What’s The Difference Between A Babysitter And A Nanny?

What’s the Difference Between a Babysitter and a Nanny?

The Difference Between A Babysitter And A Nanny

Are you trying to look for the best child carer for your child but couldn’t decide whether to hire a babysitter or a nanny?

Well, it’s understandable why you’re having a hard time choosing between these two types of childcarers.

Most people have struggles differentiating a babysitter from a nanny. Some would even describe both interchangeably or synonymously.

Moreover, they have similarities in terms of their overall job descriptions.

However, they also have a lot of differences, which is the purpose of this blog.

Today, we’ll introduce to you the comparison between a babysitter and a nanny to help you understand more which childcarer you should hire at the end of your search.

We made sure to include the various types of babysitters and nannies, together with their pros and cons, to give you a grasp about hiring either worker.

If you’re curious to know more about ‘what is a babysitter and what is a nanny,’ and how a babysitter’s responsibilities compare to a nanny - you’ve come to the right place.

So, hang around, and we’ll drop everything we know about what’s the difference between a babysitter and a nanny - in a few.

Babysitter vs. Nanny: An Overview

For starters, a babysitter is someone who can temporarily take care of your child while you’re out.

It could be in the morning, afternoon, or any time of the day.

Babysitters are also known as on-call nannies who are readily available right when you need them.

Their primary duty is to take care of the child while their parents are away for a few hours.

And help out the kid with their assignments or activities during their shift.

But wait - we’ll take a deeper look into babysitter responsibilities in the following parts...

On the other hand, a nanny is more involved with the child’s daily life.

They can also work as seasonal nannies, but what makes them distinct from a babysitter is they tend to the kid’s overall needs, like preparing their meals and assisting them mentally and emotionally.

I’m sure you’re curious to know more about the difference between a babysitter’s responsibilities versus a nanny’s duty.

So, fret not because we’ll talk about those things in a few.

For now, let’s define both childcarer terms and see how they’re different when it comes to their descriptions, types, and pros and cons.

What Is A Babysitter?

Unlike nannying, babysitters only provide temporary care for children they have to tend for.

This fact means they get paid to babysit for a few hours a day and compensated for the number of hours they worked depending on the time their employers need them.

In simpler terms, they are on-call childcarers whom you can seek help whenever you need someone to provide care for your kid when you’re busy or have somewhere essential to attend.

Some babysitters also have the option to pick your kid up from your home and bring them back after the shift.

Moreover, you should be familiar with different types of babysitters if you plan to hire one.

Get to know them more in the following paragraphs. (Cogswell, 2021)

Types Of Babysitters

Teenagers

If there’s one job millennials have done or wanted to do at some point in their lives, it would be babysitting as teenagers.

That’s why the first type of babysitters are teenagers.

They are usually the newbies in the babysitting scene, but they can also be the ones who understand your growing child the most.

It’s because they have just been through what your kid has been experiencing as they grow up. (McClure, 2020)

College Students

In case you didn’t know, 80% of college students have side hustles to sustain their tuition and living costs.

Besides teenagers, another type of babysitter is college students. They usually apply as part-time sitters to earn extra cash while studying.

Since they are college students, they offer flexibility, energy, maturity, and mentoring to your child whenever you need help. (Institute of Economics, 2019)

Family And Friends

Family and friends are probably the most common babysitters we know of.

Many parents entrust their children to their relatives or close friend simply because they have faith in these people.

They know their family and friends, and they have confidence they can safeguard their kids because they are already familiar with them as much as possible.

Based on Virtual Lab School’s article, having these people can also help children promote communication and better relationships within the family and friend groups.

This scenario can also build more trust and security within the involved parties, resulting in good communication skills for the child. (Virtual Lab School, n.d.)

Au Pairs

If you want your child to learn a new language, having an au pair can be an option for you.

They are commonly known as ‘foreign babysitters’ who are ages 18-30. And these au pairs tend to their host’s children while living in their home.

Having an au pair gives parent’s not just instant new language teachers but also more flexibility since they only work a few hours daily to help out their host.

Also, they can help their host save more money in the long run because they don’t have to pay their au pairs’ salaries.

Instead, they have ‘allowances’ or hourly income, which is relatively cost-efficient for most families. (Oxbridge Academy, n.d.)

Zoom Babysitters

When the pandemic came into the picture, most parents began to worry about how they can multitask taking care of their children while working from home.

Thankfully, virtual babysitters started to pop out of the internet - providing parents with an option of having a babysitter while keeping their family safe from the virus.

So, what do zoom babysitters do during their work hours?

The Washington Post reported zoom babysitters still do their usual responsibilities of engaging with the kid and helping them out with their homework.

Most of their babysitting tasks are accomplished without having to leave the comfort of their homes. (Kelly, 2020)

What Is A Nanny?

Nannies are mostly in-house childcare experts who will be hands-on with your kid’s growth and development through time.

Additionally, nannies care for your children’s well-being on a full-time aspect.

This scenario means they will pay attention to not only your kid’s physical health but also their emotional and mental well-being.

Nannies also have more duties and responsibilities than a babysitter, which we’ll tackle later. (Davis, 2019)

Types Of Nannies

In case you never knew, there are various types of nannies as well.

