nannies – Page 26 – Nannyjob blog

Lifestyles of the rich and the famous

Many nannies dream of working of a VIP or even celebrity family. It’s a hidden world where nannies sign extensive confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements* but get to travel in private jets, stay in 5* luxury and get designer handbags as bonuses. Take a peek inside and meet The Royal Nanny, The Super-Wealthy Nanny and The High Profile Nanny.

Many nannies dream of working of a VIP or even celebrity family. It’s a hidden world where nannies sign extensive confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements* but get to travel in private jets, stay in 5* luxury and get designer handbags as bonuses. Take a peek inside and meet The Royal Nanny, The Super-Wealthy Nanny and The High Profile Nanny.

What’s it like day to day?

The Royal Nanny: I wake the children up and supervise them getting dressed and so on in the morning. Then we go down to breakfast, which is prepared and cleared away so I don’t have to do anything, which is amazing! I usually talk to the kitchen staff about lunch and dinner while the children are eating and any other staff who will be involved in the day. After breakfast if the children’s mother is around we’ll go and see her for up to an hour and then we might spend time in the gardens, at the pool or inside doing some structured activities. It’s difficult to do normal things in the compound but I try and organise some time in the kitchen every so often so we can bake, for example. Often there are cousins around so we might play with them. After lunch it’s time for a rest, and then the afternoon is the same as the morning, but we’re more likely to go out if the children’s mother wants to. Dinner is eaten later than I was used to, and then I supervise bedtime. After that I report to my employers on what we did that day and I’m off duty until the next morning. We travel quite a lot and then I find we all work a lot more, which is annoying because it’s easier to go out when you’re in a big city!

The High-Profile Nanny: It’s really normal! Sometimes the kids are up when I get there, sometimes they aren’t. I do breakfast, tidy up, gather up school shoes and reading bag and anything that needs to go back to school and do the school run. Then there’s usually toddler group, Gymboree or a playdate in the morning, back for lunch and nap while I get nursery duties done before going back to school, running round any after school activities or playdates, home for dinner and bath and by then one of my bosses is usually home and I leave!

The Super-Wealthy Nanny: I work 24 hours so anytime the littlest one wakes in the night I get up. We all have to be up by 7.15 and get ready for the day. Usually the housekeeper prepares breakfast so all we have to do is go downstairs and she tidies up too so once breakfast is done we brush teeth in the downstairs bathroom and it’s straight out the door to school. The older ones are responsible for their own school stuff, just because they’re really rich doesn’t mean they can’t start taking responsibility for themselves. The driver takes us to school and then to whatever activity the little ones are doing. The days are actually really busy because they do a lot but it’s never just me so some days I’ll pick up both the older ones from school and plan something for everyone but twice a week the oldest has something after school so the driver goes back later and I stay with the other three. It’s tough to organise going to play with friends because of the security. Sometimes I feel a bit awkward saying that my charge will be accompanied by a bodyguard! When we got home we have to fit in homework and music practice and so on. My bosses definitely expect to see results from what they pay for so the children work hard. I don’t have to worry about dinner because either the housekeeper prepares it or we have something from the freezer. I try to have everyone in bed by 8.30 because it’s only when they’re down that it’s my time! We have a duty bedroom in the main house where we stay but if it’s changeover night then the other nanny will arrive about 6 and I can go to the place we share, or go out!

What has been your best experience?

The Royal Nanny: There have been loads but staying on a private island was probably the best.

The High-Profile Nanny: Just my boss saying thanks for keeping the kids safe and letting them have a normal childhood. It made me feel like I was doing my job right.

The Super-Wealthy Nanny: It was when the family just arrived in London and my charges had no toys. The mother drove us to Hamleys and told me to buy anything I wanted for them. I don’t know who was more excited – my charges or me!

What has been the worst experience?

The Royal Nanny: Accompanying my employers and the children to a major event and being caught up in a security breach. It was terrifying. I honestly thought someone was coming after the family I work for.

The High-Profile Nanny: The first time there was a big news story involving my boss – I was convinced everyone I spoke to was a journalist waiting for me to say something stupid.

The Super-Wealthy Nanny: Getting lost in one of their houses. I was only going to the kitchen to get some bottled water and I was gone for 20 minutes when I thought I’d be 3, tops. I came back to find my boss in the playroom looking really puzzled by why I’d been gone so long. I tried to explain what had happened and she just made me feel like a worm. I didn’t leave my charges alone – there was someone else there – but neither of us knew the house and I thought I knew where I was going, except I didn’t! I still don’t really get what I did that was so wrong because I think I’ve messed up worse other times but that time it was the reaction that made it really bad.

