Differences between Babysitters, Nannies and Au Pairs
There is a vast difference in the responsibilities of babysitters, nannies and au pairs and each bring with them their conveniences and inconveniences. Knowing their key differences will help you choose decide why you should hire a babysitter, nanny or au pair.
The Babysitter
The babysitters take over the responsibility of the parents and make sure that everybody is safe – while the parents are out for an errand or date. A babysitter is also someone who takes care of the children during the daytime, while the parents are at work.
Young people in the neighborhood starting with ages 11 to 17 babysit to earn a few dollars per hour. The pay rate per hour depends on their experience, training, and extra skills. Pay rate also depends on where you live, the number and ages of the children needing minding, and the special needs of a child if there are any.
The rate also hinges on the number of hours because a babysitting job for an hour for any time of day has simpler responsibilities than one that requires babysitting duties for late evening until early morning. The current rates for inexperienced baby-sitters are pegged at $3 or $4 an hour. Younger babysitters also need an older person nearby who can help in case there is a problem.
Teenager babysitters get a dollar or more than the 11 to 14 year-old baby sitters. Older babysitters are paid more like $12 an hour. Their job includes bringing the children to school or practice, cooking meals for the children, and doing the children’s laundry. Babysitters are also entitled to free meals or snacks, depending the time of day they are babysitting or they can bring their own snacks or meals.
The Nanny
The nanny is a live-in hired helper whose responsibility is to care for the children. Unlike the babysitter and the au pair, the nanny has a long-term relationship with her employers. They are not burdened with other household tasks unrelated to the children’s welfare or well-being.
A nanny’s pay will also be determined by her duties, the number of children in the household, special needs of a child, and special skills. Pay rates will be $200 -$500 weekly and depend on your locality and financial circumstance. A nanny is expected to bring her own meals or share the family food. This will depend on how you look at the situation.
The Au Pair
The au pair is a live-in foreign domestic, an arrangement which last two months or more. The au-pair is treated as an equal in the home. A room is allocated for her use, allowed to share meals and other accommodations as agreed.
An au pair is given a monthly allowance, day off, and other benefits depending on your financial circumstance. Au pair duties include teaching the children the culture and language of their country, and sometime helping with their assignments. Hence, their qualifications are different from baby-sitters and nannies.
Age requirement for au pair is 18 to 26 years. They must speak English fluently, have a number of hours for childcare experience, completed secondary education, and have no criminal records.
Keep in mind this is simply to be used as a quick reference and by no means all inclusive of the differences between these three great child care providers. You may know these three jobs to be slightly different. If so then take this as simply one of the ways to view the differences. Regardless, all three can be the choice you’re looking for depending on the exact criteria you need to have met.