Helpful Skills Nannies Should Have

What are the Most Important Skills for a Nanny to Have?
By Ken Meyers, Morningside Nannies and Longhorn Leads, LLC

There could be a great deal more to the role of a nanny than just watching over the child. You should concentrate on improving your marketability by investing in classes that could increase your value to a prospective client. As many households require different responsibilities, it is always better to be over-prepared than to come up short, especially when it is dealing with someone's child or children. What skills could come in handy when clients come across your resume?

1. Child Care Classes - Social Services in your area usually have classes that you can take for child care. You are rewarded a certificate of completion and can demonstrate that you have trained knowledge of child care. These classes will be dependent on your area and don't usually cost much to enroll. In fact, sometimes they are even free. These classes cover everything from methods of controlling an aggressive child to forms of punishment that are effective without the physical element.

2. CPR & First Aid - Having some kind of medical training could put a parent's mind at ease knowing that you are trained in CPR and First Aid. While you don't need to be a field medic or EMT, being able to handle physical emergencies can be a feather in your cap. There are thousands of incidences yearly that could have either saved a child's life or prevented permanent damage if the nanny or baby-sitter had a form of training in CPR or First Aid.

3. Cooking - Not every client will require you to cook, but it could be an additional bonus to those looking to hire long-term nannies. Learning how to cook shouldn't be an expensive venture if you are practicing at home. However, adding college classes or certificates for cooking to your resume may raise a few eyebrows. Having a firm grasp of nutrition and healthy dining could greatly increase your worth to the prospective client.

4. Defensive Driving - For positions that require transportation of the child to locations such as school, having defensive driving lessons could greatly increase your worth. This provides a form of comfort to the parents of the child that you know how to handle yourself behind the wheel of an automobile as their child sits behind you. Most areas will offer these courses through the DMV and many schools offer it as well.

5. Martial Arts - Learning martial arts is more than just self-defense and combat training. Martial arts teach about discipline and how to handle yourself outside of defensive combat. However, many parents feel comfortable in knowing that their nanny can put down a would-be assailant or kidnapper.

6. Creativity - Being a role-model for a child while the parents are away or at work entails more than simply sitting him or her in front of the television all day. Having creative methods to entertain the child that causes them to use his or her mind could make the parents very appreciative and glad that they hired you.

Caring for a child requires complete attention to detail. You are responsible for the well-being of this person as the client is depending on your to protect and care for that which matters most. Furthering your knowledge of every aspect regarding a child will not only look favorable on your resume, but could increase success in your own life.

Author Bio:
Ken Myers is the founder and contributor for http://www.longhornleads.com/. He frequently researches and writes about a variety of topics like education, Technology, Health and many more.