What was the biggest change for you?

The Royal Nanny: It was the formality and learning all the rules. There are rules about who you can and can’t speak to if they don’t speak to you first, what you have to call them, whether you’re expected to curtsey in public and so on and then you have to remember what you have to teach the children because the rules are different for them. There are even hierarchies in the household servants and between the other nannies, which is a bit crazy.

The High-Profile Nanny: Having to be really, really careful about media attention.

The Super-Wealthy Nanny: Working in a team with another nanny. Luckily we really get along, but when I started they just had me during the week and a weekend nanny who came daily so it wasn’t too different to a normal job, except instead of the parents letting my charges watch too much TV it was the other nanny! Then it changed so we work 4 days on and have 3 off, and sometimes we work 7 days straight, or on holiday it’s usually half days. It all gets a bit complicated because it’s our responsibility to work it out and make sure there’s always someone there. But when we first started with this system we weren’t communicating well so stuff for school got forgotten or one would arrange a play date for the other’s day and not say anything.

Do you really travel by private jet, stay in 5* hotels and get a designer handbag as a bonus?

The Royal Nanny: We have sort of travelled by private jet and if we stay anywhere that isn’t family or friends then it’s 5* but I’ve never had a designer handbag bonus.

The High-Profile Nanny: No, not at all! I work for a totally normally family where one of my bosses just happens to have a job that’s in the papers a lot. I would love a designer handbag…

The Super-Wealthy Nanny: Yes, we do. I got a gorgeous handbag for my birthday last year. I’m such a cliché!

What piece of advice would you give anyone who wants your job?

The Royal Nanny: Put time into acquiring skills and qualifications that will make you fit in with their lifestyle and simultaneously allow you to deliver top quality care. Most nannies I meet have some kind of teaching experience, especially for older children, because a big part of the role is preparing the children for school, or possibly even educating them at home.

The High-Profile Nanny: Develop a really thick skin. People will say all sorts of things about you and your employers because they’re in the public eye and it can be hurtful to hear or read it, especially when it isn’t true. You have to put it out of your mind because the children come first.

The Super-Wealthy Nanny: Don’t let the way they flash their cash make you feel embarrassed. It can seem really over the top at first, and I suppose it is, but you’ll be hanging out with other people who find it normal so you’ll stick out more if you look uncomfortable.

*no confidentiality agreements were broken or harmed in any way in the production of this post

Flying With Small Children: An In-Flight Survival Guide

A recent short trip abroad is all it takes to remind me of how difficult it can be travelling with little ones! The last thing any family or nanny wants is to have attention drawn to a restless toddler or crying baby, but as we all know we’re generally on a knife’s edge between a calm flight and a stressful one with small children.

If you’re a nanny and have to travel with babies or young children in your care, we have put together a survival guide to ensure that you don’t become the person in charge of ‘that annoying child on the row in front’, and possibly even have an enjoyable flight!

Prepare beforehand – when the flights are booked, if possible make sure that you request the front row of seats, so that you have more leg room. The child has more room to move around on the flight, and will not be annoying anyone in front by pulling on the backs of seats.
Nap time – if you have a child in your care who is good at taking regular naps, try to ensure that flights are booked and taken at nap times, so that the child is more likely to want to sleep on board.
Choose toys wisely – in other words, use your common sense on this one and don’t take large toys that will take up too much room, or small toys with lots of fiddly bits that will end up getting lost. A few simple toys which pack lightly and tightly are best, and a small comfort blanket instead of large items.
Concentration spans – a very helpful Nannyjob Facebook fan informed us that children have 1 minute of concentration per year of their age, so if the 3 year old in your care is finding the window shutter more interesting than her Barbie after 5 minutes, don’t expect her to be any different, and go with her concentration, don’t force it.
Be self sufficient – prepare yourself before the flight so that you aren’t going to be relying on airline staff to help you entertain or calm the children. They are busy enough and it isn’t in their remit, so don’t get stressed if the cabin crew overlook your crying toddler whilst serving your in flight meal – they just have a job to do.
Travel light – we’ve all seen those families who seem to be carting everything and the kitchen sink on board, and are more stressed before take off just from lifting and carrying than actually having little ones with them. Only take essentials for both you and the children, and to make these essentials light ones!
Distraction works! – Let’s face it – spending hours on end in one place is going to get a bit tedious for the most well behaved little one, so remember that for those hours it really is down to you to become the key source of distraction! If you sense a toddler becoming irritable and bored, get your creative hat on, become the circus, and think of a totally new thing to sing, play or do! You’ll be amazed what new games come out of a flight!
Don’t apologise – children cry, children get frustrated and bored – it is not your fault, it’s what happens! If you see that smug couple with no children on the row behind tutting at this, then totally ignore them and stay strong.
Be aware of ear pressure – This can be a really big deal. As someone who has suffered from ear pressure pain on flights since childhood, I totally empathise with the crying children I hear on flights when coming in to land. The only thing that works for me is a certain well known brand of sinus pressure pain and nasal congestion relief, which literally wipes the pain and pressure away like magic, and has started doing it’s own range of children’s products.

