Many people think of a nanny as simply a glorified babysitter. That’s someone to look after children when the parents aren’t around. However, while a nanny will look after children, they offer much more than a traditional babysitter.
Nannies don’t just visit your home for a few hours and monitor your children, they are invested in their well-being and development. A good nanny loves their job and wants to assist the children they look after as they grow into adults.
The short answer is yes, nannies do teach. However, they are not qualified teachers and don’t teach in the conventional classroom sense.
The Role Of A Nanny
The role of a nanny is complicated, just as children are. It changes according to the needs of the parents and the children, as agreed beforehand.
Nannies are usually well-educated, holding a professional qualification of some descriptions. This includes having first-aid training and qualification. As a parent, this is important if anything should happen to your child.
A nanny will also need to pass police checks and adhere to all other regulations and guidelines within the state, as all the nannies supplied by reputable nanny services Sydney.
The Basics
A nanny does create meals for children and may even create meals for the family. They will clean the kitchen after using it and they’ll handle the mundane physical chores associated with babies and young children, such as nappies and napping.
These are the basic requirements for any child as they need assistance with personal hygiene and growth and are unable to handle these tasks themselves.
But, any parent that thinks a nanny is there to do the ironing, washing, etc. is actually looking for a housekeeper, not a nanny.
Educating & Entertaining
Where nannies come into their own and the reason they love the job, is the time they spend with the children. A nanny keeps them safe but also interacts with them constantly. This allows them to learn in a comfortable environment.
Nannies can assist a child to learn basic skills like using a fork and knife, as well as help them to gain an understanding of math, language, and social relationships. This is the teaching side of their profession.
However, unlike a teacher, nannies will teach through active play. They play with children, using activities to show them the relevance of subjects in everyday life and helping them to practice things such as counting, adding, and even subtracting.
In this way they can help a child to stay ahead of the education curve, giving them the best possible start in life.
Parental Interaction
A nanny needs to be employed with a contract, in the same way as any employee would be. They must be seen as an employee and parents should be able to chat with the nanny regarding progress in specific areas and where they would like to see their child develop further.
This creates a strong bond between the nanny and the parents with the best interests of the child at the centre.
