What Skills Can You Gain as a Nanny? 

Can you really get professional and practical life skills from being a nanny? 

Yes! 

When it comes to nannying, many have a very simple idea of what skills you gain by taking on such a role. This job and career path allows you the opportunity to hone both soft and hard skills that come in handy throughout your professional and personal life. If you are considering being a nanny, here is an outline of skills you can expect to learn and take with you for years to come. 

Interpersonal Skills 

Nannies have the unique role of becoming an integral part of a family’s life practically overnight. They work closely with parents to make sure all the children’s physical, emotional, educational, and social needs are met right from the start. As you can imagine, this takes a lot of communication and interpersonal skills to pull off successfully, and it also requires you to grow in these areas fairly quickly if they aren’t already your strong suit. 

While nannies work closely with parents and their children, they also collaborate with a family’s entire community. The number of people you collaborate with as a nanny is truly impressive.

When you become intertwined into a family’s life, you too will have to become well acquainted with grandparents, family friends, teachers, coaches, and possibly other staff. Those individuals are vital parts of your family’s lives and therefore become a part of your work circle. Meeting all these people and collaborating, communicating, and sometimes even working as a team with some of them will no doubt enhance your interpersonal skills and help you to become a person that works well with others. 

Problem Solving

As a nanny, you may be surprised by how much of your job is problem-solving. Whether it’s working through all the possible reasons why a baby is crying or trying to find common ground between two siblings in an argument, you’ll be problem-solving every single day. Although this could sound stressful, you also get better at it as time goes on. Like anything, the more you do it, the better you get! 

 

Domestic Chores

If you didn’t have enough practice doing chores growing up, well, now you will!

Nannies do child-related household tasks such as organizing children’s spaces and toys, laundry, cooking healthy meals, and the overall upkeep that comes with watching children. While a nanny isn’t a housekeeper, you can expect to be doing most or all chores that are child related. Skills like these will help you in your personal and professional life. Who doesn’t need more organization in all areas of their lives?

Time Management 

All in one day, you may have school pick-ups, multiple extracurricular activities to attend, and make it home in time to do dinner prep. These are the days that test your time management skills, but they’re also the ones that help you to grow. Time management is a skill that, if perfected, can transfer well into any career. Although, if you get really great, your nanny family may never want you to leave! 

Patience

This list wouldn’t be complete without the star of the show, patience. Working with children will teach you many things about yourself, but your ability to be patient is always the first to be tested. To be a nanny, you must have a heart for children. Considering you have this necessity, your empathy and willingness to understand children’s emotions, capabilities, and needs will come easier than others. Some days will flow smoothly, and others will be tough. The dynamic everyday life of a nanny helps shapes you into an empathetic person who knows the power of patience.