How young is too young for a nanny?

[Rox73]

Hi all,
I'm currently looking for a full time live out sole charge nanny and have had a few people apply who are 21, 22 years of age. That seems a bit young to me but wanted to get some feedback from others. I know it all depends on the individual, but I'm of two minds about actually interviewing them given their age. Or am I being ageist??

My current nanny is 30 years old but is going travelling at the end of the year.

Any advice or feedback on your own experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Friend employed a 21 year old nanny and she was nervous too. That was 3 years ago and the relationship has been fab - she couldn't have got anyone better. Think it all depends on the person and if you get good vibes, age should not put you off.

I'd be more concerned with their references and experience than their age.

well they have to start somewhere. am considering an 18 year old nanny for next year (she will be 19 then) we've been using her as a 'mother's help' for the past month or so. she's been great with the kids, and I've been around to see interactions, etc.

Hi,
We have a 21 year old nanny (live in though) and I have to admit (to my shame) that I nearly didn't interview her as she was so young, she was 20 at the time. She ended up being by far the best and most experienced of all we interviewed and she is absolutely fantastic with my DD. It really is all down to the individual.

I think if someone's willing and enthusiastic about being a nanny at such a young age it's a good sign - most people in their early 20s are not thinking about children at all yet, so it takes someone who really likes them to want to be in a nanny job. Perhaps they are feeling broody and want to get their "baby fix" in a sensible way before having their own children.

I had DS at 20 and I am pretty much the opposite of the "young mum stereotype", so I do think that some young people can definitely be mature enough to do the job well. I'm sure you would be able to tell by interviewing them. Good luck!

Hi and thanks all. I feel a little embarrassed now, you've all made such good points!

I'll be interviewing some of them, I have to nothing to lose by meeting them.

Hi i started working as a qualified nanny at 18 looking after a 1 yr old and 3 yr old. I left school and trained for 2 years at college then went to work full time at 18.

My employers obviously didnt have a problem and as i was just out of college i had all the info still fresh in my mind, also i was cheaper

hi im not a nanny but a childminder and i started that at 18. i wrk at as a nursery nurse from whn i was 16 and then left at 18 to become a childminder. i have got on gr8 i now have my own daughter and also have a assistant wrking for me and i am still only 21 and you should see the difference in my business from when i started in a top flat to now a big detached house with 3 playrooms. i think it all depends on the person some ppl are more muture then others.

it depends on the nanny and how mature they are

at 19 years and 1 week of age i proxy parented 3 boys aged 17weeks 4 and 8 years for 2 whole weeks while the parents went away.

Not only were they away but they were uncontactable (unless emergancy) and it was just me and the boys. (I had the grandparents phone numbers and we visited them for 1 afternoon on the middle weekend)
I had been their nanny for 6 months, i knew the children very very well and i had probably cared for the baby more than his own mother had anyway!
We all had a great time and i know that i was as competant then as i am now aged 29!

21 is fine. I thought I was going to open this thread and read about a 16 year old. It's far more about personality, experience, and maturity. And not so much about how long since you were born.

I started nannying at 18 with a 2 week old which started shared charge but mother fairly quickly left me alone with baby, and I did my first proxy parenting at 18 and a half with the same baby.

21 is fine - I started maternity nannying at 21. I do still get the age comments, especially with maternity nanny. I'm 10 years too young for the work I do apparently but have never had any complaints!

There are advantages to having a younger nanny - they're less likely to be set in their ways and still keen to learn (not that older nannies are all set in their ways and opposed to learning but you know what I mean!).

I had a job looking after a 10 week old when I was 20 and the parents left me with her for 12 days when she was 12 weeks old to go to Barbados.

We had a nanny who was 19 when she started working for us - was the best nanny we've had. Our oldest nanny (early thirties) was also the worst nanny we've had.

all depend on the nanny

you can get mature 18yrs and imature 36yrs nannies

i was a sole charge 11hrs, 5 days a week to a 4mth and 5yr, at just 18 (after training for 2 years doing the NNEB)

the family admited that they choose me as i was young and cheap

as with ALL childcare, interview and if you like check references

I started nannying at 16....!(I'm 19 now) Though I was a mature 16year old and luckily had a nice boss! I think experience and references are the best things to go by

I started nannying at 16 - and am still nannying now at 40. I was the oldest of 15 cousins and from a young age always had a baby in my arms . I remember saying, at the time of my 1st job, that my mb was taking quite a chance with me being so young (and cheap!) and my Mum said that my mb must be a good judge of character and could see my maturity.

Our nanny is 19 and doing a very good job on the whole. Her only weakness seems to be a lack of confidence on how to handle medical emergency situations.Maturity and experience might make a nanny better equipped to handle a bit of a crisis such as that. However, apart from that I don't think her age makes much difference.