What are the duties of a nanny? (And what are not!)

Will my nanny do housekeeping while taking care of my children? Can she also cook and do laundry? These are some common questions asked by the parents when they are determining whether to hire a nanny. That is why we are listing here all the general responsibilities of a nanny, along with some additional or special duties.

When you are hiring a child-caregiver, it is essential to determine what to expect from her. You need to decide what responsibilities should be assigned to her and what would be the skills required to accomplish these obligations. While searching for a nanny, these expectations will help you in deciding which caregiver would be the best for your household and your children.

Before we discuss the chores of a caretaker, did you know that discussion about some tasks or chores could sour your relationship with your nanny? Some of these responsibilities include:

• Car washing
• Gardening
• Cleaning the pool
• Tutoring or coaching your children
• Not allowing the nanny to go out of the house
• Asking her to work very late hours (at night) beyond her normal schedule

Remember that nannies are not the parents of the children.
 

Typical child care obligations of a nanny

You should always expect your caregiver to perform specific childcare tasks. These duties are:

• Taking care of your children by providing them with their needs
• Teaching them etiquette and good manners
• Helping them to eat if needed
• Changing diapers of a newborn and making sure that she is fed timely
• Teaching the toddlers how to read and write
• Helping the school going children with their homework
• Playing with the children either indoors or outdoors
• Helping them to learn a new language (but not tutoring)
• Making sure that the children are wearing clean clothes and changing the clothes if needed
• Accompanying kids to school or parks
• Ensuring the safety of the children whether indoors or outdoors
• Caring for the kids when they fall sick and ensure that they are given medicine on time
• Giving them a bath and ensuring their hygiene

Typical housekeeping duties of a nanny

There are some definite housekeeping obligations that needs to be performed by a caretaker. They generally do any house chores that are related to childcare. Here is a list of housekeeping chores that you can expect from a caregiver:

• Cleaning the children’s room and organizing their toys
• Tidying up the child’s bed and changing bedsheets
• Washing the baby’s bottles
• Organizing the cupboard of kids
• Washing the children’s laundry
• Collecting the toys and books of children lying around the house
• Cleaning up any mess made by the children
• Helping the cook to pack the lunch boxes for children
• Cleaning the kitchen or washing the dishes
• Packing the school bags of children for the school
• Making sure that the washroom is clean after the child’s use

Special or additional responsibilities

There are additional tasks and everyday activities that your nanny may perform. However, nannies are not required to do these assignments. These responsibilities may also require special skills from your nanny that every caregiver may not possess. Therefore, it is important to agree on these duties while interviewing a candidate.

Some of these responsibilities are:

• Doing the laundry for all the family members
• Preparing or cooking meals for the family or the children
• Driving your kids to school or activities: This task requires nannies to possess a driver’s license
• Cleaning, vacuuming or mopping the whole house
• Buying groceries or needs for the family
• Ensuring the safety of your children near or in a swimming pool: This task requires the caretaker to be able to swim
• Taking care of an ill family member
• Taking care of a pet, such as a dog or a cat
• Cleaning the bathroom
• Attending and serving the guests who are not children

How can our agency help?

Our nanny agency helps families find the right candidates according to their requirements. We have over 15 years of experience hiring nannies and caregivers for our clients. When selecting nannies for our clients, we conduct a thorough interview with the candidate and perform a background check of the same. We also verify if the caregiver has all the qualifications and prerequisites for her to immigrate to Canada. Lastly, all of our nanny candidates are recommended by our own clients.
 

Conclusion

When hiring a nanny, always discuss all her duties and responsibilities, and ensure that these elements are included in the agreement. Also, if you have special tasks for the caregiver such as driving the kids, make sure she possesses the necessities (driver’s license for example) to perform that task.
 
If you would like to learn more about Live-In Nannies, please visit this page.
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