Do you agree with our ideas? Why not share your experiences on our Facebook wall?

Taking Care of Yourself: Tips for Child Carers

The job of a child carer is a demanding one; mentally, emotionally and physically. We love our jobs, working with children is exceptionally rewarding, but if we’re not careful, we can suffer from stress, burnout and exhaustion.

We’ve put together some top tips to help keep you healthy and in tip-top shape to ensure that you and your charges receive the best care!

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Get Craft Happy For The Jubilee!

Let’s face it, even the least patriotic of us will be finding it hard at the moment to escape the media frenzy around the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June, and for those who do love a bit of classic English patriotism, why not get involved in your own creative way?! If you have toddlers or older children in your care, this is the perfect excuse to get their creative juices flowing, whilst teaching them a little bit about our monarchy at the same time!

So, I hear you ask, what kind of things can we make?! Here are a few of our best ideas to keep children happy and creative in time Jubilee celebrations:

Make Bunting:

You will need:

A length on string as long as you want your bunting to be
Coloured sheets of card in red, white and blue
A pencil
Sellotape
Scissors

This is a basic way of making bunting, so that little children can be involved as there is no material to stitch. Simply make a triangular template and get the children to draw around it onto the coloured card. Cut out the drawings and get the children to put them in order – red, white, blue, red, white, blue and so on. Fold about a centimetre of the top of the triangles over the string, and attach down on one side with a piece of Sellotape. Do this all the way along your string, and then attach the bunting either inside or outside the house! This is a fantastic exercise for fine motor skills, as well as recognising shapes and colours for children.

Make a Crown:

You will need:

A piece of cardboard around 4 inches wide, and long enough to go around the child’s head and overlap slightly
A strip of tin foil around 5 inches wide, and the same length as the cardboard
Scissors
Crayons, glitter, or stickers
Glue
Stapler

Glue the length of tin foil on top of the length of cardboard, matching the bottom edges up, so that there is an inch extra of foil at the top. Now, cut zig zags into the foil all the way along the top, giving a crown effect of lots of points going across the top. Now it’s time to really have some fun and decorate, using glue, glitter, crayons or stickers, let your little ones go to town on their individual crown decoration on top of the tin foil. When the decorations have dried, make a ring with the crown and staple each end together, to fit over the child’s head.

Union Jack cupcakes (makes 12):

What you need:

4oz caster sugar
4oz margarine
4oz self raising flour
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp baking powder
12 white cupcake cases

For the icing:

1 packet white ready roll icing
Apricot jam
Blue and red food colouring pens

Method:

Line a cupcake tin with 12 cupcake cases and preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
Cream together the sugar and margarine with an electric mixer. Gradually add the eggs, flour, vanilla essence and baking powder whilst mixing.
Half fill the cupcake cases and put into the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden and well risen. Take the cupcakes out of the oven and place onto a wire rack to cool.
Roll out the icing to around 3mm thickness, then use a circular cutter to cut out 12 circles.
Put some apricot jam into the microwave for 20 seconds to make it runny. Brush the cooled cupcakes with the jam, and then place the icing circles on top so that they stick. Draw a basic union jack with your blue and red pens on to the icing on each cupcake.

You now have some really Royal treats!

Adding to the ideas we’ve given, why not try making some red, white and blue pompoms, or get some plain white serviettes and get the children to colour some red and blue onto them, or even onto a plain white paper tablecloth. There are hours of fun to be had, all in the name of Queen and country – have fun!

Balancing your summer nanny budget

The summer holidays can be a long time, and days out, crafts and cheeky ice creams from the ice cream van soon mount up!

