Difference Between a Nanny and a Babysitter - Know Whom to Hire

Are you looking for domestic staffing to care for the children in your family? If you answered yes, you might consider to hire a nanny or a babysitter. While they may sound similar, their job responsibilities are quite different. The following article discusses the distinctions between a nanny and a babysitter.

What qualifies a nanny?

A nanny is a professional who is hired to look after a family’s child(ren). Nanny care is a full-time job, and responsibilities vary according to the children’s ages and the family’s specific needs. While a nanny’s primary responsibility is to nurture the children, a modern-day nanny’s job also includes monitoring the children, designing activities that aid in the children’s overall development (personal and social), scheduling play activities, picking up and dropping off various activities, and assisting with homework.

The type of nanny a family chooses will depend on the type of role and responsibilities they are looking for in a nanny. Here are a few examples:

• Live-in nanny:

A live-in nanny’s role is to provide in-home child care on a full-time basis. A live-in nanny is fully responsible for the children’s well-being. From waking them up in the morning to putting them to bed at night, feeding and meal preparation, personal care such as bathing, washing their clothes, and cleaning their room, she will handle all aspects of child care.

• Live-out nanny:

A live-out nanny performs only a portion of the duties of a live-in nanny. A live-out nanny is only responsible for the children during her work hours, which are typically between six and eight hours per day.

• Manny:

A manny is a male nanny, so when you want to hire a male nanny, you can hire a manny.

As nannying is a profession, the qualifications, certifications, and training required/desired of a professional nanny vary by state and country.

What’s a babysitter?

A babysitter is someone who is hired on an as-needed basis to look after a child or children. A babysitter’s services are typically required on weekends or evenings. Teenagers and college students frequently assume the role of nanny. They make themselves available whenever their services are required.

Significant distinctions:

A nanny generally works on a set schedule and is responsible for more aspects of child care than a babysitter. A nanny frequently develops a much stronger relationship with the children and family than a babysitter does because she spends more time with them. While babysitters are frequently young and have little to no experience with child care, nannies are frequently older, have several years of experience, and frequently have some type of training (CPR/First Aid, Child Development, etc.).

While the job roles and responsibilities of a nanny and a babysitter vary according to the family and their needs, the following points should be kept in mind:

• While nannies generally work the same schedule each week, whether full-time, part-time, or live-in, a babysitter is frequently used on an as-needed basis.

• While babysitting, the role of the babysitter entails monitoring the children, entertaining them, feeding them, and caring for them until their parents return home, which is typically for a brief period of time.

• A nanny may occasionally be required to perform the duties of a housekeeper, driver, and cook, whereas the babysitter is generally not expected to perform these duties. When you hire a nanny, you hire a tutor and you hire a governess as well.