Refrence from friend/family

[HighlandTea]

I've been nannying for the same family for 5 years and the children are now 5, 9 and 11. I'm filling in agency forms for some part time work when they are at school and also for a newborn nanny position.

Because my full time job is now with older children and my previous full time work was another long term nanny position and a year of nursey work and after school care I'd like to include some baby experience. I have lots of recent newborn and baby experience, however it is all with family and friends. My nephew has just turned 2 and I first had him overnight when he was 10 days old and have had him at least once a week every week since. Two close friends have also had babies in the last year alone and I spent a lot of time giving help and support in the early days and have looked after their little ones sole charge on many occasions.

If you were employing me for your new baby how would you feel about me including a reference from my sil and a friend alongside my current employer?

I would have no problems with that, as long as you disclose how they are related to you.

I wouldn't see it as a problem. You've evidently been with your current job a long time and 'done' the baby stage with them plus you can provide some more recent newborn experience if I wanted to check up on it (which I probably wouldn't personally).

Agree with Novstar - make sure you say how they are related to you. Then no problem.

I'm going to start looking for another part time nanny as DC3 is due in April (well in 4 weeks anyway) and personally, I wouldn't accept a reference from a family member or a friend. But, if you've been nannying with same family for 5 years and the littlest one is 5 weren't they a baby when you started?

Everyone is different though.

Thanks for all the replies. Would absolutely be upfront about it being from my sil.

Karoleann yes, the little boy in my current job was 4 months when I started looking after him but I was a bit worried that prospective employers would think I was a bit out of touch with babies and wanted to show that I still keep my hand in. Would it put you off at all that the last few years have been with older children?

With my nephew we do sling wearing, BLW etc and I wanted to let parents know that I am up to date on these kinds of things. I work Tue-Fri in my job and look after him Sun/Mon so it is significant experience, just that his mum is my dp sister! Also, I was there an hour after his birth, around for most of the first week and had him overnight once a week from 10 days old so it is very different from my nanny job but would lend itself to the temp job I am thinking of going for with a mum who is about to have her 3rd dc by section and looking for some help in the first two weeks.

My lovely boss has written me a refrence saying that I am equally capable with babies as I am with her stroppy pre teen! so I am hoping that will help.

The one from my sil would be as an extra, alongside my normal refrences rather than instead of. In fact I have completed the application without it for now but still considering adding it alongside.

I guess a big part of it is that any other refrences refer to at least 5 years ago though a freind pointed out today that she thinks that staying with a family for a long term will look good on my cv rather than lots of jobs.

No it wouldn't put me off at all that it was several years ago that you had the baby experience - its lovely that you've been with the same family for so long.
Hope your job search goes well

Way back when I was applying for my current nanny position I was also working with a good friend who'd just had her first child as a Mother's Help. While I found that most families were happy to accept the reference, agencies weren't so keen. I was told that it wasn't a "proper reference" because we were friends and she hadn't paid me for it!