Thursday
Query - What is the best age for a nanny?
I posted a dumb mistake i made as a young nanny and people were really nice about it. So- is it better to have a young nanny who is very active and down on the kids level, but may not have perfect judgement? Probably not an older nanny like the crazy one who was 60 and would not leave her room from back pain. Is it even ok to require a certain age when hiring a nanny?
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4 comments:
I think you run into trouble when you classify all young nannies as active and down on the kids level and all older nannies as less active but with better judgement. I think different parents want different things and as long as you've got a good "fit" age really is just a number. The family I nanny for has several nannies at a time; I'm the oldest (late 20s) and the parents definitely give me the most freedom, and I definitely do the most educational activities, , outings, etc. the other nanny is justyour typical 20 year old, and it shows - she's kind of judgmental about their parenting techniques (she knows it all because she had younger siblings lol) and some of her discipline methods make me cringe. On the other hand, the nanny before her was only 19 and AMAZING - loving, incredibly dependable, responsible, great judgement. All depends on the person. But yeah, as a slightly older nanny I do feel like my age is an asset.
Having age limits for a nanny is VERY tricky waters for an employer. Age discrimination is a very real thing and can get any employer or potential employer sued. Mandating that they are able to do the duties required of the position is perfectly legal, but when you start putting requirements to how old or young someone has to be... it's never a smart thing. A parent can require that they are the age of majority, but a cap on max age they can't do. I know quite a few "old" nannies that are both grandmotherly in age and active enough to run circles around some of the "young" nannies.
When it comes to an opinion on wether one is better than another, I think it really depends on what you are looking for. Sometimes having an older nanny is an asset! They come with more experience (usually,) and may be viewed as more responsible and less flighty. On the other side, young nannies can be viewed as more active. That can be seen as a huge plus too. Another thing that may make young and/or inexperienced nannies attractive to a parent is thinking that they can be more easily taken advantage of. I've noticed that parents tend to think they can get away with more with youthful nannies. This too is not always the reality, but a perception that I have found.
I am 67 and have taken care of a 3 and 5 year old for 5 years now. They love me like a grandmother. I am active and take them to parks, zoo, gymnastics, etc.
Our nanny is 60 and has been with us for two years. She walks farther with my son than I can and lifts him easily -- in fact, I have back problems and cannot lift him at all. Our nanny is amazingly fit and both educated and experienced.
Your post is a false choice - it is not one or the other.
PS One added benefit of a fit older nanny is that these women were not raised with cell phones attached to their hands. Thus, our nanny spends her time watching, engaging and teaching my son rather than texting!!!
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