Your term time kitty may not go very far in the holidays so introduce your charges to the idea of budgeting and find a balance of free, low cost and splashing out activities. Developing money sense is important from a young age, and children sometimes love the challenge of finding free or bargain activities to do. It also introduces the concept of making a choice, or several choices, based on a limitation.

Continue reading “Balancing your summer nanny budget”

Taking your child to work as a nanny

More and more nannies are looking for jobs where they can take their own children with them. It seems like a perfect compromise between working and having time with your children, and increasing numbers of families are happy to reduce their costs a little bit – or get more for their money – by accepting a nanny who wants to bring her own child to work.

The law

A nanny can care for children from up to 2 families at once, and that includes her own children. So a nanny based at an employer’s home is able to take her own children along. Doing a nanny share and taking your own child is not allowed unless you register with a OFSTED as a childminder on the Early Years and Childcare registers. Registering on the voluntary register as a Home Childcarer, which is what OFSTED call nannies, isn’t enough. Nannies, however, don’t have to comply with ratios so can care for 2 babies or 4 children under 5.

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Working overseas

Almost every nanny at some point flirts with the idea of nannying overseas. British nannies are sought after from Paris to Monaco, Dubai to Washington and salaries can be far more competitive than staying in the UK. There are several ways to go about finding a job overseas. One option is work as a ski or summer holiday nanny in a resort. The advantage of this is that you have a team of other nannies around you and everything is taken care of by the company. The disadvantage is that you often don’t get to experience local culture and you may find yourself also working in a creche or nursery setting as well as with a family. If you’ve never worked as a nanny before this can be a great transition. You could also work for programmes such as Camp America for a season which will enable you to work in the US.

Alternatively you can find yourself a job with a family either through an agency or responding to a private advert. As with all private adverts it’s very important to make security a top priority. Ask the family for references and be wary of scammers. Book flights yourself and be reimbursed rather than giving the family your personal details and look up the details for the consulate in your destination country. Hours can be long and expectations high, and if you find nannying in the UK isolating you may want to avoid cities which don’t have a large nanny, au pair or expat community. Most overseas jobs are live in and it can be easy to find yourself spending evenings and weekends in your bedroom skyping your friends or catching up on Facebook instead of getting out and making the most of a new country.

If you are young and single an ideal way to try out working abroad is as an au pair. Although au pairs are paid far less than professional nannies and do fewer hours it is much easier to find a job, and once you have a reference to prove that you coped working abroad once you will find it easier to get a nanny job overseas. One of the other big differences between nannies and au pairs is the type of visa required. If you are an EU national you can work anywhere in the EU without needing a specific visa, however some countries have rules about what an au pair can and cannot do and the maximum and minimum rates of pay. British nationals can also get working holiday visas to countries such as Australia which will allow you to work temporarily as a nanny. To go to the US, however, the easiest way is to go as an au pair on a J1 visa. Many nanny jobs in America wanting a British nanny are actually advertised as au pair jobs so talk through the job carefully and know what you are signing up for.

A contract is an absolute necessity, particularly if you don’t know the language of the country you are going to. It is much easier to get a translation of a contract in your language or your employer’s than relying on verbal communication. A contract also means you have legal protection for your hours, duties and pay. Most employers treat their nanny well and provide not only accommodation and food but also a local mobile phone, help with administrative formalities and introductions to other local nannies or au pairs.

Birthday etiquette

Should you buy your charges birthday presents or not? What about your ex charges? Your bosses? Your ex bosses? Nannying can gain you a whole new family but it’s a bit of a minefield when it comes to things we wouldn’t think twice about for our own kin.

We don’t have the answers, the best thing is obviously to do what feels right, but we have spent a while thinking it through so you don’t have to.

Your charges

Most nannies buy birthday presents for their charges. It doesn’t have to be big, and it doesn’t have to be a material gift – in fact sometimes taking them out to the cinema or similar, especially if you can do it on their own without their siblings tagging along, can mean more than yet another toy. Other gifts that keep giving are books (you can write a personalised dedication) or board games. Ignoring their birthday on the other hand would be a bit strange.

Your ex charges

In general it’s nice to mark the occasion by sending a card. If you actually see them around their birthday then a token gift, or a small outing, might be appropriate. Having been a significant part of their life they will appreciate the continued contact.

Your bosses

It’s hard to escape your boss’s birthday as you may well be doing something with your charges, like a card or a cake. If you get on well and know their taste then you might feel like giving a small gift but otherwise a card, and maybe a freebie babysit, in more than enough.

