Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

39 year old nanny - weird?

38 replies

Butterflybows · 12/09/2011 21:58

Hi, having recently gained a first class degree in Early Childhood Studies, I have been unable to find a professional job. Infact, I can't find any job at all - not for the want of trying.

I was thinking about going back to nannying - which I haven't done for 20 years - because I could do it well and to be blunt it pays better than the shop/admin etc jobs I've been trying for.

Would you be suspicious of a 39 year old nanny? Would you think it weird?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

warthog · 12/09/2011 22:01

not at all!

YesYes · 12/09/2011 22:02

no way, of course not!

If it suited my circumstances I would definitely employ you - in fact I did speak on the telephone with an 'older' nanny before now (not sure how old but she did have a 17 year old son), but unfortunately she was looking for full time work and I part time

why don't you just start looking, you have nothing to lose

good luck!

casawasa · 12/09/2011 22:02

Definitely not. I'd probably find it reassuring.

Original poster

Butterflybows · 12/09/2011 22:03

Oh thanks!

OP posts:

LynetteScavo · 12/09/2011 22:03

Not weird at all.

Lots of people don't want a nanny under 25, and will pay for the privilege of an older nanny. Although some people think nannies over 55ish are a bit old for running around after a toddler, before they have even met them.

nannynick · 12/09/2011 22:10

I would hope that parents would not think it that odd... I'm 37 soon.

What I do think parents would expect is prior experience. You say you are going Back to nannying, but you have a 20 year gap. I am wondering what parents would be wanting in terms of a reference about your childcare capabilities. What has happened in the past 20 years... have you done no childcare at all during that time? I am wondering why you did the degree course, how you got accepted onto it. Is it just nannying you haven't done for 20 years... but you have been still working in childcare?

Parents: What would you be looking for in terms of someone demonstrating they have childcare experience - would you count something from 20 years ago?

Original poster

Butterflybows · 12/09/2011 22:20

Good points nannynick. I don't have a lot of nanying experience but I have a couple of years nursery work experience. I had two children, was a sahm, then parent helper in my children's school. Qualified as a Teaching Assistant (NVQ 3), worked three years as a LSA then did my degree.

You could say I've had something to do with children for much of that time!

OP posts:

nannyl · 13/09/2011 08:38

with that CV i cant imagine parents have any problems employing you

MrsVoltar · 13/09/2011 08:43

Definitely not, although they might worry that you will be looking for another job (will you? if something good comes up), and wonder how long you will stay.

minderjinx · 13/09/2011 09:21

My friends children had an older nanny who was fab, especially as they had no aunts or grannies. I think a lot of young parents would find an older nanny quite reassuring, and also less of a threat to Mum's own bond with the child(ren).

thebody · 13/09/2011 09:31

i think you would be snapped up

Blondeshavemorefun · 13/09/2011 10:33

no hope for me then - im 39 next year 'gulps'

guess the only thing i would find weird as a parent is employing you as a nanny as you havnt done it for 20years and you did say you are thinking about it as pays better then shop work

yes you will get more then nmw (unlike sains/sb/etc) but area depending doubt you would get a huge wage as havnt worked as a nanny for so long

but i could be wrong - does happen occasionally lol

good luck :)

cherub59 · 13/09/2011 12:45

No! Our nanny is 42 so 5 years older than me. I have previously had a 22 yr old nanny. I prefer the nanny with more experience who is more reliable, never late, understands that the job is about looking after my children and not her social life!! There are lots of brilliant younger nannies but experience is worth a premium.
Not wierd at all!

ytseb · 13/09/2011 18:33

I'm a nanny in my early 40's and I'm still fit, never late,etc and think that I have alot of experience and understanding. I've had my children also, that are grown up, and wouldn't be leaving due to pregnancies etc. I have a good response from parents, so any older don't give up on being a nanny

nbee84 · 13/09/2011 18:49

Another older nanny here at 42

I had a 15 year gap in between, but it was filled with 3 years at a nursery/creche, a couple of years maternity leave and 10 years as a childminder.

