Would you employ this person as a nanny?

[MadMommaMemoo]

Has teaching assistant NVQ level 3.

Has paediatric first aid cert and food hygiene cert.

Non smoker, own car.

Has 3 dc of her own.

No experience of working as a nanny but has worked in nursery, reception and ks1 so ages 3-7

Experience of babies through having 3 of her own.

Really crafty, the type to get stuck in and do lots of messy activities with the children.

Willing to do extra babysitting as and when.

But hasn't worked for 5 years due to being at home with her own children

How old are her children and what are the childcare arrangements for them (is applicable)? Also what are backup arrangements if a child was ill enough to be off school but not ill enough to need mum at their bedside?

Is the first aid certificate in date? If in England, are they able to register with Ofsted? (would require the addition of public liability insurance, if first aid certificate is in date. Common Core may be needed but the NVQ3 may be sufficient depending on when it was done.)

Dh would take time off when dc sick. First aid is still current and I will do another when it runs out. NVQ completed several years ago, have an indate CRB so yes would register with Ofsted. Would get insurance although didn't know a nanny needed it. Have also done an extensive course in SALT know some makaton. Also experienced in working with a child with Autism

so basically you want to know if you could find a job being a mum of 3 that hasnt 'worked' for 5 years?

depends on the family, some may love the fact you have mummy exp, others would bulk at the thought of employing you with 3 children

would you be bringing the children with you?

A nanny might work 7am-7pm. Whilst you may not apply for such a job, things can change in a job. So would your DH be dealing with all things child related whilst you worked?

Getting a job I feel is all about selling the plus points of employing you, over someone else plus how well you fit with the expectations of the employer. In nannying it's also about how you get on with your employer and also the children for whom you care.

So sell the positives, turn negatives into positives. Having 3 children of your own is a negative if those children are still dependent on you. However it is also a positive in that you have raised 3 children so have been through those baby, toddler, school child stages.

I would consider employing them, yes.

Yes I would employ them if I liked them, references checked out etc. I know nannies who are far less qualified/experienced and have managed to find jobs so I don't think you'd struggle too much.

I think having your own children will put some people off, but others will really like it. You may have to accept a slightly lower wage to start and then ask for more when you have 2/3 years sole charge nannying experience.

If I could afford it, I would. If your parenting style matched my own or you were willing to do what I prefer.

I wouldn't want a nanny to bring her own young dc with her to mine (again, if I could afford it anyway!), but I would be so much happier if the nanny is a mother and has had her own dc.

I can't explain it. There are feelings and things that I just didn't fully understand until I became a mother myself. And I work with young children (always have - in several different contexts). It's not something that can be explained or experienced until one becomes a parent.

Possibly not.

If she has three children under 5 and looking for work, I would assume she rather be with her own young children than mine.

I would possibly be very keen to know why she wants to work as a nanny rather than teaching assistant, or work in a nursery.

I wouldnt be bringing my dc with me two of them are at high school and the youngest would be in primary. Dhs job is very flexible so he would stay home with our dc if they were ill or it was school holidays.

I really want to become a nanny rather than going back into a school or nursery setting because one of the things that frustrated me about working in a classroom with 30 children is that there is so little time to give individual attention. I never felt like I could ever completely focus on one or two children.

Why don't yuo be a childminder. Massive tax benefits. You can offset a proportion of house runnimg costs etc. Likely to be better off and do shorter hours than a nanny.

As a cm younare in charge. I am sure that you have picked up on here some ( not all honestly) see their nanny as a cheap cleaner and do it all rather than a quality childcarer. They seem more anxious about how much ironing she has done rather than the qualitynof engagement with the children.

Depending on the title of the NVQ it may not be suitable for OFSTED.

I'd be a little put off that your last experience of babies was presumably 5+ years ago, which would go for anyone, and I'd want to see you were up to date with all the current guidelines on formula/weaning etc (which I'm sure you are via MN ). I'd also, as star says, want to be very sure either our parenting styles matched or you were happy to do things my way without constantly referring to what you did with your own children as I can see how that would be annoying/feel undermining for a parent. However I woukd probably like the fact that you'd had that experience and so could answer questions/give a new perspective and I'd feel happier about leaving an ill child with you than an 18 year old with the same qualifucations in paper!

It's definitely worth trying but your chances depend on the amount of competition in the local area.

As long as you could put across that you would be happy to follow your employers' instructions on how to do things rather than taking the "I've always done this" approach I think you sound great as a prospective nanny tbh. I would go for life experience over pieces of paper any day when it comes to looking after my children.

Talking from a nanny agency point of view, I would say that there would most definitely be families who would employ you! What area would you like to work in?

probably doesn't want to be a TA as the pay is so shite, i'd employ her of course.

I would always respect the parents wishes with regards to their DC. One of the things that you learn as a TA looking after large groups of children is there is no one way that is right. Every child is different and what works for one may not work for another. Also being a mother myself doesn't make me feel like I know it all, in fact it's quite the opposite, I know that nobody understands a child better than their parents and so they are the ones who should make the decisions on how their child is looked after. I would never presume that I knew better.
As a mother I also understand that when somebody else is taking care if your child one of the most important things is to know that your child is being treated with love and kindness.