Nanny Skills: What You Need for 2012

As a nanny, you are responsible for the safety and well-being of the children in your
care. As a result, it is important that your skills and training are up to scratch. As a
nanny, you are likely responsible for the children in your care for many hours each
week, making it even more important that your skill level is up to scratch.

There is no minimum level of education required to become a nanny – and, in fact,
the best nannies are often those with years of experience but no formal childcare
qualifications whatsoever.

However, it is a competitive world for childcare providers. The family that hire
you want to know that you can do your job, and do it well. More importantly than
anything else, they need to know their children are safe with you.

As the New Year approaches, why not look into gaining some new skills as a nanny,
or developing the ones you already have? Here are some ideas to consider.

Paediatric First Aid
This is arguably a qualification that every nanny should have under her belt. You
may think you know the basics – and indeed, any first aid is better than no first aid
at all – but techniques vary greatly between age groups. Recommended techniques
can change over time, so if it’s been a while since you attended a paediatric first aid
course, now’s the time to do it. A basic course will equip you with the knowledge
you need to help a choking child, deal with burns and bleeding, and how to administer
CPR. A more advanced course will likely cost more, but the knowledge you gain
will be invaluable – and it will really help parents relax, knowing that their child’s
caregiver is fully versed in all things safety.

A Driving Licence
If you can’t drive, now is the time to learn. A nanny with a driving licence will
almost certainly be picked over a nanny on foot. As a nanny, you will often be
responsible for school runs and ferrying children around to various extra curricular
activities also. In big cities, public transport is usually very good so a nanny could
theoretically get by without a car – but most parents would far prefer it if their nanny
has their own set of wheels (or is at least able to drive the family car).

Child Psychology
Many people (usually those without children) believe that looking after children is
easy. This is not the case, as you probably already know. Children are complex
creatures, just like adults, and by undertaking a foundation level course in child
psychology you will have a far better understanding of the children in your care.
Understanding the motivations between children’s behaviours – especially the
undesirable ones – is the key to being an empathetic and effective carer and educator.

Academic Skills
Depending on the ages of the children in your care, you will likely be called on
to help with homework at some stage. If you feel your own skills could do with
brushing up, don’t hesitate to do so! Look into adult learning evening courses at your
local community centre to get your mathematics and literary skills up to scratch.