Child care is no easy task, and considering how busy life can get with work and chores, more parents are beginning to look in the direction of private nannies. Because of the increasing demand for private nannies in the United States and other parts of the world, popular questions like how to become a private nanny, what are the roles of a private nanny (what does a private nanny do), and what is the difference between a private nanny and babysitter are causing so much buzz these days as people comb through the internet for answers.
To save you the stress of scouring the web for answers, we have researched and put together a comprehensive guide on how to become a private nanny with or without experience as well as qualifications and requirements of a private nanny right here in the good ole’ USA. And, of course, how to become a standout nanny and attract high-paying clients.
You should be pumped with excitement at this point because you are about to set out on an insightful learning experience. Let’s dive in.
Table of Contents
Roles Of A Private Nanny: Who Is a Private Nanny And What Do They Do?
Simply put, a private nanny is a paid professional who watches over kids in the home of their parents. However, watching over kids is not the only duty a private nanny is paid to do. From providing round-the-clock companionship for children and helping families keep tabs on their child’s activities, the duties of private nannies also extend to keeping the home under control and offering a more personalized childcare, saving parents from resorting to daycare and all its headaches.
Other duties of private nannies include:
- Ensuring the children are clean and safe
- Planning, preparing meals, and feeding children; including bottle-feeding babies
- Organizing creative and educational activities
In addition to these, your role as a private nanny may include occasionally picking up your client’s kids from school or other extracurricular activities. Depending on the terms of your agreements, you may be tasked with bathing the kids and keeping their rooms tidy.
Generally, your role as a private nanny is to keep the children safe and cater to their needs at all times, regardless of whether the parents are around or not. They should trust you enough to ensure their kids are in safe hands and living in a pleasant environment while they focus on other responsibilities.
What Are The Responsibilities Of A Private Nanny?
Having shared the popular roles and duties of private nannies and what parents can expect of you, here is a rundown of the responsibilities of a private nanny:
- Schedule nap times
- Prioritize children’s safety at all times, especially during indoor and outdoor activities
- Perform housekeeping tasks as needed
- Transport responsibility such as picking up and dropping off children to and from school and extracurriculars (karate, french club, robotics etc.)
- Clean and organize children’s rooms as well as play areas
- Arrange and implement creative activities and educational games (e.g., drawing, crafting, and other similar games)
- Care for children’s well-being in the lines of an injury or illness
- Assist young students with homework
- Teach social norms and virtues to young children, such as respect towards other and not talking with mouth full of food
While most of these duties are similar to that of babysitters, the responsibilities of a private nanny are distinct from that of a babysitter. This brings us to the million-dollar question that is most likely dashing through your mind.
What Is The Difference Between Private Nannies And Babysitters?
- How are they paid
- Education and certifications
- Schedule
- Hourly rate
- Duties
Who Is a Babysitter?
Unlike nannies, babysitters are mostly employed semi-regularly and are primarily required to look after children after school, while their parents are out unwinding (think date night or a short road trip) after a hard day’s work. On the other hand, private nannies are regularly employed professionals who have more education and training in childcare. Private nannies cater to the emotional, physical, and social needs of children. Because of their educational background, they can help out with children’s curriculum or lesson planning while also managing the house and other domestic chores like laundry and meal prep.
The common denominator between a private nanny and a babysitter is that the utmost priority of the former is keeping their clients’ children and homes safe, without exception. Because of the extent of involvement in helping parents look after the home and family, nannies are often offered the opportunity to live in the house (hence the term live-in nanny).
Having gotten that out of the way, let’s circle back to our list of differences between a private nanny and a babysitter.
- Schedule
Regarding schedule, private nannies often work longer hours compared to babysitters. They also work full-time and can live-in house with the family depending on the arrangement. While babysitters are gig workers called on demand to work for a couple of hours a week and leave, private nannies can work between 40 to 50 hours a week for one family; they don’t work with different families like babysitters.
- Education And Certifications
Nannies are expected to have a certain level of education. While their educational background may not be comprehensive, they may have combined experience in children’s education and/or special training geared towards handling children with special needs.
While a nanny is expected to have some higher education background and attended childcare certification courses, babysitting is often regarded as a gig work or at most an entry-level job in childcare; as such, there isn’t much emphasis on education and certifications in this line of business.
- How They Get Paid
How private nannies get paid is one of the best ways of distinguishing them and babysitters. Nannies are considered hourly employees, and their job offer provides for holiday pay, overtime, sick leave, vacation and insurance. Just like their employers, nannies are expected to pay taxes on their income.
