Those that have Nannies, would you consider a 'older' nanny?

[shoshe]

just musing as will be giving up CM in the next few months as DH has left the Army, and we will be moving out of quarters, I have been in childcare for 30 odd years, and was thinking of retiring, or going into a nursery, or something!

Anyway have now started to wonder about going back to being a nanny, (I was one 30 years ago and then again briefly about 20 years ago)

I have loads of experience, as well as qualifications, but wondering if my age (50!!!!) would put potential employers off.

I think that is what I would prefer, I did in my distant past, do ad hoc nannying and found it difficult, for one reason, more than most, that i never got the time to really get to know the children.

I have nannyed for a set Family, (a chiropractor, who still sorts my back out now 25 years later) which was great, but my then DH was posted and we moved away so had to leave my job, and by the time I moved back, the children were grown up!

I must say coming to like the idea more and more.

I am a 40 year old nanny (but I'm not old am I ) I nannied before I had my children, and also nannied when I only had 1 child. Once I had my 2nd I started childminding. I did that for over 10 years until my yongest was old enough to not need me around after school and then went back to nannying. I just do 3 days a week as they are fairly long days (31.5 hours a week). I was so pleased to get my house back (no charts on the walls, no stairgates and I can leave my bleach out in the bathroom ), to not have all the paperwork and accounts to do and also to have employed status - so I get paid holiday and sick pay. It is great to finish work and leave it all behind, something you can't do when you childmind in your own home.

When I went back into nannying 15 months ago I had no trouble getting a job and the parents were very positive about me also having the experience of bringing up my own children. I also made sure that during the interview I let them know that I would always do things their way and that Mb and Db would always be in charge, having said that I was also keen to find bosses with a similar view to mine on parenting. I think as an older nanny you are more able to tell which sort of people you will be able to work well with, so there is less likely to be employer/employee niggles.

Paywise I get about the top end of what other qualified/experienced nannies earn - though you have far more qualifications than I do.

Good luck - I'm sure you'll be able to take your pick of the jobs.

Thanks nbee, my DS is 30 and I also have a DGD (well sometimes Dear she is after all 13! )

Yes I think that will be the hardest part finding a Family that parents ina similar way to myself, I am fairly flexible tho, and as a CM have always to remember, that although I may have the children for 10 hours a day, they are the3ir Parents Children, (a fact I drum into CM's I mentor)

Saying that I have 99% of the time found Parents, as a CM, that I have similar outlook with., so hopefully there will be some out there.

It's encouraging to see so many people saying they wouldn't mind, would like or even would prefer an older nanny.

In my experince, though, it's worked against me. I've been looking for a permanent job for 8 months now, and I've been doing temporary and ad hoc nannying and babysitting on a self-employed basis while looking.

If it's not my age, I'm not sure what it is that's putting parents off. I have many years of experience working with children - I'm a qualified and very experienced early years teacher and I've worked as a nanny and a registered childminder as well as in children's residential care, and I have excellent references.

Only one person has actually mentioned my age, and that was a lovely mum who picked me off childcare.co.uk because I was older - she said she wanted a Mrs Doudtfire. It's occasional rather than regular work though.

Oh, that is until yesterday when I got an answer to my Gumtree ad (in which I said I had over 25 years experience working with children) from someone looking for a full-time nanny who started her email by asking how old I was! Hm...

In answer to which, I'm 56

The only thing I can think of that would work against 'older' nannies is that mothers might feel intimidated by that much experience and prefer someone younger who they can boss around/they feel won't know as much from having done it all before. It might feel a bit like having an extra MIL, particularly if the mother is fairly young herself. I know I'd scrutinise any older applicants carefully for MILish tendancies (even though my future MIL is lovely she's NOT descending when DCs come along because I'd just get steamrollered). But you sound very sensible about that shoshe and probably more aware than some younger nannies I've met that the children aren't, in fact, yours.

Other than older nannies should win every time in terms of experience, references and sheer attitude towards looking after children.

No they are definitely not mine, as much as I love my mindees, I do like to hand them back at the end if the day

Definitely wouldn't put me off. Shoshe - would Oxford count as sufficiently south oxfordshire or would that be too far?! Just trying to see what options there would be for when M/L finishes next September!

Dh hopefully will be at Abingdon, so we could move further north

I think it is not the age itself but '25 years experience' might scare parents in terms of the pay.

Mine is 50 (but i m 46 myself so no mil issue here . The main reason i went for her is that she worked for friends before so i knew her quite well.

The main plus is the long term security. She owns her house, lived here for 20 years, has very settled life.

our new nanny hasn't started yet but she's something like 54 and I consider it mainly an asset. She has such extensive experience and amazing references from families she was with for many years. She's a "young" early 50s and while she may get tired chasing after two little ones (nanny share of a 13 month old and 17 month old) I think her experience and maturity make her more desirable than the younger nannies we met. I'm an older mum myself so maybe that's part of it.

That's an interesting point about '25 years experience', Laquitar.

I'd just assumed parents would see it as a plus.

Oh i agree luckylou. As i said personally i see it as a plus. I have said many times here that i 'd rather eat baked beans than 'economising' on childcare. But i know that many parents will try to budget and perhaps not willing to pay the top rate that obviousely you and the OP deserve.

But also it has to do with the age of the children, experienced nanny -in my opinion-more important for small babies/toddlers.

I am sure both you and OP will find a family that appreciates this. Hopefully your name will bring you luck.

Cool Shoshe! feel free to CAT me if you'd like to chat or when you know what you're doing

Chocolaterabbit I dont have CAT, but am on nanny 475 at hotmail dot com {grin]