What are the main differences between an au pair, a babysitter and a nanny?
Sometimes the terms au pair, babysitter and nanny are mistaken for each other, but in reality they are three separate different jobs.
What are the differences?
An au pair is defined as a young person (in the age range of 18-30), who goes abroad to live with a native family and learn a language in exchange for childcare. Meanwhile, a babysitter is someone who temporarily cares for children on behalf of their parents, mostly as a sidejob or odd job for a few hours every week. For instance on date night of said parents. Often the babysitter is a young adult or older child who lives nearby and can reach the parents by phone in case of an emergency. He or she is not educated to care for children or baby’s.
A nanny is a educated professional who works in full time employment for a family. The nanny creates daily schedules, cleans the house and helps children do their homework. Nanny’s often live nearby or in-house, due to their long working days and responsibilities. You can learn more on Nutur.nl, a Dutch baby blog.
