Finding the right child care for your family can be hard especially when the options aren’t straightforward. If you’re looking to hire a caregiver for your child, you might be asking yourself this common question: “What’s the difference between a babysitter and a nanny?” The thing is every child care job description varies slightly, and the line between nanny and babysitter can be a huge gray area. The key is being clear on the job description you create for your child’s caregiver, which is then agreed upon by the individual you hire. There are general guidelines that can help you decide which of these terms to use to create in getting the best qualified caregiver to meet your family’s needs.
A babysitter is someone who provides temporary care for your children while you're away. Their primary role is ensuring the well-being and safety of your children while they're in charge. Babysitters are part-time workers who get paid by the hour. They are trained to watch children of all ages.
Most commonly parents use a babysitter on an "as needed" basis, when they have an appointment or a special occasion where they can't bring their child. Some babysitters work on a regular schedule though. For example, you might get a babysitter to pick your children up from school and watch them until you get home (from 3 to 6 pm) every weekday. You might schedule them to babysit for you every Friday night. (A babysitter usually averages $10-12 an hour.)
Sitters are also usually responsible for planning and facilitating activities for your children. That includes things like arts and crafts, games, or sports. Some babysitters will do additional tasks like driving children around, helping with homework, cooking, or light housekeeping. Normally a higher wage is expected for these types of activities. They aren't considered to be baseline babysitter tasks. Some babysitters will even work full-time. Essentially like having a one on one daycare in your own home during the week. In this case, the line starts to blur between what's considered a babysitter, nanny, or a daycare provider.
A nanny is involved with your child’s wellbeing and general development in a much more complete way. (A male nanny is called a many.) Nannies care for children fulltime when parents are at work. They have more responsibility than a babysitter including setting daily schedules and activities for the children. They're intimately involved with your children's emotional, physical, and mental growth.
Nannies do a lot more around the house, including cooking meals, helping with homework, doing the dishes and laundry, and driving children to activities. Where a babysitter is still somewhat of an outsider, a nanny is a connected part of your family. They might even run errands for you like going grocery shopping or getting your clothes from a dry cleaner. (A full-time nanny earns $29,000 to 34,000 a year.)
Nannies usually have advanced childcare training beyond what a babysitter probably has. A nanny usually has at least 5 years of experience working with children, and at least 3 years of those being experience working as a nanny. To compensate for all of their extra duties and responsibilities, a nanny typically gets paid more than a babysitter. They earn a weekly salary as opposed to working for an hourly rate. A nanny is essentially a full-time employee of yours, the same as other household staff like a gardener, janitor, or butler. Because of this, there's a lot more administrative work involved with paying your nanny.
A babysitter normally gets paid cash. As a parent, there aren't really any concerns about things like taxes. But if you have a nanny, you'll need to issue them an official paycheck. That means also deducting taxes from their pay and submitting it to the government, as well as unemployment benefits and potentially even providing healthcare benefits. It's normally expected that nannies will receive at least two weeks of paid vacation per year as well. Most nannies would also expect holiday pay and a Christmas bonus.
You can also get a live-in nanny, who will have a bedroom in your house or perhaps an attached apartment. In this case, you'll be providing room and board to your nanny in addition to a salary. Live-in nannies can travel far from home to stay with their employers so it's a nice gesture to pay for a plane ticket so they can return to see their family once per year.
A live-in nanny also creates a complicated situation in case you ever need to fire your nanny. Since they're both an employee and also a tenant, you usually can't simply terminate them instantly. You'll need to give them notice and a reasonable time to move out along with potentially paying for their relocation. Nannies provide an unparalleled level of care that you can't get from a basic babysitter. Nannies become a part of your family, and bond with your children to form a relationship that is more akin to a co-parent than just a caregiver. Your nanny will be more involved with parenting and disciplining your child.
“When you are hugging a child, be the last one to let go. You never know
how long they need it.” (Anonymous)[i]
[i] Sources used:
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