How To Become A Nanny

Becoming a nanny is a great option for anyone who wants to work closely with children, and some nannies even live in with their families to provide the full-time care the family needs.

There are lots of different options to work with a private family. There is also the ability to work part-time, and this can mean you can work with multiple families over the course of a regular working week.

Day-to-Day Responsibilities for a Nanny

Day-to-day responsibilities for a Nanny will often vary depending on family size, other household staff, and the ages of the children, but duties may include:

• Preparing meals

• Taking the children to and from school

• Helping them with their homework

• Creating a safe and stimulating environment for the children

• Bathing and dressing

• Changing nappies and potty-training, if age-appropriate

• Children’s laundry

• Planning meals, preparing food, and/or feeding the children

• Arranging playdates and outings

• Indoor and outdoor play

• Educational activities and crafts

• Carpooling or driving the children to school, activities, or playdates

• Reading to the children

• Help with homework

• Organising bedrooms/toys

• Administering medicine with parents’ consent, if necessary

• Maintaining logs for the parents

• Light housekeeping

Different Types of Nanny

There are lots of different types of Nanny; some of these include:

Au Pair:
An au pair is more of a cultural exchange that gives a family and the au pair the chance to experience different cultures and usually to learn a new language. Au pairs are usually expected to work with the children, help them with language skills, play with them, and also carry out light housework/Mother’s help duties, often cooking for the children too.

Norland Nanny:
Graduating from the prestigious Norland College, Norland Nannies are trained to the highest standards and are considered to be the best of the best in childcare. If you train as a Norland Nanny, you will be in high demand from royalty to high-net worth/high profile families because of the standard you will be able to provide that cannot be matched.

Montessori Trained:
A Montessori Nanny will provide a care service that is based on respect; it is child-centred with open-ended play and learning. These Nannies are matched with families that have similar ethics and personalities so that the parenting style is continued by the Nanny.

Bilingual:
Bilingual Nannies (French, Spanish, German, Italian, Russian, Mandarin, and more) are in the UK and overseas. A bilingual Nanny is very useful where English is not the first language of the family, where you wish to give a child fluency in a second language, or where the family is itself bilingual.

Governess:
A Governess is a professional employed to teach and train children in a private household. In contrast to a Nanny, a Governess will concentrate on teaching the children rather than caring for their physical needs. A Governess's charges are of school age rather than babies.

Manny:
You’ve guessed it—a male Nanny. Not only do Mannies serve as caregivers, often to high-profile children, but the role of Manny also serves as a male role model who can keep up with active, outdoors-loving children. Male Nannies, or ‘Mannies,’ are becoming increasingly popular with families looking for a male role model, and often the children in their charge will be of an older age, rather than babies.

Contract:

There are lots of options for working hours, which means being a Nanny or a child carer can work around other interests or studies, for example. Contracts offered can range from:

• Full-Time

• Part-Time

• Rota Nanny

• Travelling Nanny

• Live-in Nanny

• Live-out Nanny

We hope this gives you a brief insight into the world of private childcare and the team at Oplu are always available to offer further advice and tips.