What Do Nannies Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

Nannies care for children in private households and provide support and expertise to parents in satisfying children’s physical, emotional, intellectual, and social needs. Duties may include meal planning and preparation, laundry and clothing care, organization of play activities and outings, discipline, intellectual stimulation, language activities, and transportation. They also remove hazards and develop appropriate boundaries and rules to create a safe environment for children.

Other tasks include:

• Instruct and assist children in the development of health and personal habits, such as eating, resting, and toilet behavior.
• Instruct children in safe behavior, such as seeking adult assistance when crossing the street and avoiding contact or play with unsafe objects.
• Help prepare and serve nutritionally balanced meals and snacks for children.
• Perform first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) when required.
• Teach and perform age-appropriate activities, such as lap play, reading, and arts and crafts, to encourage intellectual development of children.
• Model appropriate social behaviors and encourage concern for others to cultivate development of interpersonal relationships and communication skills.

We asked Nannies how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

---

69% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 60% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.

Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Nannies supervise and assist with homework. They regulate children’s rest periods and nap schedules.

A typical day for a Nanny will also include:

• Perform housekeeping and cleaning duties related to children’s care.
• Help prepare and serve nutritionally balanced meals and snacks for children.
• Model appropriate social behaviors and encourage concern for others to cultivate development of interpersonal relationships and communication skills.
• Help develop or monitor family schedule.
• Keep records of play, meal schedules, and bill payment.

We asked some Nannies a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

	Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job?	85% said yes
	How important is it to work in a team in this job?	33% said very important
	Do you have group discussions everyday in this job?	89% said yes
	Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job?	7% said yes
	Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job?	26% said yes
	Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job?	59% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Nannies also shop for groceries, clothing, and other items needed for children’s care. They may also meet regularly with parents to discuss children’s activities and development.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Nannies Work with parents to develop and implement discipline programs to promote desirable child behavior. They might also Keep records of play, meal schedules, and bill payment.

In addition, they Organize and conduct age-appropriate recreational activities, such as games, arts and crafts, sports, walks, and play dates.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Help develop or monitor family schedule.

To some Nannies, it is also their responsibility to Transport children to schools, social outings, and medical appointments.

Working life

More than 40 hours per week

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as a Nanny, you can expect to work more than 40 hours per week.

Is this right for me

People who are suitable for this job tends to like working with, communicating with, and teaching people. They like helping or providing service to others..

They also like working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

You can read more about these career personality types here.

Explore other careers

http://www.bls.gov/OOH/personal-care-and-service/childcare-workers.htm

http://childcareaware.org/

http://www.nafcc.org/

http://www.necpa.net/