A childcare provider is one of the most important jobs ever. Ironically, there is no quicker way to get a banal comment and blank stare at a party than when you tell people you are a nanny. I could go on a philosophical rant right now but I will save that for my family and good friends. However, that being said, it can be the most satisfying, fulfilling job you’ve ever had. So for now I will just give you a few guidelines that may help you get off on the right foot with your career.

What Does a Nanny Do?Nannies are generally paid a salary and vacation benefits and are considered an integral part of the home. They are career care givers and can be either live-in or live-out. Depending on the age of children you might be expected to do any of the following duties:

Play with and plan activities for the children

Fix Meals

Get children dressed for school

Take them to school and after school activities

Tutor them in their lessons

Supervise chores

Grocery shop

Do children’s laundry and put it away

Light housework and dishes

Discipline and train children in manners and other behavior

What Does an Au Pair Do?

Au Pairs do many of the same things that a nanny does with these differences:

Traditionally a young person from a foreign country wishing to live abroad

Lives with family as a member of the family

Receives an allowance and room and board

Travels with family

Focus tends to be more on tutoring and minding the children

What Does a Babysitter Do?

Babysitters are short term occasional child care providers. They often are called with little advance notice and they often work on nights and weekends. They are paid by the hour. Tasks might include some or all of the following:

Supervise and play games with the children

Prepare dinner and clean up dishes

Bathe and put children to bed

Take children on an outing to the park

Occasionally asked to spend the night

Getting a childcare job is much like getting a job in the corporate world. Put your best foot forward and dress neatly. Business casual would be the appropriate dress.

Write a great cover letter introducing yourself

Include:

Introduction

How long you have worked in the industry

Why you want to work with kids or what you love about being around kids

What duties you are willing to perform

Create a Professional Resume

Include:

Degrees

Additional coursework that is pertinent

Classes you have taught

Current and past child care jobs along with your duties

Volunteer work

Languages

Hobbies and Interests

Certifications in CPR and First Aid

Swimming capabilities

Negotiating Pay

Pay varies by region and years of experience. It also depends on what duties you will be asked to do and how many children in the family. You can look on websites like care.com and nannies4hire.com and Craigslist to research your region. A career child care provider should not accept babysitter pay. Nannies should be paid twice as much or more than a babysitter.

Your Relationship With Parents

This is probably one of the hardest and most sensitive areas of your job. You might feel like you do the bulk of the parenting but you are not the parent. The parents are the primary authority and you should always defer to them. Sometimes your philosophy of raising children will differ from the parent’s and it is important that you can communicate and follow the wishes of the parents. If you feel like you can’t do that for whatever reason then you probably do not have a good family match. If you are diplomatic and kind there could be an opportunity to convince a parent to change their view or try it your way. Say something like “I would like to try this technique with your kids to stop them from fighting. Would you be willing to support that for a couple of weeks to see how it goes?”

A Few Things You Might Want to Avoid

Any physical discipline of the children no matter what the parents say

Taking children to doctor appointments

Performing overly personal tasks for parents

Allowing parents to pile on tasks that weren’t in the original agreement

Pet care and pet poop duty unless it is negotiated

Allowing parents to abuse your time by consistently coming home late - if this happens too often then re-negotiate your pay

Allowing parents to confide in you - you are not their therapist or marriage counselor

Finally, and most importantly, all childcare providers are required by law to report any suspicion of abuse.

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