How to know if you should be a professional nanny

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Have you been pondering the idea of becoming a nanny? Now is the time to get out there and make the idea a reality. Back in the day, being a nanny didn’t come with many career benefits. Now with the massive demand for childcare workers, being a nanny is a career that has security, annual leave, salary incentives and even superannuation. You could even become lucky and end up working for famous or very wealthy people while travelling the world also!

Most nannies work hard and often work long and full days. Being a nanny is a demanding job, and you need to have maturity and plenty of patience.

You must be able to handle someone telling you how to care for their child, and if there are cleaning duties involved, you will have to tidy in the way the employer wants you to. It must be understood that children are the pride and joy of their families. Some parents have gone to such lengths, including IVF and baby gender selection even to be able to have a happy and healthy child.

Nanny Training

Employing a nanny is another option from other popular childcare options available. A nanny allows parents the flexibility with working hours, and they give children the luxury to stay home in their own environment where they are most comfortable. There is no rushing the children out in the cold and rain. Children can even remain asleep, and the nanny can wake them when needed.

What experience and qualifications are needed?

If you are considering becoming a nanny, then you should be aware that employers, the parents of the children, will look at each application for suitable experience and qualifications. These may include but are not limited to:

  • Any babysitting experience
  • Current first aid
  • Current Working with Children checks
  • Childcare education qualifications such as a Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Cert III in Early Childhood Education
  • Ability to care for young children safely
  • Have a genuine love for children
  • Patience, integrity, reliability and punctuality

These children are not your own; you are not the parent

Being a nanny means you may have to go against your rules and beliefs. You need to raise the children with their parents’ values and morals, not your own. How the children are raised will be determined by the parents, not you. It can be a good idea to work with a family that have several beliefs and values that are the same as yours. If you are a very religious person, then it may not be suitable for you to work with a non-religious family. For example, families might look to expand through IVF sex selection, which could oppose an individual’s religious views. Try to look for shared values and beliefs. If you are doing things differently with the children than their parents would it will not only confuse the children, but it will not sit well with the parents and could compromise your job and reputation.

When it comes to discipline

You mustn’t use discipline methods like smacking the children, even if the parents do. Ensure you are on the same page with the discipline as the parents are. You may disagree on their punishment methods, or they may ask you not to discipline their children. You will need to abide by this. If the parents agree to discipline without forms such as spanking or putting the children in their room, be creative. There are plenty of ways to teach children to behave without using force or fear to get the job done.

It can be gratifying and may help to do some volunteer work with children first to see whether it is, in fact, the path you want to take. You may even be invited to special family events such as birthday parties or gender reveal parties once you have become a long-term nanny. Although being a nanny is a job, they often become a part of the family unit in a sense.