Nannying is one of those jobs that people seem to think are a walk in the park, but in reality, it's anything but. There are so many misconceptions about what it actually takes to be a nanny, so I reached out to one to get a little more clarity on what their job is actually like.
I spoke with an anonymous source who has been nannying consistently for about four and a half years. Here's what they shared with me about their job:
1.Most people don't understand the difference between a nanny and a babysitter.
2.Nannying jobs tend to require more in-depth, personal interviews than babysitting jobs, and often include a trial week before the job is actually offered.
3.During most weeks, this nanny — as well as many others — balances both consistent nannying jobs and one-off babysitting jobs.
4.Working as a live-in nanny, or au pair, is a thousand times harder than regular nannying.
5.Nannies hate when parents try to overexplain basic childcare things they already know.
6.Unlike babysitters, nannies don't always get tipped.
7.The biggest misconception about nannies is that they all want kids.
8.Nannies aren't just responsible for a kid's basic needs — they are also in charge of tracking and awarding milestones.
9.If you hire a nanny and cancel less than three days before the job, it's common courtesy to still pay the full price.
10.Nannies don't get as much free time on the job as you probably imagine.
11.The best thing a parent can do is engage in conversation and ask personal questions.
12.Despite what you may have seen on TV and in movies, your nanny is probably not trying to steal something from you or sleep with your husband, like, at all.
13.A green flag for nannies is when the parents offer food or snacks.
14.It's also a red flag when parents don't want to do a trial week with the nanny and their child.
15.The biggest problems nannies face are rarely the kids — they're actually the parents.
16.And finally, the thing about nannying that has surprised this nanny the most is that the families with less almost always offer more.
Are you a nanny? Is there anything important we missed? If so, tell us about it in the comments below!