Some even have specified qualifications before they could get the job.

For example, if parents seek help with their special needs children - nannies who finished with a degree in early childhood and development or special education are the perfect fit.

Some parents prefer having a full-time nanny who can also work as a household caretaker to ensure their child receives utmost care 24/7.

So, to make things more transparent - here are the different types of nannies you can choose from soon.

Full-fledged Nannies

Whether they are live-in or live-out nannies, these full-time childcarers guarantee your child receives utmost care physically, mentally, academically, and emotionally.

Their daily duties include:

• Preparing meals.

• Readying the kid’s clothes.

• Tidying up areas.

• Creating fun activities.

• Accompanying the child to school.

Most full-time nannies also have a professional background in nannying, which means they either finished a degree in early childhood development or underwent extensive training to become a full-fledged nanny.

If not, these full-time nannies mostly had significant years of experience and were called ‘super nannies’ by their former clients.

Nanny-Household Caretakers

Besides their responsibilities of taking care of their employer’s children, nanny-household caretakers also have to manage their client’s homes.

This fact means they have to keep in mind their cleaning, laundering, grocery shopping, and errands duties.

Nanny-household caretakers also need to serve meals, tutor the kids, and drive them to and from school.

In simple words, they are all-around nannies who work almost 24/7 to tend to every child’s needs.

Night And Daytime Nannies

If you are a new mom, having a nighttime nanny or daytime nanny might be the best idea for you.

With a night nanny, mothers can sleep well knowing their young are well-taken care of properly by an expert.

In case there’s no available on-the-go breastmilk left, night nannies have the option to wake the mom up to feed the baby.

Newborn daytime nannies give mothers the freedom to work in their usual schedules and catch up with their day-to-day tasks while ensuring their baby is bathed, cuddled, and pampered.

Since they are newborn nannies, they only work for about eight to twelve weeks.

But in Karen’s Nanny Agency, families with newborn nannies have the option to extend their nanny’s contract until they wish.

Shared Nannies

Do you want to save money while making sure your kids still have the additional care they have from a nanny?

If your answer is yes, then doing a nanny share can be the best decision for you. You can save about $1000 monthly once you decide to opt for a nanny share.

Aside from lesser costs, your youngster will learn to socialize with other children who are also under the same nanny throughout each session.

Additionally, a partially shared nanny also exists if a family wants the childcarer to focus on their kids.

In this scenario, the nanny spends half of her daily working hours in one family, then moves on to another family for the other half.

Seasonal Nannies

Whether it’s summer, winter, or fall - if you prefer hiring nannies only at a specific time, availing services from seasonal nannies is the one for you.

Most of the time, families who travel a lot tend to hire seasonal nannies to guarantee their kids have someone with them when they are away.

Special Needs Care Nannies

Lastly, special needs care nannies are professionals who specialized in special education or early childhood and development.

Nannies must be well-skilled and experienced to become this kind of childcarer because they have to be aware of the needs and demands of academically tutoring them.

A Comparison Between Babysitter Responsibilities And Nanny Duties

Babysitter Responsibilities

• Homework help

• Play games with them

• Picking them from school

• Going with them to their after-school pursuits

Nanny Duties

• Assist the child with their growth and development

• Household chores (cooking, laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning)

• Create daily activities for the kid

• Send and pick them up from school (some even stay in the school waiting for the kid)

• Supervise and schedule the kid’s days

• Provide travel care

• Assist children with their assignments and school works

• Apply parenting techniques while helping parents raise their kids

• Plan playdates with other kids

• Tutor children with their subjects

Which Is Better, Nanny Or Babysitter?

We’ve finally answered the most common question from parents — “What’s the difference between a babysitter and a nanny?”

Babysitter responsibilities can sometimes interchange with the usual nanny duties.

However, babysitters don’t have a fixed schedule and can work only whenever their time permits.

That’s why some parents opt to have babysitters because it can save them money as they will only pay them for every hour they took care of the children.

In the end, having a nanny can outweigh the advantages of hiring a babysitter since nannies can give you the benefits of having a childcarer 24/7 and not only for a few hours.

They also ensure to tend your kids’ physical, mental, and emotional health while improving their studies.

Check Out Karen’s Nanny Agency For The Best Nanny Experience In Chicago

If you’re looking for a nanny - Karen’s Nanny Agency is the place to go. We can provide you with the best nanny experience in Chicago without breaking the bank.

We also make sure your nanny underwent a series of assessments to ensure the quality of the services she can give your child.

To wrap it up, here’s a short video explaining the difference between ‘what is a nanny’ and ‘what is a babysitter.’

References:

Sarah Jane Cogswell, et al. “Pros and Cons of Being a Babysitter.” A lot Careers, 11 January 2017, careers.alot.com/career-paths/pros-and-cons-of-being-a-babysitter--13826. Accessed 14 April 2021.

Stephanie Davis. “The Differences Between a Nanny and a Babysitter.” SurePayroll, n.d., www.surepayroll.com/resources/blog/differences-between-nanny-babysitter. Accessed 14 April 2021.