Nanny Guide > What is a Nanny?

by Ruth Riley

Looking for a nanny position? Heard conflicting stories about what a nanny is? Want to learn how to improve your chances for success? Then read on.

Nannies must have the child or children in their care and their welfare as their unqualified primary concern. Any task which is directly related to childcare can be within the realm of a nanny's job description; however, the circumstances of the family - i.e., number of children, ages of children and hours of the job are all factors which also need to be taken into consideration when determining if the job requirements are reasonable. While you should look forward to "fun" time with your charges during each day; you should generally expect to also perform various daily tasks (straightening up after the meals you cook, doing the children's laundry, making the children's beds, helping them pick-up at the end of the day etc.) which, while not the most enjoyable part of each day, are reasonable expectations and a practical need for busy parents.

It is also true that many nanny job descriptions also include tasks not related to the child or children. When reviewing the job descriptions written by 4Nannies.com families, don't automatically exclude every family who has included non-child related tasks, simply because you are not interested in performing any non-child related tasks. You should know that few families are experienced at hiring nannies - or at creating job descriptions. This means that while they will probably agree with you that your primary focus must be their children, they may not have always taken the time to think about how that translates into what should be expected from you. Discussing with prospective employers that performing non-childcare related tasks will take you away from what you feel must be your primary focus - the care and nurturing of their child/ren is not inappropriate and may cause them to reconsider the job description.

The bottom line is this: It is to everyone's mutual benefit that you and your prospective family develop a set of job responsibilities (whatever they end up including) which are clear and which you are comfortable with. Never agree to take on tasks which you are either unqualified to perform or which you know you will relegate to the bottom of the list, never to get done or done properly. It is much better to simply state that you can not manage to get the hang of laundry, than to agree to perform the task and repeatedly do a miserable job. You may eliminate some or many positions by not agreeing to perform tasks which are commonly considered "typical" within the profession, but that is still preferable to accepting a job with a weekly ironing requirement, only to find out too late that no matter how awesome you are with your charges, the parents can't escape the fact that you can get the clothes ironed satisfactorily and the position ends on a bad note, with everyone disappointed.

Nannies are not "one size fits all". There are many different nanny styles, just as there are many different family styles. Look for the family that fits your style and happy shopping!

TIP: If the family you are considering working for has hired a nanny or nannies before, consider asking to speak with the individual or individuals in order to gain a clearer picture about what a typical day or week is like. Think about how you feel about performing the tasks he or she describes and ask questions about the family's willingness to be flexible if there appears to be fairly tight or rigid schedule to adhere to. Try to get a feel for what the family's true priorities are. You may use the Family Reference Form from 4nannies.com to help you. If, on the other hand, the family has never hired a nanny, it may be helpful to suggest that the proposed job description be re-visited after a month and perhaps again at three months, in order to make any necessary adjustments.

4nannies.com's Ruth Riley has many years of personal and professional experience with nanny care. Ms. Riley is the working mother of three, an attorney, and a former nanny agency operator.

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Sample Nanny|Family Work Agreement
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