A Career As A Nanny, Is It For You?

What is a nanny?

A nanny is a professional childcare provider.  A nanny works in a similar way to a childminder, with the difference that she will work in the client’s home rather than in her own home.

What does a nanny do?

Many people are under the assumption that being a nanny is easy.  They think that it’s simply a case of playing with somebody else’s children all day. Well, there is playing involved, but there’s a lot more to it than that.

A nanny will usually work long hours, and will spend the majority of her time ferrying children around to various activities, doing the school run, preparing meals and tidying up after the children. As a nanny, you will earn a reasonably good wage but you will not usually get very much time off.

Being a nanny is hard graft.  You will need to have excellent interpersonal skills and a high level of patience.  As well as looking after the children, you will likely be responsible for some housekeeping too – the level of which should be negotiated when drawing up your contract.

However, the rewards are not just monetary.  Being a nanny can be an incredibly enjoyable and rewarding job for somebody who loves taking care of children.  It is a very important job – the children you care for will remember you for the rest of their lives.  You will be the person who is mostly responsible for their day-to-day care, therefore the bond you will forge with them will be strong.

Why a nanny?

All kinds of families hire nannies, but the majority of families that do are busy, full-time working parents.  They choose nannies because they are the most convenient solution to their childcare needs. They often start work early and finish late, so they need a childcare provider who will either be on-site (most nannies are live-in nannies) or who will come to the house to work.  They haven’t got the time to be dropping off and picking up their children from nursery or from a childminders home.

Additionally, many parents prefer to use a nanny because it can be beneficial emotionally for the children.  It is vitally important that children are able to form strong attachments with their carers in their early years.  A nanny often becomes like a much-loved relative, or even a third parent.  This kind of bond is very important and this may well be the parents’ motivation for choosing a nanny.

What qualifications do I need to be a nanny?

Although you do not technically need any qualifications to be a nanny, employers will be looking for proof of your skills.  The N.N.E.B Diploma is widely recognised and, up until recently, was considered to be the only nanny qualification that was necessary.  Now, there are many courses you can attend to gain skills, but an N.N.E.B Diploma is what employers will be looking for.

However, many experienced and brilliant nannies will have no formal qualifications. They will have excellent references, though, and many years of experience under their belts.

You will also need to provide an enhanced disclosure to be able to work as a nanny in the UK, and at least a basic first aid certificate.

Please note – for the purpose of this article I have referred to nannies as female. However, there are male nannies out there, but they are not as common as female nannies.