Differences Between Au Pair, Nanny And Babysitter
Reconciling work and family life is an arduous task and, at times, it seems that there is no time for even the most basic tasks. If we want to enjoy some free time, the solution is often to hire someone to take care of our children. But who is more appropriate for this task? An au pair, a babysitter or a babysitter?
Although we use the expressions “babysitter”, “nanny” and “au pair” interchangeably, they are not exactly the same. Each of these professions, although it revolves around childcare, has important nuances that distinguish it from the others.
Before asking for quotes, we must know these differences to know which service best suits our needs. Likewise, regardless of the qualities we look for in the person who will be in charge of the children, we must first consider the type of service we need.
Nanny is not an au pair: a regular-hour employee
Nannies are hired to do their job on a set schedule. That is, they have a number of hours of work regulated by a contract and by the labor laws of each country. Therefore, your salary must also correspond, at least, to the legal minimum wage.
With a babysitter you can agree on a fixed schedule for her to do her work. These will consist mainly of the care of the children, their supervision and entertainment. But it will also be a constant in the education of children.
Also, a good babysitter will be trained to take care of babies. Ideally, you should hire one who has specific training for this job. For example, someone who has studied early childhood education, childcare, or a nursing assistant.
For a specific need, choose a babysitter
Unlike babysitters or au pairs , a babysitter will work at specific times. It will be the person you call when, due to various circumstances or unforeseen circumstances, you have to go out and there is no one with whom you can leave the children. They tend to work for short periods of time, so their salary will be calculated by the hour.
Their job is solely to monitor and entertain the children. Or, if they are sleeping, stay home until you get back.
Young girls are usually used to do this work. This is because it occurs in occasional moments, which fit very well with the students’ schedules. Therefore, the fundamental qualities of a babysitter must be responsibility, trust and vocation.
Au pair: help in many ways
The au pair are foreign people, mostly students. They usually look for this type of work to acquire knowledge of languages and culture in a safe way.
Due to this, we will contract this service for long periods. They will generally coincide with vacation periods, but many are willing to live exchanges of up to a year in duration.
In exchange for accommodation, maintenance and a small salary, they will collaborate with the housework and take care of the little ones. Since they will live in our house, as a member of the family, we can ask the au pairs for help with whatever we need. You must always remember, of course, that they are not slaves: they need their free time and you must agree on their tasks.
Welcoming a person into this work regime raises some doubts, especially because of coexistence. But it also brings great benefits. In addition to being inexpensive, hosting a foreigner at home offers many possibilities.
The whole family can learn a new language or improve it through practice in everyday, real and day-to-day situations. It is also a good opportunity to learn about different cultures and customs. This also has an educational dimension: children will learn respect and value diversity.
Define our situation, do you want an Au pair, babysitter or nanny?
As we pointed out at the beginning, before choosing one of these services it is essential to clarify our needs. Each family is unique and can be affected by many different circumstances. Depending on them, we can decide if what we want to hire is a babysitter, an au pair or a nanny.
The main difference between these professions will be the time they are working and how it is organized, but there are many nuances to take into account. The most delicate decision will be to choose a specific person to take care of our children. Above all, we must ensure that you are a person prepared for the position, responsible, dedicated and that we can trust.
