Common Childcare Professional: Know Which One Is The “Perfect Fit” For You
Let’s say you need a little extra help caring for your newborn, running errands, or getting your house in order. You decide to hire someone qualified to lend you a hand, but there’s a problem: you don’t know what kind of professional to hire! Do you look for a nanny? A newborn care specialist? A household manager? What’s the difference between these individuals?
Don’t worry! We’re here to break down common professions in the childcare industry so you can choose the best one for you.
Nannies
A nanny provides individualized care for one family, either on a full-time or part-time basis. A nanny may live with the family or commute to the family home daily. Nannies are fully responsible for the kids in her care while parents are working (at an office or at home) or otherwise out of the house. Nannying is more than just “watching the kids,” though. Nannies typically have a background in children’s development, children’s education, or childcare, which they’ll use to devote to caring for your children.
Babysitters
Like nannies, babysitters are in charge of the children when parents are out of the home, often during weeknights or on special occasions during the weekend. While nannies invest more time and interest in caring for a child’s development and health over time, babysitters are typically hired as needed for supervision. Babysitting is sometimes used as an entry-level position into childcare.
Mother’s Helpers
Just as the name sounds, a mother’s helper helps out the family while a parent is at home and engaged. A mother’s helper might assist with chores like laundry, light housekeeping, cooking, entertaining the kids, doing the dishes, and more. That frees up the parents to get extra tasks done, to take a break, or to devote a little extra time to a newborn or one child while the others are occupied. Think of mother’s helpers as babysitters-in-training.
Household Managers
Again, as the name suggests, a household manager oversees the overall management of a home. The duties of a household manager depend on the family and home, but generally, one cares for your children and keeps the home running smoothly, whether that’s through home maintenance projects, paying bills, organizing events, or creating schedules. A household manager may send your kids off to school, run errands and complete household tasks during the day, then care for the kids after school.
Newborn Care Specialists
Newborn care specialists are experts in newborn care: feeding, sleep, safety, newborn health, and parental education. Having a newborn is a big change, and a newborn care specialist (or NCS) can guide parents into this new period in their lives. They’re there to educate and support new parents, answer their questions, and ease their fears.
Sleep Trainers and Night Nannies
If your baby isn’t getting sound, healthy sleep, there’s a good chance you’re not, either! Sleep trainers or sleep training specialists can work with you to teach your baby to sleep peacefully throughout the night. There are a lot of different sleep training methods out there, so it can be helpful having an experienced sleep trainer find one that you’re comfortable with. And if you decide that sleep training isn’t right for you, a night nanny can monitor your baby throughout the night instead. Night nannies take over with night feedings, changing diapers, or soothing while you get some much-needed rest.
Let A Perfect Fit Help You
Now that you know the difference between childcare professions, it’s time to find the right childcare professional for you! Let A Perfect Fit match you with a highly-skilled, qualified individual who meets your family’s needs. Choose your city and get started!
