What Parents Look for in a Summer Nanny

By Lorena Roberts on June 23, 2017

You may have discovered by now that being a summer nanny is quite possibly the best job ever. But what are parents looking for when they hire a summer nanny?

Lucky for you, I’ve got you covered. The following 10 qualities are sure to help you land the perfect summer nanny position.

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1. Strong communication skills

If you leave your kids with someone for an entire day at a time, you’re going to want to feel assured that you’re being well-informed of what’s going on. Additionally, being flexible and able to communicate back and forth with the parents when plans change will be a big plus. Make sure you portray this in your interview with the parents, as it’s one of the top things they’re looking for.

2. Responsibility

Leaving your kids with someone for an entire day means you need to know they’re responsible enough to care for them. It’ll be one of the top things the parents are looking for, so be sure to include responsibilities you’ve had in the past in your interview or application.

3. Trustworthiness

Are you going to forget to put sunscreen on their kids? Let them drink Diet Coke before bed? You want to exude confidence in your own ability to make decisions. Play on previous experiences where someone put their trust in you. Providing references who can attest to this characteristic will be well worth it.

4. Clean appearance

First impressions are extremely important. Your appearance says something about you, whether you like it or not. So you’re going to want to make sure you look professional, but not musty. Clean and put-together is something parents will definitely be on the hunt for. I wouldn’t suggest track shorts and a t-shirt for your first meet and greet.

5. Creativity

Watching the same kids every day can get boring … if you aren’t creative. You have to be able to come up with activities for the kids that will keep them interested and entertained. You want the parents coming home to happy kiddos, don’t you?

6. Natural interactions with the children

You’re obviously not going to want to leave your kids with someone who’s awkward and doesn’t know what to do next. When interacting with the children, make sure it’s natural. You’re going to want to put both the parents and the child at ease.

7. Asks appropriate/essential questions

Make sure you have questions for the family. What is their normal, daily routine? What do the kids enjoy doing in their free time? You want the parents to know how interested you are in the job, but additionally, you want to make sure you’re right for the job as well. If this is going to be something you’re doing every day, you want to make sure you know all the information up front.

8. Punctuality

The absolute worst part of having a nanny is having a nanny who’s late. Or who calls in sick all the time. The rule of being a nanny is to show up seven minutes early. It’s not too early to require more pay, but early enough to go over the routine before the parents have to leave. Being punctual shows that you’re considerate of their schedule and you want to make sure things are settled before they run out the door.

9. Understanding of child development

If you’re taking care of young ones, it’s important to display a knowledge of their development.

When is it okay to feed them solid foods? When should you be cutting up their food into little bites and when should you let them figure it out on their own? What kinds of foods are appropriate for supervision and not needing supervision? When should you let them play on the playground without being right under them and when should you literally be ready to grab them at any point?

Parents will most DEFINITELY be looking for this ability in their new full-time nanny. Do some reading if you don’t know these things.

10. Matching morals/beliefs

It’s a lot easier to be a nanny when your morals and beliefs line up with those of the family with which you’ll be working. If you believe in spanking kids, you should probably work for a family who also believes in that. If you’re a fan of positive reinforcement and gentle discipline, make sure the family you’re going to work for also believes that’s the right answer.

It’s much tougher to align your values with a family who just doesn’t believe in what you do. You don’t want to be overbearing with your beliefs, but let the family know that you’re thinking ahead of what they’re expecting as well as what you’re expecting!

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