family's true priorities are. You may use
the Family Reference Form from 4nannies.com to help you. If, on
the other hand, the family has never hired a nanny, it may be helpful
to suggest that the proposed job description be re-visited after
a month and perhaps again at three months, in order to make any
necessary adjustments.
4nannies.com's Ruth Riley has many
years of personal and professional experience with nanny care. Ms.
Riley is the working mother of three, an attorney, and a former
nanny agency operator.
Useful Links
Sample Nanny|Family Work Agreement
The Nanny Log and Why We Recommend It
Family Reference Form
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