by Karen Chamchuk

Created on: July 27, 2011   Last Updated: July 29, 2011

In today’s society, many families have two working parents and nannies are becoming a hot commodity. But what specific qualities are required in a nanny to make sure your children have the best possible care? One thing is for sure, being a nanny is not a job for the faint of heart. In effect, the ideal nanny should be nothing less than a modern day Mary Poppins.

A nanny must be full of energy so that she can keep up with the children under her care. The kids will expect her to go on outings to the park, make play-dough, play hide-and-seek and bake cookies with them. She doesn’t have to be a marathon runner, but she should be able to keep up with the children in her care. Most nannies are also expected to do some housework, so being in good shape will help with these duties as well.

A nanny needs to possess enough strength of will to set ground rules for the children. In addition, there must be consequences for breaking these rules. Kids are smart and will quickly figure out how much they can get away with. If their nanny lets them walk all over her, soon the children will be running the house instead of the nanny. Therefore, basic rules such as no running in the house and leaving shoes at the door should be enforced.

A nanny spends most of her day isolated from other adults, therefore she needs to be able to organize her day efficiently on her own. She should possess good time-management skills so that she can follow a daily schedule. She needs to keep an eye on the clock so that she can get little Billy to his preschool class on time and so she can put little Emma down for her nap. She must be very familiar with her schedule so she can organize her day accordingly.  

One of the most important character traits a nanny must possess is patience. Children will make mistakes and they will make them often. It is important that their nanny not become frustrated with tying up shoelaces and cleaning up spilled milk. If a nanny doesn't have the patience for these little mishaps, she will spend most of her day exasperated with the children in her care. Children are almost always a handful to look after therefore the nanny should not expect her job to be a breeze.

A nanny should genuinely love children. In typical households, she will be spending ten or more hours a day with them so it is essential that she truly enjoy spending time with the little tykes. Kids easily pick up on whether or not someone likes them; you can’t fool them. If their nanny doesn’t like kids, they will know it. Conversely, if the nanny likes children, the kids will feel loved and cherished.

In conclusion, it is obvious that it takes a very special individual to spend all day with children. The nanny must possess a number of key traits if she is to do the best possible job of caring for little ones. She must be energetic, firm, efficient, patient, and she absolutely must love children. In addition, she must be able to stay one step ahead of her little charges at all times. If she possesses all or most of these qualities, the children in her care are in good hands.  

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