Nanny Job Description Example
What Does a Nanny Do?
A nanny is someone whose primary responsibility is to take care of other people’s children. As such he or she is usually employed by families that have little children.
Typically, a nanny’s job description entails caring for and nurturing the children of their employees. However, each nanny’s role has its peculiarity – each comes with a slightly different description and responsibilities.
These differences are caused by a number of factors like number of children to take care of, the age(s) of the children, and the availability of other in-home workers.
Other factors include the nature of work of the employers, whether the nanny is going to live-in or live-out of the house, and the experience of the nanny.
These factors, aside from determining the responsibility of the nanny, also affect the wage she may earn.
For instance, if the nanny is to perform typical nanny’s duties, then her responsibilities will be limited to taking care of the child, then it is only natural that he/she earns lower wage than a nanny who combines taking care of the child with performing other menial household chores.
Similarly, a live-in nanny is expected to earn lower than a live-out nanny because her accommodation needs has been met.
Also, all thing being equal, a typical nanny taking care of just a child is expected is expected to earn lower wage than a nanny taking care of two or three children.
Despite the differences in the responsibilities of each nanny given the factors surrounding her employment, or the conditions upon which she was employed, nannies are generally charged with nurturing and taking care of the child.
The work description of a nanny also usually contains tasks such as keeping the children’s environment neat – their room, play areas, toilet and bathrooms.
She is also expected to change the children’s diaper, nappies, and clothes when they are soiled, as well as do the children’s laundry.
She is also responsible for preparing the children for school and social events, and conveying or escorting them to the events.
The nanny must ensure that the children in her care are brought home safely.
A good nanny also teaches the children under her care social skills, helps them in decision making, and listens and advices them.
Sometimes, asides these typical duties and responsibilities mentioned earlier, the nanny may be tasked with keeping the family environment neat, doing family laundry, doing grocery shopping, and running other household errands.
The fact that most nannies are generalists in terms of the kind of functions they carry out, that is they perform various duties, such as babysitting, housekeeping, and taking care of the children, they are often confused for babysitters or housekeepers.
But the truth is that most nannies perform the triple function of babysitting, housekeeping, and taking care of the kids.
Therefore, anyone to be employed as a nanny must be able to multitask, be energetic, trustworthy, and disciplined.
Nanny Job Description Example
Below is an example of the kind of job description usually handed to a newly hired nanny, showing major duties, tasks, and responsibilities anyone employed for the role should expect to carry out on a daily basis:
- Look after pre-school age children and toddlers
- Bath and dress the children
- Teach and supervise bathing, washing, and dressing by toddlers
- Ensure that children are always neat and tidy
- Change children’s clothes, nappies, and diapers when they are soiled
- Wash children’s clothes and nappies
- Prepare children for school and other events and convey them to and from school or events
- Ensure that children’s areas are always kept neat and tidy
- Prepare infant formulas or food and feed children at the right time
- Wash and sterilize children’s feeding utensils
- Monitor children’s behavior and health and report any case of ill-behavior, ill-health or injury to the parents
- Help children in doing their home work and teach them social skills
- Lead children in educational and social activities within the home
- Discipline any erring child accordingly, or as instructed by the parents
- Administer first aid treatment to any child in the case of injury
- Administer medicines to children as instructed by the parents.
In the case where the nanny is expected to perform other duties asides that of a typical nanny, the job description may include the following duties:
- Perform household chores like sweeping, cleaning, dusting, and family laundry
- Run family errands such as paying bills and grocery shopping
- Cook, serve the family, and wash dishes after meals.
Nanny Job Description for Resume
To assist you in preparing a resume for the role of a nanny, the above sample job description provides statements appropriate for making the employment history or professional experience part of it.
Using the duties and responsibilities of a nanny stated in the job description above in your resume will prove to employers that you have the needed experience to succeed on the job. See sample nanny resume to help you make yours.
Requirements – Knowledge, Skills, Abilities – for Nanny Position
To excel on the job, a nanny is expected to possess the following skills, knowledge and traits, which are also usually required by parents when looking for a new nanny to hire:
- Honest and Trustworthy: No parent wants to leave his or her child in the care of a liar or a person of questionable character. Therefore, you must have an impeccable trait to be a nanny
- Multitasking and Energetic: A nanny must be able to multitask as she is expected to perform a lot of tasks at the same time. She must be up and doing and be able to organize the home in the absence of her employer
- Friendly: No child wants to stay around a mean nanny. So, a nanny ought to always be cheerful and approachable. This way, the kid(s) will feel relaxed around her
- Possess emotional Maturity and good judgment skills
- Must be tolerant and disciplined.
Nanny Skills for Resume
Also, in making a resume for the nanny job, the above required skills and qualities can be applied in creating the skills section of the resume, showing the employer you’ve got the right skills for the job.
You should however make sure you actually possess the skills and qualities before using them in your resume so as not to mislead parents about your attributes.