How to Become a Freelance Nanny

How to Become a Freelance Nanny

The freelance community is an ever-expanding community of professionals, and there seems to be no end to the number of professions in which one can freelance. From the widely known engineering and content writing freelancing to the little-known massage therapist freelancing, there are countless opportunities in respect of every other skill one can employ in a professional activity.

A necessary implication is that the freelance community is comprised of millions of members and cut-throat competition, making freelancing not a piece of cake for everyone. But, once you get on it with determination and a planned strategy, you can pass through all the difficulties.

How to Become a Freelance Nanny or Babysitter?

As noted above, there are numerous opportunities for freelancers in nearly every job extent. For the matter of our discussion, we are going to confine ourselves to the question of babysitting and how to become a freelancer in this area. Well, you read it right, one can freelance even in babysitting, but do not become too complacent about it since there is more than just tending to the needs of the kid(s) in care: competition, vacillating pay, the question of expertise and what not. Therefore, before actually starting out as a freelance nanny or babysitter, whatever you wish to call it, you will have to go through certain fundamentals.

In this article, we shall discuss four principal factors that ascertain the future of a freelance babysitter. Read those points given below carefully:

Educational Requirments to Become a Freelance Nanny

It is a matter of perspective as well as legal recognition whether babysitting is an actual professional activity, but we are not here to discuss that. In the freelance community, every job is accorded its due respect, and there is no limitation on the amount of money one can earn in a particular activity. Much of the future of a freelancer depends on, inter alia¸ upon his/her educational qualifications.

Formal education in babysitting is not per se required, though, lately, employers have become quite selective of babysitters in terms of educational qualifications. Many employers emphasize the requirement of some or other forms of formal education so it is important you research deeply on this issue. As for now, read below to get a general idea of the educational requirements:

  • The general minimum educational requirement is the completion of 10+2 from a recognized school in India; however, there are a number of certificate and diploma courses available. These courses will help you get more pay than babysitters without any certification.
  • These courses are prepared to instill in takers the fundamentals involved in child care such as safety training, which includes training in first aid and CPR; infant care training; water safety and lifeguard training; driver training; pet care; nutrition and cooking training; elementary education training, etc. Aimed at providing a holistic training mechanism to course takers, the courses are provided in form of levels, for example, from an abecedarian level to the advanced level, with each level catering to different aspects of child care and babysitting.
  • You may not find enough babysitting courses in India, but there are plentiful abroad, and most of these courses can be availed online. Interested candidates may obtain crèche courses provided at some hospitals and daycare institutions
  • The internationally acclaimed American Red Cross offers a plethora of certificate courses in babysitting and child care training, and these courses are offered in both online and classroom platforms. These courses are open to individuals from all age groups, and the certificates issued by it are valid up to two years from the date of issuance.
  • Formal education will not be adequate since practical education is equally crucial in babysitting. Unless you have dealt with children in real settings, you will not be able to appreciate the nitty-gritty involved in babysitting. It is, therefore, recommended that you join daycares, playgroups and kindergarten schools, hospitals, etc for amassing knowledge and putting to use the knowledge gained through theoretical education.

Skills Required to Become a Freelance Babysitter

Children may be innocent, but they are certainly not easy to handle. There are many reasons for this: curiosity, biological changes, social inclusion, etc. This warrants the possession of certain skills to effectively manage children, and those skills have been mentioned below:

  • Patience: Children are impatient human beings; they want to know and get things without delay. The answers to their questions must be almost immediately tendered, otherwise, they may unleash their tantrums on you. Thus, to deal with them, a babysitter must possess an enormous volume of patience. In not just dealing with the whims and fancies of children, patience is needed when children in care are given chores to finish because they are still learning and may take significant time to finish the tasks.
  • Problem-solving: Babysitting has three main stakeholders: you, the kid(s) in care and the parents. Dealing with the latter two requires analytical skills such as problem-solving because circumstances may arise where you have to settle down differences and reach a plausible solution.
  • Love and attention: Kids need care and love. Merely attending to their needs is not enough if there is no play of love and affection. Since a babysitter spends a lot of time with the kid(s), they must ensure they lay a positive and loving influence upon them. Help them grow their personalities by means of love and affection and you will become an admirable nanny.
  • Creativity: Entertaining the kids may be a Herculean task because kids are smitten by every new thing they see. You should be creative enough to keep kids engrossed for hours. Come up with creative educational games, which will offer them two-fold advantages: education and entertainment.
  • Communication skills: Kids may not be able to communicate their sentiments, desires, and discomfort due to many reasons such as communicational deficiencies, psychological problems, fear, etc. You, as a babysitter, must be able to read their expressions and develop an understanding of the same. You should be there are their friend and confidant whenever they need assistance.

Work Opportunities for Freelance Babysitters

Babysitting is becoming increasingly popular in urban areas of India—this is especially due to the rising number of working couples who live in nuclear families. Naturally, there is a marked increased in the demand for competent and credible babysitters. (1)

As a freelance nanny or babysitter, you can find work at daycares, playgroups or nursery schools, and even hospitals. If you like working independently, start an on-call babysitting service without having any need to associate with any organization.

To have more information on the availability of babysitting jobs, you can create profiles in a number of freelance websites such as linekdin.com and freelance.com which offer a convenient solution to job hunting. Upload a resume and submit applications along with diligently drafted proposals.

The PayScale of a Freelance Babysitter

Families are willing to pay a huge sum to babysitters as long as they are ensured quality care to children and monumental faith. It is not easy to place one’s child in the care of a total stranger and, therefore, it is important to develop trust in parents. If you are an experienced and well-qualified nanny, you may earn as much Rs. 15000-20000 a month. If starting fresh, you may start with less pay, around Rs. 4000-5000, but the amount will increase with experience.