WE’VE CRACKED THE CODE
AND WE’RE SPILLING THE SECRETS!
As a nanny or private educator you may be looking for concrete ways to improve your skills set and solidify your position as the most qualified candidate for any position. Here are a few tried-and-true characteristics that your prospective families will be looking for when they begin their search.
Intuitive Common Sense
As a nanny you will make endless decisions about your charge’s health, safety and well-being throughout the day. You need to be able to accurately assess an emergency situation and decide the best course of action. Making good choices about simple things like what to make for lunch, how to handle a surprise mess and who to call when the sink overflows in the midst of crisis makes you an ideal candidate.
Genuine Love Of Fun
Childhood is all about fun! Most parents are looking for a nanny that truly enjoys what they do, and will plan fun, well rounded days for their child. Being silly, finding the humor in everyday situations, and having a upbeat outlook on life are all key elements that parents look for in their kids’ next caregiver.
Flexibility
This trait can make or break a nanny’s ability to work successfully in any given situation. Nanny care doesn’t come with a standard 9 to 5 schedule or a job description that never changes, so built-in flexibility is often one of the main reasons parents choose nanny care over other types of care. When interviewing candidates, parents will typically talk about what kind of flexibility they offer and what their comfort level is in regard to scheduling, daily responsibilities and the household environment. Nannies that can easily adjust and adapt to change tend to be more successful and better paid in long-term nanny positions.
Open + Communicative
The success of the nanny / family relationship depends on the ability of the parents and the nanny to clearly communicate with each other. Parents often search for a nanny that is comfortable asking questions when they’re unsure of expectations or direction, and someone that regularly shares important information about their child with them, and that honestly addresses any issues within the employment relationship.
Nurturing
The idea of nurturing a child is at the heart of a nanny’s role. Being able to connect on a deep level, build a safe, loving relationship and offer a stable environment are all important elements of nurturing children. A nanny that is sensitive to kids’ individual needs, builds an engaging day around the kids’ interests, and tailors their caregiving style to mesh with the kiddos personality and temperament is a great find. Parents are often looking for someone that is committed to staying in a job long term to provide that all-important continuity of care to further support the kids’ growth.
Love Of Children
Of course the most sought out characteristic of a nanny is their genuine love of kids. This should be a no-brainer, but this field is definitely best suited for those that truly adore all of the in’s and out’s of nurturing, supporting and loving children. Education, experience and special skills matter, but none of those will make a person who doesn’t truly love working with children a quality caregiver. Enjoying children and feeling honored to be a caregiver to them is the foundation that everything else is built on.
Enthusiasm
Nannies work long days and often have a lot of responsibilities. For some, that can quickly squelch their excitement about the job. Others take it all in stride and let their natural enthusiasm for working with children lead them through the day. As a nanny, you should be able to stay genuinely excited about coming to work day after day and looking forward to spending time with your charges.
Punctuality
Just as in any professional job, parents rely on their nanny to arrive on time! Their punctuality is also important throughout the day as the nanny does school drop-off and pick-up, attends classes with their charges, and manages time to ensure that all of the household tasks are completed. Being punctual and having good time management skills will keep everything + everyone on the right track.
Trustworthiness
Parents have to place an enormous amount of trust in their nanny. Of course the biggest show of trust is allowing her to care for their children, but they also trust them with their home, car, and lots of sensitive information about their family. A nanny’s trustworthiness is an important part of the hiring decision. Parents feel that knowing their kids’ caregiver is going to love and care for their child at all times and make good decisions based on their health and well-being is an absolute must.
Reliability
One of the drawbacks of nanny care is that parents solely relying on one person for so many important things. Not only is the nanny your primary childcare provider, they’re also the parents’ household support person! If a family can’t count on their nanny to show up every day on time and ready to work, they’ll have a serious problem on their hands. References are a great source of information on a candidates reliability.
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Source: Mommy Connections