Your ex bosses

If you remember you ex boss’s birthday then you’re probably either very close or exceptionally organised. If you’re very close then you will already have established whether you give them a card or a gift (and you can keep giving them the same freebie babysit after you leave). If you’re very organised and you usually got them a card then it costs very little to pop one in the post. If you don’t remember, then you have your answer right there!

Tutoring: extra cash for nannies

Being a nanny is a rewarding career. You have the opportunity to pour into the lives of children on a daily basis; this is something that not everyone has the chance to do. But with this job comes challenges. One of these challenges might be that you aren’t making enough money. Sometimes, a nanny’s wages simply aren’t enough to make ends meet so you’re left finding ways to make extra money. This is tough, because after working full time with energetic children all week, you’re probably exhausted and not thrilled on taking on extra work.

However, finding ways to earn more cash doesn’t need to be daunting. Have you considered tutoring as a way to help supplement your income? Giving extra time in this way can help enhance your income without compromising your main job as a nanny. You usually don’t need to have huge, impressive lists of degrees from big-name colleges. You just need to have proven experience and qualifications to show that you’re able to effectively tutor and teach lessons to inquiring young minds. For example, when setting up a profile that showcases your areas of expertise on tutoring websites, you’re able to specify where you can teach, when you can teach, and what subjects you’re best suited for. Clients search for quality tutors and when they decide you’re the one they want, you can name your hourly price and start working a few hours more a week. You decide what extra jobs you take on or turn down: you can call the shots.

Worried about juggling two jobs? There are ways to effectively balance a tutoring job and your main nanny position.

Give your best.

Working two different jobs might make it easy to give less to one job. This is never a good idea, though. Showing your dedication to the children you nanny, as well as the individual student you are tutoring is the key to keeping both families happy. Give 100% in both jobs – that way you’ll have a better chance of receiving positive recommendations and word of mouth referrals to other potential tutees or families looking for nanny services.

Don’t take on too much.

Working too much can be exhausting. Taking on more work may be great in helping you pay off debt or to add more to your savings account, but doing too much can drain you quickly. If you’re fatigued and worn out all the time, you’ll be more apt to make mistakes in your tutoring or be irritable with the children you’re caring for. Always remember: when taking on extra work, be sure that it’s not going to compromise your first and main source of income.

Consider overlapping responsibilities.

Tell the parents of the children you nanny that you are considering taking on extra tutoring work. Perhaps they would consider having you tutor their children for an increased pay rate. You may be able to negotiate a higher salary that way. Or, ask your nanny family if it’s ok for you to bring your laptop with you to work so you can build tutoring lessons during nap times or other down times. Overlapping responsibilities like this can take some of the stress out of working more hours in the week.

Most of all, don’t forget that as a nanny and a tutor, you are helping develop children to be confident and capable adults. Being a good example and demonstrating solid work ethic should always be a high priority.

Make your nanny profile shine

At Nannyjob we know the essential information parents need to make a decision – location, experience, availability and what kind of job you want – so make sure these details on your nanny profile are accurate. If they aren’t, then you won’t show up when parents search! Here are some other top tips for making your profile stand out from the crowd.

The first question to ask yourself: what do parents want to know about you?

Be specific because when you’re too vague about location or availability then parents won’t bother to contact you if they don’t see what they’re looking for, or something similar, on your profile – you can select multiple regions but you probably don’t want to select all of them, particularly if you’re looking for a live out job!

Make sure the details on your profile make sense – your total years of experience should be equal to the number of years as a nanny, as a nursery nurse and in other childcare (which includes teacher or nursing). If you say you have more than 5 years experience but none as a nanny or as a nursery nurse or in childcare then how can you have more than 5 years relevant experience?

Select your job types carefully. You may be genuinely happy to work as anything but remember people will contact you based on what you say you want to do.

Add a photo! It makes it easier for parents to connect what you write to a real person if they have an idea of what you look like.

Use appropriate paragraphs and punctuation to make your description easy to read.

If you have any restrictions (for example you’re looking for a Monday and Tuesday job because you already have a job the other days state this early on.

If you’re looking to work in an area where you don’t currently live, say when you would be available to move and start work.

Give details of your qualifications and experience, as well as talking about the personal qualities which make you a great candidate. Remember that this section is all about what you can do for the family, how you interact with children, what you like to do in your job and how you use the knowledge and skills that you’ve gained. Make sure you really tailor it for a nanny job. Your interests, hobbies and family background are less important than skills which are relevant to childcare and show real passion and enthusiasm for your work.

Above all, be yourself!