Nannies
Under the title Nannies, workers care for children in private households and provide support and expertise to parents in satisfying children's physical, emotional, intellectual, and social needs. O*NET rates it as some preparation, which usually means a few months to a year of learning on the job. It leans on social perceptiveness, monitoring, and active listening. Expect to instruct children in safe behavior, such as seeking adult assistance when crossing the street and avoiding contact with unsafe objects. On the six-type interest model it reads SAC, meaning helping, teaching or caring for people comes first, followed by creative work with room for original expression. People who want helping, teaching or caring for people usually fit better here than those who need research, analysis and working through hard problems.
What they do
Care for children in private households and provide support and expertise to parents in satisfying children's physical, emotional, intellectual, and social needs. Duties may include meal planning and preparation, laundry and clothing care, organization of play activities and outings, discipline, intellectual stimulation, language activities, and transportation.
Main tasks
- Instruct children in safe behavior, such as seeking adult assistance when crossing the street and avoiding contact with unsafe objects.
- Remove hazards and develop appropriate boundaries and rules to create a safe environment for children.
- Perform first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) when required.
- Instruct and assist children in the development of health and personal habits, such as eating, resting, and toilet behavior.
- Regulate children's rest periods and nap schedules.
- Teach and perform age-appropriate activities, such as lap play, reading, and arts and crafts, to encourage intellectual development of children.
Skills
- Social Perceptiveness
- Monitoring
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Service Orientation
- Persuasion
Who this career fits
May suit you if
- You get energy from helping other people move forward.
- You want room to make something in your own way.
- You want to start work after a short stretch of training.
- You are comfortable relying on social perceptiveness and monitoring.
May not suit you if
- You find a full day of dealing with people draining.
- You want to spend most of your time analyzing and researching. Investigative rates 2.2 out of 7 here.
- You want a career built on years of advanced study.
Interest profile
O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code SAC takes the three highest, and Social comes first here.
Preparation
Some preparation. Most people start with a high school diploma, then learn from experienced coworkers over a few months to a year.
Most-reported requirement in the O*NET survey: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED). This reflects what workers reported most often and is not a legal minimum. Licensing rules can differ by state or industry, so confirm what applies where you plan to work.
Also called
- Family Assistant
- Family Manager
- Governess
- House Manager
- Household Manager
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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.