The basic responsibilities of a nanny are straightforward – quality childcare and child-related duties.  But many families are expanding that basic description to include additional responsibilities to more fully meet their individual needs. Keep in mind when developing your job description that no one person can do it all.  Make sure the things that are most important to you are at the top of your nanny’s responsibility list.  TIP!  Make sure your nanny contract specifically outlines all the responsibilities including YOUR definition of quality care.  Our popular A to Z Nanny Contract can guide you through the process step-by-step.

Quality Childcare  A nanny’s primary responsibility is to provide quality childcare.  The definition of that differs from one family to another. 

Child-Related Duties  In the broadest terms, a nanny is responsible for all tasks related to the care of her charge.  This can include…

¨       housekeeping of child’s areas.  Within the traditional definition, a nanny is responsible for cleaning the child’s areas including the child’s bedroom, bathroom, playroom, and any other frequently used areas.  This can include changing sheets, emptying the diaper genie, dusting, vacuuming, mopping, emptying the trash, and general straightening.  In most of today’s households, a cleaning service is responsible for most, if not all, of the actual cleaning.  Generally, nannies are only responsible for keeping the areas maintained between regular cleanings.

¨       the child’s laundry including washing, drying, occasional ironing, basic mending and putting clothes away.

¨       the child’s meals including dinner preparation.  Many nannies will prepare “extra” for the parents as well. 

¨       transportation to and from activities.

¨       overseeing and assisting child with homework and special projects.

¨       rotating child’s seasonal clothes.

¨       organizing clothes, toys, etc. in child’s room and playroom.

¨       shopping for child-related items such as clothes, age-appropriate toys, party gifts, and school supplies.

¨       maintaining a communication log or journal.

¨       packing for travel.

Family-Related Duties  Although family-related duties are not part of the basic nanny position, many nannies take on additional responsibilities in exchange for additional salary and / or benefits.  These duties can include…

¨       family meal preparation.

¨       family laundry including washing, drying, and putting clothes away.  Ironing and mending are generally done by a dry cleaning service. 

¨       grocery shopping.

¨       parents’ personal errands such as going to the dry cleaners, post office, and pharmacy.

¨       personal shopping for parents.

Household Management  Depending upon the size of the home, some families hire a household manager to handle the details of a residence and some hire a nanny that has the necessary skill set to take on some or all of the household management tasks.  Household management tasks can include…

¨       shopping for household items such as light bulbs, laundry detergent, and paper towels.

¨       keeping household financial records.

¨       interviewing, hiring, and managing other household staff.

¨       organizing and tracking warranties for household products and services.

¨       scheduling and overseeing regular car maintenance such as oil changes and tire rotations. 

¨       scheduling and overseeing regular household maintenance such as opening the pool in the spring and having the chimney cleaned in the fall. 

¨       researching, hiring, and overseeing repair personnel for household appliances.

¨       researching, hiring and overseeing contractors for small household projects such as retiling a shower or laying carpet. 

¨       researching and purchasing household appliances such as a dishwasher, washer or dryer. 

¨       coordinating social events such as small dinner parties and charity luncheons. 

¨       pet care including scheduling and transporting pet to vet and groomer, administering medication, and daily feeding, watering and exercising. 

Child Information Management  Child Information Management (CIM) is a group of child-related duties focused on the details of a child’s life rather than hands-on childcare.  A nanny that provides CIM takes on the role of personal assistant for tasks relating to your child.  The difference between CIM and simply having your nanny do some of these tasks is your participation.  Like a good household manager, a good child information manager does everything behind the scenes.  You don’t have to ask, remind, direct, or question.  The details are (seemingly) magically taken care of.  Upper-level nannies have been providing CIM for years.  We’ve given it a name and recognize it as a specialized task that requires a unique skill set from a nanny.  CIM tasks can include…

¨       coordinating your child’s overall schedule.

¨       researching, recommending and registering your child for age-appropriate activities such as Gymboree, Music Together and dance classes.

¨       researching, recommending, and registering your child for educational offerings such as preschool, schools, and tutors.

¨       researching, recommending, and registering your child for special services such as social skills classes and gifted activities.

¨       researching, recommending, and registering your child for extracurricular activities such as summer camps and sporting activities.

¨       researching, recommending and making appointments with professionals such as doctors, dentists, and psychologists.

¨       responding to social invitations your child receives and purchasing needed gifts.

¨       planning and coordinating child-related events such as birthday parties, First Communion celebrations, and Bar Mitzvah celebrations.

¨       monitoring your child’s special needs such as medical conditions or counseling sessions to track progress and ensure appropriate and timely follow-up.

¨       scheduling and accompanying your child to doctor’s appointments for well visits, sick visits, immunizations, etc.

¨       scheduling and accompanying your child to dental appointments for regular check-ups, correction procedures, etc.

¨       organizing and maintaining current medical records.

¨       completing, submitting and keeping current registration information for schools, camps, teams, and other activities.

Housekeeping  General housekeeping is not a part of a nanny’s job description.  Nannies view the word housekeeping as a red flag, so it’s important to be very specific about what you need when developing a job description and talking to candidates.  If you simply say housekeeping or light housekeeping, many nannies will assume you expect tasks outside of those listed above and will not seriously consider your job. 

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