Nannies typically work for one individual family and care for children. Different nannies have different levels of responsibility for different families. If you want to become a nanny, remember to always ask the family you work for to outline their expectations. Whether you’re looking through job postings or trying to determine your title based off of your current work situation, these descriptions of the different types of nannies will help.
Living Nanny (Live-In Nannies)
A live-in nanny takes care of all of the childcare and childcare-related chores while living inside the employing family’s home. This means taking care of laundry, making meals for the children, getting them ready for school, planning activities when they’re not in school, etc. Many living nannies will also take care of other household chores, but that is up to the digression and expectations of the employing family.
Live-Out Nannies
Live-out nannies may provide the same services as a living nanny, but they live outside of the household. This means that childcare on the weekends and the evenings are left up to the parents. Typically, live-out nannies work on a normal 8-hour work schedule, and their compensation may be different than a living nanny, because the family is no longer paying room and board.
Au Pairs
An au pair is similar to a living nanny, except that au pairs are foreign or international workers who work for a host family in exchange for room and board. Their duties may be similar to that of a living nanny, but again, the actual duties are always up tot the digression of the host family. Some families pay au pairs in addition to providing room and board while other au pairs work solely for housing and board.
Babysitters
Babysitters provide some of the same care as other kinds of nannies do, but they typically work more sporadically than typical nannies. Babysitters may be younger than other nannies, and they may work once a week or just one day when the family has no other childcare options.
Housekeeper Nannies
Housekeeper nannies may live outside of the family home or may be a living nanny, but they not only see to the childcare and child-related household chores, they also may see to other household chores like cleaning, laundry, doing the grocery shopping, cooking full-family meals, etc.
Newborn Specialist
A newborn specialist nanny is a childcare worker who assists the mother in the first few months or year of the child’s life. Newborn specialists are more like mother’s assistants than they are full childcare workers.
Temporary and Permanent Nannies
Some nannies work temporarily, like in the summer or for a period of 6 months, while other nannies work for years as a nanny for one family. When you’re looking for a nanny job, make sure you discuss your time limits and the family’s expectations. If you know you can only work temporarily, don’t sign onto a family that expects you to be a permanent nanny throughout the child’s life.
