A professional, career nanny has a true passion for childcare and working in private households. He or she has shown dedication and experience in the world of professional, paid childcare, for people outside of their immediate family and friends. Nannies may offer live-in or live-out care, full-time or part-time care, flexible hours care, and temporary or permanent care

In this blog, we’ll discuss what a career nanny is and how it differs from a babysitter.

When I was a Monday-Friday nanny, I always felt a small pang of jealousy when I found out that “MY” children had spent the weekend with a babysitter. I wondered if the new babysitter was cooler or more fun than me, or if the kids liked her more. These fears were always unsupported, thankfully, as the kids still very much adored me when I returned on Monday.

With parents, I had the official job title of “nanny” and I held it with pride, but the children would often refer to me as the babysitter. This was due to an (understandable) lack of perception in their 3 and 6 year old brains regarding the nuances in the private household employment industry. However, there IS a difference between someone that has experience in occasional babysitting, versus a career nanny.

Let’s talk about the differences between a babysitter and a nanny:

What Does a Nanny Do?

A nanny plans to assist a family for the long-term and is willing to provide care throughout different developmental stages of your child’s life. A nanny assists on a more recurring schedule and can get to know your household and the preferences and personality of your family members on a deeper level. You are able to establish a long-term relationship with a nanny, who is often the only childcare provider apart from the parents and family. The individual may soon start to feel like a third parent for the children, which can be a great thing!

What Are the Benefits of Hiring a Nanny?

A nanny is able to:

Build trust with the children and the parents
Keep track of the behavioral and developmental changes in your children
Enable consistent enforcement of household rules and create predictability in the lives of your children
Assist with household tasks such as dishes, light meal prep, tidying up, transporting children to activities, pet care, laundry, etc

How Do I Know if I Am Ready to Hire a Nanny?

You should hire a nanny if:

You are able to offer recurring, guaranteed hours
You have childcare needs of about 20 hours per week or greater
You are already paying one individual over $2,400 per year for childcare. Legally paying your household employee and following Illinois Nanny Tax rules is a requirement to avoid fines.
You travel frequently for work and would like someone you can trust with overnight care

What Does a Babysitter Do?

A babysitter assists with date nights, weekend care, and works “as-needed”. A babysitter is most likely in school, has other part-time jobs, is involved in a profession that offers inconsistent work, or is employed full-time at a day job and uses babysitting as a way to make extra money on nights and weekends.

Depending on their situation, some families may choose to rely exclusively on babysitters for childcare. It is a new adjustment for your children every time a new babysitter comes to visit. Young children may cry or experience separation anxiety the first few times they are left alone with the babysitter. Older children may not appreciate a constant rotation of new babysitters always telling them what to do, and may try to defy household rules, knowing that a babysitter has limited authority in the home. However, sometimes exposure to new people can be beneficial to children of all ages, allowing them to develop the skills to communicate their needs and helping them to socialize with adults outside of your immediate social circle. Babysitters are not expected to assist with household chores or additional duties outside of engaging with your children and ensuring their safety. We encourage babysitters to pick up after themselves and the children to leave the home as good as or better than they found it.

Whether you already have a nanny or not, hiring a babysitter might be a good decision for your family.

What Are the Benefits of Hiring a Babysitter?

Some of the things that a babysitter can assist with are:

Backup care for when your nanny is sick or out of town
Weekend care that allows your nanny to get some time off to prevent burnout
Sick care or last minute care
Exposure to new people, helping them to socialize
Basic meal prep for the children: reheating, chopping vegetables, or putting something in the oven
Help with school pickup and transporting children to activities

How Do I Know if I Should Hire a Babysitter?

You should hire a babysitter if:

You mostly need occasional or date night care

You only need evening or weekend care
The hours you need covered are inconsistent
You do not mind potentially having a different child care provider week to week

Using an agency like My Household Managed in your search for a nanny or for babysitting services, helps to create peace of mind, knowing that all of the child care providers sent to your home have been pre-screened, interviewed, and hand selected for your family’s requirements before being sent to your home.

You’ve got enough on your plate in your day-to-day life — let us make your life easier by handling your unique household staffing needs.

If you are a family looking for a nanny, babysitter or other home service, submit an application with My Household Managed.

If you are a professional nanny or babysitter looking for a job, apply at My Household Managed.