The 5 Main Differences Between a Professional Nanny and a Babysitter
Hi Everyone!
If you are unfamiliar with how the nanny industry works, you could be wondering why it’s worth hiring a professional nanny over a regular babysitter. I have years of professional nanny experience and these are the first definitions that come to mind. A professional nanny is a well-paid childcare expert with years of experience that you can trust to care for your child consistently. A babysitter is an individual with little past childcare experience that watches your child on an as needed basis. Here are the top 5 differences between a professional nanny and a babysitter:
1. Experience: Professional Nannies have years of experience caring for children in private household settings. They typically hold either a Bachelor’s degree or an Associate’s degree in a child related field. Nannies have different certifications such as Infant CPR, First Aid, and Montessori training. To babysit, a person only needs to have experience with similarly aged children. This can include watching family and friends’ children. However, if you are a professional nanny, you cannot add caring for family/ friends’ children to your resume because it doesn’t count as professional experience.
2. Responsibilities: A nanny’s responsibilities are all childcare related tasks and can sometimes include running errands, grocery shopping, and pet care. They also travel with the family, can stay overnight with a child while the parents are away, and drive the child anywhere he or she may need to go. It may be perfectly acceptable for a babysitter to put your child in front of the television and have little engagement. However, a nanny should never do this unless given prior permission. The nanny’s job is to engage, teach, and help your child discover new interests.
3. Work Schedule: Typically, babysitters work only part -time and their shifts aren’t very long. Hiring a babysitter is a good option if you don’t need consistent childcare and only need care on random occasions. Nannies can be part-time or full-time depending on your needs. The biggest difference to note is the consistency of care for your child.
4. Pay: A babysitter has little qualifications and should be paid accordingly. An example of a babysitting rate is around $10-$15 per hour. A nanny is paid like a professional and payment is around $20-$25 for smaller cities and in larger cities starts at a minimum of $25 per hour. For full-time nanny positions, it is typical for families to provide certain benefits like PTO, health insurance, and sick days.
5. Impact on Your Child: A nanny is a consistent role model in your child’s life and can leave a lasting positive impact. Often, nannies become a child’s best friend. Great nannies will teach children according to your family’s values and will create long term memories with your child. A babysitter is more temporary and his or her impact on a child is minimal.
I hope this helps you decide what type of care is right for your family. If you have any questions, please reach out to info@beaumondenannies.com and I will be happy to answer them.
Best,
Emily Bender
Founder of Beau Monde Nannies