Nannies are employed by parents to take care of their children. They do various tasks for the family and fulfill various time commitments based on the family’s needs. Plenty of modern TV shows have depictions of Nannies that you may have seen, but they’re not always in depictions that put nannies in a positive light. This kind of portrayal and other knowledge about nannies have created many myths that need to be debunked. If you like working with kids and you want to be a nanny, don’t let the myths stop you.
Myth #1: Nannies Only do Childcare, They Don’t do Any Housework
The truth is that every agreement between the parents and a nanny is different. Some nannies live inside of the family’s home and others live outside of it. Many nannies work as housekeepers in addition to providing childcare. Other nannies just take care of kids after school or only on the weekends. If you want to be a nanny but don’t want to do housework, make sure that it is specified in your work agreement with the family, but also be aware that some nannies do housework and are able to get paid more because of it.
Myth #2: Being a Nanny Isn’t a Real Job
Being a nanny is tough work. Many nannies work more than 40 hours a week, and if you’ve ever spent any time with kids, then you know that they can be quite the handful. You may not need a college degree to become a nanny, but you’ll certainly need a strong work ethic and skills with handling kids.
Myth #3: All Nannies Live With the Family so They Can’t Have a Social Life
Many nannies do live with families, but many also live outside of the family’s home. Even nannies who do live outside of the home get days off from work. It’s absolutely still possible to have a social life if you work as a nanny, but some nannies do feel the need to establish boundaries or hide aspects of their personal lives simply because they are acting as role models in the child’s life. Additionally, some parents may want the nanny to keep some things like drinking habits, romantic relationships, etc. away from the child’s life.
Myth #4: Nannies Are the Same Thing as Babysitters
Generally speaking, babysitters are in charge of watching over and occupying children while parents are out of the house. Nannies, on the other hand, are a consistent part of the child’s life. Most nannies work with the children almost every day and establish relationships with the parents. This means that they are passing on information about the child’s activities to the parents and are helping the child with life skills and education.
