What do you look for in an after school nanny?

[NannyLouise29]

I currently work in quite a stressful nanny position for a VIP family in London, and my DP has been saying for a while that I just don't seem to enjoy nannying anymore. I love my charges, but everything else is very challenging.

When he met me I was working for a delightful family with school aged children, and in all honesty it didn't feel like work at all. I love cooking and baking, helping a child grasp a concept they struggle with whilst doing homework, and generally supporting them through the troubles (and delights) that school brings. I would quite like to go back to working with a "normal" family, working parents, and school aged children again.

So as the title says, what do you look for in an after school nanny, and is there anything that in your opinion, makes a candidate stand out from the crowd?

This is a really unhelpful reply I'm afraid as I'm not an employer, but I keep seeing acronyms used on this forum which I don't know what they mean - what is a DP?

Darling/dear partner :)

Pistachio - DP = Dear/Darling Partner. (I think! It's not often that I can help!)

(And, when I do, it's always too late...!)

(And, when I do, it's always too late...!)

Pistachio - DP = Dear/Darling Partner. (I think! It's not often that I can help!)

Sorry, my tablet is going mad this morning - repeating messages in random order!

To reply to your question, NannyLouise29, I'm not a nanny employer or a nanny, but I would have thought that people would be looking for all the usual, important things like warmth, a genuine empathy and liking for children, efficiency (as in being able to deal with the practical aspects of childcare in a common-sense manner), a calm disposition (mostly!), a willingness to work with parents in an atmosphere of mutual respect, and good communication skills. An ideal after-school nanny would particularly enjoy the company of older children, as opposed to pre-schoolers, and be willing and able to help with homework.

So, it sounds as if you already have all these qualities! If you are unhappy, or feel unappreciated in your current job, you should start applying for a new one as soon as possible. Being happy in your job is vital for overall life satisfaction and you know you can achieve this because you have had jobs you've really enjoyed in the past. You sound as if you feel unappreciated and undervalued which is stressful and confidence-draining. You are obviously doing a great job with the children you are looking after but your employers have a duty to make you feel appreciated too and it sounds as if that's not happening here.

We have an after school nanny. We looked for the usual: experience, qualifications, explanation of why they wanted th job/nannying generally. Ie looking after small children in our case. In your case, older children/helping with homework/ allowing them to be a little more independent etc

But for us, the biggest thing was what they did the rest of the time. As we only want 3 afternoons a week, I wanted to know what they did the rest of the time as we were scared that they be looking for a full time job at the same time.

So, when responding to adverts(they will start over the summer) explain why what will probably be a part time job suits you.

Good luck - I'm sure that you will get snapped right up!

Thank you both for your replies. Bettercallsaul1 (love your username) I think I've taken a bit of a confidence knock with my current position and feel that the best thing to do is to go back to what I love.

Tablefor4 I have a small creative business that I run part time that I would like to give a little more time to, and am in the process of volunteering for the Beanstalk reading scheme in schools (2 mornings a week) So I don't need a full time job, but I am flexible to cover sickness, and school holidays.

I also hope that the fact that I'm hoping to stay long term with my next family will appeal. The only thing that could possibly go against me is that even though I can drive, I'd prefer not to drive in London. It seems to be a prerequisite for the after school jobs I've seen.

Hi.
Can you pm me?
How much do you charge per hour?
I'm always on the lookout for good help with dd (6 years) and ds (6 months).
I had to keep a lazy aupair out of my desperate need for help after school.

I definitely think it requires a different skill set to work with older children, and I agree that it is often seen as a stop gap to full time work. I often hear people talk about after school nannies being like gold dust, but I'm starting to understand that what they mean is people who genuinely want the job for what it is are hard to find.

Thank you for your comments, they're really helping me focus on looking for my next position.