I found jobs really easily - parents valued my age, experience, that i had brought up my own children and that I wasn't likely to be going on maternity leave

Original poster

Butterflybows · 13/09/2011 19:19

Thanks for your interesting replies!

OP posts:

stripedcat · 13/09/2011 21:22

I have a nanny who is much older than you!!!

however nannynick has hit the nail on the head - I love the fact she has many years of experience/has worked in a hospital/nursery and been a nanny.

She is a member of our extended family.

suebfg · 13/09/2011 21:23

No - if I were looking for a nanny, I'd prefer someone a little older and more mature

allday · 13/09/2011 21:26

I know someone who is still nannying at almost 60+ and has people trying to poach her.

nannynick · 13/09/2011 21:28

I feel you would need to sell the plus points of your past work. Many parents I expect would be very happy to employ a nanny who has a mixed range of past experience, both in childcare work and non-childcare.

The age of your children may be an issue... have they both left home? If not, how dependent on you are they? Would they cope coming home from school/college to an empty house?

exoticfruits · 13/09/2011 21:46

Why would a nanny be a young person's job? If you choose to do it because you like it surely you are likely to continue liking it? In the old days they kept going until retirement-generally being nanny to the first lots DCs.

Gastonladybird · 13/09/2011 21:52

What blondes said re it paying better than shop work is right- I didn't hire someone who had been made redundant from an unrelated job partly as if was crystal clear she would dump us the minute something else came along.

I wouldn't have an issue with older nanny and if you had recent refs that show experience that woud cover the gaps.

StillSquiffy · 14/09/2011 05:10

Just a note of caution to bear in mind. You need to acknowledge in discussions with potential families that there is a great deal of difference between being a career 'nanny' and going into nannying after your children have grown up, and that you are sensitive to this and it won't cause issues.

When I took on a nanny who was 43 (3 years older than me at the time) I was very concerned about this (like you she had spent time working in a nursery, had done a degree and shown herself to be reliable in terms of holding down responsible jobs), but we thought the benefits of experience and reliability would outweigh any downsides. In reality however though, the whole relationship did not work out at all, mostly because the nanny wasn't ever able to accept a parenting style different from the one she had employed on her own children - if we told her to do something in a different way or explained to her why little Johnny wasn't allowed to do X,Y and Z, we knew that she would follow our instructions to the letter, but we could see that she loathed doing it (just as I would loathe being told that my own methods of childraising were wrong) - it led to a lot of awkwardness, and eventually the whole relationship broke down - she started becoming more vocal and it was awful.

Whilst I do not for a minute think that would apply to you (esp as you have previous nanny experience and an obvious passion for childcare), if I were interviewing you I would have that on my radar and would expect you to have considered differences in views on childrearing and how to deal with it, because I think there is a fundamental difference between having decades of experience as a nanny and having decades of experience as a parent.

Original poster

Butterflybows · 14/09/2011 16:32

StillSqiffy - I would treat the nannying role as a professional job and take direction from the parents re how I am with their children re behaviour etc. I'm not arrogant enough to assume the way I brought up my children is the best and only way. For example I never bought my two sweets (only chocolate) when they were tiny, but if Mum asks me to buy sweets for her children, then it is not my business to disagree. I really want to be a positive/a help in the families' life.

exoticfruits - for some reason, I think of nannying as a young persons' job. Possibly because girls often do it before moving onto something else? I don't know.

gastonladybird - I plan to stop looking for work when I have a nannying role. I don't think nannying is the sort of job where you can just dump it and walk away when something 'better' comes along!

I've got an interview with an agency tomorrow so I'll just have to wait and see what they think!

OP posts:

Karoleann · 14/09/2011 17:56

Butterflybows - two of my friends who are qualified teachers both nanny as they get paid so much more nannying. Both are my age (36). With a degree you'll be snapped up.

Flip

1 2