Temporary nanny jobs
How short-term work can boost your resumé and get your foot in the door
If you love working with children you may have thought about becoming a nanny—after all, it’s a rewarding, fun, and challenging job with a near-guarantee of silly laughs on the daily. But for some caregivers, the idea of a long-term position just isn’t doable.
We’ll explain a few benefits of temporary nanny jobs and how they can help you line up positions that work for you.
Why work temporary nanny jobs?
Some people prefer the security of having one single long-term job, but for many, temporary nanny jobs are just the solution to fit into their lifestyle.
Some benefits of working temporary nanny jobs are:
Flexibility in your daily schedule - Perhaps you’re auditioning, going to school, or like to jet off on last-minute trips with no notice (we see you!). If so, then it can be hard to know day to day how your schedule will look and when you will be available to work.
Flexibility in your long-term schedule - Perhaps your situation will be changing in a few months. You may have booked a cruise performance gig, made plans to spend the summer out of town, or gotten into a grad school program, so committing to a long-term nanny relationship with a kiddo and a family just isn’t the right move.
The chance to build up nanny experience - Working with different families, ages, and neighborhoods strengthens your skillset. This can be especially useful if you are at the beginning of your childcare career or looking to expand the ages of kids or responsibilities with which you feel confident working.
Additional nanny income - Perhaps you have a long-term nanny job already, but want to pad your pocketbook with a little extra money. Taking on a date night here and there or using a week when your regular family is away to pick up extra hours may be just the ticket.
Another great benefit of working in temporary childcare is that there is pretty much always work, especially in the larger metropolitan areas. Even though families may have their long-term needs set, there are always times when they need nanny to fill in the gaps when their regular childcare solution is unavailable.
Backup care nanny jobs
One way to get regular temporary nanny jobs is by working in backup care. Backup care is where companies offer their employees last-minute and fill-in childcare when their normal childcare arrangements fall through. This may happen when their regular nanny is sick or on vacation, or if school is closed.
Smart Sitting partners with Bright Horizons, one of the country’s largest organizations for backup care, to connect sitters and nannies in our network with a nearly endless stream of backup care opportunities around the country. You can read more about backup care work as a babysitter.
When you work as a backup care sitter, Smart Sitting keeps track of your successful connections. This way, the next time the family has a need, you’ll be the first person requested to fill the job, letting you build ongoing and deeper connections with families. For the inside scoop on how to quickly become a family’s favorite backup sitter, read our interview with one of our busiest backup babysitters: how to successfully book more Bright Horizons childcare gigs.
Find temporary nanny jobs with Smart Sitting
Families without employer-sponsored corporate backup care benefits can still meet their temporary childcare needs with Smart Sitting. In New York and Brooklyn, families can opt in to our Always On program for temporary child care, through a convenient app that is also quick and easy for sitters to use.
We let families and sitters who like to work together build stronger bonds by building their roster of “regulars.”
Smart Sitting also helps families on a longer—but still short-term—timeline. Maybe it’s a great fit for you to work full-time with one family for two months. We can help! Smart Sitting’s personalized approach means we get to know each nanny’s preferences just as much as the family’s, so that we can coordinate thoughtful matches that work out beautifully for everyone.
Want to become a SmartSitter? Let us find the perfect nanny job for you.
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