Arranging the right childcare for your family is vital for your child’s overall health, wellbeing, and development. Of course, it is also vital for parents who want to know that their child is looked after, cared for, and safe whilst they are not in their company.
There are various options to look into, and it’s important to do extensive research into different types of caregivers, so you can be sure that you’ve chosen the right one for your child and your family as a whole. It’s also important that you seek out the right person for the job, e.g. by going through an agency who runs background vetting checks and matching services. This is not a job which anyone can do, and it is a process that needs due care and attention. However, by giving the selection process the right attention level, you can be sure that you’re getting a professional person who may remain with your family as your child grows.
One type of caregiver which many people don’t tend to know too much about is an after school nanny. There are many different types of nannies, but one size doesn’t always fit all. If a family simply requires someone to fill the care gap between school finishing and parents returning home from work, an after school nanny is the perfect choice.
What Exactly is an After School Nanny?
An after school nanny is a professional nanny who helps to look after and support children during the period of time between school finishing, the children needing to be picked up from school, and the length of time it takes for the parents to return home from school. The problem these days is that school days finish between 3-4pm, and many adults don’t finish work until 5-6pm, or possibly even later. In that case, a child, or children, will need someone to look after them between this gap, which is what an after school nanny does.
Generally speaking, this type of nanny works for no more than around 4 hours every day, usually 5 days a week, but a family may wish to extend that for other situations, if they see fit. For instance, a parent may need to attend a work function on a weekend, and instead of asking someone else to look after the children, e.g. babysitters, they may ask if their after school nanny is available, to ensure continuity of care.
An after school nanny can carry out a number of different tasks as part of their service, including picking up the child from school, perhaps taking them to the park to run off some after school steam, preparing dinner, overseeing the child eating their meal, going to any after school functions with the children and, and helping with homework. Of course, general care tasks are also included, such as first aid, should it become necessary, helping with general childhood development milestones, and reporting back to parents should there be any problems or concerns.
After school nannies can earn various different salaries, depending upon their experience, and the types of tasks they carry out, as well as the number of hours they work every week. If the nanny does any extra hours, e.g. if they do agree to a weekend time looking after the child on an ad hoc basis, this will also be paid in addition, and occasionally on overtime, depending upon what the family and nanny have mutually arranged.
What Are the Advantages of an After School Nanny
Employing the services of this type of nanny has a myriad of advantages for the family and the child themselves. These days, parents often work longer hours than they ever have before. This isn’t a barrier to having a family, but it does require certain caregivers in place to ensure that the children aren’t alone, and that they are well looked after.
Parents can be far more relaxed and focus on their work, knowing that their children are safe in the care of their professional nanny, and that they are also happy and with someone who gets along with them well, and with whom they have a bond of trust. An after school nanny will quickly become part of the family, and will be someone who the child, or children, confide in and trust. This helps the parents to focus on their work, something which they obviously need to do in order to bring hard-earned cash into the household, for the family’s future.
The other advantages of having an after school nanny are that any after school activities can also easily be attended by the child and they don’t have to rush home, missing out on important social and educational events. For instance, after school sports or arts clubs can be attended, birthday parties of their friends, etc. These are all important things for children, not only for them to make close friends and have a happy school life, but also to help them meet their educational milestones and a memorable childhood, for all the right reasons. Teachers and parents of school friends will quickly come to recognise the after school nanny, and he or she will literally become part of the furniture.
This type of arrangement also ensure continuity of care for the child and doesn’t upset their educational needs. Parents can be sure that their child or children are attending school and are well supported during the time between school ending and them returning home, and also that they are picked up and return home safely. We live in a day and age where safety has to be paramount, more than ever before, and an after school nanny can tick that box with ease.
What to Look For in an After School Nanny
A nanny can have all the experience and educational certificates, but they also need to be a certain type of personality, in order to fit into your household. This differs from family to family. For one family, a stricter type of nanny may be required, whereas another family may require a nanny who has a fun-filled sense of humour. It completely depends upon the parents, the child/children, and the household. This is something which is a personalised deal, and should be assessed on a case by case basis.
When searching for an after school nanny however, it’s vital to check experience and qualifications, but it’s also extremely vital to have vetting and background checks performed. This can be a difficult and complicated process to do alone, and in that case an agency is the best place to head. Here at London Governess, we ensure that every nanny on our books has passed a strict background check, which takes the worry from the parents’ shoulders, and focuses their attention firmly on the personality and qualifications/expertise of the professional at hand.
It also depends on how many children need to be looked after in terms of how the arrangement works. It’s likely that the children will attend the same school, but if there are vast differences in age, it could be that one child is at a lower or higher school age bracket than the other/others. In that case, you will need your nanny to be able to drive and to have his or her own transport. You also then need to know that they are insured and that they have no points on their licence, etc. Again, this is something which an agency such as ours can help with, giving extra peace of mind that all boxes are ticked.
To sum up, these are the main things you should be focusing on when trying to find the ideal after school nanny for your family:
- A personality which fits in with your family and who your child/children get along with
- A bond of trust
- A sense of understanding, i.e. the nanny is on the same page in terms of the care you want for your child/children
- A satisfactory amount of proven, prior experience
- The relevant accredited qualifications
- Rigorous background checks
- Full driving licence (optional)
- A flexible approach (optional), e.g. if the family asks the nanny if he or she can work an extra day
These are the necessary elements which every family should look at when searching for the ideal after school nanny for their child or children.
There’s no denying that an after school nanny perfectly fits the gap between school ending and parents returning home, a time when there would be no-one there to care for and look after the child or children. By employing this type of caregiver, parents can rest assured that their little ones are safe, and the children can also develop a sense of freedom, security, and confidence in their new nanny also.
