Do you remember the movie, The Nanny Diaries, starring Scarlett Johansson? In the 2007 film, Johansson portrayed Annie, a recent college grad who quickly became a nanny for an Upper East Side family. The job literally fell into her lap.
For many college grads and undergrads today though, the prospect of nannying is not just falling into their laps—they are instead choosing it.
It’s babysitting with a twist (and often higher pay), and for some girls, it replaces the stressful search for summer internships or post-graduation plans. What are some of the perks and not-so-pleasant parts of this job? Two Her Campus members dish out their thoughts and advice about the kid-friendly nanny career.
Nannying vs. Babysitting
You could say that Nikki Fig’s nanny learning curve came a bit early.
The HC editorial intern and student at Emerson College got her first taste of nannying in high school. After babysitting for a while, the idea of nannying did not seem so daunting.
“I always enjoyed babysitting and nannying was the natural next step,” she said.
Nikki started nannying part-time in the summers during high school and then decided to nanny for a semester during college. Being a part-time nanny allowed her to step a notch above babysitting responsibilities while still maintaining some free time.
What differentiates nannying and babysitting, though?
One differing point is the amount of time spent with the children. A babysitter may be called once every week or few months to watch a couple’s child for a few hours while they enjoy a date night or relaxing few hours with friends.
However, for a nanny, the job is more frequent and more involved. It may be an everyday task, and often the children may start to look at the nanny as an alternate mother figure (due to the amount of time spent together). This is what happened to Johansson’s character in The Nanny Diaries. Because these parents that hire nannies are often very busy with work or travel, their own relationships with their children can often be strained.
The relationships in a nanny’s life, though, may also suffer. For Nikki, choosing a nanny role that didn’t interfere with her own life was very important.
“I always chose jobs where the mother was basically a stay-at-home mom who simply needed a lot of help or wanted to have a few days for running errands by herself,” she said. “That way, if school got in the way or I wanted to go on vacation, I didn’t feel like I was leaving them in the lurch.”
And leaving suddenly not only affects these kids, but also the nanny. For Nikki, the bonds that she created with her employer’s children were very real.
“I really enjoyed it,” she said. “The first nannying job was really fun and kept me very active! It was with a family whom I had known for a long time and there were three kids—ages 8, 5 and 6 months.”
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What exactly does a nanny do?
Chasing children or keeping temper tantrums in check seem to be a given, but nannying involves so much more than that.
“I was basically responsible for being the mother’s right-hand woman,” Nikki said. “ I drove and did pick-ups, watched and fed the kids while she lounged at the pool with her friends.”
One of the perks of her job was that Nikki had quite a bit of control over the children’s activities.
“If I decided I wanted to have a baking party, we baked! If I wanted to go to an amusement park, we did that,” she said. “The mom gave me money and free reign to have as much fun as possible, and the mom wanted me there as much as possible, so whenever I wanted to sit, I had an instant job.”
“The 8-year-old loved my boyfriend so he was allowed to come over and hang with me which made a Saturday night of babysitting much more appealing.”
While this nanny experience was pleasant, Nikki did mention that with nannying, there is always a bit of an adjustment period.
“The first time I babysat [the 8-year-old] she wailed hysterically because I wouldn’t let her wear her princess stilettos on our bike ride. She also loved going through my purse and scattering its contents along the floor. And if I forgot to lock the bathroom door, she would open it in a heartbeat, eager for her entire family to watch me pee,” Nikki said.
“But at the end of the day, she really loved me and I came to absolutely adore her. Sure her antics could get a little trying, but at least she had personality! And the mom was amazing. She was like this cool, urban mom who somehow ended up in suburbia. I really developed a rapport with her and keep in touch to this day even though I ended the job five years ago.”
While Nikki’s experience, for the most part, was good, she realizes that many people think that nannying is a piece of cake.
“There are so many responsibilities that come with being a nanny—you’re helping to raise another person’s child for goodness sake,” she said. “Even when the child is sleeping, there are often still tasks to do like cook and clean up. I know I certainly never rested during nap time!”
Nannying Abroad: The Good and the Ugly
For some girls, the prospect of nannying abroad seems like the perfect opportunity to fill any study abroad craving that they may have.
“I loved my abroad experience in college so much that I would love to travel again,” said Adriana Vetrano, HC Skidmore Campus Correspondent.
While Adriana has never nannied abroad, she recognized that the nannying job is not all glitz and cultural glamour.
“Being a nanny, you would have, presumably, free room and board, some free meals, and even some free vacations, if you’re lucky,” she said. “The only downfall is that you’re likely to have to live permanently with the family, limiting your social life.”
From her previous stateside nannying experience, Nikki quickly vetoed the idea of traveling to take care of tots.
“I personally wouldn’t nanny abroad because I’ve nannied enough to know that it’s not a vacation,” she said. “If I’m abroad I want to travel everywhere and soak up as much culture as I can, and nannying is a nearly full-time job. On my days off I was always exhausted, and even when you go to museums and other touristy places, you’re still working and are there to do what the kids want to do.”
And being a “working tourist,” essentially, in these countries means that the price of language barriers is still pretty lofty.
“Working abroad, especially in countries where I don’t know or haven’t mastered the language, would obviously be more difficult,” Adriana said. “However, being a nanny kind of allows for that inability. Many families abroad want their children to learn English and would therefore be more likely to welcome you into their home.”
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The Perks of Nannying
Whether you’re abroad or back home, nannying does have certain perks—such as higher pay than your standard university or minimum wage job.
“It’s great money,” Nikki said. “I made $16 per hour with no taxes.”
With pay like this, organizations like College Nannies and Tutors are targeting undergrads looking for high pay and playtime with kids. The service’s website is packed with full and part-time nannying and tutoring opportunities across the country and is easy to apply for. You can fill out an online application here. Check out Sitter City [SitterCity.com] as well for nanny opportunities!
Locally, finding families that need an extra hand is not hard, but finding the right fit is important.
“It’s important to interview the families just as much as they interview you,” Nikki said.
“Remember you will be spending the majority of your time with this family, and once they hire you, they rely on you, so if you think it might not be a good fit, keep looking!”
Once you find the perfect nannying position, though, setting boundaries with your time is even more important, Nikki said.
When looking for a potential employer, a list of prepared questions may be a smart first step.
- What are you looking for in your nanny gig?
- What age group do you want to nanny for (newborns, infants, young children, etc.)?
- Will you need a car to commute to your employer’s home?
- Will your employer expect you to work part-time or full-time?
- If working during the school year, will the employer be flexible with your class schedule?
- How flexible will the pay be?
- Will the family expect you to work weekends/vacations?
- How much of a weekly time commitment will the job entail?
These are just a few suggested questions that you might want to jot down before deciding which family works best for you.
Once you find the perfect nannying position, though, setting boundaries with your time is even more important, Nikki said
“Don’t just be a ‘yes’ person. The most difficult part for me was setting my rates and turning down jobs, but it’s such a critical component to maintaining your sanity,” she said. “If you’re supposed to leave at 5 p.m. and you’re in the midst of something with the kid, make sure to give the parent the option of letting you leave or paying you for overtime—people like to take advantage more than you may realize.”
Overall, the experience can be life-changing for all parties involved, though.
“If you find a good family, the experience is so rewarding,” Nikki said. “You’re helping shape another person’s future and will always be a part of their childhood memories. It’s also a great way to transition into the ‘real world.’”
Sources
Nikki Fig, HC Branch Manager and Editorial Intern, student at Emerson College
Adriana Vetrano, HC Skidmore Campus Correspondent
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