If you have children and no family nearby but you want to go out for a quiet adults only dinner what do you do? In most cases you would hire a babysitter. This is usually a teenager from down the street or someone a trusted friend knows who will come to your house and watch your children for a few hours while you go out. This babysitter would be in charge of the kids, make sure they eat their dinner, possibly clean up the dishes and maybe put the kids to bed at the arranged time after some stories or games were played.
If you have children and go to work each day but don’t want to put them into a daycare, what do you do? Usually this is when you’d hire a nanny. Yes, they are tasked with taking care of children much like a babysitter but a nanny will do much, much more for you and your family.
A babysitter will be paid either by the hour or a flat fee for the evening and will be paid when you return to the house. A nanny will have a salary that she will be given either each week or bi-weekly, for the work that she does with your children, and as it is an actual job rather than just a way to make some money on a Saturday night.
A nanny will be tasked with taking care of the children, making their meals and cleaning up afterwards, giving them baths, playing games, helping with homework, taking them to lessons or sports, and being there for them for the duration of their shifts. A nanny can either live at her own place or live with the family, but she will always have time off during the week, just like with any other job.
You may think having a nanny is reserved for celebrities or royalty, but in fact many families employ one to make their lives easier. It makes the parents happy to know that their kids are being well taken care of and all of their needs are being met and it gives employment to someone who has been trained in early childhood development and loves to work with children.
Getting a babysitter once in a while for your kids is a great idea, but shouldn’t be confused with a nanny who does a professional job and works hard to care for your children.
