What are the responsibilities of a childcare nanny?

A nanny’s main duty is to provide primary childcare attending to the physical, emotional, and social needs of the child or children being cared for. In addition to that, nannies may carry out duties related to housekeeping (e.g., laundry/ironing, cleaning washrooms, vacuuming, dusting, washing floors, spot cleaning walls, etc.), grocery shopping, meal planning, and meal preparation. Regarding meals, typically your nanny will prepare any meals that fall within her/his hours of work. Outdoor yard work such as gardening, mowing the lawn, and shovelling snow are never included in a nanny’s duties.

Keep in mind that the amount of housework a nanny can realistically be expected to do will depend on the amount of care she/he needs to provide. The child or children being cared for will always come first. For example, if you have only one child, and he/she is five years old or older and goes to school, a nanny should have time to do a fair amount of housekeeping. However, if you have three small children, all under the age of five, a nanny may not have as much time, if any time, for housework.