What are the pros and cons of being a nanny?

Pros:

• Flexible working hours

  Many nannies enjoy flexible schedules because they are either watching children while their parents work or watching children after they get out of school. This means that nannies can often get several personal things done during a workday, though this depends on the child or children that they are currently caring for.

• Building strong relationships with children

  Nannies can foster strong and deep relationships with the children they care for. Many children often view their nannies as second parents or like close aunts. This means that nannies get to help the development and overall growth of the children they watch. Many forge extremely loving bonds with the children in their care.

• Working environments and task variety

  Nannies might care for children at the home of the parents that employ them or they might care for them in their own homes. They also get to take the children out to different places, such as parks, playgrounds, and museums. Nannies' jobs can be filled with many different tasks from helping children with homework to doing home-based tending and cleaning.

• Job security

  In large cities and suburban areas, there is often a strong demand for nannies. And once a nanny gets a good reputation they can often receive referrals to different clients. Though their jobs with clients typically expire within one year or several years, most experienced nannies do not have a problem finding their next client. Some even have several at once.

Cons:

• Being a nanny can be emotionally demanding

  Sometimes nannies have to deal with difficult children that might act out or misbehave in certain ways. This part of the job can be stressful, especially since nannies are in charge of their children's safety at all times they are on the clock. Many can feel emotionally and psychically drained by the end of a day's work.

• Limited interaction with adults on workdays

  Many nannies experience limited adult interaction on the days they work since they are primarily focused on watching and caring for their children. Some nannies reach out to other nannies and coordinate playdates to gain some face time with an adult.

• Building strong relationships with children

  Yes, this is a con too. It can be a downside to nannying because nannies can grow extremely close to the children they care for, but inevitably they will stop caring for each child or set of children one day. Many nannies love the children they care for, making it extremely hard to say goodbye to them one day.

• Dependence on a single family

  Nannies that dedicate themselves to one family then depend on that one family for their income and job security. If a family's circumstances change, then a nanny might take a pay cut or even lose their job.