Nanny
Description:
During my high school years, I started to nanny for a few families. Word got out, and these few families turned into about twenty families. In order to be efficient and make more money since the demand was so high, I would double/triple book and have the parents bring the children to my home where they could all play together. There were times that collectively I was making about $75 an hour. I provided not only nannying services, but I also drove children to their various activities and tutored on the side. Since the demand was so high, I created a network of about three other people in which we all covered the dozens of families in the area that needed these services.
How I got the idea / found the employment:
I started working for a few families from my church and neighborhood and soon enough, word spread. I was working for about twenty families within three cities by the time I was a senior. Although my major is in the business field, ultimately I want to be a mother someday and I found this to be great experience for my future.
Challenges I faced, and how I overcame them:
For the most part, the largest challenge I faced was to find enough time to fit all the jobs I received into my schedule. In the end, I ended up having to pick and choose which families I wanted to work for and delegate the rest to my three friends. In the end, the four of us created a network.
What I learned:
I am actually still in the business. I was referred from the way home in Seattle to a family in Alpine, UT and am currently working for them. I found that the key for my success was mostly word of mouth. However, for word to pass along, I found that reliability and good impressions were of the utmost importance.
Nanny Business
Description:
I was a full time nanny for between 2 and 8 children regularly during the summers in high school. I worked about 60 hours a week caring for the children as well as preparing meals, cleaning the house, and running small errands for the parents.
How I got the idea / found the employment:
I had been babysitting consistently for different families from the age of twelve, and for my own family from the age of nine. When I reached high school I had quite a well established reputation when it came to child care. One summer my baby sister’s friend’s mom came to me and asked if I would be interested in nannying for her. I jumped at the opportunity. Over time, more jobs came my way by word of mouth and by networking with other mothers while out with the children. At my peak, I had 8 children for 60 hours a week.
Challenges I faced, and how I overcame them:
My biggest challenge was finding ways to constructively entertain children all day long. The best way I found to solve this was to look back to my own childhood on how my mother entertained me during the long summer months. Interestingly, I found the kids were happiest when they were working with me, or playing outside, so we spent many hours in my backyard gardening and just playing games. It was a high energy job and required a good, clear mind, so I needed to make sure that I didn’t stay out too late with my friends or let the dramas of life get to me. It was also challenging to learn to solve problems from a child’s point of view, using their logic. I had to consistently put myself in the mind of a four-year-old to try and reach them. Another challenge was dealing with time off. The parents and children expected me to be there all the time. If I wanted to take vacations during the summer I had to find someone to do my job for me or just skip the trip.
What I learned:
I learned a great deal from my nannying experiences. I think that the most important thing that I learned was how to be a better mother – my primary career goal – to my own children when I have them. I also learned how to stand up for myself when permitted to set my own hours and wages, and how to respect authority without being ruled by it. I also learned that not everyone needs to start out life working in McDonald’s, but everyone needs to start somewhere.