On the other hand, IRS stipulations exempt babysitters from paying taxes because they are mostly paid cash, and their earnings are typically below the tax threshold set by the IRS.
- Hourly Rates
Recall that nannies are considered hourly employees. Because they are considered professionals, their hourly rate is calculated differently, and it’s based on certain factors depending on the area you live in. As you can imagine, private nannies in cities like New York City and Los Angeles can get between $25 to $40 per hour. Other factors that affect hourly rates for private nannies include the individual state’s overtime laws, certification, and educational background requirements (if any).
- Duties
Last but not least, duties. We discussed the duties of babysitters and private nannies earlier in the course of this piece. To bring you up to speed, nannies play a pivotal role in helping parents in the areas of upbringing and care for their kids. Furthermore, they adopt a hands-on approach to molding the emotional development and intelligence of the kids.
So, the duties of private nannies transcend those of babysitters, which revolve around casually looking after the kids when the parents are out having a nice evening, attending events, or needing someone to assist with some tasks (homework help, reading bedtime stories etc.) for a short time.
What are Private Nanny’s Requirements in The USA?
While there are no posted regulations or requirements to become a private nanny in the USA, the US Nanny Association has set standards, and skill sets that every aspiring nanny must acquire. These standards include undertaking certification programs and gaining relevant training as well as practical work experience.
Not many people know it but having relevant training and certifications as a private nanny tells prospective clients/families that you are committed to delivering the best services and you care enough to learn more about your field. What other ways to demonstrate commitment and stand out as a private nanny?
There are a lot of quality resources online that you can leverage as you strive to get to the peak of your career. Equipping yourself with the right programs, training, additional skills, and experience will most likely earn you more wages.
- CPR and First Aid training — are taught in local colleges and online. The American Red Cross and American Heart Association also offer CPR and First Aid training classes you can join.
- Stress management skills
- Positive discipline to correct undesirable behavior
- Take part in safety courses — lifeguard and water safety, safety in the home, and passenger seat safety, among others.
The Essential Guide to Becoming a Private Nanny with No Experience
Looking to start your career as a private nanny but don’t have any prior experience in childcare? Although it might seem like an impossible task, it’s actually easier than you think! In fact, with the right information and preparation, you can be working as a private nanny in no time.
This step-by-step guide provides everything you need to know about becoming a private nanny with no experience and landing your first client quickly! From identifying your niche to building your portfolio, we will guide you on what you need to become the standout private nanny and land your dream job.
What Type of Private Nanny Do You Want to Be?
As we mentioned earlier, a private nanny is someone who provides personalized care and supervision for children while their parents are at work or are unable to do so. They are usually certified, having proper training in CPR & First Aid and knowledge in child development. The responsibilities of this position can vary based on the needs of the family.
Regardless of whether you are planning on becoming a live-in nanny, or a live-out nanny, it’s always best to know what type of nanny you would like to become before you start searching for jobs. If your plan is to live with the family, then your duties may include cooking meals and light housekeeping. You might also be required to provide transportation for the children if needed.
A live-out nanny typically works more hours during the day than a live-in nanny does because they need to travel back and forth from home every day. However, many times there are benefits to being a live-out nanny, such as time off on holidays or weekends.
Regardless of which path you choose, the idea is that you will spend an extended period of time with these kids, and it’s important that you take into account your own lifestyle as well as theirs when choosing one role over another.
What Skills Do I Need to Become a Private Nanny?
- A good work ethic
- Strong communication skills
- Basic cooking and cleaning skills
- Ability to follow directions
How To Become a Private Nanny With No Experience?
How exactly can you become a private nanny without any experience? To begin with, get certified. While there aren’t any universally recognized programs for becoming a nanny, there are plenty of certification courses you can attend. They include CPR, First Aid, and Water Safety to start off.
In addition to NCSA-approved courses to become childcare specialists, there are nanny schools that provide childcare training that is relevant to making you stand out as a private nanny. To help you decide what classes to take and what certifications will boost your portfolio as a private nanny who is starting without experience, you can check out the International Nanny Association (INA) for a comprehensive list of certificate programs.
Having a background in any of these fields will make you stand out because virtually every rich family that is looking to hire a private nanny always opts for those with better education; that way, they can leverage your educational background to boost their kids’ academic performance.
In Closing
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